FOR THE WEEK ENDING ON JUNE 14 2026
#205 - ##210 = ABSOLUTE BATMAN, VOLUME ONE: THE ZOO trade paperback by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta (DC Comics, October 2025 - Third Printing)
Marvel has the Ultimate Universe; and now DC has the Absolute Universe: both publishers taking established and familiar characters and putting enough spin on their origins and background to make these icons seem fresh and new.
Also, it becomes a perfect jumping on point for new readers (although hard to imagine someone just coming to Batman, etc for the very first time). The cynic in me wants to add that after 4-5 years of Absolute and Ultimate Universe titles they will have added enough backstory to make it much harder for new readers to jump in - - so they will end the line and revive it (with some changes, and new creative teams) once everything has been forgotten.
That should provide another reason to pick up the first trade paperback of ABSOLUTE BATMAN if you haven’t already been introduced to this title and, like me, have been sitting on the fence and thinking about it.
I waited this long to read the first trade paperback, and it did not disappoint me at all. In fact, I love this spin on the Batman legend. So, if you’ve been staying away thinking this might just be another “heap hype” from marketing and just lipstick on a pig - - this time it deserves all the accolades.
The back cover statement:
“Without the mansion . . .without the money . . . without the butler . . . what’s left is . . . THE ABSOLUTE DARK KNIGHT!
A gang of masked killers terrorizes the streets of Gotham. A vigilante fights for his city - - but he’s not the Batman you know.”
I'm not going to go into the intricacies of the plot. Suffice to say, the threat in Volume One is very timely, considering the current state of American politics and the influence of big money. There are enough twists and spins on Batman lore to keep long-time fans entertained as well.
So, is ABSOLUTE BATMAN any good? Yes, it is, and if you yearn for something that will remind you of Frank Miller’s THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS the concise, multi-paneled art of Nick Dragotta and the use of journal entries by characters plus the cutaways to network news clips in Scott Snyder’s script will do that job for you. FOUR AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
Here’s some more of what I said about Issue #1 on my blog in September 2024 . . . . . . .
Young Bruce Wayne still becomes Batman, but he didn’t inherit a fortune to finance his endeavors, although he is super-smart and a fine physical specimen (some of how that happened is explained, the rest I assume will happen in later issues). His father is a school teacher, and Bruce is the brightest bulb in his classroom. Bruce’s introduction to bat lore occurs during a school field trip to the zoo. He doesn’t lose his parents in a back alley shooting. It happens here at the zoo, and only one parent is gunned down.
Jim Gordon is mayor of Gotham, with Harvey Bullock as police commissioner. Barbara Gordon is a cop. Alfred Pennyworth is a solider of fortune, hired to keep tabs on a violent Party Animals gang but permitted to engage with Batman if he interferes, which he does.
Crocodile (Killer Croc, but just a beefy human without the scales) is just the owner of a boxing gym (for now) where Bruce works out. In a bit of foreshadowing, he asks why Bruce has missed so many poker games with their comrades: Eddie, Harvey, Oz and Selina (The Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman). It will be interesting to see how they are depicted in the Absolute Universe. The Joker seems to be a super-wealthy entrepreneur with a private jet, who earned that nickname because he never laughs at anything. No makeup or purple/green outfits, Joker looks more like a gangster out of Dick Tracy.
#211 - #214 = STUFF OF NIGHTMARES, VOLUME ONE: THE MONSTER MAKERS trade paperback by R.L. Stine and A. L. Kaplan (Boom! Studios, 2023)
Inspired by his fondness for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and his collection of EC horror comics, R. L. Stine produces a graphic novel that pays respectful homage to both and leaves notice that that he's quite capable of writing more than tamer young adult horror novels. With STUFF OF NIGHTMARES, he's been unleashed. This is pure adult fare, with plenty of gore and shocks - - suitably enhanced by some great visuals from A.L. Kaplan and some violent colorization by Roman Titov.
While the Goodreads synopsis refers to this as a modern retelling of the Frankenstein horror classic, that can be misleading. While both share the same theme of reanimating life by stitching together dead body parts and then electrifying them - - that is only the starting point for Stine.
Instead of a single mad scientist, there are two brothers trying to create life. While Victor Frankenstein only brought one remarkable body to life, the brothers Cameron have a basement prison full of failed experiments - - the Mongrels, as well as the child-sized Frankie.
The STUFF OF NIGHTMARES doesn't touch base upon metaphysics, science, morality, or abstract theory like Shelley's novel. It's a straight up horror tale, full of shocks and chills. The story centers around the discovery of their lab and the brothers’ attempt to flee and set up shop elsewhere. Things just kind of follow.
Fun, escapist entertainment.FOUR STARS.
#215 = ODIN #1 by Marguerite Bennett & James Tynion IV with art by Letizia Cadonici (Image Comics, May 2026) Issue #2 is already out; and I’m just getting around to reading this. A very promising debut. Reminds me of other things that I’ve read or movies I’ve seen - - but different enough to engage my attention. Just when I think the art and colors are going to disappoint me - - there’s a scene or image that changes my mind.
Very creepy, and it gets real serious (and deadly) at the conclusion of Issue #1. THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.
The Publisher’s pitch . . . . .
Green Room meets Midsommar in JAMES TYNION’s most relentless Horror story yet! Adela will do anything for the perfect story. Including going undercover with Neo Nazi punks headed to the frozen forests of Norway under the misbegotten belief that they can summon Odin and achieve their promised white destiny. But what awaits them in the woods is far older and stranger than any of them can comprehend. And no gods are coming to answer their prayers for help.
#216 = CORPSE KNIGHT #1 by Michael Chaves and Matthew Roberts (Image Comics, April 2026) The promotional synopsis:
As war ravages France, a young girl named Foy lives in relative peace with her father... until tragedy strikes. As Foy struggles to fend for herself, she’s granted a miracle—her father returns from the dead to protect her. Now, they embark on a sacred quest, confronting murderers, wild animals, wandering armies, and black magic plaguing the countryside. As Foy comes face to face with the dark side of miracles and the secrets of the Corpse Knight, she must question if the man by her side has always been a monster.
The captivating art of Matthew Roberts immerses readers immediately into the world of France in 1429, during the Hundred Years War - - not a good time to be a simple single-parent farmer trying to survive and raise a daughter.
Scripter Michael Chaves wisely cuts back on the exposition during critical scenes and lets the art convey the story, in stunning images. The art and color work is what makes this book stand out, as it’s the familiar trope of a deceased family member being resurrected as a powerful being for revenge and other purposes. Still, it is impressive considering this is the first comics work from Chavez, who is a film director (The Nun II).
Things tie into legends and Joan of Arc. Interesting. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#217 = ABSOLUTE CATWOMAN #1 by Scott Snyder and Che Grayson with art & cover by Bengal (DC Comics, August 2026) The promotional synopsis:
Selina Kyle has carved a good life for herself. Through her ingenuity and skills, she’s become the greatest thief the world has ever known. With high-tech gear and weaponry, there’s no place too secure for Catwoman. Selina has built this life for herself and thoroughly escaped Gotham. But when someone from her past comes knocking at her door, Selina’s life comes crashing down around here. She’ll need to get to the bottom of a mystery taking her all around the globe!
I’m familiar with Batman (who isn’t?) so it wasn’t hard for me to pick up on the differences between regular Batman and Absolute Batman. It’s a little harder for me identifying how much of Absolute Catwoman is changed and different. I know the character of Selina Kyle mostly as a beautiful burglar/thief very skilled at both breaking and entering as well as coming out on top in a fight.
In Absolute Catwoman, Selina has just turned 25 and is successful enough to be preparing for retirement. She owns several elaborate estates & headquarters in London and elsewhere. She is a native of Cuba, lost her parents at an early age, and bounced around from various and sometimes abusive foster homes until she became a runaway and turned to her current profession. She’s really into the tech, and has a suit to rival some of Iron Man’s gear as well as a Cat-mobile with Transformer-like properties.
The story revolves around an attack on her residence by a group of Catwoman-costumed assailants, followed by the appearance of an old acquaintance from her teen years - now looking for help and protection. Things don’t go well, and another familiar Bat-family member shows up - - perhaps on the wrong side this time. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
