Summary
With a new incarnation ofBatmanset to debut in DC’sAbsolute Universe, fans can expect fresh, exciting takes on everything from the character’s lore, to his gear – starting with a redesigned cape that radically improves the utility of his costume’s iconic flourish.AbsoluteBatman operates without the high-tech gadgetsand wealth that he usually has, which has resulted in Bruce having to get a bit creative with things.
In a post on X, @DCUupdates notedthatAbsolute Batman#1 – written by Scott Synder, with art by Nick Dragotta – would feature an exciting version of Batman’s cape. The versatile redesign allows Batman a range of new moves; for example, Batman is capable of causing it to become taught, allowing him to use it to walk on stilts.
Additionally, he can hang from a ceiling like a bat as well, and the cape even has hooks in it, allowing him to grab criminals –all of this giving new meaning to his classic nickname, “the Caped Crusader.”
While Batman’s cape was always useful, this takes it to the next level, and is possiblyAbsoluteBatman’s most powerful gadget.
DC’s ABSOLUTE BATMAN Redesign Makes Every Other Version of Bruce Wayne Look Weak
As DC Comics reveals its plans for the brand-new Absolute Universe, it shows off a new Batman that puts the Prime Bruce Wayne to shame.
Batman’s New Cape Design Is Absolutely Innovative
Absolute Batman#1 – Written By Scott Snyder; Art By Nick Dragotta; Debuts July 02, 2025
Though the glimpse ofAbsoluteBatman in action offered to readers is brief,the vigilante’s redesigned cape is shown to be brutally effective.In one panel, he uses the hooks to grab a criminal around the neck before tossing them into a nearby building. While Batman’s cape was always useful, this takes it to the next level, and is possiblyAbsoluteBatman’s most powerful gadget. Further, at the conceptual level, the redesign suggests that readers should anticipate a truly novel take onone of comics' most enduring characters.
Batman’s cape has had a lot of usesover the years. Batman can use his cape to protect innocent people from hazards, such as when he saves people from burning buildings. His cape is sometimes depicted as bulletproof, and other times his cape actually obscures his body, helping him avoid gunfire altogether. In Frank Miller’sThe Dark Knight Returns, he uses his cape to obscure the driver’s vision in a car, causing him to eventually crash. He is also capable of using his cape to glide, and it seems thatAbsoluteBatman will have all of these abilities and more.
AbsoluteBatman is one of the first iterations of the character to use his cape for primarily offensive reasons.
Batman’s Cape Is Reimagined As His Strongest Gadget
A Taste Of WhatAbsolute BatmanHas In Store
Batman’s cape has almost always been exclusively used for defensive purposes or traversal.AbsoluteBatman is one of the first iterations of the character to use his cape for primarily offensive reasons.This version of Batmanis a city engineer, and without his absurd wealth and resources, he has to streamline things, such as his iconic Batarangs being the ears on his cowl now. Likewise, without the resources for things like fancy shock gloves or other gadgets,Batman has turned his cape into the ultimate weapon in his arsenal.
No matter what situation Batman is in, he’ll always invent some gadget that’ll help him get out of it. He’s a brilliant mind, no matter what universe he’s in. While in the main universe, Batman has the money and resources for ridiculous things like the Hellbat suit or dozens of different Batarangs, theAbsoluteBatman has to rely on the basics. While thisBatmanmay not have as much fancy equipment,his cape alone is one of the coolest things the character has had in decades.
Absolute Batman#1will be available July 26, 2025 from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
