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

It’s the beginning of a new year, and DC Comics is hitting the ground running with a killer new Absolute Batman story. It’s no secret that Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s series is one of the hottest spins on the Dark Knight in years, as it continues to delight both new comic readers and seasoned fans alike. Though it’s only been around for a short while, fans have learned quite a bit about this new Bruce Wayne and his history. But there’s still so much we don’t know, especially when it comes to the Absolute Universe’s Joker.

To be fair, we did just get some major reveals with December’s Absolute Batman #15, which gave us some shocking details about the Joker’s perplexing history. And yet, when it comes to things like his shadowy Ark M project, we’ve mostly been left in the dark. Thankfully, Snyder has teamed up with Frank Tieri and Josh Hixon for a new one-shot that dives into the history of this world’s Arkham Asylum and sets up the dangers to come in the next exciting year of Absolute Batman.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special is a Creepy, Lore-Expanding Tale

Snyder, Tieri, and Hixon’s tale is largely presented through the lens of Dr. Amadeus Arkham’s diary, though there’s also a framing device that takes place in 1945. Dr. Arkham is selling his asylum to a mysterious buyer, and upon the buyer’s arrival, Arkham takes him on a tour, giving him a history of how the sanitarium came to be. After a gruesome tragedy destroyed his family, Arkham became driven to help people by creating a place to heal. But Arkham is beleaguered by demons, all tracing back to his adoption of a wayward boy.

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Absolute Joker Is the Exact Opposite of the Original, And It’s Perfect

Arkham raised the boy, who turned out to be as invested in mental health as much as Arkham himself. Unfortunately, more tragedy struck the doctor’s life when a breakout occurred, supposedly by the asylum’s worst inmate, a Joker-like monster known as Jack Doe. The breakout was also the last time Arkham ever saw his protege. As Arkham’s story wraps up, the buyer says he’s still interested in the place, but not before divulging a shocking secret. As it turns out, it was Amadeus’s ward that masterminded the breakout. And the boy? That was the buyer, Jack Grimm, aka Absolute Joker.

The revelation drives Arkham mad. After confirming the Joker was telling the truth, Arkham burns his asylum to the ground, with Arkham still in it, while Joker watches from afar with a smile on his face. Joker keeps Amadeus’ diary close, reflecting on the demented joke he played on the doctor. But Grimm has other plans in mind, particularly when it comes to Absolute Batman. Joker readies several Ark M creations, such as the Isley and the Langstrome biomes, to go after Batman. But Joker’s really just setting the stage before he sends Absolute Deathstroke to finish off the Dark Knight.

Ark M Reminds Us All of the Real Threat Absolute Joker Is

This book was a hell of a fun read. Admittedly, I was hoping that we were going to get more about Ark M and the strange beings inhabiting it. But Snyder and Tieri do an amazing job here with what turns out to be a secret Joker character study. While Absolute Batman #15 did an amazing job explaining the kind of threat Jack Grimm is, Absolute Batman: Ark M serves as a prime example of his demented ethos. It’s not enough for him to ruin things; he twists and corrupts, laughing at the suffering he leaves in his wake.

Joshua Hixon more than pulls his weight here. And thanks to the colors by the incredible Roman Stevens, the art here brings an amazing sense of dread and terror. From the massacre at Arkham Asylum to the Amadeus immolating himself, the special’s heaviest moments all land. Throughout the entire book, there’s a feeling of wrongness to it, as if the corrupting influence of the Absolute Joker can be felt more and more the deeper into the story you get. While the twist is fairly obvious to the Batman obsessives, the art and writing do a fantastic job together.

While I wanted to see more from the modern-day Ark M, I think what we got here is even better. We’re a year deep into Absolute Batman, and with Joker being the series’ main antagonist, Snyder really wants us to know how much of a threat he is here. This book succeeds in that regard, giving Absolute Universe fans a twisted history lesson that emphasizes the horror lurking behind Absolute Joker’s pretty boy charm and looks. With Absolute Batman heading into its sophomore year, fans are certainly going to want to make sure they pick up the Ark M special.

What did you think about Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!