Everyone is loving Absolute Batman, and the orders are there to back it up. As the series from writer Scott Snyder nears its fifteenth issue, it’s surpassed 300,000 orders.
If you read one DC series this year, make it Absolute Batman. From Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, the re-imagined Batman mythos is off-the-scale epic, dialling everything up to eleven. The series is a phenomenon. Issue #1 has already had an unprecedented nine reprints, and it’ll be returning to shelves for a 10th reprint due to overwhelming demand. In addition to that, the Absolute Batman Annual by Daniel Warren Johnson and James Harren is getting a second printing. If these aren’t testament to its immense success, nothing is.
As for the upcoming issue #15, the wonderful Bleeding Cool has learned that the hugely anticipated issue #15 has upwards of 300,000 orders, without the need for blind bags. For reference, issue #14 hit 200,000 orders.
The series continues to be among the best-selling comics month-to-month. Absolute Batman #12 was the third best-selling comic book of September 2025, coming in just shy of Deadpool / Batman #1 and Batman #1. In October 2025, issue #13 was the second best-selling comic behind D.C. K.O. #1.
Issue #15, written by Snyder and illustrated by Jock, is a massively important moment for the series and one that fans have been desperately awaiting from the beginning. That’s right, folks. The Joker is coming. We’ve seen many iterations of the Joker over the years, but nothing quite like the monstrous, billionaire serial killer Jack Arthur (likely a nod to Arthur Fleck and Jack Napier) in Absolute Batman. Joker is one of the richest inhabitants of the Absolute Universe. His character, an outlandishly rich business mogul and highly-skilled fighter, is a total re-imagining of the Joker we know. Many fans have cited that this iteration of Joker echoes Bruce Wayne’s core character. It’s no longer Wayne Industries; it’s J.K. Holdings.
Joker’s exterior appearance is businessman-like, but really, he’s a monstrous entity who needs blood transfusions to keep up his human facade. His core appearance is otherworldly with heavily bleached skin, bursting veins, and sharp teeth. In fairness, it’s much easier to show you. See for yourself:
Absolute Batman #14 debuts on December 10, 2025. Pre-order your copy here.
