Published Feb 16, 2026, 7:00 AM EST
Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.
Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.
Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.
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As Batman prepares to face one of his most iconic villains for the first time, DC unveils a high-powered new Batsuit that vastly increases his offensive power. Here's everything that you need to know.
Batman Unleashes Chainsaw Claws Against Poison Ivy
In a preview of the upcoming Absolute Batman #17 - from Scott Snyder, Eric Canete, Frank Martin and Clayton Cowles - Poison Ivy takes over the Heart Building in the middle of Gotham, transforming a SWAT team into plant zombies. While the GCPD are holding back after that initial failure, Batman isn't, cutting his way in with dual gauntlet-mounted chainsaws.
Batman's suit upgrades also include a breathing mask to prevent him being transformed by Ivy's spores, while retaining his usual spikes and prehensile cape 'claws.' In the Absolute Universe, Bruce Wayne is a gifted engineer without a fortune to fall back on, so mounting chainsaws onto his suit is the kind of creative but low-cost solution that's perfect for this take on the character.
Absolute Batman Debuts New Take on Poison Ivy
This issue marks the debut of the Absolute Universe's Poison Ivy. The preview reveals she was once a poor kid who lived on the outskirts of Gotham, losing her mother at a young age. In Absolute Batman lore, many of the Dark Knight's classic villains are tied to the Ark M experiments, and adopt monstrous new appearances - something that will likewise take place for Poison Ivy, according to Nick Dragotta's cover art for the newly revealed issue 18.
For now, Poison Ivy's powers are relatively similar to her mainstream appearance. It's clear that Batman will have to fight an army of plant thralls to reach their creator - and because Alfred registers them as non-humans, it's possible that these monstrosities are an exception to Batman's 'no kill' rule. It's likely the chainsaw suit isn't just for breaking into the Heart Building, but something Batman will use to cut a path through Ivy's minions.
It's likely Batman's chainsaw claws will also be vital in bringing down whatever gigantic form Ivy takes next issue, meaning fans are about to get a lot of enjoyment out of Batman's new Batsuit.
Absolute Batman #17 is available February 18 from DC Comics.
Created By Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Alias Bruce Wayne
Alliance Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
Race Human
Franchise D.C.
English (US) ·