A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER!

Without the wealth, without the cave, he's still the Absolute Dark Knight!

Meet Batman as you've never seen him before, reimagined with a modern origin story at the hands of superstar creative team Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta!

An astonishing new version of DC's iconic characters is here! In the Absolute Universe, familiar heroes have been reinvented from the ground up with origin stories that completely reshape both their abilities and their circumstances but maintain the core characteristics that fans have known and loved for decades!

Bruce Wayne comes from nothing. He's not the scion of a wealthy empire in Gotham City, he's the son of a public school teacher who he experienced the unimaginable horror of random gun violence as a child, changing the trajectory of his life forever. With no limitless resources, no billions to fund him, no mansion, and no butler to care for him, Bruce has shaped himself into an entirely different breed of Batman, one that is equal parts brain and brawn, who exists exclusively in the grittiest and most underserved parts of Gotham with no high society mask to fall back on.

Collects Absolute Batman #1-6

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER!

In this chilling new saga, Batman confronts the icy menace of Mr. Freeze and the brutal force of Bane as he uncovers dark secrets within the Ark M facility that link Victor Fries, the Joker, and Gotham's deepest evils.

The story marks the debut of Mr. Freeze's Absolute Universe version, focusing on Victor Fries, his connection to the Ark M experiment, and its mysterious link to the Joker. Batman faces a deadly battle against Mr. Freeze, uncovering chilling secrets about Ark M and the Joker's involvement. Ark M is a facility meant to help society's broken, but it has also played a role in creating evil. When Bruce Wayne infiltrates Ark M, he encounters Bane-an old foe with a brutal origin story and a terrifying plan to break Batman. The narrative reveals Bane's background, motivations, and how he arrived in Gotham, all while Bruce and his friend Waylon Jones endure harrowing trials inside Ark M.

Collects Absolute Batman #7-14

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Absolute Batman continues to gain momentum, as The Joker, Poison Ivy, and the Court of Owls join the New York Times bestselling series!

Batman won his explosive battle with Bane, but his friends will never be the same—and he might not be able to help them, even if he crosses worlds and enlists the help of a god to do it.

Meanwhile, another of Ark M's residents will be unleashed on Gotham. And the biggest question of all still remains…what is the true identity of the man behind everything? Legendary artist Jock reunites with writer Scott Snyder to tell one version of the story Alfred’s been chasing for years, and a one-shot explores the origins of Ark M!

Volume 3 collects the Absolute Batman 2025 Annual, Absolute Batman: Ark M, and Absolute Batman #15-18.