BATMAN’S HOT-LINE | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Jan23

BATMAN: DC Sets Dates for April DARK KNIGHT and YEAR TWO Facsimiles

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jan 23, 2026

BATMAN: DC Sets Dates for April DARK KNIGHT and YEAR TWO Facsimiles

Modern classics… DC Comics in April will be publishing six Facsimile Editions, some of which deserve their own headlines, like the ones below. Click here and here for more on the others. *** DC has set the dates for April’s third installments of its Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year Two Facsimile Edition runs. Dig the solicitation info, which will be formally released later Friday: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS #3 FACSIMILE EDITION Written by FRANK MILLER Art and cover by FRANK MILLER Variant covers by FRANK MILLER and FRANK QUITELY Foil variant cover by FRANK MILLER ($7.99 US) There’s a brand-new police commissioner in Gotham City, and she’s determined to arrest the Batman. The GCPD might be the least of the Dark Knight’s worries, though, as his return to the spotlight has drawn the attention of a now government-sanctioned Man of Steel, while Arkham Asylum’s most infamous inmate, the Joker, has prepared to welcome back his favorite adversary with a horrific attack on live TV! $4.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $5.99 US (cardstock) ON SALE 4/29/26 — DETECTIVE COMICS #577 FACSIMILE EDITION Written by MIKE W. BARR Art and cover by TODD McFARLANE Foil variant cover by TODD McFARLANE ($6.99 US) Blank sketch cover ($4.99 US) As “Batman: Year Two” continues, a forced partnership with his parents’ killer stretches the Dark Knight’s ethical code to its breaking point. Can this deal with the devil really be the key to bringing the murderous Reaper to justice? As Batman sinks deeper into moral quagmires, the virtuous Rachel Caspian touches the heart of Bruce Wayne. $3.99 US | 32 pages ON SALE 4/22/26 — Several thoughts: — DKR #3 on its own is one of the greatest Joker stories of all time, so I can’t wait to see what Frank Quitely has in store for a variant cover. — DKR, like John Byrne’s Man of Steel, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. — Don’t forget — these are only two of six DC Facsimiles coming in April. Links below! — Obligatory Price Comparisons: The Dark Knight Returns #3 is more frequently found in sets for sale, but an unslabbed VF- copy recently sold on eBay for $23. The same is true for Detective Comics #577, though an unslabbed NM- copy recently went for about $16. — MORE — John...

Jan23

13 THINGS to Love About KLAUS JANSON

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jan 23, 2026

13 THINGS to Love About KLAUS JANSON

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: — 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! — 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. — 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. — 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! — 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. — 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. — 7. He Can Draw More Than Batman and Daredevil. He can certainly draw more than dark protagonists. Check out Janson’s...

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