Don't bet against Batman. That's the lesson this week as DC claims that Absolute Batman #1 is now the best-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 copies through the direct market in all editions, Newsarama understands.
Absolute Batman is the flagship title of DC's new Absolute Universe, relaunching DC's heroes in a new reality under very different circumstances than the core DC continuity. In the case of Batman, Bruce Wayne is a civil engineer of modest means who is also the greatest man in the world whose bat symbol is also a battle ax strapped to his chest, and whose Batmobile is a huge killer tank.
It doesn't hurt that, as evocative as Absolute Batman's premise is, it's written by fan-favorite Batman writer Scott Snyder and surprisingly drawn by Nick Dragotta, as high-profile a creative team as they come.
Absolute Batman #1 is already back in print twice, with a third edition released on November 27, and a black and white 'Noir Edition' also fueling its sales. And, of course, “best-selling comic of 2024” requires the slight qualification that it refers to single-issue comics from American publishers.
Since its release, it has been joined by Absolute Wonder Woman and, more recently, Absolute Superman, with several more titles already announced.
The three main titles in the new Absolute line recast their protagonists as the underdogs in a world that is much harsher and more despondent than the conventional DC Universe, with Wonder Woman raised in hell and Superman returning to his roots as a crusader against the evils. evil industrialists. .
Absolute Batman #3 goes on sale December 18.