5 Things We Learned From Absolute Batman: Ark M Special

The latest Absolute Batman story is just chock full of reveals about the Absolute Universe. Absolute Batman: Ark M Special is the first Absolute Batman story of 2026, and what a way to kick off the new year. For those who haven’t been following the series, rather than a traditional asylum, Arkham was reinterpreted as Ark M, a private prison, one of many created by Jack Grimm V, the Absolute Joker. Ark M has played a huge role in the Absolute Batman ongoing, and many fans believed that the creative team was eschewing the more traditional Arkham altogether.

That is, until Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri, and Josh Hixson’s latest one-shot, which went back in history to shed light on a few details kept from fans until now. Not only was there an actual Arkham Asylum, but it was once part of the Joker’s life (a fact that reaffirms Alfred Pennyworth’s conspiracy about the Grimm dynasty). The special also drops some major reveals about the modern-day Ark M, such as Joker’s new army. There are a lot of juicy details in the Absolute Batman: Ark M Special, and the following 5 are the ones fans definitely need to know.

Arkham Asylum Existed in the Absolute Universe

First and foremost, yes, despite Joker’s Ark M project being the ‘Arkham Asylum’ of the series for all intents and purposes, there actually was a legit sanitarium in the Absolute Universe. It was created by Dr. Amadeus Arkham, who was inspired to create a place dedicated to mental health after his mother snapped after the death of her husband, killing all of Arkham’s siblings and herself. The Asylum existed for roughly six decades before Arkham burned it to the ground, allowing the Joker to buy it for cheap and use the land as the foundation for Ark M.

Arkham Asylum Had Its Own ‘Joker’

As is usually the case, Arkham Asylum had more troublesome patients. For Amadeus, the hospital’s most infamous patient was a man the doctor would only refer to as Jack Doe. He was very much like the Joker we know from the Prime Universe, a gaunt and grinning madman who killed anyone and laughed all the while. Doe later went missing during a breakout, and though he was believed to have become Jack the Ripper, he was actually killed by a young Jack Grimm, whom Arkham had taken in as a boy.

Alfred’s Joker Theory is Correct

Speaking of Jack Grimm, the Absolute Batman: Ark M Special actually confirms the wild theory postulated by Alfred Pennyworth in Absolute Batman #15. Alfred suggested that the Grimm family dynasty was a sham and that there was only one Jack Grimm, posing as his own descendants. The age of the boy Arkham adopts in this issue lines up with what we previously discovered about Joker’s history. And though Grimm should have been decades older, he looks the same as he does today. While we all figured Alfred’s theory about Joker’s longevity was true, this special just helped prove it.

Joker Has Weaponized Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery

Our biggest insight into Ark M came in Absolute Batman #10 when Bruce was trapped in the private prison, where he discovered several experiments being worked on, such as the K.L.A.Y. biome. But when the one-shot returns to the modern-day, we get more hints of just how many other abominations Joker’s hellhole has produced. Joker is out to eliminate Batman, and to do so, he’s assembled a gauntlet of foes from Kirk Langstrom to Pamela Isley to Jervis Tetch, all in the hopes of stopping Batman and his crusade to impede Jack Grimm’s work.

Deathstroke is Working for Joker

The biggest shocker of the issue comes in the last few pages, where Grimm discusses the problem Batman presents to an unknown second party, who isn’t all that impressed by what they see. The other person claims they can easily handle Batman, but Joker wants to use the parade of Ark M-produced villains to soften the Dark Knight up first. But Grimm is more than prepared to let his ally, revealed to be the Absolute Deathstroke, deliver the killing blow. We don’t see much of this Deathstroke, but it’s safe to say things are about to get worse for Batman.

What do you think about Absolute Batman: Ark M Special’s reveals? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special is a Chilling Start to 2026 (Review)