Absolute Batman has introduced dark new versions of everyone from Bruce Wayne to Catwoman to the Clown Prince of Crime himself, but what about Batman's plucky sidekick, Robin? Is there any room for a Boy Wonder in this twisted Gotham City? Apparently so, if the cover to May's Absolute Batman #20 is anything to go by.
DC posted the following cover to Instagram today:
This is a redacted version of the final cover to be revealed in April 2026, so DC appears to be masking a big spoiler for now. But the giant R logo is clearly meant to invoke Batman's teenage sidekick. Will Robin make his debut in issue #20?
Whatever happens, it's clear this chapter of the series will be exploring the fallout of a major tragedy in Absolute Batman #19. DC's official description teases, "As the dust settles in the city of Gotham after the loss of [redacted], [redacted] enter the scene ready to hunt — and more than one secret will be revealed in this seminal issue."
Who is Absolute Robin? It may be too early to say, but it's worth remembering that we met this world's version of Dick Grayson back in the series' first story arc, "The Zoo." Dick briefly appeared as an overworked EMT struggling to keep up with the dozens of broken and maimed bodies Batman was leaving in his wake.
Absolute Batman Vol. 2: Abomination
Recently in the pages of Absolute Batman, we finally got a proper origin story for Absolute Joker. We learned that Joker is a billionaire named Jack Grimm, one who is apparently immortal and transforms into a demonic, man-eating monster whenever he laughs. With enemies like that, Absolute Batman is going to need all the help he can get.
Let us know your theories on Absolute Robin in the comments below. For more on the Absolute Universe, find out how to read these DC books in order.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
