DC Comics has revealed that its acclaimed alternate-universe title *Absolute Batman* will continue with a new special, *Absolute Batman: Beyond Ark M*, expanding on the horrors of the Joker's private detention facilities. In this darker reimagining of Gotham, Batman is a working-class civil engineer rather than a billionaire, and the villain Joker (Jack Grimm) runs a network of nightmarish prisons called Arks in place of Arkham Asylum, making the series one of DC's most popular current reinterpretations of the character.

Writers Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, who previously explored the facility Ark M in an earlier 2026 special, are reuniting to delve into the secrets of Arks A through K. DC has released two covers for the new issue: an official one by interior artist Francesco Frankavilla and a Joker-focused variant by Dustin Nguyen. The new special is set to launch in November.