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Bruce initially tried to keep his friends in the dark about his vigilante escapades. However, when facing the villain Black Mask, he needed their help and resources to take the psychopath down. He told them that he’s Batman, and despite his best efforts to push them away once Black Mask was beaten, his friends told him that they wouldn’t let him continue his crusade alone. Now, Harvey, Oswald, Eddie, and Waylon are all caught in the middle of Bruce’s crusade against the nefarious private prison Ark M that uses its prisoners for human experimentation. Furthermore, they have become the target of Ark M’s deadliest weapon: Bane.
Bruce’s Friends are His Support System
Another significant contrast between the Bruce in the primary universe and the Bruce of the Absolute Universe is what they are fighting for. In the main DC continuity, Bruce’s crusade always has been built on the foundations of vengeance. Ever since the deaths of his parents, aside from Alfred, Bruce has had no friends or family to rely on. This isolationism caused Bruce’s rage and guilt to fester until all that remained was his desire to punish the criminals of Gotham for their transgressions. Even as he traveled the world to learn the skills needed to become Gotham’s protector, he rarely made any long-lasting relationships with his peers or mentors. Bruce’s vendetta consumed him, and for years, he left little room in his heart to form attachments with others. Although over time his mission shifted to focusing on protecting the people of Gotham and he has surrounded himself with fellow crime-fighters, internally Bruce is still the traumatized and lonely person seeking vengeance that he always was.
In the Absolute Universe, however, Bruce avoids this fate by having friends with whom he grew up and who never left his side. After the death of his father, Bruce tried to shut himself off from the rest of the world, but neither his mother, Martha, nor his friends would allow that to happen. As Bruce’s classmates, they were all present and shared the trauma of Bruce’s father’s murder during a school trip to the zoo. They helped Bruce deal with his trauma in a healthier manner and helped him grow up to be a much more mentally stable individual. Despite this support, though, Bruce still swore to become a masked vigilante who is hellbent on taking down the corruption that plagues Gotham City. Without his friend’s knowledge, Bruce absorbed their skills and expertise to become a feared crime-fighter. With these skills, Bruce doesn’t fight for vengeance, but instead for the people and the community he loves.
When Bruce finally donned the cowl, he tried to push his loved ones away to keep them safe. But despite his best efforts, his friends weren’t willing to let him isolate himself from the world, as they kept trying to reach out to him. Even as savage criminals orchestrated by Black Mask overran Gotham, Bruce’s friends still tried to be there for him. And when Bruce finally opens up and reveals his secret to Harvey, Ozzie, Eddie, and Waylon, they join their friend’s crusade to save Gotham. They supply him with tools and information to help in Bruce’s latest mission: to investigate Ark M and its suspected illegal endeavors. By being honest with his friends, Bruce gained some of his greatest allies and is now more motivated than ever to protect them and the city he loves. However, this love also means that Bruce has more to lose, a weakness Ark M plans to exploit.
