Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jan 1, 2016 | 2 comments

One of the most important people in Batman’s creation was born Jan. 1, 1922.

Other than Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson had more to do with introducing the basics of Batman’s world than anyone. He was instrumental in creating Robin and the Joker and you can hang your cape right there.

Of course, Robinson had an illustrious career for decades and was a prime advocate for creators’ rights. He died in 2011 but left a lasting legacy.

This year, for his 13 COVERS salute, I decided to keep it Batman-only. As in, the title Batman. Really, it’s a random choice. Part of it is I prefer many of those earlier Batman covers to the more pedestrian Detective covers. They have an art-print quality that stands the test of time…

(My standard caveat: This is a subjective list and not a ranking of any kind. This is pretty much what I dig and you may feel very differently. So, rather than beef about a cover you don’t see, instead join in the fun and share your own choices in the comments section or in whatever social-media thread you saw this.)

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Fred Ray pencils and Jerry Robinson inks. This is my all-time favorite Golden Age cover.

Ray and Robinson again.

Ray and Robinson

Bob Kane and Robinson

Ray and Robinson

Kane and Robinson

Robinson and George Roussos

Cover images and credits from the fantastic Grand Comics Database.