EXCLUSIVE: The Demon Lives Again!
May will be another big month for DC Facsimile Editions, with the publisher scheduling six first-rate issues. A number of them deserve their own headlines, and you can read about them here, here and here, or check out the links below.
Meanwhile, one of them is 1972’s Batman #244, which is, without exaggeration, among the greatest comics ever.
Dig the solicitation info, which will be officially released later Friday by DC:
BATMAN #244 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL and ELLIOT S! MAGGIN
Art by NEAL ADAMS and IRV NOVICK
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
Foil variant cover by NEAL ADAMS ($6.99 US)
Blank sketch cover ($4.99 US)
Ra’s al Ghul has risen once more from the life-giving Lazarus Pit, challenging Batman to a one-on-one duel to the death beneath the unforgiving desert sun! Torn between her love for her father and for her beloved Dark Knight, whose side will the mysterious Talia choose?
$3.99 US | 32 pages
ON SALE 5/20/26
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Many thoughts:
— This isn’t the only Batman news on the May Facsimile front. Click here.
— Batman #244 is the finale of the original Ra’s al Ghul saga, featuring the climactic sword fight in the desert — one of the most dramatic set pieces in comics lore. Batman #232, which introduced Ra’s, was DC’s very first Facsimile Edition, and the publisher’s first treasury Facsimile was Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-51, which included #232 and the #242, #243, and #244 trilogy. There were other Batman/Ra’s issues in the storyline, but those four are the essentials. Even with the treasury reprint out there, I would love Facsimiles of #242 and #243 at some point.
— That said, Batman #244 still works on its own, because it packs such a punch.
— There’s a Robin back-up by Maggin and Novick.
— I bet the foil and sketch covers are gonna be particularly groovy.
— Obligatory Price Comparison: An unslabbed original in nice shape recently sold on eBay for $260, though you can find it for substantially less in lower grades.
— As I mentioned, there are five other DC Facsimiles coming in May. There’s also news on the upcoming Batman: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1. Links below!
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MORE
— DC COMICS to Publish SIX Facsimile Editions in MAY. Click here.
— BATMAN: DARK KNIGHT RETURNS #4 Facsimile Edition to Get SUPER POWERS Variant Cover. Click here.
— 1969’s Landmark JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #75 to Get Facsimile Edition. Click here.
— DC Reveals NEW COVER and NEW CONTENTS for BATMAN BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS. Click here.
February 20, 2026
Dang. I wish we were getting facsimiles of #242 and #243 to round things out since we had a facsimile of #232 years ago. Of course, we have the whole story in the LCE C-51 facsimile as well.