Absolute Batman (2024-) #21

Absolute Batman (2024) (Single Issues)

by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta (Artist)

Friends become enemies. Enemies become friends. Final forms are revealed, and Scarecrow’s reign of terror threatens to upend everything.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Crime, Fantasy, Graphic Novels

Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2026

About the author

Scott 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.

Reviews

[Anne]

Batman finally meets the Joker!



Of course, Grimm is hardly the suave businessman that he pretends to be, and Bruce knows it.
And if he wasn't sure before, he certainly is now.



You can see Joker/Jack's obsession with Batman starting to pick up speed in this issue. He's responsible for creating him, but his creation has become something far more interesting than her ever expected. And you can see how an immortal monster would welcome a challenge like Bruce. It goes a long way toward explaining why the Joker wouldn't just outright kill Batman.



But that comes later.
The issue opens with Batman in a fight with Slade's Robins. A group of teens and young adults in mech suits, trained to be "peacekeepers". By the end of the (rather spectacular) fight, team leader Dick Grayson is already showing signs of disillusionment.



Waylon tries to rally the troops, but Harvey, Ozzie, and Ed are still on the fence about Bruce.
And now he's been accused of killing Jim Gordon, one of the few cops these guys liked. Whether or not Croc can bring them back to Batman's side is still up in the air, as they all seem to be heading further down the path of no return.



Clayface is possibly teased as the next villain to appear in the Absolute universe, and if so, I can't wait to see what the hell he's going to be like.

Highly Recommended.

[scarlet♡]

everyone having the worst time of their lives and harvey's just aurafarming

[Machiavelli]

Absolute Batman #21 started incredibly strong for me. The opening confrontation with the Robins was easily the highlight of the issue. Snyder and Dragotta deliver a tense, action-packed sequence that showcases just how dangerous and unpredictable this version of Batman can be, and the artwork absolutely sells every punch, dodge, and brutal moment. Dragotta continues to be one of the biggest reasons this book works so well.After that opening, though, the issue lost some momentum for me. There are a lot of moving pieces in the larger Scarecrow storyline, and while the plot developments are important, the middle section felt slower than I wanted. The book spends a lot of time setting up future revelations and shifting alliances, but I found myself missing the energy and urgency of those opening pages. The issue felt more focused on moving pieces around the board than delivering a complete chapter on its own.That said, there’s still plenty here to enjoy. The Absolute Universe remains fascinating, the supporting cast continues to be compelling, and the horror-infused atmosphere of the Scarecrow arc keeps me invested. Even when the pacing dragged a bit, the art and world-building kept me engaged.Not my favorite issue of the run, but still a solid read overall. The Robin fight alone was worth the price of admission, even if the rest of the issue didn’t quite maintain that same level of excitement.

[mrglasswillbreak]

Bruce, still enraged by finding out that his life was orchestrated by the Joker, goes head-on against the Robins in their high-tech mech suits after they corner him. There’s an epic battle and Bruce manages to hurt a few of them, but they drop a building on him, then Harley sends a bunch of killer bat drones to distract the Robins and get Bruce back home.

Since Batman was framed for Jim Gordon’s death, we see a teary-eyed Barbra Gordon address attendees at her dads funeral. She meets the Robins, recognizing Dick Grayson as an EMT, and reassuring them that her father was on Batman’s side despite the reports. Bruce’s friends attend the funeral and contemplate doing things as they used to, or dishing out the same pain the world served them.

Bruce is finally visited by Jack Grimm(aka the Joker) at his day construction job, Bruce attacks him but he slightly transforms and overpowers Bruce. Bruce falls off the sky high site. But Jack saves him, telling him that Batman is his and that he wouldn’t let Bruce end it until it has reached its full potential(whatever the fuck that means). Then we cut to an ARK-M site, where we see some bat-like monster being created through “transmutation and plasticity”

Another solid issue. Dick is still a fundamentally good guy in this universe as well, and I can totally see the Robins (or at least Dick) defecting and joining Batman. Also, didn’t notice Barbra was this swole before(God Damn girl!), either they’re now drawing her that way in preparation for her Bat Girl moniker, or I’ve just been very ignorant.

[Mia]

3.5 stars

This was great issue but I expected more from fight with Robins.

[Paulina ෂ]

¡¡¡ESTO ES PURO Y 𝗔𝗕𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗘!!! Para empezar, de acuerdo con el conteo de Goodreads, este sería mi "libro" ¡¡¡#𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬!!! Y no hay una mejor manera que se me pueda ocurrir que celebrarlo con la que se convirtió en mi franquicia favorita.

Ahora ¿qué decir con este número? Me dejó loquísima en el mejor y peor de los sentidos, cada vez más adicta y apenas sobreviviendo entre número y número porque es tanta mi emoción que esperar un mes a leer la continuación me tiene al borde del colapso y a la vez es mi motivación para seguir mes con mes (más tomando en cuenta los spoilers que se nos dieron a manos de Snyder sobre el número de septiembre que involucra a THE BAT.)

Aquí no sólo se desarrolla la primer pelea de los cinco Robins contra Batman, sino que nos demuestran la personalidad e intereses tanto de los chicos como de Wilson, quien asegura hay que derribar al hombre murciélago a toda costa, pues no es mas que un hombre, un terrorista. Sin embargo, aunque Jason (¡¡¡Jasooooooooon!!!) le dispara a morir y logra derribar incluso un edificio completo, con la ayuda de los drones de Harley y Alfred, Bruce es rescatado; igualmente Dick es el primero en salir de su Mecha para asegurarse que no haya habido civiles atrapados, procurando proteger la ciudad como se supone que debían hacerlo en un principio (me encanta que hayan dejado su esencia y además el claro conflicto de intereses que se viene más adelante ¿será esto una migaja de lo que podría ser un eventual emparejamiento con el murciélago?)

Pasamos también al funeral de Gordon, donde los Robins se acercan a ofrecer sus condolencias y prometen acabar con Batman, a lo que Barbara responde que Gordon estaría más complacido con el enmascarado que con ellos. Y por si fuera poco, tenemos a la pandilla reunida: Ozzie, Ed, Way y Harvey en un callejón jugando a los cerillos, preguntándose si Bruce realmente había matado al oficial y recordando en qué se convirtieron a partir de Batman, sin embargo, como en cada una de las ocasiones anteriores, es Waylon quien sale a defensa de su amigo "debemos ayudarnos mutuamente...Eso incluye a Bruce" (I'm sobbing, a pesar de todo hay gente que no se rinde con mi chiquito.)

Ya como cereza del #$%& pastel, Bruce en el borde de una viga sombríamente cuando nada más y nada menos que 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗺 aparece a sus espaldas. Bruce reacciona inmediatamente queriendo golpearlo y el empresario sin siquiera pestañear detiene el golpe con una sola mano, le deja en claro que a pesar de haber comenzado con el proyecto de Batman como un juego, ahora está realmente interesado en lo que Bruce se ha convertido. Acto seguido, 𝙎𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙎𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙈𝘼 𝙀𝙉 𝙀𝙇 #$%& 𝙅𝙊𝙆𝙀𝙍 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀 𝘼 𝘽𝙍𝙐𝘾𝙀, asustándolo a tal grado que salta de la viga y es recatado por la bestia entre risas "Uh-uh. Todavía no puedes hacer eso, Bruce." SÓLO PARA FINALIZAR CON UNA DE LAS MEJORES FRASES: 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝙈𝘼𝙉 𝙄𝙎𝙉'𝙏 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙎 𝙏𝙊 𝙀𝙉𝘿. 𝙃𝙀'𝙎 𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙀. 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙃𝙀'𝙎 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙂𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙀𝘿.

Estoy sacando espuma por la boca. Me fascina este universo. Me urrrrrge leer la continuación, los demás personajes, las peleas, el drama, los Robins, etc. En verdad AMO AMO AMO la historia, el arte, el mundo, todo. Gracias Snyder y Dragotta. (También gracias a lxs artistas que me he encontrado en el camino, sobre todo Lotusfire que me ha mantenido en sanidad mental con todo el fanart, en especial de Harvey y que adoro.)

[Sava (Fang Runin’s version)]

Disappointed not to see cunty Two-face much here

[Sam Theriault]

Snyder is playing the hits here and it's a reminder of all the best things he's added to Batman's lore. His penchant for horror, his commitment to comic-booky camp and fantasy and his love for the stories that came before

[Cristhian]

This issue is a setup for the next act in this arc

[Bennett]

BOO!

[Zoey]

“Back then, you were just meant to be this funny side project. A footnote. But what you’ve become, I love it. The truth is, I can’t imagine life without you anymore. You and me… I want to do this dance forever.” -Jack Grimm

The Robins have made their counterattack, but while their purpose is to remove the chaotic destruction of the Batman, they are, too, making a mess of Gotham. Barbara calls them out, saying that she doesn’t know what justice is anymore, or even what this city is becoming.

As for Batman, he finally has a confrontation with Jack Grimm, who seems creepily obsessed with Batman (but what else is new?).

[Nick]

This gave me everything I want and more in a comic! More friend lore and backstory plus a heartbreaking funeral while coming off a fight with the Robins!?! Also, getting to finally have the face to face between Bruce and Joker is wild.

[Frodo]

el pan de ayer no está duro

el pan de ayer

[Craig Schorling]

This issue wasn'tas strong as previous entries. It still has his moments and is setting things in motion. Jack Grimm is so well done and his design is fantastic.

[Garth]

2026 - 365 Days of Whatever Is On My Comic Book TBR
Day 169

[Cybernex007]

What a fantastic issue, jaw dropping over the top fights, Waylon the emotional core of the group of friends, and all while they orbit around Jack Grimm and his terrifying ways. We pickup this book where we left off, with batman surrounded by the Robin mechs with Alfred screaming in his ear about leaving…but instead batman takes his cape and wraps it around the arm he isn’t holding an axe, bunching together the ends of his cape to make a semi mace/whip as he tenses up and stands his ground as batman with nothing to loose. This fight is over the top in the best possible ways, he immediately jumps in and slams his axe into Tim’s mech like opening a can. He may be playing exactly into their hands as Slade, ordering them behind the scenes, wants them to fight…but batman doesn’t care. Steph knocks batman away to a nearby wall, Dick presumes he will need serious medical attention after a hit like that…but barks launches himself out with a flurry of explosions behind him as he begins to climb up Dick’s huge mech while placing scanners along the way to find their weak points. Slade realizes someone is in his ear and orders an EMP barrage to cut him off. But batman hasn’t been listening to them since he started this fight, he is all on his own as he uses every tool in his arsenal against them…even managing to destroy Duke’s mech after he converted it into a bike and ran right into Batman’s spike strip. Jason is characterized as the trigger happy of the group, which in this case means having the stopping power to drop a building near batman. But as Dick looks out at all the destruction he is causing, he stops all of it and gets out of his mech. They signed up to protect Gotham city and right now they are just destroying it, he climbs down and invites everyone else to join him in scanning the area to make sure no one was inside that building. Slade is of course getting pissed as the main priority is killing batman, and they are quickly running out of time as even though batman has acted alone the rest of his colony of bats isn’t going to leave him stranded. There is a great moment here where Harley spits Bat facts about how some bats will wander away from their colony by the bonds they form will always remain and their colony will never forget them and their specific call…she says this while piloting hundreds of drones with little bar faces on them to overwhelm the mechs, jam their sensors, and send out what looks to be little lasers. All while one specific drone swoops in with a hook for batman to grab onto and be carried away home with. Geez, how powerful are these drones if they can lift him?

We then take a trip back down memory lane when Bruce wielded a different kind of bat while working as an enforcer for Falcone. There was one day in particular that commissioner Gordon rolled up to talk to Bruce specifically, as it turns out Bruce’s debts were paid by Waylon and his friends and he doesn’t need to be here…but Bruce is still adamant about working off his debts and not owing his friends anything, so he stays. Jim tells him he understands the spot Bruce is in, when all of the worst voices in his head tell him all the worst things about himself and the people around him. Bruce’s parents were the ones to pull Jim out of that spot and now that’s Jim’s debt he owes. While Bruce’s dad may be gone, his mother still believes in him and so does Jim. Bruce appreciates the words, and apologizes for what he is about to say as he makes a big show about Jim being a pig that needs to get out of here. I love moments like this showing the impact Jim has had on Bruce’s life, which makes it even more bittersweet as we cut over to the eulogy Barbara gives Jim during his funeral service. While the speech is beautiful and heartfelt as she struggles to find the words to encapsulate everything her father was, what speaks even louder is how many people showed up to the service. This is a huge church and every part of a bench has someone sitting in it. Bruce is of course hiding away in the shadows, we actually see his friends here even if some of them have to hide some parts of themselves (especially Eddie), and after the service we see the robins give their condolences. Dick should have been the only one allowed to speak as the moment Tim mentions bringing batman to justice, Jason barges in talking about specifically bringing street justice. Barbara looks Dick up and down, she recognizes him as an EMT. He mentions he has seen the damage batman has done close up because of that, but she questions what range he has seen compared to the building they leveled. Barbra admits she doesn’t know what the law is anymore, but they better keep her dad’s name out of their mouth because he’d approve of batman a lot more than their initiative.

As the rogues leave into the shadows of the alley across the street the topic quickly shifts from missing Gordon to if Bruce really did it. Harvey of course can’t decide, Waylon is sure he didn’t do it, but Nygma continues to poke the question as Waylon mentioned Bruce was going down a dark path. That’s not what Waylon meant, and it all goes back to what Barbara said in her speech about helping each other out. Ozzie then starts to talk about his club the other night, how it’s been dead and before he knew it a bunch of monsters came for him…he barely made it out alive but used the gun crutches to carve his way out. Turns out this is quickly becoming horrific acts story hour as Harvey talks about following a man be put away for life but was released because he helped Bruce do the right thing. The man would carve how victims and keep them alive for days, and all Harvey could think about how easy it would be to strike him down…and then he would think about how that isn’t him. All of this shows then that they aren’t who they used to be and that, as Penguin puts it, they may as well be buried next to Gordon. There is a small moment where Penguin name drops all of their rogue names, even using his cane to pull away the crystal around Waylon’s neck to revert him back to croc a bit. But even while staring them down in a half croc form, Waylon remains adamant that they are all still who they have always been and to keep it that way they have to work together. DAMN STRAIGHT!!

As the issue comes to an end we find Bruce brooding in the most OSHA violation way possible…standing at the end of a beam on a skyscraper with absolutely 0 supports. Looks like his boss is showing some investors around and wants them to meet their engineer, but as he continues to just stand out there they all move on…except for one. The man in the suit steps forward, drops his hard hat, and steps out onto the beam with Bruce…it’s Jack Grimm formerly introducing himself. Bruce erupts in anger, only for Jack to stop his fist with one hand. Jack maintains the claim that he is the man who made Bruce, something I still don’t know how to wrap my head around if it’s true, and although Bruce started as a fun side project he has become something that Jack can’t live without. Suddenly a grin starts to form across Jack’s face as teeth rip out of the slit forming up to his eyebrows. Bruce tries to maintain he is not scared, but as Jack forms just a sliver of his demonic joker form and sticks his tongue out…Bruce falls back as Joker laughs into the air before catching him. Jack is adamant that Bruce doesn’t get to go that easy, not until he sees batman reach his full potential. Batman isn’t Bruce’s to end, and in level 246 of Arkham we start to see what Jack is talking about as clayface begins to form into batman. Jack isn’t planning on replacing him to have something easier to control, is he? No shot, that would be way too easy. But not fully replacing him and still maintaining a puppet batman to fool the public to sway to his side even more is an interesting concept. Either that or Jack really wants to see two big men fight it out, lol.

[Seth Daub]

finally get to see joker and bruce come face to face here. it’s a great moment. also possible clayface tease at the end hello?

[Ushnav Shroff]

Why can't every single issue of this arc be hundreds of pages long?!

[Neil Pearson]

Well, this issue certainly delivers on the action and both Snyder and Dragotta deliver on conveying Batman is fighting as a way of channeling his hurt and how this will probably end badly.

I suspect it's intentional but it's a great contrast seeing how this Batman has more family and friends, yet this makes him almost more dangerous as he doesn't really work well with them and yet is hurt deeply by their loss. He still has no idea about his mum's status (neither do we) and he is completely on the edge.

Speaking of which, it's interesting how this world's Joker is operating. My only problem with him is his demon form. It strikes me as ironic how Absolute Joker is a rip off of "Spawn's" Clown/Violator which was originally a rip off of DC's Joker.
I'm also wondering why Scarecrow isn't appearing in an issue of his own arc? Although it may still be the case that a lot of what we're seeing is the affect of Scarecrow eg Joker appearance and the whole Batman by design story. The Robins must be real as they were narrated by Alfred and met with non Bruce POV.

Art-wise Dragotta continues to be the perfect collaborator for Snyder as he has a way of redeeming weaker scenes. Take the Joker scene, from a writing POV, I didn't like it but the way Dragotta genuinely creates a moment of horror within that scene makes it worthwhile.
The battle was also good even if I couldn't really follow which Robin was which and you could feel the desperation and anger. His take on Penguin is pretty good too. The contrast with flashbacks also suggests more innocent times but a lot of that credit goes to the colorist not just for making it clear it's a flashback but for choosing a colour scheme that evokes "rose-tinted" glasses.

It's not my favourite comic but I can totally understand why it's currently the most successful comic due to it's wide appeal of action, wildness and great artwork.



Overall impression = 4/5
Writing = 4/5
Art = 5/5

Will I read the next issue? yes

Wait for the trade collection? part of the fun of this title is that it seems to have captured the Zeitgeist of comics and it's nice to be part of the ride and join/observe online reactions. Trade is too late for that.

Did I need to read previous issues/series? This arc is building on factors throughout the run but I still think it works fine as a single issue.

Will I read previous issues I really need to read issues 7-13 and the annuals as I still have no idea how Bruce's "rogues" mutated and how Harley came into play.

[AviChaim Snyder]

While I did enjoy this issue, I do feel like it was a slight step down from the previous installments. That is not because this was a bad issue by any means, but rather because the earlier issues were just that much stronger.
The action was enjoyable, especially watching Batman take on the Robins and their mech suits, but I found the character interactions to be the true highlight. The conversations between Bruce's friends, Barbara and the Robins, and especially Bruce and Jack Grimm were fantastic. I could not get enough of the dynamic between Bruce and Jack. Their interactions were both creepy and captivating, and I found myself completely drawn in.
That said, I am still undecided on whether this meeting is happening too soon. Part of me feels like the Joker should continue to be built up as an ominous force before directly interacting with Bruce. At the same time, this was only their first encounter, and nothing major actually occurred, leaving plenty of room for the relationship to develop further.
One concern I have is that this arc has been heavily focused on the Robins and Deathstroke, while Scarecrow has been largely absent. I keep wondering where he is because I would really like to see more of him and his role in the story.
Even with those reservations, this was still a fun issue and another strong entry in a series that I highly recommend. Both the series and this issue are absolutely worth picking up.
Grade: B

[Ali]

I would like to see Batman's life get a break but no, things are literally just getting started. He literally met Absolute Satan in this issue. And oh fuck no. Batman cannot catch a break. Like, imagine your villain comes to meet you in broad daylight at your workplace and tells you that your whole life, your whole identity, isn't even yours to end it's his, and he'll end it on his own time. And things are just beginning. I was like, fucking hell, this man is about to go through some serious bullshit. In the entire Absolute series, Batman specifically has just been going through it to another level.

Other than that, this issue was really great. I love the introduction of the Robins, and I love how they didn't do the whole traditional origin again. I know it's a different interpretation, but I like how they're adults in this one, yet still coming together to become the Robins. That way it avoids all the familiar history while still doing something new but similar at the same time.

I also love the memorial they did for Commissioner Gordon. It just feels so soon for him to be gone, but I feel like this is going to have a serious impact on every character both Batman and his friends. Not necessarily changing who they are, but leaving a real mark on everyone, especially his daughter Barbara Gordon.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez]

JOIN THE BLACK PARADE!!!!!!

El funeral de Jim Gordon termina de revelar lo vital que es en esta reconfiguración de la historia de Batman como figura "paterna". La cual también se extiende a los amigos de Bruce, actualmente aún sin poder discernir si todos abrazarán su usual naturaleza villanesca al tener ya un aspecto monstruoso que les distancia de sus vidas pasadas y de su amistad con un Bruce que realmente puede estar ya más que superado... No. No por el escuadrón de Robins con mechas que pueden reventar manzanas enteras de Gotham en cero coma... Jack Grimm se encara a Absolute Batman pendientes de un precipicio de inminentes eventos que solo siguen poniendo a prueba el temple y capacidad física de Bruce (supongo que la psicológica ya se fue a la hora de equipararse a la abominación de body horror que supuso el BANE ABSOLUTE).

[Emiliano]

JOKER IS SCARY I AM SCARED OF HIM

Holy fuck Joker was able to catch his fist and carry his large ass from falling how strong is this clown. The robins and Batman battle was cool as hell and the tension regarding values with Dick is interesting. I looooooove the designs of Bruce’s friends and I wonder where the roads lead for all of them. Bruce continues to struggle with his identity and what it means to even be Batman because it’s out of his control. The idea of something traumatic being controlled by a psychotic billionaire will definitely fuck your mental hard. Curious what happens because the identity issues will get worse when Clayfave shows up :/

[Connor]

For those who have not been following along with this comic, let me put into perspective what Snyder has done. Okay so he reinvented Batman when the new 52 line broke out and had major success with it, if that is what you'd call reinventing then okay. This time he struck the batman world with a goddamned nuke and put all the little pieces back together in his own way. Violent action that makes you cheer and laugh as you turn the page and Lovecraftian Eldrich horror to boot. Forget everything you know and dont even bother learning what you think you want to know this is a different world where nothing makes sense yet it does.

[Norman]

Wow we get the faceoff at the end. Jack Grimm meets Bruce. Joker meets Batman. But what a difference in stature. Bruce is street level, a small time thug/vigilante, just an angry young guy, totally out of his paygrade with the shiny Grimm who created Batman just for the lulz. Since it's a Batman story, Batman must prevail. But how?

Meanwhile, we get the whole gang - Two Face, Penguin, Riddler, and Croc - being the pals they are, barely hanging on the edge of the rails of morality (and sanity).

Robins are kind of lame. But perhaps that's what Robin always was, no? Kinda lame.

All in all, great pressing forward.

[Eddie B.]

[Daniel Clausen]

I am still thoroughly enjoying this comic, though I am having some trouble following all the characters and storylines. As mentioned in my previous reviews, I wish the comic would slow its pace and introduce characters gradually. This would allow for proper development as the narrative progresses. I believe this comic could have a long shelf life if it simply slowed down and established its own distinct identity with each careful story arc.

[Siegfried]

Absolute cinema.
Perfect.
Robins are insane, but Dick is still Dick.
Want to see then dropping Slade and became a force for good.
The Crime Alley boys are getting... more deffined. Are they villains or will they became part of the Bat family? Love their develpment
And the cherry on top: Joker.
Absolute Bats is really the best in terms of lore changes.

[Antonio Escobar]

Messi scoring a hat trick the day before and reading the new absolute Batman the next day is a great way to continué the week

First time Bruce and Jack meet. And the sneak peek Jack gives of the joker is just a foreshadow of what’s to colme in the future—I love how the story is taking more shape

We need 100+ issues of absolute Batman 🙌🙌

[Derrick McCall]

"Hello, Bruce... I'm Jack Grimm. So nice to finally meet you."

My favorite thing about this series is how AbsBat can be the most intimidating and violent Batman we've had, both in methods he uses and how imposing his figure is. But compared to the villains, he's truly just a small fish in a big pond. It's astounding.