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Warning: spoilers are ahead for Absolute Batman #19. 

So, you've finished reading Absolute Batman #19. And what a firecracker of an issue it was from Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Clayton Cowles, and Frank Martin. 

Ever since the marketing description for Absolute Batman #20 was released, we knew that one character would die in Absolute Batman #19. But when the moment came for Former Mayor Jim Gordon to hit the dust, I won't deny that it was incredibly shocking to see on the page. Let's unpack what the heck happened that led to Absolute Jim Gordon's death. 

Gordon calls Absolute Batman up and says he wants to meet with him. In typical Gotham fashion, Batman meets up with Gordon on a rooftop and finds Jim to be in a paranoid state. Gordon verbally debates telling Batman the reason why he called him there, revealing that he "[doesn't] know what the right thing is anymore" after unearthing some files called Project Batman.

RELATED: How DC’s Absolute Batman channels Berserk and seinen manga into a brutal new Dark Knight

As Gordon takes out the file folder, he hears a crow (or a raven? I'm not great with corvids), presumably from Absolute Scarecrow, squack, and that's when Gordon's behavior changes completely. After the bird screams at him, Gordon says, "This was a mistake," and starts setting the Project Batman files on fire, seemingly entering an altered state of mind because he doesn't even notice that he's set his own arm on fire. The Scarecrow crows (okay, they're definitely crows, now that I've written that out) swarm Gordon, and Gordon says that someone is using the birds to stop Batman from getting the files. He apologizes to Absolute Batman "for what [he's] about to find out" before jumping to his death. Later that night on the news, Batman is blamed for Gordon's death. 

Woof. We saw in the opening scene of the issue that Absolute Scarecrow uses his birds to influence the behavior of people around him, and that's likely what caused Gordon's death. And Gordon's "suicide" is used as a reason for Absolute Deathstroke/Slade Wilson to deploy his "Robin Program" that he developed with Absolute Joker, the billionaire known as Jack Grimm V. Since the cover of Absolute Batman #20 was revealed, we know that Batman's next battle will be against the giant mechs sent to end "creatures of the night terrorizing [their] streets." 

Ultimately, Absolute Jim Gordon's death is a part of Absolute Joker's plan to squash Absolute Batman through systemic means. Framing Absolute Batman for the death of Jim Gordon makes him public enemy number one. So where do we go from here? Well, Absolute Slade Wilson did say at the end of issue #19 that there's going to be a fight, "maybe the biggest fight in the history of this city." I'm going to expect a slugfest in Absolute Batman #20. 

Here's an update to date guide on the Absolute Batman release schedule.