Absolute Batman's first book is the Harveys' Book of the Year

01, comics, Confirmed, Off the map

The Harvey Awards gave their 2026 Book of the Year to Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo late on 9 October. The post names Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, and tags DC. It is the first collected volume of the series.

The same night, the Harveys' Hall of Fame took in three names a Batman reader knows. David Mazzucchelli went in as a comics artist and writer. The post says he is best known for “Daredevil: Born Again” and “Batman: Year One.”

Jim Aparo, 1932 to 2005, joined too. The post sets his DC work from the late 1960s to the 1990s, and Batman is one of the heroes it names. Frank Miller went in with what the Harveys call “his legacy”.

The prize went to the newest Batman on the shelf. The Hall went further back.

02, comics, Confirmed, Off the map

Duke Thomas is a horror lead in Gotham by Daylight

The writer's own account, @mikebcomics, posted “GOTHAM BY DAYLIGHT. OCTOBER 19th.” on 10 October, tagging Webtoon's and DC's accounts. The first image on that post reads “LAUNCHING MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH”.

In a second post he calls Duke Thomas “one of my all time favourite characters” and writes “I was so excited to make him a horror protag”. He credits “@Ssnyder1835's Zero Year where he introduced Duke”, and settles the spelling: “it's 'Gotham by Daylight' not delights”.

The date is the writer's. The daylight is in the title.

03, comics, Confirmed, Off the map

“Bruce Wayne assassinated.” is the title on Batman #15

Jorge Jiménez posted Batman #15 on 6 October with three words between the number and the date: “Bruce Wayne assassinated.” The post says “On Sale November 4.” It also names Tomeu Morey, and carries Matt Fraction's name as a tag.

The title names Bruce Wayne, not Batman. The post gives the title, the number and the day, and nothing past them.

The blow is in the title. The rest waits for 4 November.

04, toys, Confirmed, Off the map

Sideshow puts a comic-book Penguin up for pre-order

Sideshow posted on 11 October that its Penguin Premium Format Figure, “part of our DC collection, is available for pre-order at Sideshow.” The post opens on “A rogue is returning”.

Sideshow's product page names him Oswald Cobblepot and calls the figure a DC Comics collectible. It lists a limited edition of 1500 and a height of 20.5 inches, and expects to ship between January and March 2027.

It is the Penguin of the comics, not of a film.

The post says returning. The page says 1500.

05, comics, Confirmed, Off the map

Barbara Gordon takes Absolute Batman #26

Scott Snyder posted on 9 October: “Coming this January: ABSOLUTE BATMAN #26”. The next line reads “A Barbara Gordon as The Bat solo issue drawn by the amazing @cliffchiang”.

So the first issue after #25 belongs to Barbara Gordon, and Cliff Chiang draws it. The post gives a month and no day.

January is Barbara Gordon's. The day is still to come.

06, comics, Confirmed, Off the map

Morrison's Arkham Asylum sequel is 40 pages in

Grant Morrison answered a reader in the 9 October post of Xanaduum, Morrison's own newsletter. The Arkham Asylum sequel has “its first 40 pages completed”, the answer says, and is “currently waiting on negotiations with an artist and a contract.”

The same answer gives the sequel a subtitle, A House Like Me, and lists Jim Aparo's art among its influences. It also says Batman Black and White “sits unfinished”.

The post names no publisher, no artist, no format and no date. Everything on the record is the writer's own word.

Forty pages are written. The artist is a negotiation.

07, other, Confirmed

Late wires

DC has announced an original soundtrack for Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham, and WaterTower Music posted on 10 October that it “is out now”.

Penguin Random House Comics Retail prints “On sale Dec 01, 2026” for Batman: Gotham Adventures Omnibus Vol. 1. Penguin Random House prints “Available on Dec 01, 2026”.

McFarlane's own store lists its Elite Edition Absolute Batman 7-inch figure as a pre-order that ships in November.