A fitting display for wonderful artwork…
Darwyn Cooke is remembered for so many things it’s easy (well maybe not easy) to forget he was one helluva Batman artist.
DC knows this, so come April 2026, the publisher will release Batman by Darwyn Cooke: The Absolute Edition.
Dig the official description from online retailers:
BATMAN by DARWYN COOKE: THE ABSOLUTE EDITION
“A Bold Vision of the Dark Knight—Collected in Absolute Perfection.”
Celebrate the legacy of Darwyn Cooke with this Absolute edition of his most iconic Batman stories, brought together in one stunning volume.
Experience the definitive collection of Darwyn Cooke’s iconic work on the Dark Knight in this oversized Absolute Edition. Featuring the acclaimed psychological one-shot Batman: Ego, the noir crime caper Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, and a selection of stylish, character-driven stories from Batman: Black and White, Solo, and more—this volume showcases Cooke’s bold storytelling and timeless art. Presented in a deluxe slipcased hardcover with remastered colors and extensive bonus material, this is the ultimate tribute to one of comics’ most celebrated creators.
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A few thoughts:
— The slipcased hardcover is due April 7, 2026. It lists for $100 and runs 544 pages.
— It doesn’t say it includes the excellent Batman and the Spirit, so I’ve no idea whether it will be included, given rights issues and whatnot.
— Standard caveat: This has not been formally solicited by DC yet, so nothing’s official until it’s official.
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MORE
— CATWOMAN’s Essential Artists: DARWYN COOKE. Click here.
— DARWYN COOKE: The Perfect Comics Creator. Click here.
July 15, 2025
En español … Algún día
July 15, 2025
Wow. This was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Cooke is on my personal Mount Rushmore of comics (along with Alex Toth, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Sergio Toppi), so I’ve always wanted something like this, but never expected to ever see it. 544 pages is about twice as long as the Ego Deluxe Edition, so I’m wondering what else it will include. I hope they include the Cooke issues from the Catwoman regular series, as well as the Selina Kyle backup stories from Detective that preceded it.
July 15, 2025
Let’s hope they get the “with Bill Finger” added to the cover art. Not sure I need this. Will need to know more details on what else is added.
July 15, 2025
I don’t think it will include the Batman/Spirit comic. Scott Dunbier’s new company is publishing a collection of Darywn’s Spirit run which I believe will be the same size as Those Parker Martini editions released through IDW.
July 15, 2025
Isn’t Batman Ego just about to be rereleased as well in hardcover? I’m sure I saw it on my LCS pull list.
July 16, 2025
I wonder if they’ll include a sampling of his storyboards from the Batman and Batman Beyond animated series (before he became a comics artist).
July 16, 2025
I know the Batman/Spirit issue is going to be collected in the upcoming Complete Spirit by Darwyn Cooke hardcover collection that is roughly the same format as DC Absolutes. So it might not be in this one. But, maybe it will be in both?