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These Absolute Batman books aren’t just hot – they’re disappearing in seconds and reselling for crazy money.
Seasoned comic fans see it coming: the bubble will burst, but when? They’ve been urging collectors to sell Absolute Batman #1 at $20… then $30… $50… $100… now $160 – and it’s still climbing.
It’s not just the first issue drawing attention; it’s the hundreds of variants that have flooded the market since Absolute Batman hit peak popularity.
Collectors who’ve been in from the start have watched the popularity reach near–mass hysteria, with an extremely limited Felix second print variant regularly crossing four figures on eBay. Felix’s third variant (pictured below) – featuring Nick Dragotta’s Joker character designs across the front and back – sold out so fast it crashed the website. That was just the beginning of the calamity.
DC reported record-breaking sales for Absolute Batman, surpassing 8M in 2025 with no end in sight.
At first, average collectors could still get their hands on the issues they wanted, but things have gradually taken a darker turn…resellers are now swooping in and clearing out copies before personal collectors have a chance. It’s getting bad, and it’s hard to blame them when you see these prices.
It all started when a random variant cover exploded on the secondary market: the standout Absolute Batman #16 cover by Dan Quintana. Originally priced around $40 to $50, with a limited number of signed copies available, it quickly began selling on eBay for $200 to $300, while signed copies pushed toward $500. Then Quintana’s original art sold for $100,000, and that’s when everything went off the rails. The book just sold in a WhatNot auction tonight for $1,050.
In the background, The Mann Boyz, Clay Mann and Seth Mann, had started generating serious buzz. They’ve contributed original cover art since the first issue, and each variant follows a consistent theme and style, fueling a strong “collect them all” sense of FOMO among their regular audience. As Absolute Batman has grown in popularity, demand for their books has climbed right alongside it.
We’ve now reached a clear peak, where the number of fans and collectors exceeds the number of books printed and available, typically in the 1,000-3,000 range.
In early February, The Mann Boyz released their Chainsaw Man-inspired cover for Absolute Batman #18, featuring Batman with dual chainsaws and Absolute Ivy on a striking glow-in-the-dark design. It sold out instantly and immediately appeared on eBay at extreme prices ($300+).
Even after two separate drops on Whatnot, fans still struggled to secure a copy, fueling a frenzy as collectors and resellers rushed to grab multiple copies and further intensifying the hype.
The lead-up to this weekend’s MEGACON in Orlando has been unreal, with more than a handful of other books going so hard that collectors have been losing their minds trying to snatch a copy, only to come up empty-handed.
Trinity Comics spent much of February hyping an exclusive Absolute Batman drop set to happen live on their WhatNot stream, with co-creator and series writer Scott Snyder on hand to sign every copy. The cover itself wasn’t revealed until the show, but the retailer teased a Zoe Lacchei variant they promised was so badass it would spark a frenzy.
The show was a madhouse, with thousands of Absolute Batman fans hoping to get their hands on one of the exclusives, limited to just 800 copies. The cover somehow exceeded the hype, with Zoe Lacchei delivering one of the most metal comic covers in recent memory: a purple Absolute Batman logo on a stark white background that, when the lights go out, reveals a gnarly glow-in-the-dark image of the Joker, baring razor-sharp teeth and a snake-like tongue – more monster than man in this hellish Absolute Universe. It became an instant must-own classic.
The book sold out in less than a second, leaving many fans furious that they couldn’t get one. Demand has since exploded on the secondary market, with copies topping $500 and one auction peaking at $590 back in March.
Following that release, The Mann Boyz returned with a Scarecrow cover for Absolute Batman #19, which sold out immediately and left fans frustrated. A second drop saw the same result as last time fueling the hype even more.
Leading into MegaCon, a brand new cover by Dan Quintana was revealed. After what happened with his previous release, the hype for his Absolute Batman #18 Ivy cover was overwhelming. The issue sold out again in less than a second, with copies hitting eBay minutes later for $300 to $500. Tonight, auctions have been topping $500 with signed copies breaking $1,000.
Last night, the duo surprised fans with another Absolute Batman #19 cover, this one designed specifically by Seth Mann, and it hit so hard that the entire comic community buzzed. If you couldn’t have guessed, it was an instant sellout and is now selling for $400-500+ on eBay (CGC 9.8 topped $1,000).
So where does it go from here? The bubble has to pop at some point, but when? Demand has far outpaced supply, and increasing supply would likely cool that demand. The question is whether DC Comics continues to fuel the fire or gives in and lets it burn out.
In the meantime, Absolute Batman highlights both sides of the hobby – the excitement and the pressure, the fun and the chaos. It’s a reminder that while the hype can be electric, it can also become overwhelming just as quickly. Finding balance is what keeps collecting sustainable, because trends fade, but the books you genuinely care about are what last.
In the meantime, enjoy a look at some of the Absolute Batman covers that have set the comic world on fire.
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #15 | NICK DRAGOTTA
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #16 | DAN QUINTANA
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18 | THE MANN BOYZ / CLAY MANN
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18 | ZOE LACCHEI
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18 | DAN QUINTANA
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #19 | THE MAN BOYZ / SETH MANN
Categorized:Comics / Books
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