Absolute Batman #13 (2025)

Bruce demands to know why she is back in Gotham. She replies that Martha had called her when Bruce disappeared and she came back to help. Alfred regains consciousness and recognises Selina as the notorious mercenary "Catwoman". He warns Bruce not to trust her as she is known for having no loyalty and did something terrible in Malaysia. Bruce replies that he doesn't need to be told that and Selina is leaving immediately. However after he throws her out they go back to his apartment and have sex. The next morning Selina sees the network of scars on Bruce's body from Ark M and asks what they did to him, but he asks her if that's what she really wants to talk about and she admits that it isn't. He then points out that her helmet resembles Black Mask's, but then also agrees not to talk about it either. Bruce instead invites Selina on a "date". They break into the abandoned Amusement Mile pier, the hideout of the Red Hood Gang. The Red Hoods quickly surround them and tell Batman he isn't welcome, because he tried to order them to stand down when they don't take orders from anyone. Batman replies that he's not leaving until he speaks to their leader and the Red Hoods attack. Batman and Catwoman easily dodge the initial charge and Catwoman knocks them out with a tranquilise dart gun. However, another Red Hood on top of the ferris wheel shoots aims an RPG at them. Batman pushes Catwoman out of the way and the Venom in his system activates. Enraged, he charges at the supports of the wheel just as the Red Hood fires. He shatters the base of the support and sends the wheel and Red Hood falling into the sea while the rocket goes wide. The Red Hoods surround them and say that he's one of the monsters their leader told them about. Catwoman helps him calm down and he returns to normal. Batman tells the Red Hoods that he had been in Ark M, where they made monsters, and that they almost broke him. But now that he had gotten out he was going to destroy Bane, Ark M and the people who built it. The leader of the Red Hoods, Harley Quinn, steps forward and tells Batman that if he's going to burn Ark M to the ground then they're in. In Ark M, Doctor Arkham and some technicians pump more Venom into Bane and tell him he has reached maximum infusion. Bane replies that soon they will have Batman as his replacement and he will finally be able to go home. Arkham asks Bane if he believes the Joker will let him go and after a moment Bane says that he has to, trying to convince himself. A technician calls out to Arkham and shows her the news on television; Batman has hacked the broadcast and challenges Bane to a fight at the old Veteran's arena. He tells Bane that if he wins, he will go back to Ark M with him and become whatever he wants, but also says that he won't lose. At the batcave, Selina warns Bruce not to use the Venom in the fight as she had seen what it does to people, but he insists that it is the only way he can win and that he can control it. She tells him that he doesn't need to do it alone and she can help him, but he refuses to let her after seeing what Bane did to their other friends. He reminds her of a time that she told him they didn't need to play by the rules if they were unfair. She says that she was wrong, and he retorts that she hasn't gotten to where she is by playing by the rules. Selina admits that she didn't but that Bruce is better than her. He says that he isn't any more and tells her that if she can't handle it then she should go. Selina is hurt by this and walks out, with Alfred snarking at her not to let the door hit her. Bruce loads up with batmobile with a cooler of raw meat, and before he leaves Alfred tells him that to win he would need to bury the man he was and become the monster he needed to be. Bruce drives through the sewers to the arena, and Waylon rises up from the water to watch him as he passes.