Absolute Batman

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	Superhero
Publication date	October 9, 2024 – present
No. of issues	10
Main character(s)	Batman Alfred Pennyworth
Creative team
Written by	Scott Snyder
Artist(s)	Nick Dragotta Gabriel Hernández Walta (4) Marcos Martín (7-8)
Letterer(s)	Clayton Cowles
Colorist(s)	Frank Martin
Editor(s)	Katie Kubert

Premise

The series stars a 21-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

By 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

"The Zoo" (#1–6)

Alfred 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, Matches Malone, and Selena 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 his own meeting about the Party Animals. Inside the 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

#	Title	Material collected	Format	Pages	Released	ISBN
1	The Zoo	Absolute Batman #1–6	HC	176	August 5, 2025	978-1799505242
			TPB			978-1799505259

Reception

The 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]