It's probably about time I review Absolute Batman, since it's been the hottest book in comics since it debuted in October 2024. I can't even really think of the last comic book that was this popular for so long. I remember the Image books being popular when the company first started, but that was multiple books. Spawn was probably their #1 book for awhile, but I don't think it got good reviews or anything besides people liking the art. I remember Kick Ass was popular and a hot seller when that debuted, but that popularity surge didn't really last long. What else was there? I mean...Spawn came out in 1993. Kick Ass came out in 2008. It's been awhile, anyway. Absolute Batman has been consistently selling over 400,000 copies per issue, and #20 supposedly sold over 500,000. That's insane. Comics don't usually sell that many copies unless it's a new #1 or a big milestone anniversary issue or something. Comics don't keep selling that amount for years. It's really a monumental achievement that's pretty hard to fathom. The best thing is that Absolute Batman is a really good book. Writer Scott Snyder is the best Batman writer in recent memory, and artist Nick Dragotta has created a singular style that feels totally fresh (a lot of people say it's popular because it looks similar to a manga book). The Absolute line of books is basically DC's version of Marvel's Ultimate line. It's a new take in a new world. With Absolute Batman, this basically means that they just keep introducing the old heroes and villains but in a new way. In #21, Batman fights The Robins, which are a bunch of kids in giant, metal robot suits that have been created by the government to stop Batman. We also get to see Gordon's funeral (he was pushed off a building by Scarecrow). Bruce Wayne's childhood friends are at the funeral, and they're all slowly morphing into the villains The Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc, and The Penguin. At the end of the book, Bruce Wayne finally meets The Joker. The catch is that The Joker is basically Bruce Wayne in this world. He's Jack Grimm, the wealthiest guy in Gotham that has a mansion and a secret cave underneath. But he's really an unstoppable monster that can literally turn into a monster. It's not a surprise that this book is so popular. It's very engrossing and over-the-top. It feels kinetically alive and something new. It's already up to #21 and still feels as good as it was when it started. ***1/2
