Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Nick Dragotta
Colors by: Frank Martin
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Nick Dragotta (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: November 26, 2025
First Impressions
The opening pages drop you right into Bruce weighing a venom dose like it is a loaded gun, and that immediately signals this issue is about consequences, not just cool poses. The mood stays tense but weirdly intimate, with Bruce and Waylon trading gallows humor before the story slams into civic press conferences and gladiator hype. It feels like the book is promising one clean thesis from page one: tonight is about what makes Batman different from Bane when both are monsters built for war.
Recap
Previously, Bruce exposed Gotham’s elite on live broadcast and burned his way through Falcone’s schemes, even rigging Waylon’s big fight to save his friend, which shattered the trust in their crew. Harley Quinn quietly took over the Red Hood collective but failed to bring much spark to a hollow rebellion, while Bane and his pet scientist drove the venom program into grotesque new territory as bodies twisted and Gotham simmered. By the end, Batman hijacked Gotham’s communications using Harley’s tech and publicly called Bane out for a midnight showdown at Veterans Arena, vowing to use venom himself and end his oldest foe no matter what it cost the city or his soul.
The issue opens with Bruce and Waylon in a lab, where a doctor explains there is only enough venom in Bruce’s system for two infusions, one to test his tolerance and one saved for the fight with Bane. Bruce listens, grim and focused, while Waylon cracks broke Batman jokes to cut the tension, and Bruce ultimately decides they are going to war. The creative credits stamp “Abomination Conclusion” on the chapter, then the scene cuts to a live news broadcast where Mayor Hill publicly dismisses Batman as a terrorist, denies any monsters beneath Gotham, and orders citizens to stay home under curfew while hinting the Veterans Arena showdown is officially canceled. Behind the scenes, Bullock gets told by higher‑ups that no one gets within ten blocks of the arena except Batman and Bane, signaling the fight is still happening, just off the books.
Inside Bane’s camp, Doctor Arkham warns Bane that Subject 27, Batman, still has at least one venom infusion in his system, and that if the kid tolerates it he could become Arkham’s new long‑term project. Arkham also explains that Bane’s body will need a long rest after the fight, but Bane says all he wants is rest and believes one more battle will finally give it to him. Meanwhile at Veterans Arena, the public face of the night is a boxing match between Waylon Jones and champion Bibbo Bibowski, billed as an epic ten‑round David‑and‑Goliath battle, even though Waylon seems to have no one in his corner. The commentary team hypes the fight, but offstage Batman and his allies, including Harley’s tech crew, are clearly using the bout and its live broadcast as cover for their real war with Bane.
Batman confronts Bane under the arena lights, with a plan where Bruce will wear Bane down until Bane burns through his venom, then use his own reserved dose as a finishing move. Harley flips the switch to beam the battle live and tells the crew to make them famous, while Bane mocks Batman, eager to give the “great republic” a true spectacle. At first, Batman fights with strategy and speed, landing creative blows and even springing a trap with projectiles fired at Bane, but quickly discovers Bane is healing from vicious hits almost instantly and growing even larger as Arkham pumps in more venom. Bane’s strength and brutality escalate until Batman is tossed around like a rag doll, with narration emphasizing that Bane is a genius of violence while Batman is a prodigy who moves like a man born for this fight, even as the odds tilt the wrong way.
Waylon’s boxing match mirrors the main event: he starts strong, fighting southpaw and surprising Bibbo, but the champ slowly rallies, hammering Waylon until the crowd and onlookers think he is done. Alfred, watching the carnage, warns Bruce over comms that Bane may no longer have a “max level” for venom and begs Bruce to abandon the plan and use his own venom early just to survive. Bruce refuses, insisting they stick to the plan, even as Bane crushes him, severs his spine at the thoracic level so he loses his legs, then methodically takes away his arms too, leaving only his bite as a weapon while taunting that they are not so different. Even in that state, Bruce holds the line on his choice, while Waylon, pushed to the brink in the ring, gets a blunt pep talk from Batman telling him to get up and save the alligator, which sends Waylon back in for one more push.
As the later rounds hit, spectators note Waylon is hanging on by a thread, and commentators admire his grit as he searches for a last reserve of strength. Behind the violence, Arkham becomes fascinated by Bane’s biology, realizing Bane’s cells are moving beyond simple self‑repair into something almost embryonic and undifferentiated, turning Bane into a living miracle of weaponized healing. Everyone screams at Bruce to use his venom infusion, arguing it is his only chance to leave the arena alive, while Bane sneers that Bruce thinks he can win and insists he is nothing. Instead, Bruce flashes back to two days earlier, when he ordered every drop of venom removed from his system, including Falcone’s share, and swore to beat Bane his own way, which reframes all of Bane’s pressure as a trap Bruce already refused.
In the present, Bruce calls on Catwoman, telling her to take the shot, and Selina puts a plan into motion that launches Batman into a finishing move that boots Bane off the platform and into the bay. Simultaneously, Waylon flips Bibbo using the champ’s own weight, winning the match in a way that shocks the crowd and delights the bettors who backed him, including the ally who “bet it all” on him. Narration explains that Bane never understood the one factor that always trips up kings and generals: some soldiers are not fighting to win a war, they are fighting for something bigger and older, like doing what is right, which is what drives Batman. For Bruce, winning is secondary to fighting for home and the people he loves, so the act of fighting, under his own code and without venom, is the point, and Bane’s defeat into the bay becomes a symbolic reminder of that difference.
The issue closes with a short epilogue where Selina prepares to leave Gotham, politely declining to hand over a particular item to Alfred and hinting she will keep it with her, which quietly underscores that her connection to Bruce is not done. Then a coda jumps to Bane imprisoned and being visited by Doctor Arkham, who marvels at his cells and says someone else wants to speak with him. A shadowy figure reassures Bane that the whole incident is only a minor setback and that retirement on Santa Prisca would never truly make him happy, because war is what he loves. This figure references Bane’s father’s rebel group “Cielos Libres” and promises to free Bane from burdens so he can embrace conflict again, ending the issue with a clear tease that Bane’s story is far from over.
Plot Analysis
The issue opens with Bruce and Waylon in a lab, where a doctor explains there is only enough venom in Bruce’s system for two infusions, one to test his tolerance and one saved for the fight with Bane. Bruce listens, grim and focused, while Waylon cracks broke Batman jokes to cut the tension, and Bruce ultimately decides they are going to war. The creative credits stamp “Abomination Conclusion” on the chapter, then the scene cuts to a live news broadcast where Mayor Hill publicly dismisses Batman as a terrorist, denies any monsters beneath Gotham, and orders citizens to stay home under curfew while hinting the Veterans Arena showdown is officially canceled. Behind the scenes, Bullock gets told by higher‑ups that no one gets within ten blocks of the arena except Batman and Bane, signaling the fight is still happening, just off the books.
Inside Bane’s camp, Doctor Arkham warns Bane that Subject 27, Batman, still has at least one venom infusion in his system, and that if the kid tolerates it he could become Arkham’s new long‑term project. Arkham also explains that Bane’s body will need a long rest after the fight, but Bane says all he wants is rest and believes one more battle will finally give it to him. Meanwhile at Veterans Arena, the public face of the night is a boxing match between Waylon Jones and champion Bibbo Bibowski, billed as an epic ten‑round David‑and‑Goliath battle, even though Waylon seems to have no one in his corner. The commentary team hypes the fight, but offstage Batman and his allies, including Harley’s tech crew, are clearly using the bout and its live broadcast as cover for their real war with Bane.
Batman confronts Bane under the arena lights, with a plan where Bruce will wear Bane down until Bane burns through his venom, then use his own reserved dose as a finishing move. Harley flips the switch to beam the battle live and tells the crew to make them famous, while Bane mocks Batman, eager to give the “great republic” a true spectacle. At first, Batman fights with strategy and speed, landing creative blows and even springing a trap with projectiles fired at Bane, but quickly discovers Bane is healing from vicious hits almost instantly and growing even larger as Arkham pumps in more venom. Bane’s strength and brutality escalate until Batman is tossed around like a rag doll, with narration emphasizing that Bane is a genius of violence while Batman is a prodigy who moves like a man born for this fight, even as the odds tilt the wrong way.
Waylon’s boxing match mirrors the main event: he starts strong, fighting southpaw and surprising Bibbo, but the champ slowly rallies, hammering Waylon until the crowd and onlookers think he is done. Alfred, watching the carnage, warns Bruce over comms that Bane may no longer have a “max level” for venom and begs Bruce to abandon the plan and use his own venom early just to survive. Bruce refuses, insisting they stick to the plan, even as Bane crushes him, severs his spine at the thoracic level so he loses his legs, then methodically takes away his arms too, leaving only his bite as a weapon while taunting that they are not so different. Even in that state, Bruce holds the line on his choice, while Waylon, pushed to the brink in the ring, gets a blunt pep talk from Batman telling him to get up and save the alligator, which sends Waylon back in for one more push.
As the later rounds hit, spectators note Waylon is hanging on by a thread, and commentators admire his grit as he searches for a last reserve of strength. Behind the violence, Arkham becomes fascinated by Bane’s biology, realizing Bane’s cells are moving beyond simple self‑repair into something almost embryonic and undifferentiated, turning Bane into a living miracle of weaponized healing. Everyone screams at Bruce to use his venom infusion, arguing it is his only chance to leave the arena alive, while Bane sneers that Bruce thinks he can win and insists he is nothing. Instead, Bruce flashes back to two days earlier, when he ordered every drop of venom removed from his system, including Falcone’s share, and swore to beat Bane his own way, which reframes all of Bane’s pressure as a trap Bruce already refused.
In the present, Bruce calls on Catwoman, telling her to take the shot, and Selina puts a plan into motion that launches Batman into a finishing move that boots Bane off the platform and into the bay. Simultaneously, Waylon flips Bibbo using the champ’s own weight, winning the match in a way that shocks the crowd and delights the bettors who backed him, including the ally who “bet it all” on him. Narration explains that Bane never understood the one factor that always trips up kings and generals: some soldiers are not fighting to win a war, they are fighting for something bigger and older, like doing what is right, which is what drives Batman. For Bruce, winning is secondary to fighting for home and the people he loves, so the act of fighting, under his own code and without venom, is the point, and Bane’s defeat into the bay becomes a symbolic reminder of that difference.
The issue closes with a short epilogue where Selina prepares to leave Gotham, politely declining to hand over a particular item to Alfred and hinting she will keep it with her, which quietly underscores that her connection to Bruce is not done. Then a coda jumps to Bane imprisoned and being visited by Doctor Arkham, who marvels at his cells and says someone else wants to speak with him. A shadowy figure reassures Bane that the whole incident is only a minor setback and that retirement on Santa Prisca would never truly make him happy, because war is what he loves. This figure references Bane’s father’s rebel group “Cielos Libres” and promises to free Bane from burdens so he can embrace conflict again, ending the issue with a clear tease that Bane’s story is far from over.
Writing
The pacing in this issue is aggressive but controlled, with the script constantly cross‑cutting between the public boxing match, the private war with Bane, and the political noise on Gotham’s airwaves to keep momentum high. Structurally, the story does a clean job of paying off the setup from the previous issue’s challenge by making this entire chapter about whether Bruce will actually use venom, then subverting that expectation through the earlier flashback of him removing every drop. Dialogue tends to be sharp and efficient, with Waylon’s humor, Bane’s theatrical quotes, and Bruce’s curt orders all staying on theme, though sometimes the narration leans hard into explaining the moral thesis, spelling out the “fight is the point” idea instead of trusting the visuals.
Art
Nick Dragotta’s art sells the physical stakes with clear, readable action, even when the layouts get dense with motion lines and debris, so it is easy to track who is hitting whom and how badly. Bane’s evolving body is drawn with escalating grotesque detail, from regenerating eyes to swelling muscle masses, which visually supports Arkham’s monologue about his cells becoming something monstrous and embryonic. The colors lean into bold contrasts, swinging from arena spotlights and broadcast graphics to murky under‑ring shadows and cold lab tones, which helps separate the simultaneous fights and keeps the mood bouncing between spectacle and horror.
Bruce’s core motivation is consistent with the series so far: he is willing to weaponize himself to stop Bane but refuses to become Bane, and the flashback of him purging the venom reinforces that stubborn, self‑sacrificing streak. His choice to fight broken, rather than cheat his own code, lands as the key character beat of the issue and makes his victory feel earned rather than lucky. Waylon gets a simple but effective arc as the guy who had his fight fixed last issue now fighting on his own terms, taking a beating, and still clawing out a win, which pays off the damaged trust and gives him a clear, sympathetic moment. Bane remains a true-believer war addict whose obsession with struggle defines him, and the coda hints his identity is so wrapped in conflict that even total physical ruin only makes him more interesting to the unseen power behind Arkham.
Character Development
Bruce’s core motivation is consistent with the series so far: he is willing to weaponize himself to stop Bane but refuses to become Bane, and the flashback of him purging the venom reinforces that stubborn, self‑sacrificing streak. His choice to fight broken, rather than cheat his own code, lands as the key character beat of the issue and makes his victory feel earned rather than lucky. Waylon gets a simple but effective arc as the guy who had his fight fixed last issue now fighting on his own terms, taking a beating, and still clawing out a win, which pays off the damaged trust and gives him a clear, sympathetic moment. Bane remains a true-believer war addict whose obsession with struggle defines him, and the coda hints his identity is so wrapped in conflict that even total physical ruin only makes him more interesting to the unseen power behind Arkham.
The core concept here is a double main event: Batman vs Bane in a hyper‑violent venom showdown, mirrored by Waylon vs Bibbo in a crooked, televised brawl that acts as cover and commentary on exploitation. As a premise, “Batman refuses the super‑drug at the last second and still finds a way to win” is not brand‑new in superhero comics, but tying it to a literal venom detox flashback and a parallel underdog fight gives it enough twist to feel alive rather than recycled. The book successfully executes the stated premise from the previous issue’s callout, delivering the promised arena clash at midnight and a firm answer to whether Bruce will cross the venom line, even if the narrative occasionally over‑explains its philosophy.
Originality & Concept Execution
The core concept here is a double main event: Batman vs Bane in a hyper‑violent venom showdown, mirrored by Waylon vs Bibbo in a crooked, televised brawl that acts as cover and commentary on exploitation. As a premise, “Batman refuses the super‑drug at the last second and still finds a way to win” is not brand‑new in superhero comics, but tying it to a literal venom detox flashback and a parallel underdog fight gives it enough twist to feel alive rather than recycled. The book successfully executes the stated premise from the previous issue’s callout, delivering the promised arena clash at midnight and a firm answer to whether Bruce will cross the venom line, even if the narrative occasionally over‑explains its philosophy.
The strongest value here is in how tightly the main fight, the boxing match, and the political theater are braided together so you never feel like you are stuck in a side quest; every cut builds the same question about what makes a monster and what makes a hero. The art team gives you plenty of “you paid for a big finale and got it” panels, from Bane regrowing an eyeball mid‑brawl to Batman punting him into the bay, all rendered with enough clarity that younger readers can follow the sequence without getting lost in noise. Bruce’s decision to remove all venom days earlier is a smart twist that retroactively deepens the previous issue’s cliffhanger and gives this chapter a satisfying reveal, turning what could have been a generic power‑up slugfest into a story about choosing how to fight rather than just how hard to hit.
Positives
The strongest value here is in how tightly the main fight, the boxing match, and the political theater are braided together so you never feel like you are stuck in a side quest; every cut builds the same question about what makes a monster and what makes a hero. The art team gives you plenty of “you paid for a big finale and got it” panels, from Bane regrowing an eyeball mid‑brawl to Batman punting him into the bay, all rendered with enough clarity that younger readers can follow the sequence without getting lost in noise. Bruce’s decision to remove all venom days earlier is a smart twist that retroactively deepens the previous issue’s cliffhanger and gives this chapter a satisfying reveal, turning what could have been a generic power‑up slugfest into a story about choosing how to fight rather than just how hard to hit.
The biggest knock is that the narration often insists on explaining Batman’s ethos in long internal commentary, so instead of letting the visuals and choices do the heavy lifting, the script tells you outright that the fight itself is the point and that generals never account for soldiers like him. Readers who wanted a more experimental or surprising resolution to the Bane saga may feel this wraps things up in a familiar way, with Bruce out‑stubborns the villain as the ultimate answer rather than a more complex moral fallout. The coda with Bane’s mysterious benefactor is effective as a hook, but it also slightly undercuts the finality of the victory, turning what could have been a clean emotional landing into “stay tuned for the next arc,” which might irk anyone hoping this issue would stand as a definitive mic drop.
Negatives
The biggest knock is that the narration often insists on explaining Batman’s ethos in long internal commentary, so instead of letting the visuals and choices do the heavy lifting, the script tells you outright that the fight itself is the point and that generals never account for soldiers like him. Readers who wanted a more experimental or surprising resolution to the Bane saga may feel this wraps things up in a familiar way, with Bruce out‑stubborns the villain as the ultimate answer rather than a more complex moral fallout. The coda with Bane’s mysterious benefactor is effective as a hook, but it also slightly undercuts the finality of the victory, turning what could have been a clean emotional landing into “stay tuned for the next arc,” which might irk anyone hoping this issue would stand as a definitive mic drop.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [3.5/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [2/2]
Final Verdict
Absolute Batman #14 delivers the promised Bane showdown with enough brutal punch and smart structural choices that it feels like a solid pick for a tight pull list, especially if you've been following the arc. The heavy narration and fairly traditional “Batman wins by being more Batman” resolution keep it from greatness, but the clean action, character payoff for both Bruce and Waylon, and a nasty little coda mean you are getting your time’s worth, not just a pretty cover.
8.5/10
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