Absolute Batman (2024-) #24

Absolute Batman (2024) (Single Issues)

by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta (Artist)

In the battle of self, of Batman versus Batman, there can be only one. Everyone Bruce has ever known, ever cared about, or ever loved will face their ultimate inner demons.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Crime, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 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

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scarecrow material is great, and the art is fantastic throughout. I love what Nick Dragotta is doing with the layouts and paneling. But parts of the story feel flatter than I wanted. The story with Bruce’s mom and the Robin threads move so quickly that I didn’t get enough time with them to really care.

There are a lot of interesting pieces here, but not all of them get room to breathe. And the character teased on the cover barely shows up until the very end, so the reveal didn’t have much impact for me. Still, the Scarecrow story and the art make this a strong issue, even if it doesn’t quite bring all its threads together.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarecrow: Hurting me won't solve anything.
Batman: But I'll enjoy it.

Batman is a BOSS in this bitch.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stuff here works but hate where they are going with Jason.

[Paulina ෂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santísimocristoredentor. Primera página e inmediatamente ver "Tim Drake dead at 16" hace que se me despierten los triggers del truma. La pelea de Jason con Dick rápidamente se transformó en un pivote para terminar de guardarle rencor a Batman gracias a Slade, aunque no sólo fue él; sino que debido al clon de arcilla, todo el mundo en Gotham incluidos los amigos de Bruce, piensan que él es el culpable y claro, no ayuda que la última vez que lo vieron mi niño no andaba en sus cinco.

Por si fuera poco, Bruce le dice a Bárbara donde encontrar lo que necesite para Batman ¿así que ahora hay dos? ¿supongo? Eso sin dejar de lado que su mamá y ¿ex? integrante de the Court of Owls, le acaba de pasar toda la información sobre The strawman a su hijo. ¿Qué hace Batman? UNA VEZ MÁS ENFRENTA SUS MIEDOS !"#$%& Se va contra Crane y aunque le sueltan la toxina de miedo, Bruce consigue crucificarlo y admitir que no lo hará dudar ya más de quién es él. (Poesía pura que haya atacado al hombre en el tendón de Aquiles, sólo digo.)

Lo que me dejó con la piel de gallina fueron las palabras de Alfred sobre Bruce y cómo "a pesar de haber vivido el trauma más terrorífico que un niño puede, él sale todas las noches a enfrentarse con ese miedo. Así que tal vez seamos nosotros-- ustedes, escondiéndote detrás de sus pantallas, y yo, todos nosotros-- quienes deberíamos tomar una lección de él e intentar ser un poco menos !"#$%&/ miedosos."

Nada más lo que me dejó temblando como chihuahua es el título de lo que se viene: "Batman vs Joker."

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected my review to be preoccupied with my excitement over Absolute Barbara Gordon and her official first appearances as Absolute Bat in this issue. To be fair, I’m still incredibly pleased by that aspect of this book. I bought two covers. I was cheering to myself when she found that coat. This is an awesome time to be a Barbara Gordon fan. But I also need to get into something a little more serious about this issue, the thing that emotionally moved me about it in a way few comics do. Alfred’s defense of Batman had me on the verge of tears. As a young person, just about Bruce’s age when the series launched, it made me feel so acknowledged. I’m just a librarian. That’s not some major act of rebellion on paper. In comic books, heroes like Bruce and Barbara fight terrifying monsters and their violent crime. Real life isn’t usually like that. Real life is very often making sure a kid has access to a book that makes them feel seen and acknowledged, or maybe it’s just making a space where they feel completely comfortable being themselves, even when others will deem you evil for doing so. Are the stakes really less high, if it can still be life or death? We don’t make the world better and safer for everyone by giving in to fear. “We all need to try being a little less fearful. Now I’ll see myself out… before things get really ugly.”

[Cristhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

jesuschrist on a motorbike.

[Ushnav Shroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly, shitknuckles gory! This was ABSOLUTE bonkers and fun in the only way Batman and his adventures can be. 6 stars!

[Daniel Clausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great issue!

[Colin Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn…so good to see Batman get a win for once after getting knocked around relentlessly for the last…18 issues? It’s been a minute since we’ve seen a triumphant Bruce. The message here is so pertinent, too: tune out the bullshit that’s designed to brainwash you and tap into your inner, genuine self. You know who you are.

[Jordie Novack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman won’t kill you, he’ll just crucify you and leave you chilling in the middle of a burning field

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026 - 365 Days of Whatever Is On My Comic Book TBR
Day 267

Good. Not great, but good.

[Aliyu · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5. Really good issue but he should have beaten the shit out of Scarecrow more

[Cybernex007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

HE CRUCIFIED HIS ASS!! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!! Well more like scarecrow-ed it...but you know what I mean, lol. This has been the perfect culmination of all of the doubt and fear which has driven Bruce away from everyone who loves him, this felt like Bruce remembering what it truly meant to be batman. This is exactly what we needed in this dark time, making it even better that batman is now reaching out himself to train a protege in Barbara Gordon. And that speech from Alfred legit made me tear up. We jump into this issue with this being the worst possible situation for batman, Tim Drake is dead at 16 and there is footage of him doing it because of clayface. Joker and Scarecrow watch victorious from the joker cave beneath Grimm Manor as Scarecrow walks out of Gotham to return home after a job well done. This series has been swirling with doubt for so long, and now it’s finally time for Bruce to self reflect. In the after math of the last issue Bruce stumbles back to where it all began…the zoo. Along the way he gets a comm call from Barbara Gordon who has seen the news and refuses to believe that he is capable of killing a kid but needs to hear it from him…so he directs her to a specific set of tunnels to truly find the batman. But as he falls in the bat enclosure at the zoo, his later joins him and hugs him as he apologizes to her. He admits that he has been broken, all that was left was fear everything else was in doubt. That’s when Martha admits that she knows exactly what he is going through…as it happened to her and the court of owls. Scarecrow did the same thing. They were young and crazy and believed they could change the world, but then scarecrow convinced everyone that the court of owls were funded by the ultra rich. He even gave them a rhyme to paint a picture of an Illuminati group. The whole city turned on them and they turned on each other and they never came back from it, instead they scattered and while Martha wanted to continue she had Bruce and he changed everything. She met with the court in issue 18 in the hopes they could help Bruce, but they are still afraid. When it looks like they were shooting at Martha it was really a crow, their fear still grips them.

Martha then apologizes to Bruce for letting him down by refusing to fight and handing him the world on this state. But she wants to make things right, so she has brought two options…first is everything the court has on the scarecrow. Including his main route on and out of Gotham. Second is a new identity, the owls are good at hiding, he could use to leave and truly experience life to the fullest. She leaves him to decide but assures him that no matter what she believes in him and the batman. But that word cusses memories to come up in Bruce’s mind…what truly is the batman? Is it the man who went around as a mob enforcer wielding a bat? Where is batman truly found and forged? To answer that we go back to the flashback from the last issue where Bruce decided to beat up the monsters instead of killing matches. He found himself injured and bleeding and right back to the zoo. It was in the bat enclosure he heard a noises from the dark, only for his eyes to adjust as he found a bat was still there…a mother with her babies attached to her. Bruce is astonished, after everything that happened they stayed in the enclosure. Bruce takes the note from his mother out of his pocket telling him to be more than the mob enforcer…he finally agrees, looking at the bat sitting in front of him he knows what he must become. It’s so easy to see this as a simple call back to batman year one and the bat which crashes through his window but there is so much more that goes into this moment on this universe. To this batman the image of the bat is not one about instilling fear, but overcoming it.

Alfred truly ties all of these ideas together best when we find him forced to face his mysterious superiors who want to deny his leave of absence and drag him out of Gotham on another mission. He outright refuses to do so, as even though Batman is difficult to control and emotionally driven Alfred has seen Bruce awaken something in this city and everyone he comes into contact with. Faces old but especially the young who have grown up in a world of terror are developing a fearlessness. Even today if you took away the costume and tactics batman would remain something very simple…

“He’s just a boy who suffered the most terrifying trauma a child can. And instead of going in to it, he goes out every night and faces that fear.”

Just rethinking about this moment and how brilliantly all of this ties together makes me tear up. But this issue is not just about Bruce rediscovering what it means to be batman, it’s also about taking the first step at taking back that meaning in the eyes of the public. And that means going directly to the source of the corruption…scarecrow, currently returning to his field. Fully serious, this dude walked out of Gotham and walked right into a corner field where his crows were too late to report batman standing there waiting for him before scarecrow just bumped right into the towering bat. This confidence that has returned to batman is so refreshing and uplifting and so well deserved. Seeing scarecrow step back in fear as he tries to convince batman the damage is done and hurting him won’t change anything is even more satisfying as batman agrees but also believes no matter what it will feel really good to hurt him. Batman slaps on a gas mask as he has seen behind the curtain, he knows about the canisters of fear toxin hidden throughout the field for anyone who comes after scarecrow and batman has setup his own game his friends call…matches. Gasoline has been spread all over the field as batman throws down a lit match to set the field ablaze. As it rockets into the sky the surrounding crowd fall to the smoke and flames and as scarecrow tries to run batman hooks his cape into his ankle to drag him back. Scarecrow grabs a knife and cuts the rope to flee into the field, using the chaos to his advantage to jump out and slice at batman and then run back in. He comes from behind and knocks Batman’s gas mask off, exposing Bruce to the fear toxin all around them as scarecrow takes on a fear toxin form…a large creature with long legs and tons of tongues which spring out with knives at the end of each. I ADORE this design choice, the symbolism of having tongues like daggers to represent the lies scarecrow tells to instill fear, magnificent.

Scarecrow is in his element now, the fear toxin is working and batman is thrown off guard. All scarecrow has to do now is sow more lies as he stabs batman. But Bruce knows the truth, he reaches out and grabs one of the dagger tongues and grabs scarecrow’s real arm in the process as he slams him to the ground. He knows the truth about himself and scarecrow will never make him doubt again. As scarecrow falls to the ground he suddenly realizes he has been pushed somewhere very deliberate. Batman slams one of his knives into one arm into the wooden cross now sitting under scarecrow, then batman drives another knife into his other arm, and a final one into his legs. Batman finally takes the stitches sewn into scarecrows mouth and pulls them tight so he can’t tell any more lies as batman pulls him up to look over the field like a scarecrow.

Batman is so BACK and he is not alone. In the standard DCU, Barbara is one of the few members of the bat family that Bruce didn’t directly recruit or guide into a vigilante role. She took it up herself with a bit of his influence in the news, so it’s only fitting this time when the robins are his enemies that he would bring Barbara under his wing. During this fight with scarecrow she was following Bruce’s direction to the tunnel system where she found a symbol on a brick in the wall which, when pushed, opened up to a secret passage which led to the bat cave. Going further past the bat dump truck she found a setup meant for her…with her father’s coat hanging on the wall waiting for her alongside a plethora of bat gear. Batgirl is here but batman doesn’t have much time for training with Jack Grimm now in his sights…this is going to go horribly for him, lol.

[Neil Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scarecrow arc comes to a close. Despite being a bit confusing and often messy in places thanks to do much happening, Snyder somehow draws this arc to a close in a way where things make a bit more sense. This is important as it was starting to feel like he was losing control of all the plots but it appears the story will move forward with more focus.

I was relieved to see that Absolute asshat Batman was more a product of fear gas/manipulation than how this Bruce behaves as he really seemed to have snapped. It's also good that they are making use of the fact his mother is alive in this series (if Ab Batman and superman ever fight each other there's no "Martha" solution).

Despite the tease for Batgirl we don't get anything more than a sequence that leads to the cover image. I don't know this character well enough to know how she will behave but I'm guessing she's going to be more Red Hood than Batgirl.

I was disappointed that there wasn't much regarding the Robins or what will happen with them going forward but I guess that plot can linger for a little while.

The art by Dragotta is stellar as always. There wasn't a jaw dropping scene for me but his Scarecrow depiction was chilling throughout (I think the only time I've found scarecrow scary in the comics). Weirdly, the page that stood out most for me was the anticipation of what the next page would look like once Batman was hit by more fear gas. The actual next page didn't shock but the fact that Dragotta can make me think he was going to shock me was almost more effective in the sense I was conjuring up images. There's only Jock and Ben TempleSmith who have usually have that ability but Dragotta has joined them.

This was probably the messiest arc of the series so far and the art carried it. That said I'm eagerly awaiting the next issue and the fact this series is so crazy that I would not rule out Ab Bat being killed off, or at least taken out of the picture for a few months while Batgirl takes over the book. Might not happen, but the fact it feels possible says a lot for the series.


Overall impression = 4/5
Writing = 3/5
Art = 5/5

Will I read the next issue? yes

Wait for the trade collection? I think this arc would read better and be less confusing in trade format.

Did I need to read previous issues/series? yes

Will I read previous issues already have.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estoy disfrutando muchísimo con esta oportunidad de que se demuestre lo menospreciado que suele estar el personaje de Scarecrow en la mayoría de oportunidades argumentales... Claro, habrá quien me diga que normal que el "filtro Absolute" lo haya potenciado... Pero creo que Scott Snyder justamente ha escrito a este Jonathan Crane de una forma bastante "canónica" (aunque me he cruzado en Twitter con un adelanto de una representación de los ya reconocidos super body horror de la colección que CHILLS) en la que reconocer que el personaje puede ser la amenaza suprema tan solo logrando esa manipulación psicológica y exposición mediática deformada para convertir a Batman en un monstruo.

Pero bueno, este número nos reencuentra con Martha Wayne quien tiene que revelar a su hijo y al lector su pertenencia y sentido a esta Corte de los Búhos con la que sí que Snyder aprovecha para jugar a la metanarrativa autoconsciente con uno de sus más laureados conceptos para la mitología moderna de Batman. Pero quedándonos con lo importante, la presencia y diálogos de Martha nos muestran un cariño siempre presente aún en la mayoría de sus ausencias pero que se agradece en este crucial momento para el personaje.

Ah, y buen adelanto de la Absolute Batgirl. Se espera mucho del personaje con la batuta gráfica de Nick Dragotta.

[AviChaim Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great conclusion to the Scarecrow arc. I'm not sure why I thought the previous issue was the finale, because this issue was clearly meant to be the true ending. There was a lot packed into this issue, and honestly, it might have been a little too much. We get Bruce talking to his mom, Barbara becoming the Bat, his friend group discussing what to do with him, Alfred confronting his employers, the origin of why Bruce chose the Bat, and, of course, the final confrontation with Scarecrow.
With so much happening, I felt like the final confrontation with Scarecrow didn't get as much attention as it deserved. I really wish we had gotten more time with that battle and the resolution between Bruce and Scarecrow, especially after everything the arc had been building toward.
That being said, this was still a lot of fun. The writing and artwork continue to be incredibly strong, and this series remains one of the heavy hitters of the Absolute line. Despite feeling a little overcrowded, this was a satisfying conclusion to the arc, and I'm very excited to see where the story goes next. I definitely recommend it.
Grade: B

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute cinema, First off, fuck Scarecrow, na “fuck Scarecrow.” Also, it wouldn’t be an Absolute Batman issue without an eldritch monster every now and then.

But this was a really good issue, and I love the direction they’re going with this. I also love the message that this issue gives about fearlessness. Not just for Batman, but for younger people as a whole, yeah?

Despite all the bullshit, all the dread, all the fear, and all the issues that younger generations might have to deal with, problems that were passed down either because of the older generation or because they couldn’t stop them, we still get up each day and face those fears one at a time.

We get up, we keep on going, and we keep going out each day like Batman to face our fears.

I just really love that. I just really love that about this. It’s just so Batman. It embodies Batman so well.

[Vansh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scarecrow is supposed to be roughly nothing but smokes and shadows, so the WAY he got defeated (spoiler, I'm sorry) doesn't perturb me. It's the build up to it; there should've been more in my eyes. Or perhaps, for me, it would've never been enough since Scarecrow got ~3 issues already building him up. It is obvious that when facing him the battle within is important to winning the battle with-out. But, after all that build up- just one issue to beat him up seems lackluster. Or perhaps, that is somewhat meant to be representative of the series as a whole; that we suffer more within and when that stupor is gotten out of, the path is revealed to us and seems obvious looking back. 3.5 stars. I still look at this series with great hope.

[Emiliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

O YES !!

Scarecrow got bitched and it was very satisfying. It will probably help to read the entire arc in one read now that it’s over, but it was still full of twist and turns shit was crazy. Scarecrow gaslighting Bruce to his limit was so crazy to witness and I loved not knowing what was true or not until the last parts of the arc where stuff seemingly made more sense. Bruce fighting back against fear and becoming the bat o man o yeah shit was hard.

Batman is so fucked in the next issue man oh god……

[Jason Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great issue with terrific art and panel pacing. This series continues to excel.

Only reason for my dropped star is my own. A few of the finer details have slipped through the cracks as this is a monthly title. I’m due for a reread of previous issues or summary catch up as more things continue to build on each other. There are moments I feel wrapped up too quickly — details surrounding Bruce’s mom, his early life — that I either just don’t remember or they weren’t fleshed out a ton. A reread will tell me which!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The way this issue tries to interweave different scenes together feels like someone editing a movie trailer so that a killer piece of dialogue from one scene hits at the climactic action shot in another. One issue of this works fine, but this feels like the third or fourth with this format and it gives such a jumpy, unfocused feel to the story and loses some impact. I think Alfred's speech would have been better kept together and not interrupted. Same with Batman's fight with Scarecrow.

[Riley Pilgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Batman is still the best absolute title in my eyes. Scott and Nick have been able to keep the momentum, and keep escalating the story and characters.

This issue was amazing, with some incredible payoff, and satisfying conclusion to the scarecrow arc. Sure some stuff was a bit heavy handed, but overall an incredible issue.

Excited to see Babs in action next issue!!!!

[Marquis Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out. Standing!

As always you gotta love the get back Bruce gets from taking on Scarecrow. My favorite parts in this issue? Alfred's speech to his overseers, telling us all to be less fearful of the world and taking action. And Bruce's invitation to Barbara to join him in the fight against Joker! Showing her fathers coat like a symbol of comfort and strength.

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The scarecrow finale is very awesome and probably my favorite moments from scarecrow are in this issue from this arc. The Bat is on the cover but not really that big in the issue which is surprising. Big setup for issue 25 and just like that this issue was a good finale and not too much.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman has always been about facing his fear, but I don't think he ever enjoyed it as much as he did this time. The Scarecrow could only do so much before Bruce stepped up. Besides that, Batgirl is in the house.

[Miclase_Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scarecrow fight in the cornfield is awesome, Bruce finally lets loose after all his torment,this was satisfying🔥🔥🔥😮‍💨

[Myles Gerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still continues to be a top notch comic! A day one read for me!

[Mikey Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

BADASS BATMAN

[spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Batman and The Bat🔥🔥🔥
This book makes me feel like I’m getting fed every month with genius comic book writing, paneling, characterization and art.