Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jan 23, 2026 | 3 comments

A BIRTHDAY SALUTE…

By JASON CZERNICH

As long as I have been reading comics, I have been a fan of Klaus Janson, who’s turning 74. To me, his linework put the “gritty” in the grim-and-gritty era of comics of the late ’80s. I discovered him early on in my comic reading adventures and whenever I see his name on a book, I will always try to check it out.

Here are 13 things about one of my favorite comic book artists of all time:

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1. He Worked with Frank Miller on The Dark Knight Returns and Daredevil. Janson inked—and then eventually pitched in on pencils for Miller’s groundbreaking late ’70s/early ’80s run on the monthly Daredevil title.

Janson — born Jan. 23, 1952 — followed it up by inking the legendary The Dark Knight Returns in 1986. What awesome things to have on a resume!

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2. He Inked the First Issue of Detective Comics That I Ever Read. Janson’s inking over Pat Broderick’s pencils for Detective Comics #547 was perfect for setting the mood of my very first issue of that long-running monthly series. I didn’t even know Batman starred in more than one monthly title before picking it up from Carol’s Supermarket that fall day in 1984. Janson’s inks set a perfect tone and helped introduce me to a darker Batman than what was on TV at the time.

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3. He Could Properly Ink Gene Colan. Gene Colan had a unique penciling style that was notoriously difficult to ink or properly finish. Janson was one of the only inkers able to handle Colan’s expressive style and very few did it better.

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4. He Is an Excellent Penciller Himself. All the proof you need is in this title page from 1985’s Detective Comics #554 — the first time I ever saw Janson’s pencils!

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5. He Can Do Action. Janson can portray action sequences with the best of ’em. Check out this underwater scuffle from the aforementioned Detective Comics #554.

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6. He Can Do Horror. Janson showed in 1990’s Gothic from Legends of the Dark Knight #6–10, written by Grant Morrison, that he could also use his art to set a spooky vibe.

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7. He Can Draw More Than Batman and Daredevil. He can certainly draw more than dark protagonists. Check out Janson’s takes on Superman, Adam Strange and Captain America!

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8. He Drew One of the Best Two-Face Stories Ever Published. Showcase ’93 #7 and #8 were part of the epic Knightfall crossover. This two-issue, Doug Moench-penned tale slowed things down a bit and allowed the story to showcase (no pun intended) the manipulating crime-lord side of Harvey Dent. The story’s early, creepy close-up of Two-Face is just one example of Janson giving his best on this tale.

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9. He Drew One of the Best Ra’s al Ghul Stories Ever Published. In my mind, Batman: Death and the Maidens should have been the last Ra’s al Ghul story. Greg Rucka’s generational saga of revenge, betrayal, and transfer of power was a fitting end for the Demon’s Head. Janson was along for the ride, drawing its cast of characters across different historical eras and lending extra gravitas to this important tale of one of Batman’s greatest foes.

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10. His Magnificent Splash Pages. I don’t think splash pages are used as much as they once were in mainstream comics. When they were, Janson used them to great effect — whether for opening a Star Wars comic or depicting a rally in Detective Comics #568 from 1986.

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11. He’s a Master Visual Storyteller. That very same issue of Detective contained a great Penguin appearance, and the page with his capture shows that Janson knows exactly how to tell a story in pictures. Take away the word balloons, and you can still tell what’s going on in the panels.

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12. He Draws Great Covers. Janson could really grab your attention in the ’80s with his covers — whether it was Batman, the Punisher, or whatever book he was contributing to at the time. They made you pause while glancing over a spinner rack or the wooden shelves of your local comic shop.

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13. He Writes Too! “Good Evening, Midnight” from Batman: Black & White #3 (1996) was Janson’s first comics writing. The juxtaposition of Thomas Wayne’s hopes and dreams for his son with what Bruce eventually becomes is a heartbreaking little tale that is well worth a read. It stands out as one of the best entries from that series and — considering all the other talent from the project — that’s a considerable feat!

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MORE

— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite Stories Drawn by KLAUS JANSON. Click here.

— 13 SPLASH PAGES: A KLAUS JANSON Birthday Celebration. Click here.

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JASON CZERNICH was born smack dab in the middle of the Bronze Age of Comics. Early memories of Power Records and other Batman merchandise, as well as watching reruns of the 1966 Batman series on TV38 in Boston, imprinted on him heavily. Today, he lives and works as a clinical social worker in central Massachusetts with his wife, child, cat, and beloved French Bulldog.