Don't bet against Batman. That's the lesson this week as DC states that Absolute Batman #1 is now the top-selling single issue comic of the year, just over a month after its October 9 release. Absolute Batman #1 has sold just under 400,000 through the direct market across all printings, Newsarama understands.
Absolute Batman is the flagship title of DC's new Absolute Universe, which relaunches DC heroes in a new reality under vastly different circumstances from core DC continuity. In Batman's case, Bruce Wayne is a civil engineer of modest means who also happens to be the biggest man in the world whose bat-symbol is also a battleax strapped to his chest, and whose Batmobile is a massive freakin' killdozer tank.
It doesn't hurt that, as evocative as the premise of Absolute Batman is, it's written by fan-favorite Batman writer Scott Snyder and strikingly drawn by Nick Dragotta, just about as high-profile a creative team as it gets.
Absolute Batman #1 has already gone back to print twice, with a third printing releasing on November 27, and a black and white 'Noir Edition' also feeding its sales. And of course, "best-selling comic of 2024" does require the slight qualifier that it's referring to single issue comics from US publishers.
Since its release, it's been joined by Absolute Wonder Woman, and most recently Absolute Superman, with multiple more titles already announced.
All three of the new Absolute line's core titles recast their leads as underdogs in a world that's much harsher and more downcast than the mainstream DC Universe, with Wonder Woman having been raised in Hell, and Superman returning to his roots as a crusader against evil industrialists.
Absolute Batman #3 goes on sale December 18.
Stay up to date on all the new Batman comics DC has planned for release.
