Absolute Batman # 10 Fourth Printing 2026 BN

Absolute Batman #10 is the second chapter of the "Abomination" story arc, hitting shelves on July 16, 2025. Published by DC Comics, the issue is written by Scott Snyder with interior art and main cover pencils by Nick Dragotta, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

This installment is widely noted for shifting the series into heavy physiological body horror and deep psychological torture, chronicling Bruce Wayne's absolute rock-bottom captivity.

Plot Summary & Key Developments

The entire narrative unfolds as a brutal, claustrophobic crucible within the dark, experimental depths of the Ark M black site.

• The 91-Day Captivity: Following his defeat by Bane in issue #9, Bruce Wayne is stripped naked, sedated, and logged as "Subject 27" (a meta-nod to Batman's real-world debut in Detective Comics #27). The opening reveals that doctors under lead researcher Dr. Arkham spent hours surgically extracting the countless hidden gadgets, blades, and tools Bruce had stitched inside his own skin and body.
• The Biome Gauntlets: Over the course of a agonizing 91-day captivity, Bruce undergoes relentless psychological testing and forced surgeries. He repeatedly wakes up prematurely from levels of sedation that should keep a normal human out for days. Each time he tries to break out, he is forced to run a gauntlet through Ark M's bizarre, weaponized biomes—including encounters with a shape-shifting K.L.A.Y. biome (Clayface) and the mutated flora of an Isley ecosystem (Poison Ivy).
• The Indomitable Underdog: Bruce showcases terrifying resilience. Weaponless and severely weakened, he utilizes extreme survival tactics to fight back during his escape attempts—including using his own teeth as makeshift brass knuckles and utilizing his own stomach acid and feeding tubes to create biological explosives.
• The True Form of Bane: Despite his efforts, every escape is intercepted by Bane, who functions as the prison's iron-fisted warden. Bane brutally beats Bruce back into submission each time, viewing the torment as a twisted form of tough-love "rehabilitation" to spare Bruce the pain he once endured. The surgeries leave Bruce's back, neck, and head heavily marked with bat-shaped scar tissue. 
• The Rise of Killer Croc: In a psychological mind game, Bane and Dr. Arkham place Bruce's returned Batsuit and utility belt in his cell to test his compliance. Bruce reclaims the suit and fights his way into the "Langstrom Experiment" section, where hideous animal-human hybrids beg for death. Bane traps him there and shatters a secure glass incubation cage. Out steps a giant, dinosaur-sized reptilian monster—the fully transformed, mutated version of Bruce's kidnapped best friend, Waylon Jones.
• The Escape: Instead of killing Batman, the monstrous Killer Croc turns his rage entirely on their captors. Waylon brutally whips Bane with his tail, sending him crashing through a viewing room window, and devours the remaining facility scientists. Recognizing Bruce, Waylon allows his friend to climb onto his back, and together they scale a rock face to escape into the safety of Gotham's underground sewer network.

Issue Specifications

• Page Count: 32 pages
• Age Rating: Rated Teen Plus (15+ for intense graphic violence and body-horror themes)
• Key Debut: Features the first official appearance of Doctor Arkham.