We've been hearing rumblings for the better part of a year that DC Comics has plans for a reboot. The publisher has overhauled the DC Universe several times in the past, all in a bid to drum up interest and increase sales ("The New 52" remains one of the most controversial examples).
Longtime Batman writer Scott Snyder is thought to be spearheading the initiative and will return to the Dark Knight's corner of the DC Universe. However, "Absolute Comics" will be a separate line from the main continuity with a similar, but not identical, approach to Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe.
That started as a way of retelling the origin stories of characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men in a reality more like our own and without decades of baggage and hard-to-follow continuity. Recently, it's been relaunched again to great success, this time in a world that, for years, had no superheroes (meaning Peter Parker has become Spider-Man in his 30s).
Ultimate Spider-Man has been a massive hit and, with DC Comics still a long way behind Marvel in terms of sales, its "Absolute" line of titles could be exactly what the publisher needs.
Today, Bleeding Cool has shared more details about Absolute Batman, including some phenomenal new artwork by Nick Dragotta. This is clearly a significant reinvention of the character...which is evident from the hero having a flight suit in place of a cape.
"This is Batman as [an] underdog. Batman as [a] warrior," the site explains. "That's Absolute Batman, the new ongoing series by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. But it's also a reflection of the Absolute Universe continuity as a whole."
"Where Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest are underdogs, fighting for their survival as well as everything else, because the world they live in is a different one. And far closer to now."
We've heard rumblings that this hulking Bruce Wayne won't be a billionaire and is instead a "working class" Batman who has to utilise a different sort of fighting style and fewer hi-tech gadgets. We also see below that this version's Bat-symbol now appears to be a piece of armour rather than a traditional bat-shaped logo.
"Nick's art is a perfect fit," Snyder is quoted as saying in the Absolute Batman preview set to be distributed at Comic-Con. "It's grounded and gritty, but also dynamic and fresh. A bit dangerous and new to superhero readers, just like this Batman."
Expect this new "Absolute" line of comics to be announced in San Diego a couple of weeks from now.