Exclusive: Daniel Warren Johnson on Absolute Batman Annual

4 snips

Oct 29, 2025

Daniel Warren Johnson, a comics writer-artist known for impactful works like Murder Falcon, joins to discuss his powerful story in Absolute Batman Annual. He reveals how a haunting image sparked his narrative on Batman confronting white supremacy. The conversation dives deep into the balance between heroism and violence, presenting Batman's moral dilemmas amidst contemporary issues. Johnson also shares insights on character evolution, skepticism of systemic solutions, and the intense creative challenge of crafting such a significant story.

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INSIGHT

Single Image Sparked The Whole Story

Daniel Warren Johnson conceived the story from a single vivid image of Batman breaking a white supremacist's arm after the election.
That image compelled him to make a comic that processes anger and powerlessness rather than simply celebrate violence.

ADVICE

Make Work Because You Must

Avoid making work solely for money because it burns you out and disconnects from honest storytelling.
Prioritize projects that feel urgent and necessary to you, even if riskier commercially.

INSIGHT

Introduce A Moral Counterpoint

Johnson added Father Peters to introduce a moral question about violence versus nonviolence.
He wanted the story to end with a question mark, not a triumphant exclamation, to invite reflection.

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There’s zero doubt, Absolute Batman Annual #1 will be one of the year’s most talked-about comics. Featuring three stories by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, James Harren, Dave Stewart, Meredith McClaren, and Clayton Cowles, this hefty comic centers on the early Absolute Universe adventures of Bruce Wayne, revealing how that chonky Batmobile came to be, and just how Black Mask’s party animals first encountered the Dark Knight. We read the comic a couple of weeks back, and the instant we flipped that last page, we were compelled to get Daniel Warren Johnson into a Zoom room. Thankfully, he obliged.

Johnson’s untitled story makes up the bulk of the Absolute Batman Annual. It propels Absolute Batman against a white supremacist horde, showcasing some of the most brutal action from the ongoing series so far, while doing so in a way that questions that violence’s effectiveness. As Daniel Warren Johnson has showcased in other comics like Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb!, and his recent run on Transformers, badass, jaw-dropping visuals are only half his might as a creator. DWJ breaks hearts as often as he breaks bones.

“It’s in my blood and it’s boiling, and I have to get it out.”

In an exclusive conversation with Comic Book Couples Counseling, Johnson explains how his tale in the Absolute Batman Annual came to pass. We discuss his reluctance to contribute to the world so expertly crafted by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, and how one single image eventually caused him to put everything he had into this character and universe. Daniel Warren Johnson tells us why supplying only compelling, catastrophic action isn't enough for him as a storyteller. He requires more than an exclamation point to climax his stories. He needs a question.

Absolute Batman Annual is now available from DC Comics. Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website.

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