Absolute Batman #14
Author : Scott Snyder
Artist : Nick Dragotta
I’ve been following this series since its release in 2024, and I have not been let down in any of the 14 issues that have been released; this issue is a great conclusion to the most recent Abomination story arc. I was gripped as soon as I opened the book, as Snyder took an old school approach when it comes to a bout; he focuses on two gladiators entering an arena to find out who’s better. The art from Dragotta is as raw and striking as it has been, helping you to get captivated by this colossal clash between Batman and Bane.
Snyder’s Absolute Batman begins to have his layers peeled away, allowing the reader to understand this brutal universe’s Dark Knight more clearly. I have been looking forward to the finale of this storyline and wanted a decisive outcome to know who is the more wicked warrior between Batman and Bane.
I will share that I am a fan of Snyder and his work, especially his Batman stories, the New 52 run, Black Mirror arc and Batman Eternal series, amongst many others, which were all brilliantly written and gave you that feeling where, once you had finished an issue, you needed to read the next.
What Doesn’t Kill You
Let me help you catch up with all of the events that have led up to this monumental collision between our Engineer of Violence, Batman, and the Beast of Ark-M, Bane. Lucky for you, there have only been 3 story arcs and issue #14 is the culmination of the latest storyline. Before we delve into the series of events that have helped us reach this most eagerly anticipated pinnacle, I will share my thoughts on the series so far.
It has been nothing short of terrific, as Snyder has boldly reinvented Batman and is telling a story that feels fresh. His reconfiguration of Bruce Wayne and Batman has renewed interest in the character. Alongside that, his innovative storytelling using all of the traditional ingredients of the Bat-Soup has been masterful.
That, tied in with Dragotta’s unique art style, has made this version of Batman feel raw and brutal. The way Dragotta sketches the lines for Absolute Batman brings out an almost primeval nature of the Bat, bringing a well-constructed chaos to the pages of this Batman chronicle.
The Zoo (Issues #1 to #6)
The opening arc immediately flips the timeless Batman tale on its head. Reimagining Bruce Wayne as a 24-year-old civil engineer, not a billionaire. There are no pearls dropping onto the streets of Crime Alley in this universe. Bruce witnesses the violent murder of his father, Thomas Wayne, a school teacher at the Gotham Zoo. Crucially, Martha Wayne is alive and Bruce doesn’t grow up an orphan.
However, the death of his father means that Bruce begins building the persona that will become Batman. This arc establishes the tone of the Absolute Universe: gritty, grounded, and focused on a young Bruce surviving through ingenuity rather than wealth. It ends with Bruce’s first major victory against the criminal forces reshaping Gotham, Batman defeats the Black Mask and the Party Animals in an epic war across Gotham City’s streets.
Absolute Zero (Issues #7 to #8)
Absolute Batman shifts into full horror-thriller territory, introducing a grotesque reimagining of Mr. Freeze as Victor Fries Jr., a mutated product of cryogenic experiments and prehistoric bacteria. As Gotham freezes under harsh martial-law conditions, Batman investigates a trail of bioweapon-related deaths that lead him to V-Core and the hidden prison project, Ark M. His search ends with Freeze trapping him in a cryo-chamber, unleashing undead, frost-infected victims, and pushing Bruce to the brink of hypothermia, terror, and collapse.
The finale in this chain of events forces Batman into pure survival mode—escaping rather than winning—while Freeze abducts one of Bruce’s childhood friends, Matt Crilley. Setting the stage for darker confrontations ahead. Absolute Zero expands the series’ scope from street-level crime to systemic corruption and bio-horror, giving Gotham a colder, more sinister identity. It highlights Batman’s vulnerability in this universe while reinforcing his defining resilience, marking a pivotal evolution in the Absolute Universe’s version of Batman.
Abomination (Issues #9 to #13)
The latest arc kicks off with Bane unleashing chaos on a global scale, assassinating a major political figure and pushing international tensions to the brink. Bruce Wayne follows the trail to Ark M, a nightmarish black-site where Bane rules through brute strength and bio-engineered terror. Their first confrontation is a disaster — Bane overwhelms Batman, captures him, and subjects him to a gauntlet of grotesque experiments and mutated test subjects meant to break him physically and mentally. These chapters push Batman into pure survival mode as he claws his way through the horrors inside Ark M.
As Bruce forces his way deeper into the facility, he’s confronted with the human cost of his mission. Many of his childhood friends and allies have been tortured, mutilated, or mentally shattered under Bane’s rule. The tragic twist is that these friends — Waylon Jones, Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nygma, Harvey Dent — are men who, in any other universe, would become his greatest enemies. Here, in the Absolute Universe, they grew up beside him. Because of Ark M, they’ve been experimented on, disfigured, and traumatized. It feels like a chilling foreshadowing of how they may eventually rise against Batman.
The guilt rattles him to his core and forces him to wonder if becoming Batman has caused more pain than good. Reluctantly, he teams with Catwoman and begins rallying a desperate coalition — former friends, reluctant allies, and even criminal factions — to take the fight back to Ark M. Together, they prepare for a final strike aimed at dismantling Bane’s operation and pulling Gotham back from the edge.
Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Issue #14 Review (Warning! Spoilers.)
In this fitting conclusion to the Abomination storyline Snyder goes back to basics with the premise of this issue, and I think the simplicity excels the effectiveness. Batman needs to defeat Bane, that’s it. Which is set up brilliantly with the last 5 words on page one uttered by the Bat of Gotham, “Let’s go to @#$% WAR.” I love this direct and linear element of Batman that Snyder has created in the Absolute Universe; he’s a survivor, he thrives when he’s faced with an impossible task—and there’s no more impossible task than taking on the venom bursting gargantuan Bane.
What I really liked about this issue was how the main and current story of Batman versus Bane, was intertwined with a flash back story of Bruce’s friend; Waylon Jones taking on MMA champion, Bibbo Bibowski. The parallels that Snyder creates between the two overlapping narratives is that both were a David versus Goliath scenario. And, one big difference between this universes Bruce and that of the Earth-0 Bruce; is that the Absolute Bruce Wayne is friends with what we see as his traditional rogue’s gallery.
The way Snyder develops the story as we go through this issue; the interlinking past and present stories make perfect sense, again, showing Snyder’s thought process and providing the reader with the eventual payoff they deserve.
The Hot Tag
The underlying suspense Snyder builds in this issue revolves around one question: will Batman use the venom now coursing through his veins (find out how in issue #9!). Pennyworth insists that the only way to beat Bane is by embracing its power, and Bane himself wants Batman to give in so he can finally face a truly equal opponent.
But Batman does two things better than anyone else; he plans and he bets on himself. From page 6, the book shifts into an 18–page brawl, and it absolutely delivers. The highlights of this stretch are Batman’s refusal to take the easy way out by tapping into the venom, and the trust he places in his allies.
This whole run is one of my favorite sequences in the book. You have Harley — yes, that Harley — stepping in to help Bruce while he starts to lose ground and Bane begins to crush him. She shouts, “Release the green machine.” In my opinion, it’s a brilliant line for two reasons. First, it’s the final line before the page turn, perfectly building suspense. Second, it leads you to believe we’re about to see a venom–amped, hulking Batman since the venom is green. But then you turn the page…
To a stunning splash page from Nick Dragotta—here comes the cavalry. He’s big, he’s green and he’s full of razor-sharp teeth, leaping onto Bane to help his friend; Waylon Jones aka Killer Croc for the save! This shows that Bruce very early on has embraced the need to ask for help from his friends. Something Earth-0 Bruce took a longer time to accept.
Also, Snyder provides a reason as to why we were treated to a dual narrative; we were shown Waylon Jones, the man, being supported in his fight by Bruce. Because it foreshadowed Killer Croc’s involvement in supporting Batman; this for me was terrific telling of a story.
And The Reigning, Defending, Champion of Gotham City Is…
This brutal 18-page battle finale is, in my opinion, the perfect blend of intensity, pacing, drama, and payoff. Pennyworth’s dialogue and Bruce’s unrelenting drive make this a worthy climax to Snyder’s arc. Pennyworth adds to the tension when he realizes that Bane has no upper limit — he keeps getting bigger, stronger, and faster — and the only way to stop him is for Batman to use the venom coursing through his system. Batman’s response is as Batman as it gets: “What’s your point, Pennyworth?” and “We stick to the plan!”
This becomes a great behind-the-curtain moment for the reader because Snyder finally tips his hand that Batman does have a plan to win. We then get a vicious strike from Batman as he attacks Bane from behind while Killer Croc keeps him distracted. With his battle axe, Bruce tears into Bane’s back, severing his spine at the thoracic. Part of me reads this as a chaotic nod to Knightfall, flipping the iconic moment when Bane broke Batman’s back.
But if that were the finish, it’d be too easy. Bane’s venom surges, mutating him into something almost embryonic and underlining the sheer will fueling him. Then comes the crescendo: Bane begs Batman to use the venom, and Batman agrees — but instead of giving in, he calls for Catwoman.
In another twist, we see Bruce leaning on more of his childhood friends, this time Selina Kyle and Edward Nygma. Bruce asks Edward to use his intelligence to extract every trace of venom from his body. “All of it, Eddie. Every drop. I’ll beat him my way.”
Catwoman shoots the venom exported from Batman’s blood into Bane to cause an overload in Bane’s blood, causing him to sensationally blow up. But don’t fear, our Dark Detective didn’t commit murder because Bane’s cells have unbelievable regeneration powers; he has merely overwhelmed this power until Bane eventually rejuvenates.
Batman then uses the Bat-Truck to return the mangled remains of Bane to Gotham’s coastline, allowing the powers at Ark-M to collect him and save him.
Art That Hits Hard!
Nick Dragotta has done a fantastic job of illustrating what Snyder’s vision is of Absolute Batman. He’s raw, he’s primeval, and he’s brutal; this is demonstrated by Dragotta in this issue, with action that punches through the page and drags the reader into the fight itself.
His depiction of Bane is incredible, he’s a giant, a literal giant and this is portrayed perfectly by the environment that the fight with Batman takes place. It’s in a literal arena, a stadium that Bane nearly becomes the size of; allowing the reader to fathom the immense size of this villain.
Then there’s one of my favourite panels that shows off the size difference and what an impossible task this was for Batman. Bane picks off Batman by grabbing his cape with just two fingers, a brilliant way to demonstrate the comtrast in size.
Conclusion & Rating :
I was gripped throughout this issue, turning every page with real anticipation. Snyder has done a fantastic job making this arc feel genuinely special, building toward a Batman and Bane showdown we’ve seen before — but never like this. This time, Bane can basically become a Kaiju, and it leaves you wondering how in the world Batman is supposed to topple something that massive.
Snyder structures this chapter around the idea of teamwork. You can’t do everything alone, and you need the courage to ask for help when you need it. Even Gotham’s Guardian, all 6 ft 9” and 400-plus pounds of him, is willing to lean on his friends. So you can as well.
And in true Snyder fashion, the issue doesn’t end without some great easter eggs and a final-page gut punch that sets the stage for issue #15. We get a quick panel of an EMT named… Dick Grayson. Then that last page hits you with two things. First, the heartbreaking reason behind Bane’s drive to defeat Batman: winning would have freed him from Ark-M and reunited him with his wife and child. Second, we get the direction of the next arc as a scientist appears on a video call with a man marked by a nameplate reading JKR, who — in the coldest, most devastating fashion — blows up Santa Prisca, wiping out Bane’s home and family in an instant.