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One of the best things about Absolute Batman is the insane redesigns Nick Dragotta has given Batman’s rogues gallery. DC Comics recently unveiled the variant covers for Absolute Batman #21, which gave us our first look at Absolute Penguin. He’s short, he can’t quite stand up straight, and he uses crutches that double as machine guns.

“They’re like angry crutch machine guns,” Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder says during a panel at MegaCon 2026. Snyder also reveals that Penguin and Two-Face are the two designs that Absolute Batman penciler Nick Dragotta is the most proud of.

“The fun thing about that is those are Nick’s two favorite designs actually. He did them really early in the run, and he’s been waiting to get to them. Penguin’s design is going to evolve. That’s kind of the way he looks with no gear.”

“He’s going to beef up everything he has. The crutches, they’re going to be like gold with the guns, and they have all kinds of gadgets and the umbrella stuff and everything. And he’s going to have rings and all of this, like he wants to prove he’s not just a small guy. That he’s big time. He’s going to become flashier and flashier.”

Absolute Batman #21 hits stores on June 10.

Need more? Here's our picks for the best DC Comics stories of all time, and here's a list of all the free DC comics you can look forward to as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 and Comics Giveaway Day 2026.