Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: absolute, Absolute Batman, Absolute Joker, jock, nick dragotta, scott snyder

Absolute Batman #14 Had Orders Of 200,000, #15 Has Orders Of 300,000

Absolute Batman #14 had comic book stores orders of 200,000, while Absolute Batman #15 has orders of 300,000

Published Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:57:05 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Absolute Batman #14 hit 200,000 orders, while #15 soared to 300,000—without any blind bag incentives.
Scott Snyder leads the new Absolute Batman, joined by top artists Nick Dragotta and Jock for massive sales.
The series appeals to older Dog Man readers, manga fans, and those craving dark, headline-driven superheroes.
Absolute Batman headlines DC's Absolute Universe relaunch, outpacing all other DC comics in recent sales.

After repeated fan inquiries about its absence from the Comic Hub data, and subsequently our Weekly Bestseller List, Bleeding Cool has done some digging and it's our understanding that Absolute Batman #14 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta had orders approaching 200,000 from comic book retailers through the direct market of comic shops, which would certainly land it on top of the weekly list (where is currently sits as #0 until the data comes in).

: Absolute Batman #14

: Absolute Batman #14

: Absolute Batman #15

Absolute Batman #15, drawn by Jock, is scheduled for release next week; however, estimates from retailers we've spoken with (who are in the know) have the issue at nearly 300,000 orders, all without the use of a blind bag, a tactic that has been the only way monthly comics have managed sales numbers like that lately. I expect it to top the charts for 2025 once you discount the blind bag comics that have proved very collectable this year. Absolute titles have remained refreshingly blind-bag free.

It is rare for a book to put on sales like this, but Absolute Batman #14 and #15 are selling similar to, or more than, Absolute Batman #1 initially did. It seems like it is the perfect comic book in the perfect place at the perfect time. Dog Man Volume 1, the kids' graphic novel by Dav Pilkey, was published in 2016, and, building on the sales of kids' graphic novels by the likes of Raina Telegemeir, started getting five million print runs, and helped expand the kids' graphic novel market into the real mainstream of comics. Well, they were six or seven years old readers then, and they are now fifteen or sixteen years old. And the perfect age to pick up Absolute Batman. It is also notable that the art by Nick Dragotta, as well as the dynamic multiple panels, are aimed at an audience that also reads manga or watches anime. Throw in the "dark, gritty" superhero schtick that often does well, and a new fan-friendly approach to make the characters more ripped-from-the-headlines than usual, and it has succeeded like nothing DC Comics has published in decades. DC Comics had not had a comic book that sold out every issue for over a year until Absolute Batman came along.

Bleeding Cool first broke the news regarding what would be the Absolute Universe in 2023, naming it in 2024 as something equivalent to Marvel's Ultimate Universe, with familiar titles reinvented from scratch, showrun by Scott Snyder, and part of a new relaunch at DC Comics called DC All-In. We named Kelly Thompson, Jason Aaron and Al Ewing as contributors before getting the news that it would launch at San Diego Comic Con last year. and getting the full creative line-up for Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Superman, Absolute Flash, Absolute Green Lantern and Absolute Martian Manhunter. Since then, the titles still top the charts, and Absolute Batman is the granddaddy of them all – even if the ComicHub data seems to have a blind spot for that particular title. Consider this article penance…