DC Comics just turned Batman into an “Absolute” unit. The new version of the Caped Crusader is the most hyperbolically huge that the character has ever been, as Absolute Batman turns its protagonist into DC’s version of Marvel’s Hulk. Suddenly, Bruce Wayne and Bruce Banner have more in common than ever.

Absolute Batman #14 is written by Scott Snyder, with art by Nick Dragotta. The preview for the issue offers the best look yet at Absolute Batman’s transformation, which began last issue.

Having been pumped full of “Venom,” Bruce Wayne is full-on Hulking out, in the latest paradigm shift for DC’s Absolute continuity.

Absolute Batman Is Officially More Like Marvel’s Hulk Than DC’s Mainstream Dark Knight

Absolute Batman #14, Written By Scott Snyder, Art By Nick Dragotta; Available November 26, 2025 From Marvel Comics

Absolute Batman has undergone a monstrous transformation, thanks to the experimental “Venom” compound he has been injected with. The powerful substance is also coursing through the veins of his antagonist Bane, turning him into an exponentially massive and increasingly inhuman version of his mainstream counterpart. It is a fascinating literal take on a perennial Batman theme.

Bruce Wayne has often confronted the need to metaphorically become a monster to fight villains who do monstrous things. It is a theme that many superhero stories grapple with, but few do it like Batman. The character’s “no kill” rule, for instance, is meant as a measure of the limit to how far he’s willing to go in his crusade.

Absolute Batman gives this perennial moral quandry a physical dimension, thanks to the fictional drug “Venom.” Absolute Batman is now more than human. He is a version of the Dark Knight with superpowers, which is a notable development in its own right, but he also is now confronted with the man/monster dichotomy best embodied by the Hulk.

Bruce Wayne’s Transformation In “Absolute Batman” Is The Latest Paradigm Shift For The Classic Hero

Is Bruce’s Venomized New Form Permanent?

Absolute Batman resembles Bane after a venom transformation

Absolute Batman is maneuvering its hero toward a decisive confrontation with Bane, reflecting their iconic fights in mainstream canon. Beyond that, the implications of Bruce Wayne’s “Venom“-influenced transformation will be one of the urgent questions of the series. The Absolute line is all about pushing the limits of familiar DC characters, so this could be a permanent change for Batman.

Absolute Batman #14 will give readers more of an idea of what this means for the direction of the book’s overarching story when it comes out next week. This ongoing new era for Batman has thrown another curveball at readers, and it’s far from the last upheaval in Dark Knight lore the creative team has in store for the gamechanging series.

Absolute Batman #14 will be available November 26, 2025 from Marvel Comics.