Most DC fans know that the Joker has undergone a major character redesign in the Darkseid-created Absolute Universe. Now, the horrifying design that had been circulating online has received an even more disturbing update, pushing it beyond its R-rated limits and fully into the realm of pure nightmare fuel.
Fans first glimpsed Absolute Joker’s new redesign in DC’s December solicitations, which featured the villain on Nick Dragotta’s main cover for Absolute Batman #15 (2025). The cover depicted Joker as a reptilian, demon-like creature, sharply contrasting his more human appearances in the series so far.
But if you thought Dragotta’s cover was unsettling, the artist’s character design sheet takes it even further, showing detailed 360-degree views and side notes that make Joker’s transformation even more disturbing.
Absolute Joker Gets a Disturbing Design Update, Courtesy of Nick Dragotta
Main Cover by Nick Dragotta for Absolute Batman #15 (2025)
While Dragotta’s character design sheet for Joker’s monstrous form is presented in black and white, it offers fans an even better look at the villain than the cover art. The sheet provides 360-degree views of Joker in various poses, highlighting the full grotesque scope of his new form and showing just how unsettling and sickening this iteration of the character truly is.
Perhaps the most disturbing element of the design sheet is Dragotta’s depiction of Joker’s movements. Standing on his hind legs, he towers over everything, yet he also moves on all fours with unnatural agility. The fluidity and scale of this form create a nightmarish presence, a character so horrifying that it could easily rival the terrors of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.
Similar to Dragotta’s main cover for Absolute Batman #15, the design sheet portrays Joker as a horned beast with a forked tail and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. His jaw appears capable of unhinging like a snake’s, creating a look that is simultaneously demonic, reptilian, and draconic.
Nick Dragotta’s Notes Reveal Disturbing Details About Absolute Joker
Comic Panel of Joker Comes From Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman #11 (2025)
What elevates this design sheet beyond the cover art are the accompanying notes from Dragotta. One note, next to Joker standing at a towering height, reads: “Runs on all fours or walks tall.” For comparison, Absolute Batman stands at 6’9”, yet Joker appears at least twice as tall, emphasizing the truly monstrous scale of his new form.
Another note reads: “Rows of teeth for constant consumption.” This chilling detail raises horrifying questions about what (or who) Joker is constantly consuming in this form. Given that Absolute Batman #6 depicted Joker consuming babies and their blood, fans may already have an answer, reinforcing the disturbing nature of this character redesign.
The final note is perhaps the most unsettling and concerns Joker’s human form: “Human form DCU ‘Bruce Like’ w/ hint of psycho.” Readers of Absolute Batman know that Joker’s human form is classically handsome and bears a striking resemblance to the main universe’s Bruce Wayne. Combined with the monstrous form, this makes Dragotta and Snyder’s Joker design DC’s most disturbing to date.