Absolute Batman Is Revisiting The Dark Knight's Greatest Modern Villain – With A Fascinating Twist

The next villain of "Absolute Batman" is Poison Ivy. She'll star in a two-issue arc, "The Seventh Kingdom," running from issues #17-18 (written by Scott Snyder and drawn by guest artist Eric Canete). Teased with cameos in "Absolute Batman" #10 and the "Absolute Batman: Ark M Special" issue, Ivy is a creation of mad science labyrinth Ark M. Now, the Joker has unleashed her on Gotham as the latest threat to Batman. 

After Ivy, the next villain "Absolute" Batman will face was announced to be the Scarecrow. However, the cover for "Absolute Batman" #18 has leaked, and it reveals there is another villain waiting in the wings. 

Spoilers for "Absolute Batman" #18 begin here:

DC Comics

Yes, it looks like the "Absolute" Court of Owls will be arriving in "Absolute Batman" come "The Seventh Kingdom." In the classic DC universe, the Court is a secret society that has ruled Gotham City from the shadows since the city's founding. They dress like the aristocrats they are, but cover their faces with owl-themed white masks. The "Absolute" Court are wearing black owl-themed masks and tactical gear.

"Absolute Batman" hasn't been shy about reinterpreting classic villains to better tie in with its changes to Batman himself. This version of Bruce Wayne wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he has several childhood friends in Gotham — like Waylon Jones/Killer Croc, reimagined from a villain to Batman's ally. To complete the flip, the "Absolute" Joker is a billionaire instead of Batman.

This time, though, Snyder will be revising his own work; he and artist Greg Capullo created the Court of Owls during their 2011 run on "Batman." Can he top the perfection of the original "Court of Owls" story? 

Whenever a new writer jumps on a "Batman" book, they'll try to add new villains to the roster. Few succeed, but Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo definitely did so with the Court of Owls. They've already been featured in many stories outside the comics: animated film "Batman vs Robin," TV series "Gotham," video game "Gotham Knights," etc. Many fans have also put forth ideas for the Court of Owls to be the villains of "The Batman Part II."

What made the Court of Owls succeed as villains? They challenge Batman in a way no other villains do. As the shadows that've ruled and shaped Gotham City's whole history, the Court undermines both Batman's stirring confidence and his need for control. 

A young Bruce once set out to prove that the Court of Owls, dismissed as a scary fable for Gotham's children, orchestrated his parent's murder. (A world ruled by evil is still more reassuring than a random one because evil can be overcome.)  Except, the Owls didn't kill his parents, and Bruce had to create meaning from his tragedy. Yet that experience also made him conclude the Court of Owls was indeed nothing more than a creepy bedtime story. When the Owls reveal themselves to Batman and eventually lock him in their labyrinth, it forces Bruce to question if his connection to his hometown and his detective skills are what he thought they were.

"Absolute" Bruce already went through a similar experience of imprisonment and powerlessness fighting Bane in the last arc, "Abomination." The book's power broker Joker (who is an immortal man born in 19th century Gotham) might also make the original premise of the Court of Owls redundant. So, what room is there for these owls in "Absolute Batman"?

While we only have one image to go off of, it suggests the "Absolute" Court is quite different from the classic one. Take note of their outfits: they're dressed in brown coats, not business suits, and are equipped with bulletproof vests and assault rifles. They look less like a secret society and more like a militia.

The synopsis for "Absolute Batman" #18 also states the Joker will form a "partnership with a new ally." It's quite possible that ally will be the Court of Owls, who could be a counterbalance to Batman's own alliance with the Red Hood Gang (led by a reimagined Harley Quinn).

In "Absolute Batman Annual" #1 by Daniel Warren Johnson (the origin of the "Absolute" Batmobile), Batman fought and annihilated a gang of white supremacists who dressed in pig masks and white hoods. Perhaps the Court of Owls is another group of that sort, if not the same group out for revenge against the Bat who beat them. Owls prey on bats, so it'd make sense for an anti-Batman group to model themselves after owls.

If this is the case, it could also tie in with the political themes of "Absolute Batman," down to the new Batman's origin story. This Bruce Wayne didn't lose his father in a mugging, but a mass shooting event. If the "Absolute" Court of Owls are wingnut gun-lovers out to hurt people with their weapons? Then Batman will probably recognize his father's killer in them through eyes seeing all red.

"Absolute Batman" #17 is scheduled for release on February 18, 2026, followed by issue #18 on March 11.