Absolute Batman # 1 616 Comics Tyler Kirkham CGC 9.8 44779620010

The 616 Comics Edition A Cover Art by Tyler Kirkham. Limited print run of 3,000 copies. Cover A First Printing Interior Cover.

Absolute Batman # 1, released by DC Comics on October 9, 2024, is the launch title for the new "Absolute Universe" imprint, reimagining Bruce Wayne not as a billionaire playboy, but as a working-class civil engineer in a grittier, more violent Gotham City. 

"The Zoo: Part One" 

The story is primarily narrated from the perspective of Alfred Pennyworth, who in this universe is a hardened British intelligence (MI6) agent assigned to Gotham to investigate a vicious gang called the "Party Animals," led by Roman Sionis (Black Mask). 

• A New Origin: The traditional Wayne family origin is flipped: Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne, is killed in a random mass shooting at the Gotham Zoo, but his mother, Martha Wayne, survives and is still part of his life. Without the family fortune, Bruce grows up in Crime Alley, works as an engineer, and builds his own gear.
• The Batman: Alfred tracks the brutal new Batman, who uses a bat-emblem on his chest that can be attached to a handle to form an axe. Batman operates with extreme prejudice against the Party Animals but still adheres to a non-lethal code, which Alfred notes is tested during the violent action sequences.
• The Meeting: Alfred and Batman eventually cross paths. Despite Alfred's elite training, the younger, larger Bruce Wayne outmaneuvers him, steals his motorcycle, and makes a daring escape.
• Foreshadowing: The issue also introduces reimagined versions of Bruce's childhood friends, including Selina Kyle, Oswald Cobblepot, Harvey Dent, and Waylon Jones (Killer Croc), who grew up in the same neighborhood. The epilogue reveals that the true mastermind, the Joker (a wealthy billionaire who never smiles), has escaped surveillance and is the next major threat. 
• Writer: Scott Snyder
• Artist (Pencils/Inks): Nick Dragotta
• Colorist: Frank Martin
• Publisher: DC Comics