Writers: Scott Snyder
Artist: Eric Canete
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artists: Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin; Clayton
Crain; Dan Panosian; Eric Canete; Karl Kerschl
Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock
Release Date: February 18, 2026
Like Bane, Bruce Wayne has a beautifully resilient mind. But
not all who escape Ark M are so fortunate. Most leave with their minds
transformed, like their tortured bodies. When Bruce appeals to Diana on behalf
of his friends, the Amazon fears her lasso of transmogrification will warp
their minds further. Who else besides Waylon, Harvey, Ozzie, and Eddie has
suffered from Ark M's cruel experiments? And after destroying the stadium, how
much more of the city he loves will Batman's next battle destroy? Let’s leap
onto our motorcycles, race into Absolute Batman #17, and see!
Story
In the center of Gotham, the Heart Building rises. People
have often viewed it as a beacon of hope. Now, the Heart Building inspires
fear. Mayor Hill has ordered the police to bar anyone within a five-block
radius of the triangular tower. GCPD Commissioner Bullock has sent seven
officers to find the source of the growing biohazard. When they fall silent.
Batman straps a chainsaw to each arm, puts on a respirator and mask to filter
out airborne bacteria, and pierces the quarantine zone.
As Batman investigates the transformed infrastructure of the
Heart Building, he recalls a name he glimpsed in Ark M. Alfred Pennyworth, his
man in the chair, studies the instrument readouts. He confirms that the
interior of the building is a biological hazard. Alfred also tells Bruce what
he learns about Pamela Isley in Absolute Batman #17.
While Batman braves the dangers of the Heart Building, Scott
Snyder reveals Bruce's recent struggles. We see how his friends have rewarded
Bruce's attempt to rectify the havoc Ark M's wreaked on them. But as much as
Snyder's story covers Bruce's actions as Batman have transformed those around
him, Absolute Batman #17 is also Poison Ivy's story. Snyder peers further into
Pamela Isley's past than with Bruce. He reveals a defining moment in Pamela’s
life, her determination to pursue her goals, and how her research and Ark M’s
experimentation transformed Pamela Isley into Poison Ivy.
Art
From the street, snow swirls through the air surrounding the
Heart Building. On the roof, Pamela and her mother stand before a wooden
planting bench filled with potted plants. When her mother gives Pamela a
dandelion, and the girl blows the seeds away, they transform into snow at a
distance.
As a police officer shines a flashlight across a
plant-covered floor, he distinguishes creatures incubating in the purple and
pink bulbs that he mistook for flowers in Absolute Batman #17. Outside, a
chainsaw rises above the foliage-choked street. Rising above Batman's head, the
massive roots swarm across the street, climb the Heart Building, and sprout an
urban forest. As Alfred studies a bank of glowing monitors, Eric Canete
contrasts a close-up of Batman's eyes with Alfred crossing his arms on his
chest.
Like Batman's suit and Bruce Wayne's hat and jacket, Frank
Martin colors much of Gotham gray. Purple invades dimly lit rooms, while the
yellow-green sunlight tinges beige crowds and buildings. Green glows
underground when Bruce goes to meet Waylon. Batman's red chainsaw and air hose
link him with Pamela's red hair, and the plants she has transformed while
attempting to rectify the weaknesses in Human DNA.
While characters speak black uppercase letters into
balloons, the letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Pamela
Isley relays her memories in green narrative boxes, while lowercase cursive
extracts from Bruce’s Batman Combat Journal appear in white paper scraps. Clayton
Cowles’ sound effects enhance Batman’s struggle for survival in a realm where
everything is out to change him. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story
with us.
Final Thoughts
Bruce Wayne has fought to protect Gotham from the forces
that threaten it. But the harder he tries to protect Gotham, the more the
things he relies on slip through his fingers. And as Bruce’s world shrinks,
Batman’s grows. But when the Joker returns to Gotham, Poison Ivy emerges as a
symbol of everything Bruce Wayne is struggling against in Absolute Batman #17.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my preview of Absolute Batman #17.
