Posted By Dan Greenfield on Dec 29, 2025 | 1 comment

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.