Summary

• DC Comics introduces a new Absolute Universe with a bulkier, new design for Batman.
• Absolute Batman will differ from the traditional Caped Crusader with added muscle and unique costume choices.
• Absolute Batman and the Absolute Universe are part of a fresh initiative to change classic heroes' stories dramatically.

Considered by many to be the crown jewel of the DC Comics empire, Batman is getting a fresh new design for a bold new direction for the DC Universe. The publisher has begun to spill major details about DC All In, a new initiative that's introducing a lot of change and a brand-new Dark Knight.

Just a week before San Diego Comic-Con 2024, DC Comics announced its new All In initiative with lauded creators Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder. The creators revealed how the initiative would introduce the Absolute Universe, the setting for Snyder's series, Absolute Batman.

Details were scarce on Absolute Batman, but promotional artwork revealed an official first look at this new Caped Crusader. The Absolute Universe Batman is bulkier and wears a black and gray costume with a wider-than-usual bat symbol on his chest. This Batman's ears are longer, wears spiky shoulder pads, and has a cape with multiple hooks attached.

DC's New Absolute Batman Takes the Dark Knight in Brand-New Direction

The heroes of the DC Universe are currently trying to survive Amanda Waller's anti-superhuman agenda in Absolute Power. But DC Comics is already looking ahead with its brand-new initiative DC All In, an initiative that sees Superman and his allies coming into conflict with the intergalactic oppressor, Darkseid. This conflict is going to radically change the DC Universe as it leads to a brand-new world, the Absolute Universe. But unlike the Prime DCU, this new world is one where heroes like Batman lack the things their counterparts have, making them the underdogs of their universe.

While fans don't know too much about Absolute Batman, one thing is for certain: He's massive compared to the Prime Bruce Wayne. Granted the Bruce fans know and love is pretty much the peak of what a human can be. But this new one is far more muscular, rivaling the physique of The Dark Knight Returns' Batman. Maybe it's a bit unfair to compare the two since the Absolute Universe Batman hasn't formally debuted. But just looking at him on the DC All In promotional material compared to the Prime Batman really does make the latter look weak.

Absolute Batman Is Changing What Fans Expect From the Dark Knight

It's hard to say what fans will get from Absolute Batman, but based on what's been seen so far, this series is going to be a departure from the Caped Crusader's usual stories. The Absolute Universe is a new playground for creators like Snyder to really switch up what fans can expect from these classic heroes. Sure, all fans know so far about this new Dark Knight is that he's got quite a bit more muscle on him and has some interesting costume choices. But those are just small glimpses of what this new Batman and the rest of the Absolute Universe have waiting for fans.