Brave and Bold 'Batman' Reboot Introduces Shocking New Rogues Gallery Lineup

Batman has an extensive roster of villains (famously dubbed the Rogues Gallery). But while even the most casual fans are familiar with the vast majority, there are a handful of villains who remain as iconic as the Caped Crusader himself.

Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Edward Nygma/The Riddler, and The Joker are, without contest, the most famous crooks to have ever walked the streets of Gotham City.

With Batman turning 85 this year and with multiple iterations having spanned all mediums of storytelling over the best part of the last century, from comic books to movies, cartoons to video games, and beyond, there are also countless versions of these villains.

Naturally, some differ greatly from the more traditional portrayals. The Joker, for example, is often open to interpretation, allowing different storytellers to create bold new versions of the character. The others, however, tend to orbit the same origin story–at least for the most part.

But in the latest Batman reboot from DC Comics, “Absolute Batman,” a brand-new series that forms part of the wider Absolute Universe, each of these iconic Rogues Gallery villains has been given a brand-new origin story, just like the Dark Knight himself, who’s no longer a billionaire bachelor, but a regular Crime Alley-born citizen, now a gym-hitting city engineer who’s no less capable than any iteration of the Caped Crusader we’ve seen before.

In this bold new retelling, Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Edward Nygma/The Riddler, and Waylon Jones (AKA Killer Croc), are now all friends of Bruce Wayne. This is revealed in “Absolute Batman” #1, but in the latest issue, we get to see that they’re a pretty close-knit circle of friends who grew up together.

This is revealed during a scene in which “Oz”, Harvey, Edward, Waylon, and Bruce are gambling and talking about a new gang that’s terrorizing Gotham City. But while these former villains appear to be good guys, they may become versions of themselves fans are more familiar with down the line.

Still, Oz Cobblepot appears to be just as connected to the criminal underworld, a coin-tossing Harvey Dent remains involved in Gotham’s political system, and Edward Nygma hasn’t lost interest in solving complex puzzles.

Waylon might not look like anything like a crocodile, but his gym is called Croc’s Gym, a clever nod to his reptilian alias, which may come to light in future issues of “Absolute Batman”.

As for their friend, Selina Kyle, who’s yet to be properly revealed, she’s later seen during a flashback in the final panel and will likely make a appearance in #3. Either way, these brand-new iterations of the iconic Rogues Gallery villains are a fine example of just how brave and bold this latest Batman reboot really is. See what we did there?

Per DC Comics, here’s the official description for “Absolute Batman” #2:

“Batman was born out of violence – a horrible tragedy that shaped the trajectory of his future. But when a vigilant MI6 agent starts tracking the lonely life of Bruce Wayne, he discovers the interconnectivity between a hero’s shell life and the many layers of the Black Mask Gang. It’s Batman versus Alfred Pennyworth!”

“Absolute Batman,” “Absolute Superman,” and “Absolute Wonder Woman” issues one and two are on sale now. Each series will collect five issues. “Absolute Flash,” “Absolute Green Lantern,” and “Absolute Martian Manhunter” are set to arrive in March, 2025.

Have you read DC Comics’ Absolute series yet? Let us know in the comments below!