Batman wakes up after being unconscious for two days, only to find Bane has mutilated his closest friends. Killer Croc, Penguin, Two-Face, and Riddler are no longer just villains-in-the-making; they are broken people twisted into something horrifying. Issue #12 shifts the tone of Absolute Batman into full-blown horror, redefining Bruce’s rogues’ gallery and dragging him into his lowest point yet.
Absolute Batman #12 is an excellent gut-punch of an issue that escalates the series into terrifying new territory. The story opens with Bruce still reeling after being rescued by Croc, only to discover the extent of Bane’s cruelty. Croc, mutated into something unrecognizable with a jaw stretching down to his belly, begs Batman to kill him. From there, Bruce is forced to face the aftermath of his two-day absence. One by one, he visits the friends Bane has targeted: Ozzie, Harvey, and Eddie, and each encounter hits harder than the last. Through flashbacks to Selina and glimpses of Alfred, Jim, and Martha, Scott Snyder layers the emotional weight while Nick Dragotta’s artwork slows you down, making sure you absorb every ounce of pain on the page.
This issue felt more unsettled than hyped, but that’s the point. This isn’t the “dump truck Batmobile” fun we saw when the series began. Absolute Batman has morphed into a horror comic, and it doesn’t flinch. The body horror is brutal as Oz’s bones shattered until he healed shorter and misshapen, Harvey’s face split and burned into a grotesque parody, and Eddie’s concussed mind reduced to manic riddles. We see Bruce’s childhood friends, broken, and now they’re pleading with him, blaming him for what they have become. Dragotta makes you feel every ounce of it through his panel density, facial expressions, and heavy shadows.
I’ll admit, some of it was tough to read. Waylon’s request to die is disturbing in a way that sticks with you, the kind of scene that makes you pause. And yet, Snyder and Dragotta handle it with purpose. This isn’t edge for edge’s sake; it’s pushing Bruce to his lowest point, forcing him to confront his guilt, and reminding us that Bane isn’t just a muscle-bound monster. He’s a psychological tormentor dismantling Batman piece by piece.
There’s a lot that works here, though not everything is perfect. On the plus side, Snyder’s writing is sharp, weaving character-driven horror with a relentless pace. Dragotta’s art is jaw-dropping, both in the small, suffocating panels and the splash pages that give the story room to breathe. The emotional core, the twisted friendship between Bruce and his “villains”, is one of the most interesting reimaginings of Batman’s mythology in years.
On the downside, if you came to this series for campy, over-the-top spectacle, this tonal shift may feel jarring. There’s less action here, more dread, and some readers might find the body horror too much. Personally, I think the risk pays off; it makes the stakes feel real and sets up a future confrontation with Bane that feels earned.
Absolute Batman #12 is the darkest chapter yet, a brutal reshaping of Bruce’s rogues into something far more personal and tragic. It’s not an easy read, but it’s one of the most effective. Snyder and Dragotta are working in perfect sync, delivering a story that redefines what this series can be.
‘Absolute Batman’ #12 Review: Pushes Bruce to The Edge with Horror and Heartbreak
Absolute Batman #12 is the darkest chapter yet, a brutal reshaping of Bruce’s rogues into something far more personal and tragic. It’s not an easy read, but it’s one of the most effective. Snyder and Dragotta are working in perfect sync, delivering a story that redefines what this series can be.
