Part two of the first Absolute Universe crossover is out today in Absolute Batman #16, and this time Batman needs a little help from Wonder Woman. It’s an issue that returns Bruce Wayne to his humble life, a situation we haven’t seen due to the drama caused by supervillains like Bane, while also deepening the conflict between him and his friends. A kind of reset, this issue is beautiful and densely packed.
I can’t speak highly enough of Nick Dragotta’s art on this series, in part because of how many panels he gets into any given book. An avid comic book reader in decades past, when a comic might have four or five panels per page in a 20-issue comic, Dragotta maximizes your enjoyment per page with so much emotion, detail, and care. His approach to the page works perfectly with Scott Snyder’s dialogue, spreading it out and giving each page a strong sense of pace.
Take, for instance, the opening page, where we find Bruce sleeping in his truck. Over three panels, we gauge where he is, an interaction with his coworker, and his grumpy reaction are only the top three panels. Nine more panels are there for readers on this one page before they even turn to the next page. Given that there’s no Batman or action on the page, Dragotta makes the day-to-day labor Bruce goes through feel real while detailing the community-building he’s done, thanks to the workers discussing the Bane attack at the stadium.
On another page, Batman is inside the Gotham Museum of Natural History, and over 12 panels, we get snapshots of the iconography, the setting, Bruce’s general mood, his preparations for Wonder Woman’s arrival, her magical entrance, and their first interaction. This sequence could have been told over two pages instead of one. Later, when Wonder Woman and Batman fight a minotaur, Dragotta utilizes a full-page splash to open up the finer layout work, making the scene feel breathless and striking. Dragotta is putting on a clinic, and every issue has new delights in pacing and storytelling structure.
Lotta rage going on here.
Credit: DC Comics
As far as the story, Snyder checks in on two of Bruce’s friends who have been permanently scarred due to Bane. The guilt is deep, and their anger at Bruce is believable if harsh. Trying to make things right, Bruce sets out on a quest, which gives this issue an adventure feel while also making it satisfying in its own right.
The adventure is particularly cool to see as it grounds Batman while he interacts with magic and magical realms alongside Wonder Woman. To her, it’s just another Friday, but for Bruce, it’s all so new, yet he doesn’t take it for granted. There’s even some comedy thrown in to lighten the mood. The general adventure also elevates the world Wonder Woman traverses, helping establish her fantastical nature.
Thrown in the adventure and great action are interesting check-ins with Killer Croc, and a personal one for Batman. I’ll avoid spoilers on both counts, since these scenes are impactful to the issue and to the legacy of the characters, and they work wonders to help evolve both Bruce and Waylon Jones.
Absolute Batman #16 is a masterclass in pacing, character work, and visual storytelling. By stripping Bruce Wayne back to his most human core and pairing him with Wonder Woman’s effortless command of the magical, the issue finds a rare balance between introspection and adventure. Scott Snyder delivers a story that feels both like a reset and a meaningful step forward, while Nick Dragotta’s panel-dense, emotionally rich artwork elevates every page into something memorable. This is the kind of issue that rewards slow reading and reminds you why this universe feels special. As someone who only gives out perfect 10s three or four times a year, this one earns it and then some.
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