Absolute Batman #23 Variant Cover Pays Tribute To Dark Knight Returns

4 days ago 15

Published Jul 18, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.

Comic book variant covers have been more popular than ever lately. Leading the charge in this industry extravaganza is Absolute Batman.

With each new issue of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's smash-hit series following a working-class Bruce Wayne comes a slew of striking art designs for collectors to fawn over and desperately try to get their hands on. One variant cover for the next chapter is sure to attract the attention of fans of one of Batman's all-time most beloved stories.

Absolute Batman #23 Variant Cover Homages The Dark Knight Rises

There are few Batman graphic novels as influential as 1986's The Dark Knight Returns. Written by Frank Miller, who also illustrates in collaboration with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, the four-part limited series follows an aging Bruce Wayne whose sudden break from a decade-long retirement causes division in Gotham City.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Dark Knight Returns, a variant cover for the upcoming Absolute Batman #23 paying tribute to the iconic title has been revealed. Scott Snyder shared the image on social media.

The cover, designed by Italian artist Gabriele Dell'otto, recreates a signature moment from The Dark Knight Returns, in which the Caped Crusader rides a horse through a panicked Gotham and also includes the lightning bolt that Batman's silhouette dives in front of in the graphic novel's original cover art. Instead of featuring Nick Dragotta's Absolute Universe iteration, Dell'otto's design closely resembles Miller's vision for the hero.

In his tweet, Snyder also gives a shout-out to the legendary writer and artist's new release, Push the Wall, which is a memoir tracing Miller's astounding career in the comic book industry. He also mentions that the deadline to pre-order Absolute Batman #23 falls on Monday, July 20, 2026.

Many Striking Variant Covers Accompany Absolute Batman #23

Absolute Batman #23 Clayface Brooks Variant

Gabriele Dell'otto's variant cover for Absolute Batman #23 is not the only one from the mega-popular series to pay homage to The Dark Knight Returns, but his is one of the coolest so far. However, his design might not even be the crown jewel released for this next issue in particular.

Many of the available designs acknowledge that Absolute Batman #23 marks the debut of Absolute Clayface, such as a few that make a great case for why this iteration of the classic DC villain is the scariest yet. For instance, artists Bjorn Barends and Martin Simmonds imagine the shapeshifter taking a most unsettling form and in a frighteningly realistic fashion.

A foil variant cover that comes in both red and blue by Mark Brooks really leans into the macabre elements of the character. The artist even specifically cites iconic horror movies like John Carpenter's The Thing and the original House of Wax from 1953 as inspiration.

Despite the anticipation around Absolute Clayface making his first full appearance, following teases in Absolute Batman: Ark M #1 and at the end of the 21st issue, some fans have speculated that his debut has already taken place. A popular fan theory suggests that the shocking reveal from Absolute Batman #22 that Thomas Wayne is alive and imprisoned is a trick involving the shapeshifter disguising himself as Bruce's father.

Absolute Batman #23 hits the shelves on Aug. 12, 2026.