Absolute Batman #17
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAbsolute Batman #17 delivers the first full appearance and complete Absolute Universe origin of Pamela Isley as Poison Ivy — a pivotal milestone for DC's 'All In' continuity reboot, which had already reimagined Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman from the ground up. By rooting Isley's transformation not in scientific hubris but in a daughter's desperate attempt to cure her dying mother, writer Scott Snyder deepens the Absolute line's signature thesis: that every monster in this Gotham is one that the city itself created. The issue is also notable for being part one of 'The Seventh Kingdom,' a two-part body-horror arc that critics praised as among the most visually and emotionally daring chapters the Absolute imprint had produced to that point. It also plants the first seeds of the Absolute Court of Owls — an organization revealed in this issue's final pages to have historical ties to Martha Wayne — foreshadowing the next major threat arc of the series.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Absolute Batman launched in October 2024 as the flagship title of DC's Absolute Universe imprint, written by Scott Snyder and drawn by series regular Nick Dragotta; from early on, DC maintained a monthly schedule by rotating in guest artists during Dragotta's between-arc breaks. For issues #17 and #18, Snyder brought in Eric Canete — a veteran of Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin, and Cyborg, as well as substantial work in animation and film storyboarding — marking what Popverse described as Canete's 'triumphant return to comics.' Canete has spoken publicly about the creative handshake required to take over such an established visual identity, recounting that series artist Dragotta personally helped him crack the look of Absolute Batman by framing the character as a manga/Akira-inflected take on the Hulk's physicality, which unlocked Canete's approach. Colorist Frank Martin, a constant presence across the series, carried over from Dragotta's issues, providing visual continuity across the creative transition.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First full appearance and complete Absolute Universe origin of Dr. Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy (DC Database lists her as 'First full appearance' in this issue, with flashback, main-story, and construct appearances all credited here).
- Story title: 'The Seventh Kingdom – Part 1' — Part 1 of a two-issue arc concluding in Absolute Batman #18 (March 11, 2026).
- Written by Scott Snyder; interior art by guest artist Eric Canete; colors by Frank Martin; letters by Clayton Cowles. Cover by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin.
- Published February 18, 2026 (cover-dated April 2026); 26 story pages; rated Teen+; part of DC's 'All In' publishing event.
- This issue's Poison Ivy is reimagined as a scientist who fused DNA from all six kingdoms of life — not just plants — creating a radically expanded power set that includes turning humans into plant-fungal hybrid creatures.
- Barbara Gordon appears in the present-day action sequence, trapped inside one of Ivy's creature-constructs within the Heart Building; Batman rescues her using a wing of his cape as a parachute.
- A subplot running through the issue establishes that Joe Chill — in this continuity a recurring figure in Bruce Wayne's life — refuses to see Bruce again, deepening Bruce's personal isolation in the wake of the Bane arc.
- The final page reveals Martha Wayne has secret ties to the Absolute Universe's Court of Owls, seeding the next major antagonist faction into the series.
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