Absolute Batman # 6 Sixth Printing 2026 BN

Absolute Batman #6 brings the explosive first story arc, "The Zoo", to a definitive and brutal conclusion. Released on March 19, 2025, the milestone issue is written by Scott Snyder with kinetic art by Nick Dragotta, colors by Frank Martin, and lettering by Clayton Cowles.

Plot Summary & Arc Climax

Following the bloodiement Bruce Wayne suffered on the rooftops in issue #5, the narrative shifts into an all-out, fast-paced war to save Gotham from systemic chaos. 

• Unmasking to the Circle: Gravely injured, Bruce Wayne stumbles into Waylon Jones's (Killer Croc) gym. To secure help, he officially reveals his secret identity as Batman to his childhood inner circle: Waylon, Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, and Harvey Dent. Though furious that he kept them in the dark, they agree to back him.
• The Street-Level Rebellion: Out on the streets, Black Mask's weaponized satellite network has put a massive $1 million bounty on Mayor Jim Gordon and Bruce's mother, Deputy Mayor Martha Wayne. Trapped by hostile citizens looking to cash in, Martha delivers a fierce defense of Gordon, refusing to abandon him.
• The Yacht Assault: Utilizing Oswald's helicopter for a massive high-altitude jump, Batman infiltrates Black Mask's personal yacht. Bruce completely overrides Sionis's nihilistic speeches, shattering his skull mask with heavy medicine balls in the yacht's gym before blinding him with his cowl's razor ears during a desperate chokehold.
• Crashing the Network: As the chaos peaks, Batman detonates a string of grenades inside the yacht's server room. Crashing the local server instantly disables the "Black Coin" masks across Gotham, wiping out the criminal bounties just as the mob is about to execute Gordon and Martha.
• Alfred's Return: Agent Alfred Pennyworth forces his daughter Julia onto a private jet to escape the city, but after a deep moral confrontation, he cannot abandon Bruce. As an unconscious Batman sinks into the ocean from the exploding yacht, he lands on his submerged Batmobile, where Alfred surfaces to pull him from the water and patch his wounds.

Issue Specifications & Next Arc Setup

• Page Count: 28 pages
• Age Rating: Rated Teen Plus
• The Epilogue (Arc 2 Teases): The issue features a sterile, chilling epilogue that transitions into the next major phase of the Absolute Universe, setting up Bruce's eventual imprisonment inside the Ark Mfacility and his upcoming face-offs with a monstrified Bane and Mr. Freeze.