When we last saw Batman in the Absolute Universe, he was crawling out of Ark-M’s nightmarish depths with little left but scars and rage. His allies were either gone or broken, Bane was tightening his grip on Gotham, and Bruce was running out of reasons to keep fighting. But Absolute Batman #13 throws him a curveball with the return of Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. It’s the calm before the storm, or at least the most emotional calm you will ever see in a book that’s been nothing but storm clouds.
This issue is an emotional powder keg disguised as a penultimate episode. Snyder and Dragotta pick up right where things left off with Batman barely standing, Alfred bleeding from yet another round of bad decisions, and Bane preparing to bring Gotham to its knees. Then enters Selina. She crashes through the gloom like a spark in a room full of gas fumes. The issue jumps between flashbacks of Bruce and Selina in happier (or at least less tragic) times, such as snuggling on the metro, teasing over a Falcone heist, and the chaos of the present, where their chemistry shifts from playful to combustible.
The story moves fast. Catwoman quickly proves she’s more than a distraction; she’s a force. Her sleek tech, from the whip-turned-gun to that mirror-domed helmet, blends the noir elegance of Tim Sale with the futuristic weirdness of Snyder’s Absolute Universe. She and Bruce take the fight to the Red Hood gang, and here’s the kicker: we finally find out who’s running them: Harley Quinn. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reveal that sets up bigger things for Gotham’s criminal ecosystem. But the focus of this chapter isn’t Harley or even Bane. It’s the heart, or what’s left of it, between Batman and Catwoman.
Watching (or reading) this issue feels like being pulled between two different frequencies. On one side, it’s all high-stakes, venom-pumping mayhem: Bane’s monstrous form, Batman’s body literally tearing apart from the toxin, and Dragotta’s art making every muscle and shadow feel alive. On the other side, you get this surprising tenderness between Bruce and Selina, quiet, loaded scenes where the world feels like it’s holding its breath. Their love scene isn’t gratuitous; it’s a release. After pages of trauma and tension, that human connection feels earned. You can practically hear Alfred muttering warnings in the background while Bruce chooses to ignore them.
There’s also a sharp thematic undercurrent running through the issue: What does “winning” actually mean? Alfred pushes Bruce to give in to the Venom and fight Bane at full force, the easy, brutal way out. Selina, meanwhile, argues that the real victory lies in restraint, compassion, and remembering why he fights in the first place. They are the angel and devil on his shoulders, though who’s who depends on how you see Batman’s mission. The final pages make it clear which voice he follows, and it’s not the one preaching mercy. The decision to challenge Bane in the Old Veterans’ Arena sets up a finale that’s going to be brutal both physically and emotionally.
Still, for all its power, Absolute Batman #13 isn’t flawless. The biggest stumble lies in its transitions. Snyder and Dragotta juggle so many moments, flashbacks, present-day chaos, tender interludes, Bane’s medical check-ins, and even a Gotham newscast that the flow sometimes gets choppy. One minute, Bruce is pushing Selina away; the next, they are in bed together, and it takes a beat to realize we have jumped forward in time. The pieces all work individually, but a little more connective tissue would have made the issue sing even louder.
Overall, this chapter is a standout, both a breather and a build-up. Dragotta’s art is firing on all cylinders, from the quiet intimacy of Bruce and Selina’s embrace to the bombastic full-page splash of the two leaping over Gotham’s skyline. Snyder’s writing finally balances the grit and the heart that the “Absolute” series has been reaching for. It’s the first time in a while we have seen Batman not just as a symbol or a soldier, but as a man trying to hold on to something human before the next punch lands.
Absolute Batman #13 might not be the cleanest issue in terms of structure, but it’s one of the most emotionally charged and visually stunning of the series. It gives Bruce a reason to keep fighting, even as it hints that the worst is still ahead. The love, the venom, the madness, it’s all brewing for one explosive finale.
‘Absolute Batman’ #13 Delivers Love, Venom, and a Storm Before the Showdown!
Absolute Batman #13 might not be the cleanest issue in terms of structure, but it’s one of the most emotionally charged and visually stunning of the series. It gives Bruce a reason to keep fighting, even as it hints that the worst is still ahead. The love, the venom, the madness, it’s all brewing for one explosive finale.
