Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Eric Canete
Colors by: Frank Martin
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: February 18, 2026
First Impressions
Batman charges into a spore-choked nightmare at Gotham's Heart Building, facing plant-human monstrosities that twist the familiar into fresh horror. The issue grabs you with Ivy's poignant childhood wish colliding against Snyder's signature escalation, while Canete's raw lines pulse with dread; it feels like a pivotal pivot in the Absolute line, blending emotional gut-punches with visceral action.
Recap
This issue continues directly from Absolute Batman #16, where Bruce returned to Gotham amid fallout from allies like Cobblepot and Dent, then ventured to a mythical realm with Wonder Woman to battle centaur Akrolis for a necklace aiding Killer Croc's mutation; he returned wounded but resolute, handing Waylon the item with a vow of solidarity.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS)
The issue opens with young Pamela Isley's tenth birthday flashback; her mother takes her to Gotham's Heart Building, where crosswinds amplify wishes. Ivy blows a dandelion seed, unknowingly seeding her future amid her mother's hidden illness. Decades later, mutated officers greet an intruder with her deadly garden.
Batman infiltrates the quarantined Heart Building after GCPD teams vanish; spores mutate humans into plant hybrids. Flashbacks reveal Pamela's rise as Dr. Isley, engineering photosynthetic human cells from plant DNA to cure diseases. Her ambition climbs across life's kingdoms, blending human cells with animalia, fungi, protista, eubacteria, and archaebacteria for ultimate reconnection.
Bruce visits the recovering Riddler, who refuses him, then checks Killer Croc amid shedding scales signaling reversal. At the building, Batman battles tendril-wrapped beasts, recognizing Arkham echoes and Isley's name from records. Gordon betrays him under spore sway, forcing a desperate ascent through thickening mutagen.
At the summit, Ivy manifests as a colossal plant amalgam; she overwhelms Batman, preaching unity beyond humanity's isolation. Flames erupt in her memory of lab sabotage; her evolution draws from all life forms. Epilogue teases Martha Wayne's call to the Court of Owls Talons.
Writing
Snyder paces the dual timelines with electric precision, interweaving Ivy's ascent and Batman's siege without a single drag. Dialogue snaps authentically, from Ivy's whispered maternal echoes to Batman's terse comms banter with Alfred; thematic depth probes isolation's malignancy versus nature's reconnection, landing punches through organic exposition.
Structure elevates the origin into a series linchpin, balancing introspection with explosive set pieces. Pacing accelerates masterfully from routine visits to spore chaos, yet minor riddles like Chill's rejection feel cursorily deployed amid the frenzy.
Art
Canete's layouts flow dynamically up the Heart Building's vertigo-inducing heights, guiding the eye through spore haze and tendril lashes with brutal clarity. Character acting shines in Batman's gritted resolve and Ivy's eerie serenity; expressions convey inner turmoil, from young Pamela's wonder to her monstrous glee.
Color theory via Martin saturates the biochamber in sickly greens and virulent yellows, moodily amplifying mutation's horror; shadows carve kinetic tension in hybrid forms. Composition synergizes with the script, full-page reveals of Ivy's form hitting like thunderclaps.
Character Development
Ivy emerges relatably tragic, her motivations rooted in maternal loss driving relentless evolution; consistency holds as her "wish" manifests literally, blending genius with fanaticism. Batman grapples convincingly with fractured allies and his symbol's dilution, his internal monologues anchoring relatability amid chaos.
Originality & Concept Execution
Snyder reimagines Ivy's genesis through "Seventh Kingdom" fusion of life's domains, delivering fresh biotech horror in Absolute's gritty canvas. Premise executes boldly, wedding personal pathology to Gotham's rot; surprises like kingdom-spanning cells innovate without contrivance.
Pros and Cons
What We Loved
- Ferocious pacing blends flashbacks, action seamlessly.
- Canete's dynamic layouts propel vertical ascent tension.
- Ivy's multi-kingdom cell fusion innovates origins brilliantly.
Room for Improvement
- Gordon's turn feels abruptly spore-driven, underdeveloped.
- Riddler subplot teases without payoff depth.
- Epilogue Talon twist rushes without full setup.
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 TwitterThe Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1.5/2
Final Verdict
Absolute Batman #17 catapults Poison Ivy into monstrous relevance, demanding your shelf space if series momentum fuels your pulls; it earns the slot through inventive dread, even if connective threads snag slightly on the climb.
8.5/10
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