After Redefining Comics, DC’s ‘Absolute Batman’ Is Getting an Animated Series

Ever since it first launched in 2024, DC’s Absolute Universe has been a moment. The line of comics, set in an alternate universe created by the villainous Darkseid, have not only reimagined DC’s heroes and villains in bold new ways, but have sold an astonishing number of copies. Now, a part of that story is about to be told in a whole new way.

Last Thursday, as part of DC Studios’ presentation at France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the studio announced a trio of new animated series that are in development. The biggest announcement out of the three was Absolute Batman, an adult-oriented series that will be inspired by the comic series of the same name. Co-created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, the series reimagines Bruce Wayne as a younger, working-class hero who becomes Batman to fight the corruption of Gotham City. Absolute Batman has repeatedly broken the Internet across the twenty-one issues that have been released so far, with everything from the Eldritch horror of its rogues gallery, to the Robin mantle being reinterpreted as a Gundam-like mech suit, to a hilarious sequence of Batman dropkicking a child into the ocean. (Here’s hoping that moment gets adapted into the show.)

In case anyone was worried about the show aligning with the ongoing narrative of the Absolute comic line, Snyder will serve as executive producer and showrunner on the series, while Dragotta will serve as a producer. This is very similar to DC Studios’ approach to their upcoming animated adaptation of Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ Mister Miracle, with King showrunning and writing the project and Gerads producing and contributing character designs.

“We could not be more excited about this,” Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register said of Absolute Batman during the Annecy panel. “We are in very early stages of development on this with executive producer and writer Scott Snyder and the artist Nick Dragotta… It is a full CG show… It’s going to be a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman as well.”

A Krypto Show Too?!

The panel also included an announcement for Joker: Laugh Riot, another adult-oriented series that will have an anime influence. Producers on the project include Jim Kreig and comic writer Tim Sheridan, and the series will be directed by Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s Yasuhuro Aoki. According to DC’s description for the series, when Batman is murdered, the Joker launches a ruthless crusade through Gotham’s underworld to find the killer who took away his greatest adversary. But as his violent quest for answers pushes him closer towards vigilante than villain, Joker is forced to confront the truth that without Batman, he doesn’t know who he is.

“Our first ever anime series,” Register explained. “We’re producing this in Japan with director Aoki who did Steamboy. This is an original story that is very spooky and very dark. We’ve just begun production and we’re very excited to be doing our very first anime series out of Japan.”

Rounding out the new announcements was an untitled animated series focused on Krypto the Superdog, who has become a household name once again thanks to appearances in Superman and Supergirl. Executive produced by Chowder and Jellystone alum C.H. Greenblatt, the kid-focused series will follow Krypto as he tags along with a gang of misfit criminal wannabes who live down the block. As he follows them into misadventures and poorly laid plans, Krypto’s pure nature slowly ends up redeeming them, whether they want it or not.

“Krypto is really one of my favourite characters in the DC canon and we are thrilled he is finally getting his own show,” DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran explained during the panel. “We’re in early stages of this wonderful show with C.H. Greenblatt. It’s funny, it’s full of heart and because it’s Krypto, thoroughly chaotic.”

In addition to this trio of new announcements, the panel included new looks at a number of DC Studios’ upcoming animated series. This included the upcoming second seasons of Creature Commandos and Batman: Caped Crusader, the My Adventures with Superman spinoff My Adventures with Green Lantern, and the new series Mister Miracle, DC Superpowers, and Starfire.

(featured image: DC Studios)

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