Starting this October, the Dark Knight is set to receive a dramatic reimaging of his rogues gallery for DC Comics’ ongoing Absolute Batman series. Spearheaded by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, the writer took part in a Reddit AMA on September 5, answering fan questions on the Caped Crusader’s upcoming book and the DC All-In initiative more broadly.

Among others, Snyder answered questions about the hero’s supervillain roster for the alternate-universe series, saying fans will “see them VERY early” and be drastically different than their main-canon counterparts. The acclaimed comic book writer was reasonably vague in his answers, building excitement for what this strikingly different take on Batman and his mythos is going to look like.

Absolute Batman’s Rogues Will Appear “VERY early” and be “Very Different”

Batman is one of DC Comics’ most iconic superheroes and is often credited with having one of the best rogues galleries in the genre, which sets high expectations for any grand-scale reimagining. In the Reddit AMA in r/DCcomics, writer Scott Snyder touched on a few questions concerning the hero’s villains. Responding to a Reddit user asking Snyder about what to expect from Batman’s rogues in the Absolute ongoing book, the writer said, “Yes! You’ll see them VERY early. And they’re all very very different – but issue 1 addresses a bunch.”

This certainly raises the enthusiasm for what Absolute Batman #1 will set up for this muscle-bound take on the Dark Knight, and fans already know that Black Mask will be among the first villains to get a new interpretation for this universe. Interestingly, in another answer Snyder gave about the Riddler, he said that “Eddie appears early in the series, though most likely not as you expect…”

Absolute Batman #1

Written by SCOTT SNYDER Art by NICK DRAGOTTA Colors by FRANK MARTIN Letters by CLAYTON COWLES Main cover art by NICK DRAGOTTA

Batman’s rogues gallery is undoubtedly a deep bench that Snyder and Dragotta can pull from, and that’s before entertaining the possibility of new villains. Scott Snyder is credited with writing some of the most acclaimed Batman comics of the 2010s, including the Detective Comics arc The Black Mirror, which saw Dick Grayson under the cape and cowl.

However, his most notable contribution to the hero’s mythos came in the New 52 reboot, creating the Court of Owls saga alongside artist Greg Capullo. Combined with Nick Dragotta’s stylized artwork, Absolute Batman could create a thrilling new jumping-on point for fans when it releases on October 9, 2024.

Source: Reddit