To hear them tell it, Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta still have years' worth of stories they want to tell on Absolute Batman. But you almost wouldn't know it from reading the series' current story arc. "The Straw Man" is so crammed full of new characters and key plot twists that it almost feels like the creators are trying to leave it all out on the floor before bidding readers farewell. At times, this arc has threatened to crumble under its own massive weight, but issue #24 is able to keep all those plates spinning while adding in yet another key Bat-character for good measure.

The big news with Absolute Batman #24 is the debut of Absolute Batgirl. Dragotta even pays a lovely tribute to the now-iconic cover of issue #1 with his latest cover image:

Readers should keep their expectations in check as far as Batgirl's role in this issue is concerned, however. She's more a secondary element rather than the main focus of the issue. Mostly, it's just nice to see the series establishing a new heroine and putting a win in Bruce's column after bombarding him with pain and misery for the entirety of this story arc.

That really gets to the heart of Absolute Batman #24's appeal. There's been so much darkness fueling the series of late, from the apparent but not actual death of Martha Wayne to Batman being framed for multiple murders to Bruce being hit with the realization that his entire existence may have been orchestrated by the Joker.

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