Absolute Batman is a superherocomic book series published by DC Comics, based on the character Batman. The series is written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Nick Dragotta. In this universe, Bruce Wayne is not a billionaire. Gotham is more broken, more corrupt, and Batman is born from raw survival, rage, and street-level struggle, not wealth or privilege.
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 is sent to Gotham City to investigate the terrorist group the Party Animals, led by Roman Sionis. He unsuccessfully attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Julia, and learns that the Joker, a former target, has escaped surveillance.
Bruce Wayne grows up in Gotham's Crime Alley and witnesses his father, Thomas Wayne, killed while shielding him during a mass shooting. Traumatized, Bruce becomes a juvenile delinquent before earning a university scholarship and training to fight crime as Batman. His first public appearance occurs when he stops the Party Animals from assassinating Mayor James Gordon. Pennyworth identifies Batman as Bruce Wayne but refuses orders to kill him. After several confrontations, Pennyworth briefly tracks and protects Batman before his agency withdraws support.
Sionis escalates attacks on Batman using the Party Animals and corrupt police forces. Batman uncovers Sionis's scheme to build a black site prison and accepts a bribe offer from Sionis to expose him publicly. Sionis survives the exposure and launches a citywide bounty using weaponized masks. Batman reveals his identity to his friends, confronts Sionis on his yacht, disables the system, and defeats him. Pennyworth rescues Batman. An epilogue reveals the Joker as the true mastermind, summoning Bane to confront Batman.
"Absolute Zero"/ "Abomination" (#7–14)
One month after the Party Animals attacks, Gotham is struck by severe snowfall. Hamilton Hill defeats Jim Gordon in the mayoral election, imposes martial law, and authorizes construction of the offshore black-site facility Ark M. Bruce Wayne links the death of his associate Matches Malone to Ark M, with Alfred Pennyworth confirming a bacterial cause. Investigating Ark M documents, Bruce traces them to cryotechnology pioneer Victor Fries. Infiltrating Fries's company, V-Core, Bruce learns that Fries is using a prehistoric bacterium for cryogenic revival and has caused the snowfall to collect population DNA. Fries, as Mister Freeze, overwhelms Batman, who narrowly escapes. Shortly afterward, Waylon Jones is kidnapped, drawing the attention of the mercenary Bane.
Following the end of a century-long oil war between Kahndaq and Qurac, Bane travels to Gotham. Batman later learns Waylon is being held at Ark M and attempts a rescue, but is defeated by Bane and imprisoned. Over months, Bruce endures repeated captivity and experimentation involving a venom-based enhancement before escaping with a mutated Waylon. Returning to Gotham, Batman finds Bane has brutally injured several of his allies. After Pennyworth recounts Bane's origins and ties to the Joker, Batman allies with Catwoman, Waylon, and the Red Hood Gang. Batman defeats Bane at Veterans' Arena by exploiting his venom dependency, while the Joker remains active elsewhere.
The Joker (#15)
Alfred Pennyworth recounts the Joker's origins, beginning in 1888 with Joseph "Jack" Grimm I, a Gotham street performer who became a wealthy philanthropist and founder of the entertainment conglomerate Just Kidding. The Grimm family secretly manipulated industries and governments for profit, becoming a global criminal power. Pennyworth suggests the family is a façade for a single immortal Jack Grimm. In the present, Grimm murders a captive on a private island by transforming into a monster and returns to his Gotham estate.
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 eleven months, the first issue went through eight printings, with subsequent issues being reprinted as well.[6]
Absolute Batman was praised for its writing and art, being called "a bold reinvention" of the character[7] and "a masterwork of action storytelling",[8] yet criticized for "the flat characterization of its villain"[9] and the story's lack of consequences.[8]Comicbook.com gave credit for the "insane story" and "genuine appreciation for the emotional core of the character".[10]
Category Publications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Storylines are listed in publication order. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity.
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