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So nice, it had to be counted twice
Some of the biggest names in comics take a turn in the Absolute Universe! Daniel Warren Johnson and James Harren tell tales from Absolute Batman’s early days! How did Bruce acquire his batmobile? And what was it like for Black Mask’s party animals when Batman first hit the scene?
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 is packed with artistic innovation and narrative consistency. It fills in gaps and fleshes out the ongoing story. The issues creative teams do an excellent job of honoring the mood and visual language established by Snyder and his collaborators. At no point does his annual feel like a departure or filler issue, rather a further exploration of the world we were introduced to a year ago. The Batman found within these pages remains impossible in form, but shaped by the same realities that define ours. Read Full Review
A powerhouse annual that proves the Absolute Universe Batman can thrive in other creative hands. Johnson's story alone is worth the price of admission, delivering both explosive action and meaningful social commentary that feels essential rather than preachy. Read Full Review
Overall, fantastic stuff with three talented indie artists doing an amazing job of paying tribute to Snyder and Dragotta''s work. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman Annual #1 brings brutality, important lessons, and, most importantly, we see where he gets his Batmobile! Perhaps one of the most important issues in this young series, yet the team delivers in every aspect, making this a must-read. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 is made up of three separate stories, though the third one is more of a fun companion piece to the other two. The first story is from the ever-talented team of Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, and Clayton Cowles, and while I was incredibly hyped for what this team could do on something like Absolute Batman, they surpassed every expectation and left me with a final few pages that I won't forget anytime soon. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual Issue 1 makes a distinct stand. The outburst of intense violence, whilst extremely satisfying and occasionally overbearing, comes with a determination to stamp down on who Absolute Batman can relate to. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 is an intense, beautifully illustrated exploration of extremism, morality, and what happens when Batman's war on crime blurs into something darker. Daniel Warren Johnson and his collaborators deliver a main story that's both brutal and thought-provoking, paired with two inventive backups that balance spectacle with reflection. This isn't just another oversized issue. It's a mirror held up to Batman's mission and our own world's rage. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 is a fantastic, necessary comic. It's incredibly drawn, timely, and delivers a brutal version of a hero perfectly suited for our tumultuous world. If you like your Batman dark, uncompromising, and absolutely terrifying, grab this annual. Read Full Review
Daniel Warren Johnson and James Warren step up big with how Absolute Batman Annual 2025 kept up the momentum Scott Snyder has created for this series. We get two stories that add fresh perspective to the world around Absolute Batman. Getting this chance really highlights what makes this Batman both similar and different from other versions. That leads to create a greater investment in what is going on in the Absolute Universe. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman Annual #1 features three heartfelt, beautifully drawn short stories, each letting us spend a little more time with not only this new Batman, but with this new Gotham as well. Read Full Review
All in all, Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 is not a bad book. It is uneven, however, with an opening act that steals the show. This book is certainly likely to provoke conversation, if not controversy, in any case. Read Full Review
Absolute Batman Annual (2025) #1 pits the Beefy Bat against one-dimensional white supremacists and a masked gang with a hot tip for goods to steal, fueled by a son's hate. The stylistic art from both creators is worth the price of admission, but both stories struggle to establish motivations that make the stories feel complete and memorable. Read Full Review
DWJ finally does Batman, enough said.
The first story by Daniel Warren Johnson is a tour de force that frames Batman violence in a new way and challenges the effectiveness of its use while the stories by James Harren and Meredith McLaren serve as pallet cleansers for the overall annual experience that is well formed and enjoyable. Annuals rarely have the potency and bite that push conversations and make waves within the general public The creative teams deserve there flowers for that and for managing to merge the messaging with the overall evolution of Absolute Batman as a character.
Man, Gabe's bad opinions are so strong he is getting two reviews.
Generally one shouldn't give just a plain 10 for a comic based on the first story.
But this time I'll make an exception.
Something something "comics are now too political" something something "it's woke and bad!"
Holy peak, Batman. Let me get this out of the way really quickly. Harren and McClaren both did really good jobs here and I liked what they gave us here. That said, Johnson knocked it out of the park with the main story. That story, on its own, gets a 10/10 for me. Warren and McClaren's stories were just gravy. Batman hitting a One Winged Angel was just insane and I loved it so much. The story as a whole, was fantastic, with us seeing a little more of Bruce's origins as Batman. The art, of course, simply rocked throughout. Johnson is, truly, masterful.
Auld Gabe being a bawbag as usual.
Great
Main story - 9
2 story - 7,5
3 story - 6,5
The main story is fantastic, very much on par with the work Snyder and Dragotta are doing each month on the regular title. I wasn’t as impressed with the 2 back-up stories, though they were both pretty good as well. Nice to learn more about Bruce’s background and childhood.
The main story was excellent. Unfortunately, the two bonus stories that were tacked on really dragged the issue down.
That being said, the main story by DWJ was probably one of the best written issues of this entire series. I'm not sure if I enjoyed it as much as issue #1, or possibly even more! The story was graphic in all the best ways, gratuitous, and visually stylish. The ending was emotional and thought provoking. Extremely well done.
The second story felt like it might have had something of quality to say, but felt a bit under-cooked. And some of the art was difficult to tell what was coming across. This was just not successful visual story-telling.
The third story I couldn't even tell what it was att more
© 2025
