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Absolute Batman (2024) (Collected Editions)
Absolute Batman, Vol. 1: The Zoo
Without the wealth, without the cave, he’s still the Absolute Dark Knight!
Meet Batman as you’ve never seen him before, reimagined with a modern origin story at the hands of superstar creative team Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta!
An astonishing new version of DC’s iconic characters is here! In the Absolute Universe, familiar heroes have been reinvented from the ground up with origin stories that completely reshape both their abilities and their circumstances but maintain the core characteristics that fans have known and loved for decades!
Bruce Wayne comes from nothing. He’s not the scion of a wealthy empire in Gotham City, he’s the son of a public school teacher who he experienced the unimaginable horror of random gun violence as a child, changing the trajectory of his life forever. With no limitless resources, no billions to fund him, no mansion, and no butler to care for him, Bruce has shaped himself into an entirely different breed of Batman, one that is equal parts brain and brawn, who exists exclusively in the grittiest and most underserved parts of Gotham with no high society mask to fall back on.
Collects Absolute Batman #1-6
Meet Batman as you’ve never seen him before, reimagined with a modern origin story at the hands of superstar creative team Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta!
An astonishing new version of DC’s iconic characters is here! In the Absolute Universe, familiar heroes have been reinvented from the ground up with origin stories that completely reshape both their abilities and their circumstances but maintain the core characteristics that fans have known and loved for decades!
Bruce Wayne comes from nothing. He’s not the scion of a wealthy empire in Gotham City, he’s the son of a public school teacher who he experienced the unimaginable horror of random gun violence as a child, changing the trajectory of his life forever. With no limitless resources, no billions to fund him, no mansion, and no butler to care for him, Bruce has shaped himself into an entirely different breed of Batman, one that is equal parts brain and brawn, who exists exclusively in the grittiest and most underserved parts of Gotham with no high society mask to fall back on.
Collects Absolute Batman #1-6
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2025
434 people are currently reading
2735 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,778 books5,115 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 804 reviews
September 6, 2025
The faces are familiar, the story is not.
So what Snyder has done is answered the age-old question, would Bruce Wayne be Batman if he weren't a billionaire?, and the answer is yes.
Now, the story of Bruce losing all of his money and having to regroup has been told. But what's different about Absolute Batman is that this Bruce Wayne never had the money to start with.
And how many times have longtime Batman readers made fun of the pearls falling as Martha Wayne dies reenactment that seems to be shoehorned into every retelling?
Well, no pearls this time around.
But for those of you who have read the first volume, you know that all the characters are there, even if the form they take is different.
I loved that his childhood friend group includes Harvey Dent (Two-Face), Waylon Jones (Killer Croc), Edward Nygma (Riddler), Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin), and Selina Kyle (Catwoman), and that they've remained close ever since.
Black Mask and Joker also get updates, and I liked what Snyder did with both of those, as well.
Also, Batman punts a kid. Hah! <--it deserves a mention.
Jim and Barbara Gordon are in this in somewhat familiar roles (Gordon is the mayor and Babs is a police officer), and it's really Alfred who gets the cooler twist.
He's MI6 and has been assigned to Gotham to get eyes on Black Mask. No longer the subservient father figure, he's equal parts intrigued and annoyed by Bruce's shenanigans.
I liked it.
This may not hit with everyone, but I'm at the point in my life where I just want something new. And this is a Batman story that I haven't heard a thousand times yet.
Highly Recommended.
So what Snyder has done is answered the age-old question, would Bruce Wayne be Batman if he weren't a billionaire?, and the answer is yes.
Now, the story of Bruce losing all of his money and having to regroup has been told. But what's different about Absolute Batman is that this Bruce Wayne never had the money to start with.
And how many times have longtime Batman readers made fun of the pearls falling as Martha Wayne dies reenactment that seems to be shoehorned into every retelling?
Well, no pearls this time around.
But for those of you who have read the first volume, you know that all the characters are there, even if the form they take is different.
I loved that his childhood friend group includes Harvey Dent (Two-Face), Waylon Jones (Killer Croc), Edward Nygma (Riddler), Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin), and Selina Kyle (Catwoman), and that they've remained close ever since.
Black Mask and Joker also get updates, and I liked what Snyder did with both of those, as well.
Also, Batman punts a kid. Hah! <--it deserves a mention.
Jim and Barbara Gordon are in this in somewhat familiar roles (Gordon is the mayor and Babs is a police officer), and it's really Alfred who gets the cooler twist.
He's MI6 and has been assigned to Gotham to get eyes on Black Mask. No longer the subservient father figure, he's equal parts intrigued and annoyed by Bruce's shenanigans.
I liked it.
This may not hit with everyone, but I'm at the point in my life where I just want something new. And this is a Batman story that I haven't heard a thousand times yet.
Highly Recommended.
October 17, 2025
I loved this book. Bigger, badder, angrier but still Batman. This is an awesome start to the Absolute universe and the Absolute Batman. The artwork fits. I am not crazy about the back and forth of the past and present in between panels but it does work here, but if used too much it will become annoying.
Gotham is in trouble (that does not change in any universe). A group called the Party Animal are committing heinous crimes and the police and mayor are powerless to stop them. Someone has been sent in to observe. However, he discovers a new player, the Batman. Will he be a friend or foe of Batman? Does Batman even need him or anyone?
New universe, new origin but familiar faces and names with new origins and roles. Even though this book is darker and more brutal there are some dark comedy moments like Batman trying out different intimidation methods. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. Also how many things has Batman done in his young crime-fighting career? The book finishes with a huge thumbnail and full-page variant cover gallery and a sketchbook of costume design and weapons.
Gotham is in trouble (that does not change in any universe). A group called the Party Animal are committing heinous crimes and the police and mayor are powerless to stop them. Someone has been sent in to observe. However, he discovers a new player, the Batman. Will he be a friend or foe of Batman? Does Batman even need him or anyone?
New universe, new origin but familiar faces and names with new origins and roles. Even though this book is darker and more brutal there are some dark comedy moments like Batman trying out different intimidation methods. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. Also how many things has Batman done in his young crime-fighting career? The book finishes with a huge thumbnail and full-page variant cover gallery and a sketchbook of costume design and weapons.
September 28, 2025
This is a fascinating take on Batman as it presents him as a common man fighting against a corrupt world where the villains are the super wealthy who are trying to destabilize the world for their own nefarious goals. While I'm not a big fan of the suit design, the story is captivating the whole way through.
June 30, 2025
8.0/10
Different social status, different methods, same goal. Make Gotham better.
Snyder gives us a plot that, just as Bruce himself, is big and bold. It's good and it works, for most of the time. While definitely not being perfect, it is certainly very entertaining. Dragotta's art has an energy to it that matches Snyder's writing.
Going forward, i really want to see what will happen with some of the supporting characters. So far they are quite different to their main universe counterparts. I wonder if the will remain.
Different social status, different methods, same goal. Make Gotham better.
Snyder gives us a plot that, just as Bruce himself, is big and bold. It's good and it works, for most of the time. While definitely not being perfect, it is certainly very entertaining. Dragotta's art has an energy to it that matches Snyder's writing.
Going forward, i really want to see what will happen with some of the supporting characters. So far they are quite different to their main universe counterparts. I wonder if the will remain.
March 20, 2025
A solid reimagining of Bruce Wayne's origin story that embraces a darker tone for a bleaker and more brutal Batman. It utilises familiar faces and throws them into differing roles to keep it fresh, whilst also staying true to the core elements of the characters. That being said, it doesn't feel too dissimilar to a Batman story we could get with Prime Earth Bruce, and I wish it had taken more risks to really shake up the status quo. It has definitely got potential, and here's hoping that chunky Batman is able to fill out and expand the world rather than be overshadowed by the weight of the symbol.
actual rating: 3.5 stars
actual rating: 3.5 stars
September 3, 2025
I think maybe I liked this?
March 2, 2025
what if someone took batman from comic books but made him like, dark and tough and gritty and cool. has anyone tried that before
October 5, 2025
Another fresh retake on the Batman legend.
I started reading this in singles, alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman. This is probably my least fave of the three, as it's still pretty similar to the original Batman story - it's just Batman beating up bad guys. It's fun, but it's nothing particularly new. That said, the story gets stronger as it goes along, and we see Bruce as a kid who actually has friends. And some familiar friends, too ...
There's a new trauma here to create Batman, but much of the rest is the same so I found myself not really understanding the hype. This is still such a massively popular series but for me it's one of the weaker ones. It's really good - don't get me wrong - but I can't help but compare it to Absolute Wonder Woman, which is blowing it out of the water. By comparison, it's great but nothing quite as special.
This volume tackles the re-launch, so we get a fresh crime to hold the interest while the new Batman and all supporting characters (and gadgets) are revealed. Issue #5 throws back to give us more back story, and #6 brings it all home.
Artwork fluctuates but was mostly a disappointment to me. I didn't like the style at all, and some of the earlier issues it seems like the artist was still feeling out what he wanted to draw. So that was the real nail in the coffin for me. It's definitely dark and gritty, and it might work for others, but with such a massive build up it was all a bit of a let down for me.
That said, there's still a decent story here, and Batman fans should appreciate this new take on the Dark Knight. There are some significant points of difference that will draw readers in and keep them guessing about what's to come in later issues.
I think Batman/DC fans need to read this one, if only to decide you like the regular old Batman just fine. There are some new ideas here that are worth the time, and it does get quite brutal which is quite fitting for Batman. The art style may not be for everyone but it does get stronger in later issues, which should satisfy everyone in it for the long haul.
With thanks to DC/Lunar for an ARC
I started reading this in singles, alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman. This is probably my least fave of the three, as it's still pretty similar to the original Batman story - it's just Batman beating up bad guys. It's fun, but it's nothing particularly new. That said, the story gets stronger as it goes along, and we see Bruce as a kid who actually has friends. And some familiar friends, too ...
There's a new trauma here to create Batman, but much of the rest is the same so I found myself not really understanding the hype. This is still such a massively popular series but for me it's one of the weaker ones. It's really good - don't get me wrong - but I can't help but compare it to Absolute Wonder Woman, which is blowing it out of the water. By comparison, it's great but nothing quite as special.
This volume tackles the re-launch, so we get a fresh crime to hold the interest while the new Batman and all supporting characters (and gadgets) are revealed. Issue #5 throws back to give us more back story, and #6 brings it all home.
Artwork fluctuates but was mostly a disappointment to me. I didn't like the style at all, and some of the earlier issues it seems like the artist was still feeling out what he wanted to draw. So that was the real nail in the coffin for me. It's definitely dark and gritty, and it might work for others, but with such a massive build up it was all a bit of a let down for me.
That said, there's still a decent story here, and Batman fans should appreciate this new take on the Dark Knight. There are some significant points of difference that will draw readers in and keep them guessing about what's to come in later issues.
I think Batman/DC fans need to read this one, if only to decide you like the regular old Batman just fine. There are some new ideas here that are worth the time, and it does get quite brutal which is quite fitting for Batman. The art style may not be for everyone but it does get stronger in later issues, which should satisfy everyone in it for the long haul.
With thanks to DC/Lunar for an ARC
October 31, 2025
Considering that Batman is the most profitable superhero that DC Comics has, whether it is going the numerous runs going on within the publisher’s flagship Batman title, to anytime DC can publish limited series that have put a unique spin of the Caped Crusader, last year saw the publication of Absolute Batman with its first issue becoming the best-selling comic of 2024. Following the disappointing finale of Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run, there hasn’t been any recent Bat-titles that have left much on an impression on this Bat-fan... until I started the first volume of Absolute Batman.
As part of DC’s Absolute Universe that is all about reinventing familiar heroes with all-new origin stories that reshape how we think of these characters from a visual and narrative standpoint, the Batman we see here is defined not by his enormous wealth. Instead, we have a Bruce Wayne who is a blue-collar civil engineer that operates at night to fight crime as the vigilante Batman with his own self-designed equipment and armour. Stalked by secret agent Alfred Pennyworth, Batman tries to stop a crime wave that has stricken Gotham by Roman Sionis and his Party Animals.
While DC has done publications like Earth One, which was the first modern reimagining of DC Comics titular characters, as well as the Elseworlds imprint that did one-shot comics set in alternate realities that deviate from the established continuity, it’ll be interesting how this book along with other Absolute titles will move forward as ongoing titles. Despite his initial hesitation of writing this book, given his long history of the character which has made him one of the best Batman writers, Scott Snyder embraces how much you can reinvent the well-established mythos, to the point of even breaking long-time fans’ expectations.
First off, the story opens not with Bruce, but this new version of Alfred who fully embraces the life of a secret agent with a very thick beard, despite the one family connection that he tries to cling onto. Narrating the majority of this volume, Alfred is there to observe as the crimes that are occurring in Gotham, but when the sight of a bat-themed vigilante disrupts this chaos, he is assigned to engage Batman, until he realises a better change for the city.
As for our titular hero, by stripping the wealth that has defined the Waynes across multiple generations within DC’s main continuity, it takes away some readers’ preconceived notion that Batman as a superhero with the most impressive gadgetry could only be achieved because of his impossible wealth. We may not see much of the World’s Greatest Detective here, but there is a high intelligence, established in flashbacks to his childhood which also features the tragedy that will initiate his vigilantism. Even how the theme of bats is introduced feels refreshing as it’s not just a case of overcoming a fear of them, starting off a child’s curiosity to a young adult’s construction of his armour against crime, including how the cape functions.
Despite the reinvention, you can see how this version evokes what Frank Miller did with Batman during the eighties, such as The Dark Knight Returns, which features the vigilante with the bulked physique who uses rather ruthless methods to take down criminals, whilst his suit features a chunky bat symbol. There is even a whole issue that puts its own spin on the Year One style of storytelling, showing how this Bruce Wayne grows from tragedy and rethinks his vigilantism, such as the ongoing progression of his bat-themed suit.
For as dense as these six issues are with Snyder juggling so many characters, which again some of which are very different from what they were previously, he never forgets the absurd fun you have in this world, which can also be said about Nick Dragotta. Having done some work in DC, Dragotta is known for his quirky character designs and the many panels he can insert in every page, and since this is a rather unhinged Batman, it allows Dragotta to go full-unhinged with his style. From an action standpoint, Dragotta escalates with Batman who makes good use of his physique and his multi-faceted suit, as well as driving a Batmobile that is basically a dump truck. Although Gabriel Hernández Walta brings his own flourish as the guest artist for issue #4, Dragotta reigns supreme with an art-style for a deliberately off-kilter version of the Dark Knight.
When it comes to Batman, this is arguably the most exciting thing that is currently happening with the character as it has nothing to do with the main DC timeline, as least not yet. As much as you do get the multi-layered storytelling that you expect from Scott Snyder, which will be interesting to see what new elements he will bring to the mythos, but there is also that absurd fun that you want from superhero comics, albeit one that is twisted and bloody.
As part of DC’s Absolute Universe that is all about reinventing familiar heroes with all-new origin stories that reshape how we think of these characters from a visual and narrative standpoint, the Batman we see here is defined not by his enormous wealth. Instead, we have a Bruce Wayne who is a blue-collar civil engineer that operates at night to fight crime as the vigilante Batman with his own self-designed equipment and armour. Stalked by secret agent Alfred Pennyworth, Batman tries to stop a crime wave that has stricken Gotham by Roman Sionis and his Party Animals.
While DC has done publications like Earth One, which was the first modern reimagining of DC Comics titular characters, as well as the Elseworlds imprint that did one-shot comics set in alternate realities that deviate from the established continuity, it’ll be interesting how this book along with other Absolute titles will move forward as ongoing titles. Despite his initial hesitation of writing this book, given his long history of the character which has made him one of the best Batman writers, Scott Snyder embraces how much you can reinvent the well-established mythos, to the point of even breaking long-time fans’ expectations.
First off, the story opens not with Bruce, but this new version of Alfred who fully embraces the life of a secret agent with a very thick beard, despite the one family connection that he tries to cling onto. Narrating the majority of this volume, Alfred is there to observe as the crimes that are occurring in Gotham, but when the sight of a bat-themed vigilante disrupts this chaos, he is assigned to engage Batman, until he realises a better change for the city.
As for our titular hero, by stripping the wealth that has defined the Waynes across multiple generations within DC’s main continuity, it takes away some readers’ preconceived notion that Batman as a superhero with the most impressive gadgetry could only be achieved because of his impossible wealth. We may not see much of the World’s Greatest Detective here, but there is a high intelligence, established in flashbacks to his childhood which also features the tragedy that will initiate his vigilantism. Even how the theme of bats is introduced feels refreshing as it’s not just a case of overcoming a fear of them, starting off a child’s curiosity to a young adult’s construction of his armour against crime, including how the cape functions.
Despite the reinvention, you can see how this version evokes what Frank Miller did with Batman during the eighties, such as The Dark Knight Returns, which features the vigilante with the bulked physique who uses rather ruthless methods to take down criminals, whilst his suit features a chunky bat symbol. There is even a whole issue that puts its own spin on the Year One style of storytelling, showing how this Bruce Wayne grows from tragedy and rethinks his vigilantism, such as the ongoing progression of his bat-themed suit.
For as dense as these six issues are with Snyder juggling so many characters, which again some of which are very different from what they were previously, he never forgets the absurd fun you have in this world, which can also be said about Nick Dragotta. Having done some work in DC, Dragotta is known for his quirky character designs and the many panels he can insert in every page, and since this is a rather unhinged Batman, it allows Dragotta to go full-unhinged with his style. From an action standpoint, Dragotta escalates with Batman who makes good use of his physique and his multi-faceted suit, as well as driving a Batmobile that is basically a dump truck. Although Gabriel Hernández Walta brings his own flourish as the guest artist for issue #4, Dragotta reigns supreme with an art-style for a deliberately off-kilter version of the Dark Knight.
When it comes to Batman, this is arguably the most exciting thing that is currently happening with the character as it has nothing to do with the main DC timeline, as least not yet. As much as you do get the multi-layered storytelling that you expect from Scott Snyder, which will be interesting to see what new elements he will bring to the mythos, but there is also that absurd fun that you want from superhero comics, albeit one that is twisted and bloody.
August 28, 2025
Absolute Batman? That’s not absolutely a yes from me. This was gritty with interspersed intense moments and a relatively familiar Batman through a somewhat unfamiliar lens. But I thought the whole point of this “Absolute” take on Batman was that he was supposed to be different, yet there weren’t that many differences between Bruce’s brooding and depressed personality here and his canon personality. If the point was to show that Batman is always Batman at his core, then great, they did it! But I don’t think the blurb or the marketing suggested that’s what they were going for.
I didn’t find the antagonists, the Party Animals, to be that compelling, but that’s probably because I’m not all that convinced by anarchy for anarchy’s sake (see my critique of the ultimate anarchist’s comic, V for Vendetta: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Not only were they lacking individuality because there were hundreds of them and they were all wearing masks, but also Black Mask’s monologues were a bit of a drag and his character design didn’t make much sense—was he wearing a fish bowl? His daughter looked like Ahsoka, it was an odd creative choice.
The plot had so much opportunity to be something different, but instead it was a single train track to the depths of Gotham, boringly straight whilst predictably clear where it was heading. The Party Animals wanted to destroy everything—naturally—and then Batman went to stop them, and this was repeated a few times just in case we didn’t get the idea by issue #3.
Overall, the art was on the good side. The action panelling really set this comic apart from the rest. The action scenes were dynamic and the lettering and colouring really heightened the intensity of it.
I think this really wasted its potential because the scenes that distinguished it from any average Batman comic were those that showed Bruce with his friends who were all canon villains. What was fun about this basically Elseworlds story was seeing what was different from the canon, and whilst the design was cool and interesting (Frank Miller-esque with a dash of The Dark Knight Rises) the plot got waylaid by the action and forgot to explore the different world of this twisted Gotham. This made the antagonist doubly disappointing because their motivation was a dime a dozen and not at all anything new or exciting.
If there’s more to come, which no doubt there will be, then there’s a chance to improve. But as it stands this was a tease from Snyder and not his best work.
I didn’t find the antagonists, the Party Animals, to be that compelling, but that’s probably because I’m not all that convinced by anarchy for anarchy’s sake (see my critique of the ultimate anarchist’s comic, V for Vendetta: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Not only were they lacking individuality because there were hundreds of them and they were all wearing masks, but also Black Mask’s monologues were a bit of a drag and his character design didn’t make much sense—was he wearing a fish bowl? His daughter looked like Ahsoka, it was an odd creative choice.
The plot had so much opportunity to be something different, but instead it was a single train track to the depths of Gotham, boringly straight whilst predictably clear where it was heading. The Party Animals wanted to destroy everything—naturally—and then Batman went to stop them, and this was repeated a few times just in case we didn’t get the idea by issue #3.
Overall, the art was on the good side. The action panelling really set this comic apart from the rest. The action scenes were dynamic and the lettering and colouring really heightened the intensity of it.
I think this really wasted its potential because the scenes that distinguished it from any average Batman comic were those that showed Bruce with his friends who were all canon villains. What was fun about this basically Elseworlds story was seeing what was different from the canon, and whilst the design was cool and interesting (Frank Miller-esque with a dash of The Dark Knight Rises) the plot got waylaid by the action and forgot to explore the different world of this twisted Gotham. This made the antagonist doubly disappointing because their motivation was a dime a dozen and not at all anything new or exciting.
If there’s more to come, which no doubt there will be, then there’s a chance to improve. But as it stands this was a tease from Snyder and not his best work.
October 25, 2025
Scott Snyder is more miss than hit with me, but this is a high-profile book right now, so let's give it a go.
A multiverse/Elseworlds take on Batman rebuilds the character from the ground up, starting with the ur-murder that sets him on his path of vengeance and justice. It's been done a million times already, but this particular spin gets off to a strong start.
This time around, Bruce Wayne doesn't have a family fortune to help him build his bat-arsenal because his family is strictly middle-class. And yet, he still has lairs, weapons, and cars out the wazoo. As a wise man once asked, "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" Embezzlement seems the obvious answer with perhaps an ends-justifying-the-means rationale, but the author defers giving an answer this time. Maybe next volume?
It's a Year One take with no extended Bat-family, but Bruce still has a support network of familiar faces . . . in mostly unfamiliar roles. This might be the most intriguing aspect of the book.
It's also a Dark Knight take, with plenty of homage imagery and a large helping of the ol' grim-and-gritty. While I appreciate the many easter eggs for longtime fans and all the Frank Miller worship, this unfortunately tends toward late-career Miller with a plot that gets outrageously ridiculous by the end of the book.
It looks like the story wraps up in the next volume, so I'll be back to check it out to see if Snyder can bring this back around somehow.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: The Zoo, Parts 1-6 / Scott Snyder, writer; Nick Dragotta (#1-3, 5-6) and Gabriel Hernández Walta (#4), illustrators -- Covers/Variant Cover Gallery / Nick Dragotta, Jim Lee and Scott Williams, Daniel Warren Johnson, Becky Cloonan, Yasmine Putri, Joëlle Jones, Frank Quitely, Wes Craig, Mitch Gerads, Ian Bertram, Mike Deodato Jr., Jerome Opeña, Simone Di Meo, Dan Mora, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanford Greene, Jae Lee, Dan Panosian, Rafael Albuquerque, Dustin Nguyen, Tony S. Daniel and Sandra Hope, Riley Rossmo, Stevan Subic, Gabriele Dell'Otto, James Harren, Jorge Fornés, Francesco Francavilla, Guillem March, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Clay Mann and Seth Mann, John McCrea, Simon Bisley, and Alex Maleev, illustrators
A multiverse/Elseworlds take on Batman rebuilds the character from the ground up, starting with the ur-murder that sets him on his path of vengeance and justice. It's been done a million times already, but this particular spin gets off to a strong start.
This time around, Bruce Wayne doesn't have a family fortune to help him build his bat-arsenal because his family is strictly middle-class. And yet, he still has lairs, weapons, and cars out the wazoo. As a wise man once asked, "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" Embezzlement seems the obvious answer with perhaps an ends-justifying-the-means rationale, but the author defers giving an answer this time. Maybe next volume?
It's a Year One take with no extended Bat-family, but Bruce still has a support network of familiar faces . . . in mostly unfamiliar roles. This might be the most intriguing aspect of the book.
It's also a Dark Knight take, with plenty of homage imagery and a large helping of the ol' grim-and-gritty. While I appreciate the many easter eggs for longtime fans and all the Frank Miller worship, this unfortunately tends toward late-career Miller with a plot that gets outrageously ridiculous by the end of the book.
It looks like the story wraps up in the next volume, so I'll be back to check it out to see if Snyder can bring this back around somehow.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: The Zoo, Parts 1-6 / Scott Snyder, writer; Nick Dragotta (#1-3, 5-6) and Gabriel Hernández Walta (#4), illustrators -- Covers/Variant Cover Gallery / Nick Dragotta, Jim Lee and Scott Williams, Daniel Warren Johnson, Becky Cloonan, Yasmine Putri, Joëlle Jones, Frank Quitely, Wes Craig, Mitch Gerads, Ian Bertram, Mike Deodato Jr., Jerome Opeña, Simone Di Meo, Dan Mora, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanford Greene, Jae Lee, Dan Panosian, Rafael Albuquerque, Dustin Nguyen, Tony S. Daniel and Sandra Hope, Riley Rossmo, Stevan Subic, Gabriele Dell'Otto, James Harren, Jorge Fornés, Francesco Francavilla, Guillem March, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Clay Mann and Seth Mann, John McCrea, Simon Bisley, and Alex Maleev, illustrators
August 18, 2025
I made a vow years ago that I would not read another Batman (or Batman-adjacent) comic. I had my reasons. For the most part, I've been pretty good. A few slips, here and there: Sam Hamm's fun 2022 series Batman '89, Tom Taylor's DCeased, James Tynion IV's DC vs. Vampires. I read a Harley Quinn comic once. I think I read a forgettable Joker one-off somewhere in there.
Other than those falls off the wagon, I've been leading a fairly devout Batman-free life.
Then, Scott Snyder had to go and write Absolute Batman: The Zoo.
Now, I read somewhere that the whole "Absolute" bullshit has something to do with one of those universe-ending Crisis events that DC loves to do every 6 months and that I want nothing to do with, ever. Something about Darkseid and his never-ending desire to fuck up the DC universe. I'm a Marvel guy, so to understand what's going on, just basically think of Snyder's Batman as a Batman variant.
Somewhere in the DC multiverse is a Bruce Wayne who didn't have rich parents, a silver-spoon upbringing, massive wealth and opportunities galore. In at least one of these variant universes, Wayne comes from a simple middle-income family, whose father was a school teacher and mother was a social worker. In at least one of these universes, this Wayne had to work double-time to get to where he is.
Yeah, there's a tragic back-story, but in this universe Wayne still has a mom. In a weird twist of fate, too, Wayne has familiar childhood friends who, in other universes, would have grown up to be villains like the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and Catwoman. In this one, though, they are just his pals who each has unique talents to help him in his vigilante quest.
In this universe, Gotham is still a shithole, overrun with violent gangs and criminals. The city's law enforcement is outmanned and outgunned. A new crime syndicate called the Party Animals is committing unspeakable atrocities, and Mayor Jim Gordon is being blamed since it is happening under his watch. A British MI6 agent is tasked with investigating the Party Animals and this new masked vigilante known as Batman. The agent's name? Alfred Pennyworth.
A very interesting and riveting take on the Batman mythos, one that is a bit more relatable to us lowly plebian peons.
I still hate Batman, though.
Other than those falls off the wagon, I've been leading a fairly devout Batman-free life.
Then, Scott Snyder had to go and write Absolute Batman: The Zoo.
Now, I read somewhere that the whole "Absolute" bullshit has something to do with one of those universe-ending Crisis events that DC loves to do every 6 months and that I want nothing to do with, ever. Something about Darkseid and his never-ending desire to fuck up the DC universe. I'm a Marvel guy, so to understand what's going on, just basically think of Snyder's Batman as a Batman variant.
Somewhere in the DC multiverse is a Bruce Wayne who didn't have rich parents, a silver-spoon upbringing, massive wealth and opportunities galore. In at least one of these variant universes, Wayne comes from a simple middle-income family, whose father was a school teacher and mother was a social worker. In at least one of these universes, this Wayne had to work double-time to get to where he is.
Yeah, there's a tragic back-story, but in this universe Wayne still has a mom. In a weird twist of fate, too, Wayne has familiar childhood friends who, in other universes, would have grown up to be villains like the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and Catwoman. In this one, though, they are just his pals who each has unique talents to help him in his vigilante quest.
In this universe, Gotham is still a shithole, overrun with violent gangs and criminals. The city's law enforcement is outmanned and outgunned. A new crime syndicate called the Party Animals is committing unspeakable atrocities, and Mayor Jim Gordon is being blamed since it is happening under his watch. A British MI6 agent is tasked with investigating the Party Animals and this new masked vigilante known as Batman. The agent's name? Alfred Pennyworth.
A very interesting and riveting take on the Batman mythos, one that is a bit more relatable to us lowly plebian peons.
I still hate Batman, though.
September 1, 2025
The whole time I'm thinking... dude, do we really need yet another superhero origin story, another retelling of the early years of Batman?
But we finally get a Batman that never skips leg day!
I think it is impressive Snyder and Dragotta were able to make me ignore those objections. I love Dragotta and Frank Martin (Colorist)'s art work. And Snyder manages to slice out a fresh story.
But we finally get a Batman that never skips leg day!
I think it is impressive Snyder and Dragotta were able to make me ignore those objections. I love Dragotta and Frank Martin (Colorist)'s art work. And Snyder manages to slice out a fresh story.
August 26, 2025
This is an absolutely wild and over the top alternate universe take on Batman. The art by Nick Dragotta compliments Scott Snyder’s script really well with some outstanding, jaw dropping panels. I’m not sure how long they can keep up the momentum, but I’m in.
August 20, 2025
This was so absolutely bonkers and over the top! I loved it! This alternate universe beast of a Batman, written by veteran Batman writer Scott Snyder ushers in a bold and bone shattering new era for The Dark Knight. I’m all in and can’t wait to read more!
December 24, 2025
Bruce Wayne is a really smart kid from a middle class family. He wins some school competition, and the prize is a trip to the zoo for his entire class, including the teacher, who happens to be his dad. They all visit the zoo, but it’s attacked by a random gunman and his father is killed trying to protect them.
Bruce deals with the pain by getting a scholarship to a top school, studying very specific courses to work in various important departments in the city, and used the resources and expertise of his closest friends, all to build and support a brutal crime fighting alter ego he intends to rid his city of injustice with. How will he cope when a new unhinged villain, Black Mask, that seems to have connections everywhere and wants nothing but chaos and death, comes to his city. A Batman without his billions, but a lot more rage and conviction, for he feels responsible for his dad’s death
This was awesome, Scott Snyder is on a roll with this Batman and the DC K.O. titles. his writing is so well thought out and unpredictable. Bruce is a master engineer who builds his own weapons, tools, and vehicles, this is complemented by the fact that he is academically qualified to, and leads various construction projects all over Gotham as a day job, which gives him access to various resources and location. I also love the fact that he depends on his friends help a lot for his Batman endeavors.
The art is also great, so I’m going to put this right up there with AWW. Wasn’t expecting Superman to be my least favorite title among the absolute trinity
Bruce deals with the pain by getting a scholarship to a top school, studying very specific courses to work in various important departments in the city, and used the resources and expertise of his closest friends, all to build and support a brutal crime fighting alter ego he intends to rid his city of injustice with. How will he cope when a new unhinged villain, Black Mask, that seems to have connections everywhere and wants nothing but chaos and death, comes to his city. A Batman without his billions, but a lot more rage and conviction, for he feels responsible for his dad’s death
This was awesome, Scott Snyder is on a roll with this Batman and the DC K.O. titles. his writing is so well thought out and unpredictable. Bruce is a master engineer who builds his own weapons, tools, and vehicles, this is complemented by the fact that he is academically qualified to, and leads various construction projects all over Gotham as a day job, which gives him access to various resources and location. I also love the fact that he depends on his friends help a lot for his Batman endeavors.
The art is also great, so I’m going to put this right up there with AWW. Wasn’t expecting Superman to be my least favorite title among the absolute trinity
April 26, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this title, which owes its success more to the fact that it's a twist from the classic Batman than to the quality of its writing.
Personally I enjoyed the game of differences and some of them are really well found .
Past this point, it quickly becomes apparent that Snyder isn't overdoing the writing, preferring easy effects to coherence and depth. The bat suit has... dubious options, the network of batcaves makes no sense, the batmobile looks good but comes out of nowhere and Bruce is just a moody beefcake with the IQ of a genius. The issue trying to justify the bat as the future choice of emblem tries way too hard and feels silly.
This first volume confirms my belief that Snyder is a mediocre writer. One or two good ideas but not the consistency to push them beyond visual effect even if it means sacrificing the story.
I imagine Dragotta's drawings will be divisive, especially his hypertrophied Batman. I admit, I like it.
Personally I enjoyed the game of differences and some of them are really well found .
Past this point, it quickly becomes apparent that Snyder isn't overdoing the writing, preferring easy effects to coherence and depth. The bat suit has... dubious options, the network of batcaves makes no sense, the batmobile looks good but comes out of nowhere and Bruce is just a moody beefcake with the IQ of a genius. The issue trying to justify the bat as the future choice of emblem tries way too hard and feels silly.
This first volume confirms my belief that Snyder is a mediocre writer. One or two good ideas but not the consistency to push them beyond visual effect even if it means sacrificing the story.
I imagine Dragotta's drawings will be divisive, especially his hypertrophied Batman. I admit, I like it.
May 23, 2025
the tagline for this: without the wealth, without the cave, he’s still the absolute dark knight! pretty much says it all. and i think snyder’s initial explanation for how bruce manages to know his city is rlly comic-book clever: he gets into a good school on a sports scholarship, fakes an injury, studies applied mechanics, chemistry, criminal psychology, military theory, sociocultural theory (lol), then graduates and works in the power grid, the water department, sanitation, and city hall, before eventually settling on engineering. his childhood friends are his rogue gallery. his batcave is the top of an abandoned skyscraper. he steals his ride from his butler, who was never his butler. and all this is really fun and gadgety and bam! pow! zap!, but i’m sorry, i rlly get why they made batman a billionaire. it’s so ridiculous, lol. what saves this for me is that everything else is dialed up to eleven too. the villains are ultraviolent, blood-curdling, and totally outrageous, and the only person who cld ever possibly deal w them is...batman.
December 3, 2025
Scott Snyder made Batman awesome in New 52, then made it overcomplicated and boring with super mega different versions. Now he returns to Batman with Nick Dragotta, and they made Batman awesome. Dragotta's work is spectacular and shows a chunky, larger-than-life Batman. It is just pure fun and hype.
The book made me interested in superhero comics again and look at the market and what is available in the market.
The book made me interested in superhero comics again and look at the market and what is available in the market.
September 16, 2025
This was terrifying, and completely excellent - LOVE what's done with the Rogue's Gallery here. Loses one star because they still didn't sell me on the art.
March 24, 2025
Chunky Batman is fun Batman.
October 20, 2025
Lots of familiar names, but a largely fresh (even if, at times, disorienting) reboot, perspective, and story arc, all packaged up in a (mostly) compelling package.
I bought this because so many readers were raving about, and I was soon (surprisingly) taken by, the Absolute reimagining of Wonder Woman, ... and, I've now also got Absolute Superman in the pile. While I found the Batman contribution entertaining, it didn't speak to me in the same way as Wonder Woman. Having said that, I had no trouble consuming this (quickly) and remaining interested and engaged throughout.
I found the mid-book change in art/style jarring (and, OK, a little disappointing), but such is the nature of serial sequential art (although, interestingly enough, as a I read more manga (where far greater consistency reigns, it does seems that this practice may be more American/local than I would have expected).
I'll be interested to see how others react over time, but I thought the take on Albert was quite good.
I bought this because so many readers were raving about, and I was soon (surprisingly) taken by, the Absolute reimagining of Wonder Woman, ... and, I've now also got Absolute Superman in the pile. While I found the Batman contribution entertaining, it didn't speak to me in the same way as Wonder Woman. Having said that, I had no trouble consuming this (quickly) and remaining interested and engaged throughout.
I found the mid-book change in art/style jarring (and, OK, a little disappointing), but such is the nature of serial sequential art (although, interestingly enough, as a I read more manga (where far greater consistency reigns, it does seems that this practice may be more American/local than I would have expected).
I'll be interested to see how others react over time, but I thought the take on Albert was quite good.
November 26, 2025
I read the first issue when is came out and really liked it and was just patiently waiting for the first arc to be collected. This didn’t disappoint. Really dug the new dynamic Bruce has with Alfred and I’m really curious to see where that goes. I also equally dug what they have done with Batman’s rouges gallery here and feel like that will bring some cool story ideas down the road. The villain here are the Party Animals lead by Black Mask. These guys are wild and super violent. They have Gotham is a choke hold. Batman of course, wants to take it straight to these guys. Snyder has something cooking here and I’m excited to see where this goes.
October 28, 2025
Taí, gostei mais do que esperava.
Não pelo roteiro, meio derivativo, mas pela diagramação fora da casinha.
É como se Mondrian encontrasse Katsuhiro Otomo. Quadros muito bem encaixados com onomatopeias inseridas dentro do grid diagramático, compondo uma tapeçaria de cores, traços e palavras que imitam sons.
Uma aula de construção narrativa imagética.
Não pelo roteiro, meio derivativo, mas pela diagramação fora da casinha.
É como se Mondrian encontrasse Katsuhiro Otomo. Quadros muito bem encaixados com onomatopeias inseridas dentro do grid diagramático, compondo uma tapeçaria de cores, traços e palavras que imitam sons.
Uma aula de construção narrativa imagética.
August 18, 2025
As a fan of alternate timeline superheroes, I understand why this appeals to some. It’s got larger than life art and big ideas about what a modern Batman who isn’t a billionaire looks like, and its tweaks, especially making Batman’s rogues essentially his Shadow operatives (until they betray him one by one, no doubt), are sometimes interesting.
And sometimes they’re so edgelord the whole thing makes me want to fling it across the room. This is much more akin to Zack Snyder’s Batman, violent and bloody, with idealism coated in nihilistic “the world is too big to fix” that renders the idealism more or less pointless.
I get why some folks like this. I’m definitely not one of them.
And sometimes they’re so edgelord the whole thing makes me want to fling it across the room. This is much more akin to Zack Snyder’s Batman, violent and bloody, with idealism coated in nihilistic “the world is too big to fix” that renders the idealism more or less pointless.
I get why some folks like this. I’m definitely not one of them.
September 28, 2025
Haters of Snyder can say what they want about his wroting, but this series is just absolutely amazing. The ideas. The characters. It’s so rad, it’s creepy, I can’t wait for more of this over-the-top madness.
August 30, 2025
Знайомі обличчя та абсолютно нові ролі та взаємодії. Такий погляд на Бетмена мені довподоби. Буду слідкувати куди триматиме курс ця історія
August 10, 2025
That was a blast. I’ll likely wait out the hardcovers, but this series is everything I’d heard about and more.
August 17, 2025
A dark, fresh reimagining of the Batman mythos, this volume starts at full throttle and never lets up. It’s big, it’s brutal, it’s over-the-top in all the best ways. If every Absolute universe title is at this level of storytelling and imagination, we are all in for a serious treat.
October 5, 2025
2.5 stars
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