Posted in: Comics, Current News, HBO, Max, Paramount+, TV | Tagged: Absolute Batman
Absolute Batman: Why We’re Thinking This DC Studios Project Is Safe
Despite the turmoil that is DC Studios, the animated adaptation of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s Absolute Batman SHOULD be in good shape.
Article Summary
- Absolute Batman looks safe at DC Studios: its hit comic status should make the animated series a strong Skydance priority.
- Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s Absolute Batman is already in development, with Warner Bros. Animation moving ahead.
- DC’s Absolute Batman animated series will be 2D, aiming to stay faithful while expanding Bruce’s world and relationships.
- Snyder says Absolute Batman will build on the comic’s first arc, translating its style and scale into a bigger animated story.
It goes without saying that the topic of Skydance’s DC Studios parting ways with James Gunn and Peter Safran is one that will be discussed, debated, and metaphorically beaten to death for a long time to come. But for now, the focus is on what new DC Studios head Jeremy Latcham has planned – and what becomes of the Gunn and Safran projects that are in various stages of either development or production. While we usually don’t like putting ourselves out like this, there’s one project currently in production that we can safely say should be feeling good about its future: Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios’ animated series adaptation of writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta‘s game-changing DC Comics comic book series, Absolute Batman. Earlier this month, Bleeding Cool reported how Snyder and Dragotta’s title – along with the rest of the “Absolute” line – was the big reason why DC Comics is looking pretty good to Skydance’s bosses. That’s the kind of intellectual property (IP) success that we know David Ellison wants to see from the dozens of IPs now under his and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz‘s watch. In fact, Ellison made that quite clear last month during an interview with CNBC, only days before the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger was finalized.
When asked about the benefits of the merger that would result in Skydance, Ellison spoke of having a “content engine” that would include an impressive collection of IPs, including “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” DC Universe, “Mission: Impossible,” “Top Gun,” and “Star Trek.” Now that Skydance has them, they’re going to want to do as much with them as possible – and when you’re a multimedia company like Skydance, that means taking a hugely successful and amazingly creative take on The Dark Knight and getting as much traction out of it as possible. Could we see them making the call to move Absolute Batman from an animated series to an animated film? Possibly, but Snyder seems keyed into it being a series so he can tell the story he wants to tell. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with taking a page from the anime playbook and offering fans a series and a theatrical film.
During the Jim Lee & Friends panel at NYCC in October, Peter Girardi, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Animation, shared that the animated series was “deep into development now,” with an “early visual development” piece shown (Absolute Batman striking a pose similar to the cover of the first issue of the comic book series. From there, Snyder and Dragotta joined the conversation. “The goal is to be faithful to the material… But you have so much more room to build out characters and relationships,” Snyder offered. “It gives you a lot more room to develop the connective fiber between the characters,” Snyder added, noting that the animated series will give them more time to spend with Bruce’s ensemble cast.
After being shown some early visual development, Girardi revealed that despite exploring a 3D approach, the animated series will be 2D. Dragotta, who drew a size chart for “BIG BOY” Bruce that was also shown, shared that while they see the comic book series as the poem, the animated series is “The novelization of Absolute Batman.” Before wrapping up, an early-in-development clip that was created to test how the comic would adapt to animation was screening, showing Absolute Batman taking on Black Mask’s gang.
Absolute Batman: Scott Snyder Shares Insights Into Animated Series
Speaking with the AIPT Comics Podcast in July, Snyder shared some early insights into how they’re looking to translate what fans love about Absolute Batman from the comics page to the small screen. Noting that he and Dragotta had met recently to start preliminary work on the animated series, Snyder added, “We have started working on it. I’ve had our initial development conversations.” At this early stage, the focus is more on creating a “Bible” for the series before moving on to the season’s episodes. “The first steps are just writing a series format, kind of a Bible for the whole series, and showing how many episodes we think it is and the structure of it,” Snyder said.
Having Dragotta aboard the project is key to the series, since the focus will be to offer “a bigger, better, more robust version of the comic on the screen” that remains true to the comics’ stunning visual style. “We want it to be as though the comic is just almost a bigger, better, more robust version of the comic on the screen,” Snyder said. “It really looks like the comic book come to life three-dimensionally in the coolest way.”
In terms of how the animated series will approach the comic book series, Snyder compared Absolute Batman to the work being done on Prime Video’s adaptation of his and Jock’s Wytches. “It’s a huge expansion of the story of that first arc [of “Wytches”], but it’s still true to that first arc. The same approach is what we’re going to take to the animated series here.” As Snyder sees it, it’s important for the animated adaptation of his and Dragotta’s work to embrace and make the most of what animation has to offer. “There are things that work really well in comics… and some things for animation through different strengths,” Snyder added. “Trying to really be cognizant of those.”
Absolute Batman boldly reinvents the Batman mythos for a new generation of fans, reimagining the Dark Knight as a working-class hero up against impossible odds (and the most terrifying foes ever), on a mission to prove that even in an era of wealth, power, and corruption, one good person can change the world. No manor, no money… all Batman. When you take away the manor, the money, the advantages, what you’re left with is something absolute.
Just want to say thanks for all the kind words regarding the animated series announcement – I’m away with the family in England -Ireland tomorrow – but it was amazing to see. Nick and I were really moved. Best fans, always. pic.twitter.com/m2NWDLBWjv
— Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) June 26, 2026
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