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
—
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!
—
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.
February 20, 2026
Good news. One thing I always hated about the al Ghul collections was that the panel showing Batman carrying off his defeated foe was “expanded” with inadequate art to make it a full page splash. (Just look at how poorly Batman’s boot was drawn.) It’ll be nice to see the proper art once again. (They ARE going to reprint the ORIGINAL panel, right?!)
February 20, 2026
Every Neal Adams Batman comic needs a facsimile edition ASAP.
And I want them all in treasury size too. If they can do it for Jim Lee’s run, they can do it for Neal Adams too.