Fabulous black-and-white sketches by one of comics’ modern masters…
For eight straight years, from 2018 to 2024, superstar artist Chris Samnee posted online a new Batman black-and-white sketch every day for the month of October. Each image was based on a one- or two-word prompt. He called it #Batober, like similar “-tober” exercises by other artists.
For eight straight years, we highlighted 13 of his grooviest illustrations, and a lot of the fun was checking out how each drawing reflected the prompt. Sometimes it was obvious, sometimes subtle, but always interesting.
With last fall’s debut of his and Mark Waid’s maxiseries Batman & Robin: Year One, Chris decided that 2024 would be the last year for #Batober. Instead, for 2025, he’s been posting some of his faves from years past. And with Batman & Robin: Year One #12 — the finale — out Oct. 29, we asked Chris to pick his 13 favorites, both widescreen and vertical.
(#Batober, by the way, was instrumental in our pounding the drum for years for a series just like Batman & Robin: Year One. Sometimes manifesting works!)
So here are 13 HORIZONTALS. Click here for 13 verticals.
Right on.
Armory
Detective
Change
Misfit
Space
Hardboiled
Comfort
Regret
Murky
Loss
Fox
Shelf
Glide
—
MORE
— CHRIS SAMNEE Picks His TOP 13 All-Time #BATOBER Illustrations: VERTICAL EDITION. Click here.
— BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE — This CHRIS SAMNEE Interior Page Shows Off the Duo’s Dynamic. Click here.
October 23, 2025
Going to miss Samnee creating these. But he’d made so many beautiful pieces over the years there are plenty to look back on.
Excellent choices! Samnee Is truly gifted.
October 23, 2025
I have really enjoyed “Batman & Robin: Year One”. One the few new titles I purchased that wasn’t a facsimile.
October 23, 2025
These are of course gorgeous, and I never get tired of looking at these mini-masterpieces. I have enjoyed the heck out of Batman and Robin: Year One, and I’m sorry to see it ending. But at least I get to talk about it with my pal Ryan Daly on Batman: Knightcast (plug!).
October 24, 2025
I’m really happy that Batman and Robin Year One will be available in hardcover! It’s been one of the few DC Comics that I’ve enjoyed in a while. That and Batman Dark Patterns.
Hope Chris Samnee gets another chance at drawing another Batman comic in the very near future!!
(Pssst! Hey, DC! Batman and Robin Year Two, please! Thank you in advance.)