Absolute Batman #19

Jun 2026 · DC · 4.99 USD

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“The Straw Man”

About this Issue

Absolute Batman #19 marks the first appearance of the Absolute Universe's Scarecrow — introduced as Dr. Jonathan Crane, a doctor at the ARK M facility who becomes the Joker's new instrument of terror — making it the key debut issue for that character in Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's reimagined continuity. The issue simultaneously delivers one of the run's most consequential plot turns: Jim Gordon is manipulated to his death by Scarecrow's fear toxin, Batman is framed for the murder, and Gotham's mayor immediately uses the incident to unveil the Robins — a government-sanctioned anti-Batman task force composed of reimagined versions of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Duke Thomas, trained by a disfigured Slade Wilson. These interlocking developments — a villain debut, the death of a major supporting character, and the formal introduction of an entire team — mark issue #19 as the opening chapter of 'The Straw Man' arc, a structural pivot point that reshapes the series' status quo heading into its second year. The Absolute Universe's consistent inversion of heroic and villainous roles reaches a new pitch here, with the Joker's Robins mirroring Batman's own would-be surrogate family, a narrative mirror that critics noted as among the most formally ambitious moves in a run already praised for its density and surprise.

writer Scott Snyder · artist, inker Nick Dragotta · colorist Frank Martin · letterer Tom Napolitano · cover Nick Dragotta

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $5

CGC 9.8 · 2288 in census $56

CGC 9.6 · 67 in census $37

CGC 9.4 · 15 in census $26*

CGC 9.2 · 3 in census $22*

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 · 2 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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CGC 9.8 ▾ $55–$499 9 listings

CGC 9.8 · Variant $55 CGC 9.8 · Variant $55 CGC 9.8 $59.99 CGC 9.8 · Variant $59.99 CGC 9.8 · Foil $75 CGC 9.8 $105 CGC 9.8 · Virgin $119.99 CGC 9.8 · Foil $139.99 CGC 9.8 · Signed $499

CGC 9.6 $25 1 listing Raw — MINT $38.95 1 listing Raw — NM+ $125 1 listing

Raw — NM ▾ $3.99–$145 15 listings

NM $3.99 NM · Variant $5.99 NM · Variant $9.99 NM $14.99 NM $14.99 NM · Virgin $18.95 NM · Variant $24.99 NM · Variant $34.99 NM · Variant $38.99 NM · Foil $46 NM $69.99 NM · Variant $75.99 NM · Variant $86.99 NM · Variant $89.99 NM · Foil $145

Raw / ungraded ▾ $4.44–$380 47 listings

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History

Absolute Batman launched in October 2024 as the flagship title of DC's Absolute Universe imprint, written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Nick Dragotta with colors by Frank Martin. Issue #19 concludes a brief two-issue interlude (issues #17–18) handled with guest artist Eric Canete, after which Dragotta returned to the book specifically to launch 'The Straw Man' arc. Snyder publicly previewed the issue at WonderCon 2026's 'DC Comics: What's Next' panel alongside Tini Howard, Babs Tarr, and Joshua Williamson, and described it as one of the creative team's personal favorites — calling it darker and more tonally varied than prior issues. Dragotta teased the arc on social media ahead of its final-order-cutoff date, noting the issue contained 24 pages of story and two covers by him. The issue was delayed by one week, shipping April 15, 2026 rather than the originally solicited April 8 date.

Trivia · 9 facts

First appearance of Absolute Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane), debuting in a horror-inflected cold open set in a cornfield, with a visually distinctive redesign: barefoot, mouth partially sewn shut, buttons over his eyes, and cigarettes implied as his fear-toxin delivery method.
First appearance of Dr. Jonathan Crane in any capacity in the Absolute Universe — the DC Fandom wiki lists him as appearing unnamed in this issue.
Death of Jim Gordon: manipulated by Scarecrow's fear toxin into falling from a Gotham rooftop during a meeting with Batman; Batman is framed for the murder by bystanders who witness the scene.
First full introduction of the Absolute Robins as a named team: a government-sanctioned task force unveiled by Mayor Hill and trained by Slade Wilson (Deathstroke), comprising Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Duke Thomas — reimagined as Joker's wards turned anti-Batman operatives.
Duke Thomas, one of the Robins, was originally co-created in the mainstream DC continuity by series writer Scott Snyder himself in 2016, adding a self-referential dimension to the character's Absolute debut.
The issue opens the story arc titled 'The Straw Man (Part 1),' which Snyder described at MegaCon Orlando 2026 as the series' biggest arc to date.
Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) appears in a key character scene — his intelligence restored and body partially reduced to humanoid scale after events of the prior arc — though Bruce refuses to re-involve him in Batman's mission.
Written by Scott Snyder, with art, cover, and two variant covers by Nick Dragotta; colors by Frank Martin; published April 15, 2026 (cover date June 2026) as part of DC's 'All In' publishing initiative.
An animated series adaptation of Absolute Batman was announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026 — with Snyder as showrunner/executive producer and Dragotta as producer — indicating the broader cultural reach of the run of which this issue is a part.