Absolute Batman and Absolute Catwoman both launched early within DC's Absolute Universe imprint, giving collectors two flagship titles from the same ground-up reimagining initiative to choose between, or collect alongside each other.
Both series draw on decades of established character recognition while offering genuinely new creative takes, which is exactly the kind of premise that tends to attract dedicated long-term collectors rather than casual one-issue buyers.
Neither title is inherently the better choice for everyone, since the right pick often comes down to which character a given collector already has more personal investment in.
This guide compares the two series across the factors that matter most for a long-term collecting decision.
Batman carries one of the largest built-in fan bases in all of comics, which generally means Absolute Batman starts from a larger pool of potential long-term buyers than almost any other reimagining could.
Catwoman has a smaller but still substantial and dedicated following, and a reimagining that leans into her specific appeal can build strong loyalty even without matching Batman's sheer audience size.
Both series have followed a broadly similar variant structure, mixing named-artist covers with scarcer ratio incentive variants, which makes them reasonably comparable from a pure collecting-mechanics standpoint.
Absolute Batman #23's Dark Knight Returns variant is a good example of how the imprint uses a specific artistic homage to drive extra collector interest, a pattern Absolute Catwoman has also leaned on with its own named-artist lineup.
Absolute Batman has generally drawn strong secondary market attention within the imprint's early wave, benefiting from the character's broader audience and the title's own strong critical reception.
Absolute Catwoman's secondary market performance has been more modest by comparison, though modest is a relative term within a genuinely new imprint still building its full collector base.
A series' long-term collecting appeal depends heavily on whether its ongoing story keeps giving readers a reason to stay invested issue after issue, rather than losing momentum after a strong opening arc.
Both titles were still building out their longer-term story direction as of this guide, so a firm verdict on which one sustains reader interest longer is not yet something anyone can state with full confidence.
Collectors with an existing strong attachment to Batman as a character are naturally better served prioritizing Absolute Batman, since character loyalty tends to outlast any single series' specific ups and downs.
Collectors drawn specifically to Catwoman's ambiguous, morally complex appeal, or those looking for a collecting project with more room to grow before it becomes broadly popular, may find Absolute Catwoman the more interesting long-term pick.
Given that both titles come from the same imprint and share broadly similar variant structures, collecting both in parallel is a practical way to hedge between the two rather than picking just one exclusively.
That approach also gives a fuller picture of how the wider Absolute Universe imprint is developing overall, rather than judging its health from just one title's performance.
Funko's SDCC-era Absolute Universe releases have featured Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman prominently, which offers an interesting side signal about which characters the wider licensing side of the imprint is currently prioritizing for merchandise beyond comics.
That kind of cross-category attention does not directly predict comic collecting value, but it is one more data point worth factoring into a long-term view of how the imprint as a whole is being positioned.
Keeping each series in its own labeled section, backed with EVORETRO current-age comic backer boards, makes it easy to track both collections side by side without issues from one title getting mixed into the other.
That separation also makes it simple to see at a glance which series needs more attention as new issues release.
It generally draws a larger built-in audience given Batman's broader existing fan base.
Yes, both mix named-artist variants with scarcer ratio incentive covers.
Absolute Batman has generally drawn stronger attention so far, though Absolute Catwoman's performance has still been reasonable for a new imprint.
That is a reasonable middle path if you want exposure to the imprint's overall performance.
Base it on which character you already have stronger personal interest in, since that tends to matter more than sales data.
Regardless of which title you prioritize, bag every issue with EVORETRO comic bags for current-age comics so both collections stay in matching condition.
!
