So I FINALLY Read ABSOLUTE BATMAN...

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Hey, welcome or welcome back to the stash. Now, listen. I know this may come as a shocker in the big 2026, but I've never read Absolute Batman. Before this video, I genuinely had no clue what the comic actually does or say or what it was about. All I did know is that this Batman was an absolute unit. But when I first heard about Absolute Batman, it never really felt urgent to me. Like, sure, everything was extreme, but I was worried it could have been like one of those ideas that sounds cool when you first hear it. you know, a different Batman, new universe, a fresh interpretation. But the thing is, we've seen that before. New writers come in, promise something bold, darker, and more grounded. And don't get me wrong, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Other times, it just feels like another variation on something we already understand. So, I took my time, and I mean really took my time. I let the issues build up, and then one night, I finally sat down to read it, and I didn't stop. issue after issue, page after page, I just kept going. I wasn't planning to binge it or even to read that much for one night, but something about it just pulled me in. And before I knew it, it was so late. Like, the sun was already rising and I'd read the entire run in one night. Hell, even when I finished it, I just sat there for a second to take in just how good the comic was because this genuinely felt different from other takes I've seen.

[00:01:20]Not in a forced way, nor in a look how edgy we are kind of way. Although sometimes it definitely fell into that territory. It just felt like a version of Batman, one that was so unique that actually understood what makes the character work to then rebuilt him in a completely new environment. And somehow they succeeded. Not perfectly, but enough that I walked away thinking something I didn't expect to think at all. That this might be one of the very best Batman runs we've had in years.

[00:01:48]But hey, real quick. Here at the stash, we're swinging over 25,000 subscribers.

[00:01:52]That's a tall order. I know with great power comes great responsibility. And all I'm going to do is click subscribe.

[00:01:57]So, if you're in an absolute Batman or just comic book deep dives, feel free to stick around. Also, be sure to stay at the very end for another episode of comics from the stash. This time, I'm going to have all my issues of Absolute Batman from my very own collection. But with that all said, let's get right back into the video.

[00:02:17]From the moment you start Absolute Batman issue 1, it becomes very clear that this is not the Batman we're used to. Bruce Wayne isn't a billionaire here. There's no Wayne mana, nor building towering over Gotham. There's no endless resource, even a form of a safety net. Instead, this version of Bruce is grounded in a way that completely changes how you view him.

[00:02:39]He's well and truly a workingclass man and someone who exists and lives within the same world he's trying to protect.

[00:02:46]And that one decision reshapes everything. Because when Batman doesn't have wealth, it only heightens the pressures that come with the job. For all his skill, ingenuity, persistence, everything is all equally even more important. All this results in is making each step forward feel more than earned.

[00:03:03]Plus, there's a way to his progression that you don't always feel with the traditional version of this character.

[00:03:08]And it creates this sense that you're watching Batman being roughly formed through every act of brutality to every dirty victory. Now, as the issues unfold, especially the early ones, you sort of see how this version of Gotham responds to him. And in this world, it feels like a Gotham that needs a Batman more than ever before. The introduction of chaotic elements like the party animals adds to that feeling big time.

[00:03:33]for Gotham becomes a city that's already spiraling beyond control as opposed to one waiting to be saved. When it comes to this Batman, he's a man stepping into the city and his role as the Dark Knight, almost like someone trying to figure out if he can even survive it.

[00:03:47]That's where the tone of absolute Batman really starts to stand out for me. I mean, it's super bleak, dark, and gritty to the point where it feels like all the odds are stacked against Bruce. There are plenty of moments where things don't go perfectly, where Batman isn't in control. We can feel that he's still learning, and that's what makes it so engaging. You're not watching a perfect version of Batman prowl the streets of Gotham at his peak, but rather someone who's building themselves into that role in real time, and that process feels raw and human. But also, it never loses sight of what Batman is supposed to be.

[00:04:21]Cuz even in this stripped down and extreme version, the core idea is still there. Be it a man trying to impose order on chaos or even a man trying to make sense of a world that simply doesn't make sense. And in this version of Gotham, that idea feels more difficult than ever.

[00:04:41]The biggest strength of Absolute Batman for me has got to be how brutal it actually is. This comic is extreme in every sense of the word, from the action all the way to how Gotham itself is presented. The violence especially is crazy and insanely unpredictable. Even when you think you've seen it all, this comic just somehow manages to exceed your expectations each and every time.

[00:05:04]And I love how when things escalate, they feel like they could genuinely spiral out of control at any moment. And Batman himself reflects that. He isn't calm and calculated all the time, as he often goes for a far more intense nature. Sometimes he's just genuinely reckless and there are moments where it feels like he's pushing himself way further than he should. Like he's operating on instinct just as much as strategy. And that creates this tension that just feels so palpable because you're not just wondering if he'll win, you're wondering what it's going to cost him. That's where elements like the party animals become so important as they are villains that truly represent something larger. Not to mention when the story dives into characters like Bane, it amps everything up to a thousand. That story line was insane to read, and each time they encountered each other, I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing what the hell was going to happen. Bane, no matter what some thought of his design, was insanely fun to read, and his portion of the story honestly deserves its own video.

[00:06:00]But we mustn't forget the other reinterpretations of familiar characters that add to the overall tone of the comic. People like the Penguin, Killer Croc, Catwoman, Twoface, and the Riddler don't feel exaggerated, but rather they feel like natural extensions of this version of Gotham, as well as Bruce Wayne himself. And then there's Alfred, which might be one of the most interesting changes of the entire run, because this isn't the Alfred who raised Bruce. This isn't the comforting presence in the cave. This version of Alfred is an intelligence agent, someone observing and tracking Batman from a distance and trying to understand him.

[00:06:37]There's also a tension there that you don't normally get because instead of being a support system, Alfred is almost an opposing force. Not in a villainous way, but in a way that adds pressure.

[00:06:47]For Batman is being watched, studied, and emulated all while fighting Gotham.

[00:06:51]And that adds another layer to the entire story. It makes everything feel more uncertain, more unstable, and that tension builds across the run until you reach moments where everything starts to come together. For me, the moment that just took the comic to a whole other level has got to be absolute Batman issue 14. The story was just so unbelievably good, and Batman himself felt like he was pushed further, way more than before. There's a sense that he's crossing a line, not in a way that breaks the character, but in a way that truly defines him. This is where you start to understand exactly what this version of Batman is willing to do and what it's costing him. You can feel the weight of everything he's been through starting to build. And that's what made it stand out to me because it doesn't feel like just another issue, but rather more like a moment where the entire run proved what it was exactly capable of.

[00:07:44]So, I went into Absolute Batman expecting something interesting, something different. And what I didn't expect was to care this much. Cuz at its core, this run understands something very important about Batman. You don't need to change everything about him to make him feel new. You just need to change the context, strip away the safety net, change the environment, and force him into a world where the usual advantages don't exist, and then let him struggle, adapt, and become something new while still holding on to the core idea. That's what this run, in my opinion, does. It challenges the Dark Knight, and because of that, it makes him feel alive again. This is a harsher version of the character, a more grounded one. A version that feels closer to breaking than most. But that's exactly why it works, because even in a world like this, even when everything feels unstable, he still chooses to fight, to become something more. And that's what makes Batman.

[00:08:41]So yeah, it took me way too long to read this, but I'm glad I finally did because this at its best is a reminder of why the character works so well and why he probably always will. And as Absolute Batman is close to reaching its second year in print, I think it's clear to see how it might just be the best Batman run we've had in years.

[00:09:31]Hello and welcome back to another episode of Comics from the Stash. This time we're going over all my absolute Batman issues from my very own comic collection. Now, as I have read this issue uh way later since it first came out, I have missed out on pretty much all of them, but I have managed to pick up some from my last trip to the comic store. So, uh yeah, that all said, let's get right into the showcase. So, to start things off, we have Absolute Batman Ark M issue 1. Uh this is the Derek Chu second printing variant of it.

[00:10:00]Um, I couldn't find the first printing, but I still at least wanted to get this cover cuz it's pretty unique and actually looks really cool. This is also the origin of Ark M and the introduction of Deathstroke in full. I'm yet to actually read this one, but I can't wait to do so hopefully after this video comes out. Next up is Absolute Batman issue 14. This one is absolutely insane.

[00:10:22]It's one of my favorite issues out of the entire run. It is the introduction of this version of Harley Quinn in full as well the conclusion of the Bane story arc. Then we got Absolute Batman issue 15 with this nightmare fuel version of Joker. This issue actually contains the Joker's origin story. After that is Absolute Batman issue 17 which is the introduction of Absolute Poison Ivy.

[00:10:46]Then the last issue I have for this showcase is Absolute Batman issue 18, which is also the introduction of the Court of Owls in full.

[00:10:57]But that has been it for today. Thank you guys so much for watching. If you have enjoyed, please like, comment, and subscribe if you haven't already because here any support means so much. And uh yeah, thank you guys again for watching and I'll see you in the next one.