Long, long, long overdue…
Every so often, we post lists of 13 Facsimile Editions we’d like to see, whether from DC or Marvel. A lot of the issues have come to fruition, so we’re probably due for another list or two.
But before we even go down that road, I want to make a special plea for an issue that just happens to be celebrating its 75th anniversary this month: 1950’s Detective Comics #168, featuring the revelation that the Joker began his career as a mysterious criminal called the Red Hood.
Lew Sayre Schwartz pencils, George Roussos inks
The story — by Bill Finger, Lew Sayre Schwartz, George Roussos, with a minor assist by Win Mortimer — has been reprinted many times but the issue itself is absolutely crying out for the Facsimile treatment, especially when you consider how many Bat-first issues we’ve gotten to date.
Off the top of my head, the lineup includes the first appearances of Batman, Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, the original Clayface, Poison Ivy, Man-Bat, Talia, Ra’s al Ghul, Jason Todd, his guise as the modern Red Hood, and Damian Wayne, not to mention vehicles — even the Batarang! There have also been Facsimiles just to highlight famous covers.
Detective Comics #168 has you covered on both points — its memorable cover was recreated some years back by Mike Mignola as a DC 75th Anniversary variant. (That art could even be used again as a variant for a Facsimile.)
I have to imagine it’s only a matter of time before this happens. I’m just surprised it hasn’t happened yet: As I noted, the ish just celebrated 75 years on Dec. 20; further, the Joker is a franchise in his own right. (Two Oscars!) There have been plenty of opportunities — hell, the Joker and Red Hood just faced off in the event DC K.O. And Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez will be tackling a very different kind of Joker in March. The original Red Hood also has at least four action figures that I know of.
And still… nothing. Perhaps there’s something objectionable in one of the ads or one of the back-ups? Or maybe DC doesn’t have a copy suitable for reproduction? (The issue isn’t on DC Universe Infinite.)
All I can do is speculate.
And all I can do is ask that DC right this one — because it’d for sure be a dead-solid seller, especially with a cover that’d look great in foil, and trade dress that’s crying out for a logo sketch cover.
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MORE
— DC COMICS to Publish FIVE Facsimile Editions in March. Click here.
— DC to Republish THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS As Four Monthly FACSIMILE EDITIONS. Click here.
December 29, 2025
Even though it’s more recent and owning both covers, I’d be happy with a facsimile of Batman #700. Time and the Batman was a fantastic issue.
December 29, 2025
The cherry picking of Batman issues in the #600s makes me want another facsimile run rather than specific single issues.
But yeah, I’ll take a #168.
December 29, 2025
It’s not a full facsimile of the issue, but the Red Hood story is one of the villain origins included in the treasury-sized reprint coming in February, the Limited Collectors Edition C-39 aka the first volume of Secret Origins (of) Super-Villains.
December 29, 2025
Yes, the cover alone will sell it. Finger crossed.
December 29, 2025
More Golden Age facsimiles in general and fewer from the last 30 years.
December 30, 2025
I agree and more Silver Age facsimiles.
December 29, 2025
The recent reprint of Action Comics #23 heavily edited the Tex Thomson story to remove the blackface character Gargantua T. Potts. The character’s dialogue has either been eliminated (for example, panel 4 of story page 2) or in some cases altered and given to other characters (for example, the first word balloon on story page 1 has been changed from “Say Mr. Tex – w-what am dat knockin’?” to “Say Tex – w-what’s knockin’?”). Panel 6 of story page 7 has been deleted entirely, and panels 4 and 5 of that story page have been realigned to center them within the page.
So if DC really wanted to reprint Detective Comics #168, they wouldn’t let the presence of anything objectionable in one of the ads or one of the back-ups stop them. They’d edit it and, as they did with Action Comics #23, publish a “fakesimile.”
December 30, 2025
If DC is Listening, how about Brave and the Bold #52, “3 Battle Stars” for Memorial Day.