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#Spoilers I give Absolute Batman #25 a 9.5/10. In my opinion, this issue has only one problem. However, these first 25 issues have exposed a pretty major problem with Scott Snyder's writing—or perhaps I should call it a habit. Finally, I'll talk about my thoughts on that thing. Actually, that last part is what really matters. This issue is divided into two halves. The first half is emotionally oppressive, with a very strong sense of tension and pressure, and it brings about a major change in the relationships between the characters. The second half is full of spectacular action, but the one thing I dislike about this issue is also in this part: Absolute Barbara. I wish she'd been given more room to show what she's capable of. As it stands, her portrayal in the comic feels far too abrupt. Actually, she's been like this for the past several issues. Of course, she's getting an origin story in #26, which might help explain things, but an explanation can't undo how it felt to read it. There's a major problem with this seven-issue Scarecrow arc. For most of the arc, we're constantly told just how terrifying and overwhelming Absolute Scarecrow is, and we watch him physically and psychologically abuse and torment Absolute Bruce. Then, halfway through #24, Scarecrow is defeated, and by #25, we're already fighting Absolute Joker. I didn't feel any sense of a long buildup finally paying off. All I felt was that the story had been compressed. And I think this has always been a characteristic of Snyder's writing. If you like it, it's a strength. He comes up with incredibly grand, magnificent, and beautiful themes, characters, and storylines, and then resolves everything with a game of rock-paper-scissors. He's exceptionally good at building climaxes, but I think resolving those climaxes has always been a problem for him. Dark Nights: Metal is the worst example of this, in my opinion. Absolute Batman isn't nearly that bad, but the problem is still pretty significant. And this writing pattern is becoming more and more obvious. All right, none of that really matters. On the final page, a pregnant Absolute Selina meets Absolute Bruce, who looks completely dumbfounded. It's Christmas, my friends! It's Christmas for us BatCat fans! All right, let me calm down a little. Is Bruce the father? We don't know. Is that person really Selina? We don't know. When did she get pregnant? We don't know. How do Selina and Bruce feel about this? We don't know. Is this Helena Wayne? We don't know. Is she actually pregnant? We don't know. And don't fucking bring up miscarriage. I honestly can't imagine why that would even be considered an option. Besides, with her belly already that big, aren't you worried about her health? The truth is, we know absolutely nothing. These days, when comic writers talk about their creative visions, I tend not to believe them. I only trust what's actually on the pages. All right, Snyder's exact words were that Absolute Bruce and Absolute Selina would have a different kind of development in their relationship. But killing each other would also count as a different kind of development. Obviously, that's something none of us wants to see, but strictly speaking, it would still fit that description. This is just an extremely exaggerated example. So I'd rather draw conclusions from the comics themselves. I need to take a detailed look at how much time has passed in Absolute Batman, especially how much time has elapsed between #14 and now. Absolute Selina's appearances in Absolute Batman have actually been quite limited, and she's been used in a very functional way. She shows up to fight Absolute Bane, that monstrous mountain of flesh, and then disappears as soon as the fight is over. The next time we see her, she's pregnant. If Absolute Batman is going to explain this, I think it'll happen in #27, since #26 is Barbara's origin story. Of course, it'd be even better if they could spare a page in #26 to tell us something about it. But I think it's more likely that we'll get the explanation in Absolute Catwoman #6. And that really frustrates me. In my opinion, that book is very poorly written, and its publication keeps getting delayed. Absolute Selina's attitude toward Gotham also makes me very sad. The book barely explores Selina herself, either. They might as well call it Absolute Calico instead. As for the claim that Absolute Selina is the Bruce Wayne of the Absolute Universe, I haven't seen that reflected in the story at all, apart from those unexplained enormous sums of money. Bruce also appears on the cover of Absolute Catwoman #6, so that would be a great opportunity. It could also explain why, despite the book selling so well (why is it selling so well?), Snyder still hasn't said anything about a continuation. Maybe they need to wrap up this particular stage of the story first. Anyway, whether it's Absolute Batman #26, #27, or Absolute Catwoman #6, they're all coming out next year. It's okay, my friends. It's okay. Just going from the eighth year to the ninth.