Absolute Batman Honors Heath Ledger's Joker Through Fated Face-off

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The Dark Knight screen capture with Heath Ledger as The Joker

Published Jun 25, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

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The following article contains spoilers for Absolute Batman #21.

There are few hero-villain rivalries in comic book history as iconic and even as celebrated as that of Batman and The Joker. Thus, seeing their Absolute Universe counterparts finally cross paths recently was a momentous, highly anticipated occasion.

The moment from the most recent issue of Absolute Batman is already revered as essential, not just for the comic, but for the characters' shared legacy as a whole by the way it smartly acknowledges their long-honored dynamic in a reversed fashion. Apparently, it goes further than that by paying homage to Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight.

Bruce Wayne's Tense Meeting With Joker in Absolute Batman #21

Author Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta finally brought their new version of Bruce Wayne face-to-face with his elusive rival, Jack Grimm V, better known to readers as the terrifying Absolute Joker. The epic, mostly verbal showdown occurs at the conclusion of Absolute Batman #21.

Construction worker Bruce is contemplating what his vigilante exploits have caused while standing at the edge of a beam placed high above the streets of Gotham at his work site. He is then approached by an investor in his company's latest project who politely introduces himself as Jack Grimm.

Jack Grimm and Bruce Wayne in Absolute Batman #21

Having recently become aware of Grimm's own unsettling connection to his tragic past and recognizing him as a supporter of the anti-vigilante group, Absolute Robins, Bruce is not so polite and immediately throws a punch. However, the grotesque immortal monster disguised as a handsome billionaire playboy nonchalantly intercepts the attack and scares him by flashing his razor-sharp grin enough to nearly suffer a deadly drop if he had not caught him in time.

During the confrontation, Grimm expresses his admiration of Bruce's alter ego and an interest in continuing to "do this dance forever." He shows his adversary how much he means business about this when he tells him that Batman is not his to end as he walks away.

Absolute Batman and Absolute Joker's Meeting Reverse Mirrors Iconic The Dark Knight Scene

Heath Ledger as Joker hanging in The Dark Knight

The final panels of Absolute Batman #21 have been instantly revered as an all-timer moment for the smash-hit DC series. The scene brilliantly honors the Absolute Universe's goal of shifting power dynamics between the heroes and villains while also keeping the relationship between Batman and Joker true to their more familiar iterations.

The Clown Prince of Crime takes enjoyment in his quarrels with the Caped Crusader, which is why he sees him as the one person who definitively gives his life purpose. This aspect of the character's dynamic has been reflected in many DC comics adaptations, most notably in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, The Dark Knight.

A key moment from the final act of the 2008 game-changer is very similar to the conclusion of Absolute Batman #21, as it also sees the late Academy Award winner Heath Ledger's Joker confronted by Christian Bale's Batman at the site of an unfinished building. Of course, it is the clownish terrorist who nearly falls to his death before the hero pulls him to safety so he can be taken into custody.

However, the scene also sees Joker declare that he and his adversary are "destined to do this forever," which is just a few words off from what Absolute Joker tells Bruce Wayne. Leave it to Snyder and Dragotta to so cleverly insert a tribute to one of The Dark Knight's most essential moments in this mega-popular comic.

Absolute Batman #21 is now available where comic books are sold.