In this review of Absolute Batman #18, Batman absolutely crosses a line he may not be able to return from.
Absolute Batman #18 main cover by Nick Dragotta (DC Comics)
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by ERIC CANETE
Main Cover: NICK DRAGOTTA
Variant Covers: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, MAHMUD ASRAR, DECLAN SHALVEY, CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 3/11/26
This review contains spoilers
What line is that? If you know your Batman history and one of the character’s core values throughout his history, you might be able to take a guess. Yet it also doesn’t fully develop or end in the way you might expect. That’s becoming a coming theme throughout the Absolute series and the end of the Poison Ivy arc is no different. We last left Batman cutting through Ivy’s army and the final confrontation between her and Batman is obviously inevitable.
We’ll get to more of that line crossing in a bit. After all, we still have that cliffhanger from the previous issue to discuss. I was intrigued by where that story could go and it went in directions I don’t think many were expecting .
So let’s dive into it. Spoilers ahead!
Analysis
We open the issue with Martha looking for the Court of Owls after finding out she is among their ranks at the very end of issue #17. We learn that not only was she a member of the secret society, but she was a Talon and arguably the best!
This is of course still the B plot of the storyline, but it’s still vital. The Martha/Owls connection is clearly going to be a slow burn throughout the series and it will be fun to watch little pieces of evidence pop up like one here connecting the Waynes to the Court. Having the Wayne family be not exactly saintly has been a big piece of the Batman mythos across a variety of media in recent years, and it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in this universe.
The A plot is of course Batman fighting through Ivy’s soldiers to get to her. This part is beautiful to look at, as has been the case throughout the Absolute series. The body horror theme in the Ivy arc continues and it’s shown in graphic nature here. Yet when you’re dealing with something as “dirty” as plants and such, seeing such a mess is to be expected.
Before we get to the final confrontation, we have to talk about this issue’s C plot. Yep, there’s a third one here and it makes the action a little hard to follow at times. This third storyline would be perfect for its own issue in between villain arcs, which is what may be coming with issue #19.
This one has Bruce wandering around Gotham, considering Batman’s impact. He sees a Bat-themed bar and further advances Jim Gordon’s relationship with Bruce’s mother. This is where Bruce and Gordon have what I think will be critical conversation for future issues. We learn that Gordon “knows.” Bruce confides in him that with everything happening in the city, he might need to become something darker. It reads like the Knightfall Protocol from Arkham Knight.
This is where Absolute Batman #18 gets a little too chaotic. It switches very quickly from A-to-B-C plot and you really need to pay attention to who is saying what and when. We hit the crescendo of the A plot when Bruce tries to cut through the Ivy personality and talk to Pamela Isley directly. He sees the last human part of her: her heart. Batman threatens Isley to either destroy the spores that are impacting Gotham or he’ll destroy her heart. She agrees, but then Batman crosses the line I mentioned earlier. It’s a moment not many people will see coming as when we heard Bruce mention Batman “changing” this isn’t quite what many of us had in mind. I won’t say what he does, but it shocks Barbara Gordon. Batman tells her he needs to evolve as we cut back and forth with the conversation with Jim Gordon.
Absolute Batman #18 ends with Bruce deleting a voice message and Waylon Jones (maybe?) emerging to see if Bruce is with him.
Final Thoughts
Scott Snyder and guest artist Eric Cantente did it again, overall. The plot is solid and the pictures look great. The biggest problem with Absolute Batman #18 is pacing and that has a snowball effect on being able to follow the story.
Cutting back and forth between not only three different locations, but also different times makes things hard to keep track of and that’s a big distraction as the story is reaching a conclusion. It even affects the artwork as it makes its difficult to figure out exactly what is happening
It’s a good ending to the Poison Ivy arc in this universe but that chaos keeps it from sticking the perfect landing. I still enjoyed the story and can’t wait to see what happens in the next arc, especially as Batman realizes he has to evolve to keep up with the changes happening in his city.
