Absolute Batman # 13 Foil Variant Second Printing 2025 NM

Absolute Batman # 13, released on October 8, 2025, sets the stage for the highly anticipated final confrontation between Batman and Bane, featuring the debut of Absolute Catwoman and a new take on Harley Quinn. The issue focuses on Bruce Wayne's difficult decision to use the Venom serum and publicly challenge his adversary to a "winner take all" match. 

The issue is the penultimate chapter of the "Abomination" story arc and is packed with world-building and character development. 

• Absolute Catwoman's Debut: Selina Kyle makes her first full present-day appearance in the Absolute Universe after being contacted by Martha Wayne about Bruce's disappearance. She and Bruce share a history and their reunion is marked by a mix of passion and friction over his methods.
• The Temptation of Venom: Haunted by Bane's torture and the mutilation of his friends, Bruce decides to use the Venom drug in his system to gain the strength needed to defeat Bane. Selina is skeptical and fears the damage it will do, while Alfred encourages Bruce to embrace the "monster" to win the war.
• Harley Quinn and the Red Hood Gang: Batman and Catwoman track down the Red Hood Gang, an outlaw collective of hackers and rebels. Their leader is revealed to be a new, more serious, hacker version of Harley Quinn, who agrees to help Batman burn down Bane's operation at Ark-M.
• Public Challenge: Using the Red Hood Gang's technology, Batman hijacks Gotham's airwaves to issue a public challenge to Bane for a final fight at the old Veterans Arena, vowing to expose the city's corruption.
• Flashbacks to Waylon Jones: Flashback sequences show Bruce's past with Waylon "Killer Croc" Jones, revealing how Bruce rigged a fight to save Waylon, a decision that ultimately destroyed their friendship. 
• Writer: Scott Snyder
• Artist: Nick Dragotta
• Colors: Frank Martin
• Letters: Clayton Cowles

Two major first appearances in the Absolute Universe: 

• Absolute Catwoman (Selina Kyle): This issue marks her first full appearance in costume. The story reveals she and Bruce share a past, and she returned to Gotham after Bruce's mother, Martha Wayne, reached out to her when he went missing.
• Absolute Harley Quinn: She is introduced as the leader of the Red Hood Gang, a radical departure from her traditional role as Joker's sidekick. In this universe, she is a hacker and r ebel who agrees to help Batman in his war against Bane. 

Additional First Appearances: 

• Red Hood Gang: The gang makes its first full appearance as an organized group under Harley Quinn's leadership.
• Veterans Arena: This location appears for the first time (primarily in flashbacks) as a pivotal setting for Bruce Wayne and Waylon Jones's past.