Absolute Batman #23 Review: Straw Man Continues and the Storytelling Remains Elite

I just read Absolute Batman #23. This one left me wanting more (it felt a little short/quick), but Scott Snyder continues to do what he does better than almost anyone else right now: weaving past and present together in a way that builds real suspense and keeps the larger world feeling alive.

The Setup

The issue keeps this multi-timeline approach that has defined so much of this run. We get Bruce’s past intersecting with the present, plus we get moments with Pennyworth and his daughter that are cut in a way that deliberately leaves you hanging between scenes. At the same time, the current storyline advances the Straw Man arc (this is Part 5) while checking in on several supporting characters.

The Robins now have a full online presence and fandom. Restaurants are making specialty items named after them, and they even have popularity rankings. Jason, true to form, is the one who refuses to take a break and keeps hunting Batman even when the others want to pause.

Highlights

Bruce is deep in conspiracy mode. He’s connecting Jack Grimm, the Straw Man, the zoo shooting from their childhood, and everything that has happened to the group since. The visual of him working a red-string board that starts to resemble a Scarecrow face is a strong, unsettling image. His mother and Pennyworth both appear, and the resulting discussion ends in Pennyworth repaying Bruce’s shotgun moment all the way back in issue #1.

The confrontation with Jason is one of the key present-day sequences. Batman tries to talk; Jason is the least likely of the Robins to allow that. Things escalate from there. Crows begin appearing, signaling that Absolute Scarecrow / the Straw Man is closing in. There’s a major battle sequence involving the Robins and what appears to be Absolute Clayface taking on Absolute Batman’s form, and Absolute Scarecrow himself shows up before the issue ends. Without giving into too many spoilers, the conflict is left open to continue for most, which feels right for where the arc is.

Even the smaller beats land. We get brief check-ins on Barbara Gordon, the Red Hoods, and Harley Quinn (who remains firmly in the “we’re done” camp). Flashbacks to Bruce walking away from Falcone and turning on his crew add more texture to how he became the Batman we’re watching now.

Final Verdict

Absolute Batman #23 is another strong entry in what continues to be the best pure narrative storytelling series I’m reading. The way Snyder keeps multiple threads (past and present, multiple character arcs, the larger conspiracy) moving without losing coherence is still extraordinary. It feels like a complete, lived-in world rather than a series of disconnected issues.

I’ve said variations of this before, but it remains true: other Absolute books have their own flavors and strengths, but for interlocking story, character continuity, and the simple craft of making you care about both the history and the current events at the same time, nothing else is doing it at this level.

It left me wanting the next issue immediately. That’s usually a good sign.

What did you think of the Robins’ online fandom bit and the battle with the Robins and Absolute Clayface? Tag me on X @NostalgicNestEg!

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