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DC Comics' Absolute Universe has not only been going strong - it's growing stronger with each issue of titles like Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Superman, and more. DC's ambitious, creator-driven alternate universe has been a hit ever since it debuted in the fall of 2024, with Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta leading the pack. 

And now, The Hollywood Reporter has published a new article about Nick Dragotta's recent resurgence as one of the comic book industry's superstar artists. And in an interview with THR, Dragotta revealed the aspect of writer Scott Snyder's Absolute Batman vision that got him hooked. "The real hook was when he said, 'Bruce's parents will die in a school shooting.' And I was like, 'You really going there?' And he was like, 'Yeah,'" Dragotta recalled.  

Given that only Absolute Bruce's father dies in a mass shooting at a school field trip to the zoo in Absolute Batman #1, it's interesting that Snyder's original plans for the book were for both of Bruce's parents to die. As we see in the series's first issue, Absolute Bruce's mother is very much alive. But the experience of seeing his father usher him and his classmates to safety, away from the gunman at the zoo, before getting gunned down, is still immensely traumatizing for Absolute Bruce (and rendered viscerally on the page by Dragotta and colorist Frank Martin). 

Nevertheless, it's this spirit of inventiveness and heavy-hitting storytelling beats that have helped propel Absolute Batman into one of the most defining series in the zeitgeist. Plus, it also doesn't hurt that the book activates our primal desire to see really big dudes fight even bigger dudes: just look at Absolute Batman's David and Goliath struggle against Absolute Bane, or season 3 of Reacher on Prime Video. 

Batman is the most well-known superhero in the world — surprisingly, given how much he loves hanging out in the dark. But between his comics, TV shows, movies, games, and more, DC's Dark Knight is the hero this city/country/world/universe needs, and we have all you need to enjoy him even more: 

• All the best Batman comics
• The best Batman villains, ranked
• How to watch all the Batman live-action movies in order
• How to watch all the Batman animated movies in order
• All the Batman actors, ranked
• All the Batman TV series, ranked
• All the Batman movies, ranked