Absolute Batman Volume 1 Review

Absolute Batman Volume One is not just another Batman story — it's one that feels destined to define the character for years to come. Scott Snyder teams up with Nick Dragotta to deliver a Gotham that's brutal, unrecognizable, and absolutely unhinged in the best way possible.

Launching under DC's All In initiative in October 2024, Absolute Batman was the first title of the brand-new Absolute Universe — a line that takes everything you know about DC and pushes it to another level. The first arc, "The Zoo" (collecting issues #1–6), sets the tone for this radical new Gotham. For those interested in how the Absolute Universe started, check out the DC All-In Special!

Right from the start, you realize this isn't the Batman story you know. Bruce's parents weren't killed in Crime Alley — instead, Thomas Wayne was murdered during a mass shooting at a zoo. Gordon isn't the commissioner, but the mayor. Alfred isn't the loyal butler — he's an MI6 operative investigating a violent gang in Gotham called the Party Animals, who have driven Gotham's murder rate up 700% while torching daycares and tearing through the city in bizarre animal masks. And perhaps most surprising: the Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman, and Killer Croc aren't villains — they're Bruce's childhood friends… at least for now.

Then there's Batman himself. This is not the brooding detective we're used to — this is a 6'9", 420-pound monster of a man. His Batsuit is a Swiss Army knife of brutality: bat ears that turn into knives, a cape that doubles as a parachute, and gadgets designed less for restraint and more for carnage. One moment that stuck with me was Batman luring a group of Party Animals into knee-deep water… then unleashing hydrochloric acid. Another has him casually slicing off an enemy's arm before remarking that if they hurry to the hospital, maybe it could be reattached. This Batman doesn't pull punches — he takes them off entirely.

The story doesn't just follow Batman — we also track Mayor Jim Gordon and Deputy Mayor Martha Wayne as they navigate through the hellhole that is Gotham. The flashbacks to Bruce's story are intense as we see him processing the trauma of surviving a mass shooting and growing up alongside his childhood friends who would become iconic villains in other continuities.

Visually, the book is a spectacle. Nick Dragotta's art (issues #1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) captures the unhinged energy of this oversized Batman, giving the story a sense of scale and momentum that feels genuinely imposing. Gabriel Hernández Walta handles issue #4, which serves as a more grounded "first night" story for Batman, offering a nice contrast in tone and style that grounds the series' wilder elements.

Every page feels fresh, violent, and exhilarating — and yet, underneath the chaos, Snyder is planting seeds for a bigger world that promises even more shocking revelations.

Verdict: Absolute Batman Volume One is a brutal, uncompromising start to the Absolute Universe and one of the boldest Batman reinventions I've read in years. If you're ready for a Batman who feels both familiar and terrifyingly new, this is a must-read. Snyder and Dragotta have stated that they have big plans for this world, and I cannot wait to see where this brutal reimagining goes next.