I’m not a complicated woman. I like comic books, and very little else. For nearly two years, the Absolute line of DC Comics has been making by far the most noise in the comic book industry. Spearheaded by Absolute Batman, these books feature darker, modernised re-interpretations of classic characters—an answer to complacency. This is why the only response that I could muster when Absolute Batman was announced as receiving an animated adaptation was a frustrated roll of the eyes.
Absolute Batman is already working, and crucially, it’s already selling. It doesn’t need an adaptation; more importantly, it doesn’t need to become another vessel through which DC Comics can sell itself back to people who do not read comics.
Alan Moore, who famously told Terry Gilliam that he would not adapt Watchmen, understood the problem—some stories are perfectly fine remaining as comics. The 2009 film nevertheless sent sales of the graphic novel skyrocketing, proving that Hollywood could turn a comic into a much larger commercial property. DC promptly did what any sensible corporation would do and milked it—producing prequels, sequels, and assorted expansions.
Marvel, on the other hand, offers a glimpse at the modern nightmare. Even Marvel Comics editors now openly discuss “MCU synergy”, with comics deliberately positioned to accommodate audiences arriving from the screen.
As Chris Grosvenor (2024) argues, comic adaptations frequently minimise or disavow the medium itself in selling the adaptation. This is precisely what worries me about Absolute Batman. The comic is exciting because it is allowed to be a comic—strange, excessive, and unconcerned with whether it can be converted into a two-hour film or streaming subscription.
Once adaptation becomes the destination, those qualities become liabilities; stories are simplified, edges are sanded down, and suddenly the comic exists less as artistic expression and more as a commodity.
I love Absolute Batman (and the Absolute line as a whole!) because it feels like someone is finally making comics for the comic book readers again. I would hate nothing more than to watch that become yet another marketing tactic. God forbid comic books should just be comic books.
References & Links
The Hollywood Reporter article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/absolute-batman-animated-series-warner-bros-animation-dc-1236630313/
Absolute Batman sales statistic: https://darkknightnews.com/2026/01/03/absolute-batman-helps-lead-dc-to-record-sales/
Alan Moore interview with SciFINow: https://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/interview-alan-moore/
Watchmen sales statistic (ICv2): https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/13085/a-million-copies-watchmen
Watchmen (2009) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xoXmHgG00
Popverse article: https://www.thepopverse.com/comics-marvel-mcu-syngery-movies-tom-brevoort
Grosvenor, C. (2024): https://academic.oup.com/adaptation/article/17/1/52/7637451
Debbie Choo 
Bethany Miguel 
Tarkyn Sharples