In this review of Absolute Batman #22, we get another Absolute origin story, another twist on a classic Batman character.
Absolute Batman #22 main cover by Nick Dragotta (DC Comics)
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #22
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by WERTHER DELL’EDERA
Main Cover: NICK DRAGOTTA
Variant Covers: DAN QUINTANA, BRETT BEAN, DERRICK CHEW, WERTHER DELL’EDERA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 7/8/26
This review contains spoilers
In Absolute Batman #22, we learn the origins of this universe’s Harley Quinn and its psychological journey that ends with what is a new a classic Absolute Batman twist on her history. Don’t worry, despite her being an aide to Batman she still has a connection to Jack Grimm/The Joker but in a way that hasn’t been done before. She’s still very much a sympathetic figure, but by the end of the issue we start to see a change in Harley that will make her future development very interesting to watch.
Harley starts out like many girls, the young daughter of a single mom, who’s scared of a monster in her closet. She’s told by her mom that if you believe something, even if it’s not real, it’s still true.
”Even if it’s not true, it’s true” is a phrase to keep in mind throughout the entire issue.
Her mom is a brain surgeon of some sort. We find out later exactly what she does and who she works for and by the time we reach the end of the issue, we understand why Harley is the way she is. It’s a truly brilliant psychological thriller of a tale.
Add in a dynamic between Harley and Batman as they avoid police and the Robins and you have one of the best issues of Absolute Batman’s run.
Analysis
The first thing that is absolutely (pun not intended) fantastic about this story is that despite the very normal act of a mom reassuring her child that monsters aren’t real, you have to remember they very much are in this universe. You know something is actually in that closet but you don’t know what. Absolute Batman #22 does a great job of building that suspense right from the first few pages. Guest artist Werther Dell’Edera’s child-like drawings of these flashback scenes add even more tension to the atmosphere.
This story isn’t all in the past however. Friction between Batman and Harley builds as they elude and eventually pulverize officers. Harley is very much a talker, and Batman, well, isn’t. She opens up to him about her traumatic past and he all but stonewalls her. You can see where this is going.
Meanwhile we continue to follow Harley’s origin story through her teen years and we see her trying to find out who her father is through letters and DNA kits. It’s a story that’s very relatable to countless young women and girls around the world and makes Harley just that much more compelling. It’s also unfortunately a little bit of a slog to get to the big reveal of who her dad is, and it’s a doozy.
Being a teenager even in a healthy home is isolating, but when you have no father in your life and your mom becomes increasingly distant as she gets more obsessed with work, it becomes downright traumatizing. That trauma is kicked up to 11 when Harley finds out where her mom has been going and what’s happened to her below their crooked house.
That house being crooked is perfectly symbolic of this family’s dynamic and when we learn who Harley’s father is it makes perfect sense but also no sense at all. It does set up a heck of a story going forward, though.
You might be thinking, “this is two issues in a row they’ve diverted from the Scarecrow storyline they setup in issue 20.” Have no fear, he’s here. It’s a brief appearance, but it also sets up the issue’s final big reveal and this time it’s one that’ll rock Batman’s world to its core.
He might have some regrets over how he treated Harley as she was opening up to him.
Final Thoughts
Hats off to Scott Snyder and company for this one. The story built anticipation from the very start and not only paid off the story of Harley’s true parentage but also hit us out of nowhere with something for Batman as well.
Dell’Edera’s artwork also addressed one of my biggest nitpicks of the series but making the flashback artwork distinguishable from the main/present storyline. It also made Harley’s story that much more haunting.
My only complaint is the Harley story reveal took a little too long to get to, but the payoff is overall worth the wait.
I can’t wait for issue #23
