«We don’t know how to wrap our heads around it»: Even Scott Snyder Is Stunned After Absolute Batman #17 Sales

Before Absolute Batman #17's release, writer Scott Snyder reveals just how shocked he is from the reception and sales figures of the title…

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With Absolute Batman leading the charge towards comic book domination in the industry, series writer Scott Snyder is still always shocked by the fan reception that it’s receiving. And with Absolute Batman #17 coming out this month, Snyder took to his X (@Ssnyder1835) and revealed how the issue has somehow added to the growing sales numbers of the title.

Just heard that sales on Absolute Batman 17 actually went up from 16 which is crazy. To have sales going up or even holding at this point… we don’t know how to wrap our heads around it. Regardless, thank you guys so much for the support on this book. Best fans. pic.twitter.com/WiXmevwAcW

— Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) February 4, 2026

And as he points out in the post, it’s very rare for a comic book publication to maintain its sales figures after the release of the first couple of issues in the series. But here, this DC title, against all expectations, has managed to increase sales even after a year of its stay in publication, which is a true testament to the sheer impact of the Absolute Universe.

Absolute Batman Was Scott Snyder’s Answer to Superhero Fatigue

Even among the absolute domination of the Absolute titles, Absolute Batman is the highest-grossing among them all, something that translates will into how Absolute Batman #17 is managing to keep its dominant top spot. And considering how Scott Snyder developed the title as a direct response to ‘Superhero Fatigue,’ it’s no wonder the series is so impactful.

In an interview on an episode of Off Panel with David Harper, the writer revealed how he was frustrated with the media calling the decline of superhero hype to a fatigue with the entire genre itself. And since he believed that comic books were lacking in terms of that ‘It’ factor, he needed to prove everyone wrong. He said:

It was around that time when I was really starting to get, I think, kind of angry at the mainstream culture for starting to really criticize the superhero genre. It was the Wall Street Journal that did this piece that was kind of an autopsy on the Marvel Universe, and there was another piece in The Times. There was just a lot of stuff that felt like it was backhandedly kind of talking about, ‘Well, thank god that superhero era is over,’ kind of was the feel. Or ‘It’s done.’ And it just felt like, ‘Not here. Over here is where these characters are reborn in all kinds of ways.’

And with that belief in mind, he went straight to DC and pitched the idea of the Absolute Universe, which led to the birth of one of the most impactful events in comic book history.

The Absolute Universe Highlights a Major Comic Book Concern

Credits: DC Comics Credits: DC Comics Credits: DC Comics Credits: DC Comics Credits: DC Comics Credits: DC Comics

Including Absolute Batman, the entire Absolute Universe that formed behind the new story of the Caped Crusader revealed a glaring problem in the comic book industry: The industry had stopped taking risks.

As stated by Snyder in the aforementioned interview as well, he believed that comic books were the testing grounds for new ideas and creative risks with the entire genre; the efforts to keep it safe for commercial was a fleeting vision.

He also revealed how, with a large influx of investment from Hollywood studios to capitalise on the IPs led to these titles being made primarily for TV and film adaptations. This led both DC and Marvel to stay in a confined area of creativity, which led to stagnation that the people termed as ‘Superhero Fatigue.’

And with the Absolute Universe breaking every norm and boundary in terms of creativity, something that was fresh and exciting for the readers, which naturally became the hottest thing in comic books, and continues to soar.

Here’s an overview of the Absolute Universe titles currently in publication.

Which is your favorite Absolute Universe title? Tell us in the comments below.

Absolute Batman #17 is scheduled to release on February 18, 2026.

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