Absolute Batman #22 Review

Absolute Batman #22 Review Writers: Scott Snyder Artist: Werther Dell’Edera Colorist: Frank Martin Letterer: Tom Napolitano Cover Artists: Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin 1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Werther Dell’Edera Variant Cover Artists: Dan Quintana, Brett Bean & Derrick Chew Editors: Sabrina Futch, Katie Kubert & Chris Conroy Publisher: DC Comics Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock Release Date: July 8, 2026 His father's death shook Bruce Wayne to the core. Then, once he forged a new path to prevent other children from losing their parents, Eddie, Harvey, Waylon, and Ozzie's closeness to Bruce ruined their lives. His mother may be dead. Jim Gordon, who looked after him following that terrible day at the zoo, is dead. Bruce has even lost Joe Chill, the last person who linked him with the events that changed him forever. As Mayor Hill's high-powered mechs tear the city apart while hunting down Batman, someone else arises to help him protect Gotham. Her abilities surprise Alfred Pennyworth as she aids Bruce Wayne. But is Harley Quinn another of Jack Grimm's creations? And how far can Bruce Wayne trust her? Let’s leap into Absolute Batman #22 and see! Story As a child, Harley Quinn wrote letters to a father she didn't know. While the dark frightened her, the bedroom light seemed too bright. And then there was the closet. Something about it frightened her. So her mother gave Harley a hammer to whack the ghost hiding in the closet. While the girl wished for a father, she didn’t believe in ghosts. And even if she did, Harley didn’t believe a toy hammer could hurt one. But her mother suggested that if Harley believed both were real, then she could use the hammer to banish the ghost. In Absolute Batman #22, Batman trudges resolutely toward a goal. Police patrolling the streets in riot gear try to stop him. And while others also hunt for the Batman, Harley urges him to turn back. As Scott Snyder weaves the Robins search for Batman into Bruce's search for the truth, Harley plays her final card. Desperate not to lose Bruce, one of the brightest lights in Gotham, Harley Quinn tells him her story. Yet Bruce doesn't want to listen. As the two trek through the darkness, Jack Grimm's shadow hangs over them. Bruce can't forget the Scarecrow's revelation about his youth. Nor can Bruce forget how he contemplated his life while standing on a beam that extended beyond the building he engineered. Then Jack Grimm appeared and refused to let Bruce walk the plank. Bruce has built his life around the truth. He believed that his actions as the Batman imposed order over the chaos at the zoo. Instead, Jack Grimm's decisions impose order on the world, and Bruce's actions create chaos. If this is true, not only has nothing he has ever done mattered, but Bruce has ruined his friends' lives for no reason. So, as Bruce Wayne undertakes a journey to determine his future, Harley tries to protect him by revealing her childhood in Absolute Batman #22. Art After Harley Quinn draws a picture of her family and the danger lurking in her crooked house, inset panels stretch across a two-page spread. These small windows reveal the events inside the house while the grasses sway in the surrounding plain. Then the art moves to the present. As Batman knocks aside assault rifles, Harley leaps over the armored police, wielding her Electrochemical Thunder Mallet. Then, Batman knocks her against a wall, covering her mouth with his hand, and shielding her with his body, as a mech haunts the night. Frank Martin lavishes two separate palettes on Werther Dell’Edera’s portrayal of events in Harley Quinn's and her present. While green electrifies the present, it provides a comforting environment in Harley's youth. Her red jacket and shoes evoke her toy hammer and her mother's hair. But they also link with Jason's mech and the view through his visor. Amid the bluish-gray combat officers and mechs, Harley's blue hair links her with her surroundings. Yet splashes of yellow threaten to derail Batman's future in Absolute Batman #22. Black uppercase conversations fill white balloons, while off-screen dialogue in colored boxes narrates events 13 years ago. Intonation swells letters, lowered voices shrink them, and raised voices enlarge them. Creaking, slamming, and cracking haunt Harley’s past, while roaring and crashing follow Batman’s search for the truth. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us. Final Thoughts In our childhood, we set goals for our lives. Later, in our teens and adult lives, we determine what matters to us. Like Jason Todd, Batman thought he knew who the enemy was. And like Dick Grayson, he sought to heal Gotham. Yet as the Scarecrow's promise about the discoveries awaiting him rings in his ears, Bruce Wayne fears that the best he can hope for is to throw a wrench in the works like Harley Quinn in Absolute Batman #22. Rating 9.7/10 To look inside see my preview of Absolute Batman #22 . For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Batman #21 . For what happened before that, see my review of Absolute Batman #20 . For what happened even earlier, see my review of Absolute Batman #19 .