The DC Studios animated circuit is heating up, as one of the hottest DC Comics titles of this decade will be adapted into an animated series. Two other shows, including an anime featuring everyone’s favorite Batman villain, were also announced at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
But first: “Abolute Batman.” THR reports that an adapted animated series of the popular comic book series was the headline announcement of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation‘s presentation at Annecy. Creator and writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta will be part of the show as executive producer/showrunner and producer, respectively. It’s no wonder the two are involved in this one: “Absolute Batman” has been a runaway juggernaut for DC since the title launched in late 2024, selling over six million copies and allowing DC to surpass Marvel in market share for the first time in the 21st century.
Why so popular? Well, “Absolute Batman,” like all of the “Absolute” titles, is a complete reimagining of its central superhero from the ground up. And this Caped Crusader couldn’t be any less familiar. In this comic, Bruce Wayne isn’t a billionaire orphan, but a hulking blue-collar man from the Gotham projects who only lost one parent, not two. This Batman isn’t as principled either. Extremely violent methods, even against kids, aren’t out of the question in the masked avenger’s search for justice. And those are only some of the major changes “Absolute Batman” makes to its hero’s lore.
“Absolute Batman” may be the most buzzworthy upcoming title announced at Annecy by DC and Warner Bros. Animation, but the two others will no doubt find an audience. “Joker: Laugh Riot” is DC’s first-ever anime, with DC animated vet Jim Krieg on board as executive producer and Yasuhuro Aoki directing. Read for the super-intriguing logline, which features the Joker in hot pursuit of…the person who killed Batman: “When Batman is murdered, the Joker launches a ruthless crusade through Gotham’s underworld to find the killer who took away his greatest adversary. But as his violent quest for answers pushes him closer towards vigilante than villain, Joker is forced to confront the truth that without Batman, he doesn’t know who he is.”
Then animated veteran C.H. Greenblatt is on board to executive-produce an untitled animated series that centers around “Krypto,” the Superdog, featured in both “Superman” and “Supergirl.” Here’s the logline for that one: “When he’s not hanging out with Superman or Supergirl, Krypto tags along with a gang of misfit criminal wannabes who live down the block, and they soon discover he’s a ball of destructive, lovable energy worse than any of them! As he follows them into misadventures and poorly laid plans, Krypto’s pure nature slowly ends up redeeming them, whether they want it or not.”
Of course, all three titles come after the current projects DC Studios and Warner Animation have on the way soon, namely “Batman: Caped Crusader” Season 2 and “Batman: Knightfall.” Taking that into account, don’t expect any of the newly announced series to premiere until 2028, at the earliest.
