[[2026 Books and Manga]]  ## 2026-06-28 I read the first arc of **Absolute Batman** and came away enjoying it a lot. It’s an interesting spin on Wayne, with a lot of what Batman is known for flipped on its head. He’s not a billionare playboy anymore, but a pretty young dude who grew up on Crime Alley. His mom is still alive, and his dad was a teacher instead of a tech emperor. He’s scrappy, and working off of what’s available to him. Perhaps most interestingly, all his friends are villains from his gallery that he grew up with. I don’t know if it’ll stay that way, but it’s quite fascinating to see Bruce hang out with young versions of the Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler, and so on — no, the Joker is nowhere in sight, at least not yet. I have no idea if this amicable relationship sticks around, but I have to assume it’s unlikely. But that should make the fallout and eventual conflict a bit more engaging than “Batman fights this person because they’re bad,” as is the case with a lot of comic books. The Bain arc is up next, and I’ve heard this is one of his best interpretations. Looking forward to finding out if that’s true.