If you are reading Absolute Batman month to month, you will want to mark your calendar. DC's best-selling series is about to take a short break after its milestone 25th issue, with the main book skipping the rest of 2026 before it picks back up in the new year.
The good news is that the series is in no danger of ending. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta have already laid out the plan for what comes next, including a special guest artist and a spotlight on Barbara Gordon.
Absolute Batman #25 Arrives Next Week
Absolute Batman #25 goes on sale next Wednesday (October 28th). According to DC's official listing, the oversized issue runs 30 pages and costs $5.99, with Snyder writing, Dragotta handling pencils and inks, and Frank Martin on colors. DC's solicitation keeps the story details close to the chest, teasing only "All the villains. All the heroes. All the stakes. What's left...of Absolute Batman?"
Snyder has called it the end of the current story arc and "the biggest issue yet from me and Nick Dragotta." In his Our Best Jackett newsletter, he went even further, saying the issue "easily has the biggest moment in the series so far. Two of the biggest moments, honestly, but one moment that I know will be a big talking point for all you guys."
He also confirmed that Dragotta is drawing every page of it, which makes sense given how much is riding on this chapter.
The Break And Barbara Gordon's Issue
After #25, the main series will not have another issue in November or December. Absolute Batman #26 is coming in January, and it will put the spotlight on Barbara Gordon, who has taken on the identity of The Bat in this universe. Snyder confirmed the issue and its artist on social media during New York Comic Con.
Cliff Chiang is a big get for the issue. He is best known for drawing Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman run during the New 52 era and for co-creating Paper Girls with Brian K. Vaughan. He and Snyder have worked together on covers for years, but this will be a full issue of interior art.
Snyder has described the story as "almost like a Barbara Gordon: Year One." At the Absolute Universe panel at New York Comic Con, he said that "Something happens in 25 that spins the series, and it's not what you think," and that Barbara steps up as The Bat during that moment. He added that "She's doing it because she wants to find out the truth of what happened to her father."
Nick Dragotta Returns For #27
Dragotta will not be away for long. The original plan had #26 and #27 as two one-shot issues while the regular team took a breather, but that changed. Snyder explained in his newsletter that "we're not going to do that just because Nick wanted to jump back on earlier."
Instead, Snyder said Absolute Batman #27 "will bring Nick back to the book and start our next really, really crucial arc." That issue is currently expected in February.
What To Read While You Wait
The gap does not mean a total Absolute Batman drought. Absolute Batman: Beyond Ark-M Special #1, a one-shot from Snyder and Frank Tieri with art and cover by Francesco Francavilla, is set for November. It follows up on the earlier Ark-M Special, digging into the origin of Professor Pyg and the Joker's worldwide network of Arks. Snyder has teased that it "has a huge reveal in it at the end."
So the schedule shapes up like this:
- Absolute Batman #25: next Wednesday (October 28th)
- Absolute Batman: Beyond Ark-M Special #1: November
- Absolute Batman #26 by Snyder and Cliff Chiang: January 2027
- Absolute Batman #27 with Nick Dragotta back: February 2027 (expected)
Release dates for the 2027 issues could still shift once DC publishes the official solicitations, so it is worth checking with your local comic shop before you update your pull list.
Are you more excited for the Barbara Gordon issue from Cliff Chiang, or for Nick Dragotta's return in #27?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.