Absolute Batman is a superhero comic book series published by DC Comics, based on the character Batman. The series is written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Nick Dragotta, and began publication on October 9, 2024, as the first title in DC's Absolute Universe (AU) imprint.[1]
| Absolute Batman | |
|---|---|
 Textless cover of Absolute Batman #1, art by Nick Dragotta. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics (Absolute Universe) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | October 9, 2024 – present |
| No. of issues | 11 |
| Main character(s) | Batman |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Scott Snyder |
| Artist(s) | Nick Dragotta Gabriel Hernández Walta (4) Marcos Martín (7-8) Clay Mann (11) |
| Letterer(s) | Clayton Cowles |
| Colorist(s) | Frank Martin |
| Editor(s) | Katie Kubert |
Premise
editThe series stars a 24-year-old blue-collar civil engineer named Bruce Wayne, who operates at night to fight crime as the vigilante Batman with his own self-designed equipment and armor. While doing so, he is stalked by a secret agent, Alfred Pennyworth.[2]
Publication history
editBy July 2024, a Batman-focused comic book series written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Nick Dragotta was in the works as part of DC Comics' Absolute Universe (AU) imprint,[3] which is overseen by Snyder.[4]
Absolute Batman began publication on October 9 of the same year, as the first title under the AU imprint.[5]
Plot
edit"The Zoo" (#1–6)
editAlfred Pennyworth, a spy, is sent to Gotham City to investigate the terrorist group "The Party Animals". In Gotham, Alfred tries to reconcile with his estranged daughter Julia. Bruce Wayne in this world grew up in Crime Alley, Gotham's slum district, and is friends with Waylon Jones, Harvey Dent, Edward Nigma, Oswald Cobblepot and Selina Kyle.
As a child, Bruce Wayne won an engineering competition and his class won a trip to the zoo, where they were accompanied by Thomas Wayne, Bruce's teacher and father. During the trip, a gunman opens fire on the class during a mass-shooting incident, and Thomas is killed shielding his son. Traumatized by this experience, Bruce obtains several scholarships as a teenager to study various subjects and adopts the identity of "Batman" to fight the criminals of Gotham. His first public appearance as Batman occurs at a town hall meeting about the Party Animals. Inside the town hall, Mayor James Gordon and his friend and Bruce's mother Martha Wayne are suddenly attacked by the Party Animals. Batman fights them off and defends the town hall. The Party Animals are led by criminal mastermind Roman Sionis.
Collected editions
edit| # | Title | Material collected | Format | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Zoo | Absolute Batman #1–6 | HC | 176 | Aug 5, 2025 | 978-1799505242 |
| TPB | 978-1799505259 | |||||
| 2 | Abomination | Absolute Batman #7–13 | HC | 240 | Feb 3, 2026 | 978-1799507505 |
| TPB | 978-1799507512 |
Reception
editThe first issue of Absolute Batman had a print run of around 250,000 copies and by the end of 2024, Absolute Batman became the best-selling comic of 2024, with combined sales of first, second, third and black-and-white printings, selling just under 400,000 copies. Within the first 8 months, the first issue went through 6 printings, with subsequent issues being reprinted as well. Absolute Batman was praised for its writing and art, being called a refreshing reinvention of the character.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Absolute Batman #1: Batman Has Lost Everything". FandomRadar.com. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (September 9, 2024). "Absolute Batman: Scott Snyder's Dark Knight Is "Chaos and Anarchy"". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 7, 2024). "SCOOP: DC Comics Launch Absolute Batman At San Diego Comic-Con". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (July 18, 2024). "DC Reveals First Three Absolute Universe Titles". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Morrison, Matt (October 4, 2024). "Absolute Batman #1 Preview Reveals New Alfred Pennyworth". SuperHeroHype.com. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Champa, Madelyn (October 9, 2024). "I'd Given Up on Batman, But Absolute Batman #1 Has Changed My Mind (Review)". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 13, 2025.