One of the most acclaimed Batbooks of the Modern Age launched in 1996…
Batman: Black and White — the brainchild of the innovative and influential editor Mark Chiarello — launched 30 years ago. To be precise, Issue #1 hit April 3, 1996, and the finale, Issue #4, was released a few months later, on July 10.
The concept has been repeated a number of times since, and you never know if it will pop up again. (It’s also been adapted many times over, for heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman — and even Wolverine, for the Other Guys).
So to celebrate the artistry of the landmark series, here are 13 COVERS. Not just that, we’re putting a special 13th Dimension spin on it with this week’s DESPOP TUESDAYS. Check that out here.
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Jim Lee (the first issue)
Barry Windsor-Smith
J.H. Williams III
Amanda Conner
Lee Weeks
Kamome Shirahama
Joshua Middleton
Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion
Gary Frank
Sana Takeda
Jenny Frison
Jason Fabok
Alex Toth
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MORE
— DESPOP TUESDAYS: Dig This Retro Take on BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE — a Groovy Gallery of 13 IMAGES. Click here.
— The Golden Age in Black and White: Dig MATT WAGNER’s Noirish Takes on Classic SUPERMAN and BATMAN Covers. Click here.
July 7, 2026
Batman Black and White volumes 1 through 3 were my favorites. Volume 4 had a few notable stories. One being Neal Adams written and drawn Zombie Batman.
July 7, 2026
I recognize the Toth cover. But if this was around the 52, then I was checked out.
July 7, 2026
New 52 was 2011.
July 7, 2026
Okay. So 1996….I blame it on small children then.
July 7, 2026
I think that Jim Lee one needed another pass at the face.
July 7, 2026
I originally had bought the first three paperbacks and really loved them. Bought volume four in single issues and later upgrader to the omnibus (volumes 1-4)
When volume five came out I decided to wait before buying the 5 book box set, as I heard there was a print error in book 3 (the Alan Davis drawn story) with an entire page MISSING dialogue in the word balloons!!
I eventually got the compendium (volumes 1-5)
If you have the opportunity, get the omnibus edition. Or just buy the original paperback trades. The stories in volume five are not very good. Plus the print isn’t very sharp with the details and doesn’t have strong enough contrast.
I honestly am considering getting rid of it.
July 7, 2026
The original 4 issues are relatively priced if anyone wants original issues. I may pick up the Toth #4 but I have to double check I don’t actually own a copy already.
July 7, 2026
A while ago I was going to hunt down the single issues. But decided to stick with my trade paperback volumes, since issues 1-4 were all collected in book one, but the stories in books two and three were all back up stories from Batman Gotham Knights #1-49. Plus the Alex Ross illustrated story was only found in the collected edition.
July 7, 2026
Warner Bros made some really nice motion comics of a few of the stories.
Notables featuring art by Darwin Cooke, Tim Sale and Alex Ross.
If you’d like to see them there are a few on Warner’s Beyond The Lot channel.
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_AYqxzHii9jY2oWcpadQrBNSoX-kHVNI&ra=m
They also made motion comics of Batman Adventures Mad Love, and Batgirl Year One.