DC announces new 'Batman' animated project after massive comic book success
DC's best-selling comic book series, 'Absolute Batman,' has been picked up by Warner Bros. for an animated adaptation. The announcement was made during a joint DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation presentation at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, featuring DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran and Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register. James Gunn was also present at the event. Apart from 'Absolute Batman', the presentation further revealed the greenlighting of the adult animation series 'Joker: Laught Riot' and an untitled Krypto animated series currently in development.
'Absolute Batman' is a comic series created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, and both of them have been revealed to be involved in the development of the upcoming animated series. The series reimagines the classic tropes of the caped crusader and builds him from the ground up. It will present Bruce Wayne as someone who lost only one parent, rather than both. Wayne is introduced as a working-class protagonist from a blue-collar background rather than as the descendant of one of Gotham's wealthiest families. Another interesting feature of this reimagined Batman is his towering and well-built physique, which enables him to struggle against overwhelming odds.
As of this writing, 'Absolute Batman' has sold more than six million copies, and the series has occupied the No. 1 spot through a total of eleven printing runs. Owing to the success of the comic series and the 'Absolute Batman' line, and the wider Absolute line, DC has overtaken Marvel in market share for the first time this century. It goes without saying that the series' success has catapulted Dragotta and Snyder to recognition and acclaim among comic book fans. Snyder will also serve as the executive producer and showrunner of the upcoming animated series, alongside Dragotta as producer.
While introducing some early-stage previsualization artwork, Register said, "We could not be more excited about this. We are in very early stages of development on this with executive producer and writer Scott Snyder and the artist Nick Dragotta. It is a full CG show… It’s going to be a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman as well." Elsewhere, the presentation also revealed that 'Joker: Laugh Riot' will be executive-produced by Jim Krieg, with Yasuhuro Aoki as director. Aoki is known as the animator of The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim, and the series will explore Joker investigating Batman’s murder, forcing him to confront his own identity without his greatest adversary.
