Last year when Action Comics #1000 came out, I had a huge tribute article that day. I loved Superman and wanted that article to be as big as it could be, and I listed my favorite Superman stories. Then like a dope I did Batman’s a few months later. So today, March 27,2019 when the landmark 1000th issue of Detective Comics comes out for Batman’s 80th…I got nothing. This wont even get posted on the right date
This doesn’t mean that I don’t respect Batman, but I think it’s also well documented that I liked Superman more. My favorite thing about Batman was the detective stuff and that has kinda been downplayed over the years.
But I feel like I need to do something to acknowledge this event, so here is a look at the many versions of Batman over the years via the covers of Detective Comics starting with the very first issue from 1939!!
Actually I tell a lie, this is the cover of Detective #27, the first appearance of Batman ever. I just can’t believe this cover is 80 YEARS OLD! You can tell Bob Kane and (yes) Bill Finger already had the character down pretty good even from this start.
Here is the first issue that debuted the new Robin about a year later. I notice Batman still doesn’t have that yellow oval and of course he’s smiling. Ah, the 40’s.
This was before the goofiness of the silver set in so we would get our dark and brooding stories. This cover has been homaged and homaged and homaged,
The cover for #108 is pretty simple and straightforward. Ready for some silliness?
By the time we got around to #200 the silver age was in full force and this is the kind of cover that only the silver age can provide. Thank goodness for that Adam West TV show for keeping people interested!
The cover to issue #300 shows we are very much in the silver age at this point. And this was before DC made a celebration out anniversaries since its just a regular issue. It’s absurd and silly!
Here is the first ever appearance of Batgirl, well the Barbara Godon one anyway. We are getting into the 60’s and the more silly stuff is finally fading.
By #354 the artwork was still saying silver age!
And what a difference a few decades makes. Firmly in the Bronze age now. The first cover is iconic for several reasons, including being the first O’Neil/Adams story. By the time we get to #400 DC is finally celebrating. We are clearly more into the 70’s with the cooler artwork and darker stories. The Robin & Batgirl in the title kind of hurts it though.
This was one of the best stories ever written for Batman
Lots changed by the time #526 rolled around and this issue celebrated all of it
Ah, the 80’s. Year Two was Mike Barr whose writing I loved. The other is one of the first issues I ever bought. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of the artwork I enjoyed this mid-80’s run before the real dark stuff started to take over
This was issue #600 and as you can see we were encroaching on the 90’sand getting darker in tone
Just in case you thought bad 90′ art was restricted to Image comics. Ughhhh
Zero Hour
#700 now and this was the ending of a story arc I never read. He still had the yellow oval but isn’t smiling anymore!
The oval was gone by #750, and what was up with the format of this cover??
Into the 2000’s now and this cover for #800 does nothing for me.
We were closing in on the New 52 when we got this beautiful retro cover from Denny O’Neil who wrote the book on Batman in the 70’s
.
Speaking of the New52 not only did it get darker, and I mean DARKER, but that even rebooted the numbering in the books.
Thankfully the numbering was restored and #950 hit just in time for Rebirth. All of which leads us to…..
I have not read this yet but plan to. It is quite a feat that this book has survived and one thing it has over Action Comics is all the other characters that emerged from its pages. But this book will always be remembered and loved for Batman. So Happy Anniversary to Detective Comics an the Caped Crusader who is always badass whether he is in the silly silver age or the more somber modern age.
Ah, the 80’s. Year Two was Mike Barr whose writing I loved. The other is one of the first issues I ever bought. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of the artwork I enjoyed this mid-80’s run before the real dark stuff started to take over
This was issue #600 and as you can see we were encroaching on the 90’sand getting darker in tone
Just in case you thought bad 90′ art was restricted to Image comics. Ughhhh
Zero Hour
#700 now and this was the ending of a story arc I never read. He still had the yellow oval but isn’t smiling anymore!
The oval was gone by #750, and what was up with the format of this cover??
Into the 2000’s now and this cover for #800 does nothing for me.
We were closing in on the New 52 when we got this beautiful retro cover from Denny O’Neil who wrote the book on Batman in the 70’s
.
Speaking of the New52 not only did it get darker, and I mean DARKER, but that even rebooted the numbering in the books.
Thankfully the numbering was restored and #950 hit just in time for Rebirth. All of which leads us to…..
I have not read this yet but plan to. It is quite a feat that this book has survived and one thing it has over Action Comics is all the other characters that emerged from its pages. But this book will always be remembered and loved for Batman. So Happy Anniversary to Detective Comics an the Caped Crusader who is always badass whether he is in the silly silver age or the more somber modern age.
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