In 2011, Scott Snyder (American Vampire) revamped Batman as part of The New 52: DC Comics’ line-wide relaunch of its entire DC Universe line of comic books post-Flashpoint. The publisher’s next line-wide initiative, DC All In, begins in October with DC All In Special #1 by co-writers Snyder and Joshua Williamson (Superman), which launches a lineup of comics set in the newly-reimagined Absolute Universe: Absolute Batman by Snyder and Nick Dragotta (Image’s East of West), Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron (Scalped) and Rafa Sandoval (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps), and Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel) and Hayden Sherman (Detective Comics).
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“Nick and I are on this book as partners for as long time — hoping for ayears long run if you guys are into it,” Snyder wrote when answering fan questions during a Reddit AMA. “Jason and Rafa and Kelly andHayden the same thinking – these are not minis.”
Absolute Batman #1, which hits stands October 9th, introduces the new Batman of the Absolute Universe: “A version of the Dark Knight that doesn’t have the money, mansion, or butler of his core-line counterpart,” per the synopsis.
Snyder added DC’s Absolute line of comics will expand in 2025 with Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Nick Robles (The Dreaming: Waking Hours), Absolute Green Lantern by Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and Jahnoy Lindsay (Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow), and future titles to come from Deniz Camp (Marvel’s The Ultimates), Che Grayson (Batman: Urban Legends), and PornsakPichetshote (The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives).
“I don’t want to give too much away but one of the core concepts ofthe series is that in this world, Bruce will be the small chaos in thesystem and the villains will be more powerful, have more resources,” Snyder teased, adding Absolute Batman’s rogues “play a new and particular role” in this alternate-universe Gotham City.
Snyder’s brick house-built Batman grew up in Park Row — a.k.a. Crime Alley — rather than the wealthy estate of Wayne Manor. His mother, Martha Wayne, works in the mayor’s office, and his father, Thomas Wayne, is a teacher. Absolute Bruce Wayne “has no resources beyond his intelligence and determination,” Snyder said, making him “similar and yet wildly different” from his counterpart in the core DC Universe.
“We want it to feel like Batman, yet brand new,” Snyder continued. “But the core idea, thathe is the anarchy, not the system, and his adversaries are more systemic — it’s so freeing. He’s an underdog like never before, a scary folkhero. He’s no one as Bruce Wayne (which is why he can be so big — noneed to pretend in a tux, because he’s just a guy on the subway) which meanshe’s also everyone.”
DC All In Special #1 goes on sale Oct. 2nd, followed by Absolute Batman #1 on Oct. 9th, Absolute Wonder Woman #1 on Oct. 23rd, and Absolute Superman #1 on Nov. 6th.
