Full-Spoilers: Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman

Full-Spoilers: Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman

Author: Brad & Lisa Gullickson October 9, 2024 Duration: 1:01:29
It's been a trip to get to this moment. Since we saw Nick Dragotta's design for Absolute Batman, an intense anticipation took hold of us. However, if you think it's been a long journey from our Batman AF introduction at San Diego Comic-Con, it's been an even longer and more thoughtful one for Dragotta and his collaborator Scott Snyder. They've noodled over this new DC pocket universe for over a year, and now that we're all holding the first issue in our hands, we can take comfort in knowing these two have thoroughly considered, plotted, and designed the character and his world. Before you press play on today's episode, you must read Absolute Batman #1. Our conversation with Nick Dragotta is full-spoilers. Yes, we discuss the changes made to Batman's origin and the issue's final page with its revelatory inversion. We dig into how the Absolute updates better reflect contemporary society while still showcasing what makes Batman Batman. Once again, we're asking, if you tested this Batman's DNA, would it match the main continuity Batman? If the form is the same, and the function is different, how do Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta maintain what's essential about the character? When does a Batman cease being a Batman? Before all of that, we also explore Nick Dragotta's ideal Batman. Where and how did he first meet the character? Who does Batman better than anyone else? Was David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One Artist Edition an emergency purchase? Continue this conversation with Nick Dragotta by following him on Instagram. The first issue of Absolute Batman is now available from DC Comics. The second issue will arrive in comic book shops on November 13th. Other Relevant Links: Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Page The Comics Courrier Kickstarter Page Scott Snyder on CBCC: Absolute Batman Brad and Lisa on Off Panel Brad and Lisa on Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner Brad and Lisa Interview on ComicsXF Brad and Lisa on BIf Bam Pow Brad and Lisa on Derby Comics Pots and Panels Press Release on AiPT Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Ever wonder what keeps Lois Lane and Clark Kent together, or why the Joker and Harley Quinn’s dynamic is so endlessly dissected? That’s the kind of territory you’ll find in Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast. Hosted by real-life married couple Brad and Lisa Gullickson, this isn’t just a rundown of famous pairs. Instead, they use their own relationship as a lens to examine the loves, feuds, and complicated bonds that define our favorite characters. Each episode feels like a lively conversation between two passionate fans who happen to share a life, digging into the psychology, history, and narrative impact of relationships across comic book publishing and wider pop culture. You’ll hear them analyze everything from classic Golden Age partnerships to the messy modern entanglements in contemporary graphic novels, always with a mix of deep knowledge and genuine curiosity. This podcast offers a uniquely personal and thoughtful way to engage with the stories you love, moving beyond powers and plot twists to ask what these fictional connections really say about us. Tune in for a smart, often funny, and always insightful look at the heart of the narratives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast
Podcast Episodes
CBCC Book Club: Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm on Spectrum 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:10
First issues are hard. Last issues are hard. Second-to-last issues are hard. Maybe...all issues are hard? Book Club is back in session with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm, discussing Spectrum #5, the penultimate i…
Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook on Out of Alcatraz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:20
June. 1962. Two men do the impossible: break Out of Alcatraz. The legendary escape almost immediately caught the public's imagination, becoming fodder for TV, film, and prose. Maybe you've encountered a few of these stor…
Grant Morrison on All-Star Superman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:12
Surprise, friends. Grant Morrison joins the show for Superman Day! As the writer behind the seminal All-Star Superman, which observes its 20th anniversary this November, we cannot think of a better person to help us cele…
Aubrey Sitterson on Free Planet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:57
If you listen to comic book podcasts beyond Comic Book Couples Counseling, you've probably already encountered Aubrey Sitterson. The writer has been making the rounds, discussing his radical new science fiction series Fr…
CBCC Book Club: Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm on Spectrum 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:12
There are not many opportunities like this one. Every month, we devour the latest Spectrum comic and then jump on the phone with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm. It's an intimate, super nerdy book club, and you're…
Scott Morse on This Ink Runs Cold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:50
A year ago, Scott Morse found himself adrift, severed from a stable income and a defined creative path. Panic was an option. So was fear. Instead, he chose collaboration and creation. This Ink Runs Cold: Short Stories fr…
Juni Ba on Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:00
If you're not reading Juni Ba comics, you're missing out on a living legend pushing the form to its extreme potential. Since Djeliya, we haven't missed a panel from the cartoonist, and we've watched him develop into an u…
Matthew Rosenberg on We're Taking Everyone Down With Us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:41
It's not about the plot. That's why Matthew Rosenberg was not worried about spoiling it all in the solicits for We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, his new Image Comics series done in collaboration with artist Stefano La…
Stan Sakai on Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums and Beyond [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:00
With Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai enters his forty-first year as the rabbit ronin's chronicler. Each decade represents about a year in the title character's life, which you can track if you're paying att…
Gateway Dredd: Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt on A Better World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:16
Reading Judge Dredd in 2025 is a helluva thing. The gap between Anycity USA and Mega-City One shortens seemingly with every passing second, causing us to re-evaluate dystopia's purpose. A Better World, the latest 2000 AD…