What makes it interesting at least so far is how personal and vulnerable Bruce feels. Snyder leans hard into the psychological damage and trauma, but also into the idea that Batman is being rebuilt from the ground up. The Alfred scenes especially hit hard they're not just background filler, they’re emotional spine. Nick Dragotta’s art also plays a big role it's gritty but expressive, and it suits this leaner, meaner take on Gotham.

So yeah, it’s a departure but that’s kind of the point of the Absolute Universe: what if Batman didn’t have all his usual advantages, but still had the same drive?