Absolute Batman (2024-) #15

Absolute Batman (2024)

by Scott Snyder, Jock (Artist)

Alfred reveals to Bruce the story of the man he’s been chasing for years. Joker! Scott Snyder and Jock reunite for an epic tale in the Absolute Universe!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Comic Book, Superheroes, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2025

About the author

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was only a matter of time.



For years now, the Joker has been increasingly cast as some sort of preternatural villain. He hasn't been the guy with a hand buzzer and the ACME dynamite in a long time, and Snyder, in particular, has really enjoyed playing with what this character means to the Batman universe. The hybrid he created in The Batman Who Laughs is a good example, but he also did a lot with his Death of the Family storyline.
And while I've been a victim of Joker fatigue in the main universe, I think that this brand of over-the-top nuts is kind of perfect for the Absolute universe.



Skinny gist is that the reader finally gets a real glimpse of what the Joker is. Partially told through a hesitant Alfred, who is recounting what he believes he's discovered about something with a secret past, and partially through a hunting trip the Joker makes to an island he owns...



The ending was GREAT.
The twist on the Batcave was perfect. The fact that they've been drawing him to look like Bruce, as well?
*chef's kiss*



Recommended.

[MrGlassWontBreak · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, apparently, the Joker is a couple of centuries old, and started as a child street performer in the late 1800’s, who made people laugh and overly suggestible by discreetly spraying crowds with Nitrous Oxide so they’d give him all their money.

As he got older and richer through investment, he got into philanthropy, especially children’s causes, helping build schools, orphanages, and hospitals, only so he could experiment with the cells of children and baby fetuses to develop some vile way to monstrously mutate himself, and become immortal. Then he repeatedly started faking his death and returning to society as his own child.

As the decades went by, He got even richer by becoming the major investor in both sides of every societal coin: funding both Right and Left-Leaning news agencies, the Nazi’s and the Allies, warlords and war relief aids, criminals and prisons, and even investing in entertainment, like film production, video game industries, and graphic cards, becoming a trillionaire off playing everyone against each other and having them all rely on him.

This has to be the coldest and most evil villain origin ever. This dude is Satan, the anti-Christ, Beheelzebub, bro funded Hitler and uses babies to mutate himself, there’s no topping that shit. We also find out that Bruce has been looking up Absolute Wonder Woman, and I think he might actually want her help with fixing Waylon. 5-star issue, can’t wait for the crossover in the next one, Diana vs. Bruce! Let’s fucking Goooo!!!.

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute Batman #15 is a strong, unsettling chapter that leans hard into horror. This issue delivers a chilling take on the Joker’s origin, with Jock’s atmospheric art setting an eerie tone throughout.

This opening of a new arc deepens the world and pushes the story into darker, more interesting territory. Creepy, engaging, and genuinely fun — it left me eager to see where this version of Batman and Joker goes next.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reaction to the joker while reading this issue:

Evil Evil Evil!!!!!

Scott Snyder genuinely was trying his hardest these past few months to let us know this guy was evil, he succeeded

After seeing his introduction and past, this isn't Absolute Joker, nah this is Absolute Satan, Absolute Elton musk, Absolute Jeffrey espetin and a little bit of classic Batman mixed together

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I was very worried when I first laid eyes on this Joker design. But this issue is the origin story and I should have just relied on my faith in Snyder to come up with something that really works even though it takes everything and spins it. Very intriguing, very frightening, yet still vaguely familiar where it counts and I can’t wait to keep reading.

[Arthur Marchetto · Rating 2 out of 5]

...risos

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Joker was Bruce and Bruce could be the Joker if things hadn’t turned the other way. This was the most chilling villain I’ve ever seen. Not only did the Joker probably create the Batman, he’s the one responsible for everything. Loved it.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has has interesting ideas but lets see where this will go.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason u are so cooked

[dusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Joker is completely and utterly terrifying. He feels like the kind of fictional character you’d hear about as a kid that would genuinely haunt you for years.

The way Scott Snyder has reimagined this iconic villain is nothing short of incredible, and he deserves every ounce of praise for the creativity on display here.

This origin is riveting, violent, thrilling, and packed with a special kind of horror that keeps you on edge while still giving you that hope—that someday, this evil might actually be stopped.

And that ending twist? I thought I saw it coming… but it still felt too bizarre to be real. Joker having parallels to the classic Batman mythos is such a bold and fascinating choice for this series.

This run is, without a doubt, the best comic series of the year for me.

[Saket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jock is an amazing artist! Love this choice of guest artist. It compellingly rivals the Bane issue illustrated by Clay Mann.

Love the creative direction to make Joker an eldritch Stephen-King-esque centuries old boogeyman. It’s different to usual, but unique enough to feel real. There’s a palpable sense of dread to the body horror and in-book societal implications to how the Joker acts the way it does. Love the focus on fundamental power imbalances and “the top 1% ruling everything” as a theme. Issue 15 is a good demonstration of those themes the team has been building up.

Horrifying shit!

Not really looking forward to issue 16’s crossover but oh well, it is what it is.

[Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the subversion. Cannot wait to see more Joker!

[rocco · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He’s the Joker.”

[Luca Mendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peak. My favorite comic book villain for a reason.

[sniederhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven’t been this invested in a comic run in at least 10 years. the absolute universe is absolutely fascinating on many levels and it’s working for me on every single one.

the last few pages of this issue have been foreshadowed and teased but seeing it was still shocking.

darkseid fuckjng with batman in uniquely twisted ways. RIP, Bruce, because you’re screwed, man.

[Celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh lord... Holy me... Now, that is a nice take on the Joker. I am definitely going to like this. Esp now that Diana and Bruce are going to meet.

[Christian M. T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now for 'The Joker' arc!!!
As it is in this 'Absolute' series there are the 'Absolute' twists with each character... Batman fans are all aware of the orgins of the rogues gallery and in Absolute batman we have been treated to unique versions of a host of characters that have been introduced and its always been a treat!... The Joker is no exception here but what you would expect is Synder to go off the rails a little for one of Batmans most iconic characters..... SNYDER GOES OFF!!!! (In a great way)

Agent Pennyworth has supplied a demanding Batman with the run down of what he knows about The Joker.... and of what Agent Pennyworth actually 'believes' about The Joker!!!.... What happens next for Batman now is anyones guess and I'm rightly excited about it!!!

Shout out to Jock on the panels this time... a long time fan of his work and Dragotta has some serious competition here!! Dragotta is on the Cover work though!! 5 star art all round!!

[Daniel Corbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one dark and intriguing story about the Joker. Scott blended horror and mystery really well here. Alfred’s theory is absolutely crazy for this Joker. I’m looking forward to seeing more in future issues!

[Eddie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He's a classic American success story."

[Cristhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus H. Christ

[Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

sorry to joker haters out there like idc if he’s over used he’s gunna eat every time (no pun intended x)

[spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building to some Pennywise level mythos here.. obsessed

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great setup for the next arc and an introduction to this version of the Joker. I am so excited for where this story is going and getting Absolute WW in the fray just sweetens the deal. The art is also very fitting and moody.

[Antonio Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS FUCKING PEAK🃏😭

Nah this origin story of absolute joker…. 🃏 ngl, I expected something dark but NOT this dark - this man is literally Satan on steroids

It’s the set up. As Alfred is telling to Bruce “so there’s this guy” and Bruce is like “yo, just FUCKING TELL ME” 😭

The hint to absolute Wonder Woman - that link up will be another peak moment.

Holy shit, this story arc has the potential to be a top 10 Batman story arc with the way this is going (recency bias is hitting hard right now but man, this is so good). This issue gave a mix of suspense, thriller, with a dash of awe.

Unfortunately the max stars I was able to give was 5 but I would give it 200 stars ⭐️

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He’s something terrible, Bruce. A nightmare thing that stalks the Earth, not a man who never laughs at anything, but a beast that’s always laughing at us.” -Pennyworth

Grimm might be my favorite version of Joker yet. He’s an immortal monster that fakes his own family line to cover up the fact that it’s always been him, the clown, preying on humanity and its inner darkness.

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Joker gives human(oid?) form to the horrors of the real world.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic and horrifying read! What I absolutely love is that this story maintains a core principle of joker: we don’t truly know anything about him. And this story takes that to a pennywise-esque degree we have never seen before. This issue is told from the perspective of Alfred finally giving a briefing to Bruce about what he knows about Joker. But that’s not what truly matters, because there is a big difference between what people know about him…and what people believe. So let’s start with what we know for sure. He’s rich, so rich that he owns uninhabited islands all over the world and spends billions traveling to them a few times a year…people believe he likes to hunt. But to tell his story we have to go back to one of the first films ever recorded in 1888. In the background of a garden scene you can see Joker’s great grandfather, a boy in clown makeup juggling skills and making everyone laugh. Geez even his clown makeup looks like pennywise, lol. That is Jospeh Grimm I. It was said you could hear the laughter of those around him for blocks, but he never so much as chuckled. His reputation grew and he took the clown act with him to invest in his own theater called “Just Kidding,” aka “JK.” There he invested in silent pictures and by forty he made a fortune, but even though he surrounded himself with the richest at the time shaping the nation…he was never one of the spotlight. There was barely any record of his existence but what is documented is his charity work. Jack died in 1938 and is buried in a family crypt. His legacy lived on in his son, Jack Jr, who expanded the family business in the 1920s and invested heavily in the entertainment industry, being the first financiers of the television. And just like his father he stayed committed to philanthropy, especially for the orphans across the country. In the 1960s Jr’s son, Jack Grimm III, created one of the first cable network companies and was a major finder of public broadcasting. Jack Grimm IV was born in the late 1970d and took the company into gaming systems and expanded the philanthropy and global causes. Which finally brings to this centuries Jack Grimm V. The most successful one yet and one of the first investors in online gaming platforms and the graphics processing units to run them that run the entire world by now. He has widened the charitable initiatives and is loved by those who know him.

But Bruce is confused, where is the smoking gun, what is so scary about this guy? While Alfred talks we get a glimpse of Joker on one of his islands, hunting down and slashing the throat of a cougar with his bare hands. Alfred admits that in paper nothing is scary about him, he is the clown helping people across the world smile and laugh. I can’t help but feel the agitation in Bruce’s voice. He wants the story of what Pennyworth believed, not what he knows is true. So Alfred takes us back to the start, to that clowning the alley. The story becomes a bit more twisted with the knowledge young Jack Grimm performed outside a dentist’s office around the time nitrous oxide was first introduced. Jack would release laughing gas into the alley to make the people suggestible and get their money, it wasn’t so much a good act as a trick. When he was growing in the theater world he would fund his rivals and pit them against each other, he took this same mentality everywhere he could make money. He funded both sides of wars, he funds both sides to political leaning news networks, he funds the peace and the war, the crimes and the prison. They might be the most powerful crime family on history by pitting everyone against each other and profiting off the chaos.

Back one the island where Joker is hunting he heard a noise and came across a pieced together hut, someone is arriving on this island. And as he calls out a shriveled man with a beard comes out and thanks him for finally finding him…until he sees Joker’s face and realizes who it is, the one who pit him there in the first place. It’s time Alfred finally told what he truly believes. Aside from the American dream story or the mastermind chaos profiteering story. What’s so unbelievably insane Alfred couldn’t even report what he thought to MI6? We got back one more time to the clown in the alley, if you dig deeper you find that the people laughing in the film soon died after…twisted in pan and grinning. A laughing gas poison that is a kid through the skin, perhaps upon shaking the gloved hand of the boy. All throughout the years people who have come into contact with the Grimms have died in mysterious circumstances. There are records of Grimm investments funding some of the deadliest inventions of the last hundred years. He puts his enemies on his islands then he leaves them there for years until he is ready. But even what Alfred is about to say is something he can’t believe. The children. We have mentioned all the philanthropy the entire issue, he used to use the children from the orphanages but now he uses something else. We are greeted with images of joker covered in dead red children, all linked together and into him through tubes. Somehow he has found a way to use their cells to become something else. Alfred believes there is no Grimm family, there has only ever been one Jack Grimm. Maybe it’s some infernal science or a dark past, but he has become a nightmare that is always laughing at the world but when you finally hear the laughter it’s already too late. Back on that island we see joker fully transform into the monster you can find on the cover of this book, a large decrepit creature with horns and an unhinged jaw with multiple layers of teeth and long clawed fingers. I wouldn’t say he is as big as bane, but he can easily pick someone up and bite into them.

Bruce has heard enough at this point and needs to head out to check on Waylon. Alfred is worried he has messed up for telling him all this, but he needed to know…there are monsters everywhere. Bruce is so lucky they are teasing the batman/Wonder Woman crossover for the next issue as this dude is for sure going to have to survive on his own on one of these islands one day and that will be a nice break and reminder of what he is fighting for. At the moment Alfred has reports that Grimm is on one of his islands…he has outdated information. As batman swims across the city, Joker watches him from the streets. Eventually getting in his purple car ripped from the 2016 suicide squad movie, lol, and heading to his mansion where he is greeted by his butler before setting the dial on his grandfather clock to open a secret door down to his cave!! The classic role reversal, lol. Joker cave!

[Seth Daub · Rating 5 out of 5]

now what the hell is batman gonna do against this guy?

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really creepy and interesting origin story for Joker for the new Absolut Batman series, I've been waiting for this issue since the very first one. It's disturbing in the best kind of way.

[scarlet♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

JASON GET THE FUCK OUT OF GOTHAM RIGHT NOW JASON PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU