A Batman Sidekick Just Went Full Super Saiyan And Fans Are Freaking Out

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Fans of comic books love to see fresh, creative takes on familiar characters, and they especially enjoy when those new designs are inspired by manga – a popular style of Japanese comics. This isn’t the first time manga’s influence has been seen in the superhero world, and now one of the most iconic heroes’ closest friends is getting a manga-inspired makeover.

A special variant cover for the comic Absolute Batman #20 depicts Robin with a Super Saiyan transformation, similar to the character Goku from Dragon Ball Z.

Up close, we see Robin’s uniform torn to pieces as he floats above a rocky landscape, enveloped in bright blue energy. Behind him, a much larger image shows the original Boy Wonder, looking crazed with power, his eyes glowing and a wild laugh on his face.

This artwork is by Mario Foccillo, a comic book artist originally from Italy. He’s worked on popular DC Comics like Knight Terrors: Green Lantern and Green Lantern: Back in Action. His cover for Absolute Batman #20 is just the newest example of his eye-catching variant covers; he previously created a memorable image of Dick Grayson suspended from a confetti ball for Nightwing Vol. 4 #99.

The latest issue, number 20, of the popular comic series by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, which reimagines the world of Batman, will reveal something new. The “Robin Program,” featuring characters like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Duke Thomas, was initially presented in the final pages of Absolute Batman #19.

A team led by Slade Wilson, known as Deathstroke, and financed by Jack Grimm IV, was assembled to track down Bruce Wayne, who stands accused of killing former Gotham City mayor James Gordon. However, Gordon’s death – caused by being pushed off a building after experiencing hallucinations – was actually the work of and his fear toxin.

DC Comics Has Released More Manga-Inspired Art Pieces

Okay, so seeing DC Comics characters drawn like they’re from a manga isn’t exactly surprising anymore. I’ve seen artist Mario Foccillo do this a bunch of times, and his variant cover for Absolute Batman #20 is just the latest example of him giving classic heroes a manga makeover. He’s done it with a lot of them, actually!

Last month, artist Foccillo released a special cover for Absolute Batman #19 featuring a Super Saiyan-style Batman. Before that, he created a similar variant cover for Superman #34, depicting Superman with the same transformation. This Superman cover ties into the DC KO crossover event, written by Joshua Williamson.

In March, artist Foccillo also created designs for both The Flash and Green Lantern that would be perfect for anime adaptations. He showcased these heroes together on a variant cover for issue #19 of Justice League Unlimited, written by Adam Beechen.

Foccillo isn’t alone in giving classic DC characters a fresh, manga-influenced look. Clay Mann, a comic artist known for his work on titles like X-Men: Unlimited and Batman, also recently redesigned a cover in March.

This special edition perfectly copies the cover of the first volume of the popular manga Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, which was later adapted into a hit anime. However, it includes some key changes, similar to those found in the Absolute Universe storyline. Instead of Light Yagami, the main character, you see Absolute Scarecrow, and the sinister Ryuk has been replaced by Absolute Joker, hinting at the early stages of the villains’ team-up.

Absolute Batman #20 hits the shelves on May 13.

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2026-04-23 17:09