Coming off the explosive arc that saw Black Mask turn Gotham into a war zone, Absolute Batman #7 cools things down. Instead of explosions and brute force, we get paranoia, body horror, and Batman doing what he does best: sneaking, snooping, and unraveling conspiracies. This issue kicks off a chilling two-parter introducing a reimagined Mr. Freeze, and let’s just say… this version isn’t trying to save his wife.
“Deep Freeze” is a slow burn with sharp edges and icy dread. The story opens not with Batman crashing through skylights but with something quieter and way more unsettling—a flashback to a young Victor Fries bleeding from the eyes. From there, the unease only grows. Gotham’s under martial law, Bruce Wayne is on the mend from a busted arm, and “Ark M,” a shady black site prison, is being built just off the coast. Bruce goes undercover to investigate, but what he finds ties back to childhood friends, secret experiments, and a version of Mr. Freeze that’s more corpse than cryo-scientist.
What unfolds is part detective noir, part Cronenberg-lite. Bruce is juggling an arm brace full of gadgets, new trauma from Matches Malone’s gruesome death, and the icy trail of a killer who’s not just cold-blooded—he might not even be human anymore.
Credits: DC Comics
Watching this issue unfold was like stepping into a freezer full of secrets—and a few monsters. Marcos Martín’s guest art doesn’t try to outdo the kinetic chaos of the earlier issues. Instead, it leans into atmosphere and mood. The clean lines paired with Muntsa Vicente’s candy-colored dread—sickly pinks, sick blues—make everything feel off in the best way, like Gotham is rotting under frostbite.
And Snyder? He’s smart to step back a bit. The narration is sparse. The storytelling gives the art room a chance to breathe and the dread space to settle in. You’re not being force-fed exposition—you’re being pulled deeper into the mystery with every quiet panel. The scenes with Bruce and his childhood friends? Eerie, especially when played out in CC. You know who’s who not by dialogue but by body language. That’s comic storytelling done right.
What sticks is how different this Mr. Freeze feels. He’s not tragic. He’s not misunderstood. He’s wrong. There are shades of body horror here—bloody skin, alien eyes—and it all points to something beyond cold-hearted villainy. This version of Freeze might not even be a man anymore.
Credits: DC Comics
In terms of setup, this issue delivers. It’s slower than past issues, but not in a bad way. There’s still tension, just a different flavor. Less “punch through walls,” more “dig through lies.” The good? The art is top-tier, the writing is confident without being overbearing, and the horror twist is genuinely creepy. The bad? Freeze doesn’t get much to do yet. He shows up, sure, but this is still mostly groundwork. We’re clearly being set up for a big payoff in issue #8.
But even with limited screen time, the new Freeze hits. This isn’t a sad man in a snow globe. This is a walking, snarling nightmare. He’s the kind of villain who doesn’t just fight Batman—he infects the story with unease.
‘Absolute Batman’ #7 Review: Gotham Freezes Over
Absolute Batman #7 trades high-octane action for icy horror and noir-flavored mystery. It’s a shift in tone, but it works. The art sings, the atmosphere creeps under your skin, and Snyder gives us just enough to want more. Mr. Freeze’s debut is brief but chilling. Consider us frozen in anticipation.
