The Golden Age in black and white…
13th Dimension fave Matt Wagner has been busy lately with a run of moody and evocative interpretations of classic Golden Age Superman and Batman covers.
Dig these:
Based on 1942’s Superman #32, pencilled by Wayne Boring
Based on 1939’s Detective Comics #27, by Bob Kane. Obviously.
Based on 1947’s Batman #44, by Jim Mooney and Charles Paris
Based on… well you know.
“The mash-up of Detective Comics #27 with Amazing Fantasy #15 was absolutely deliberate,” Matt sez. “The former is iconic, but a terrible design with awful drawing. So I decided to incorporate that pose from the first appearance of another costumed character who also comes swinging into frame from right-to-left with a thug under one arm.”
The four, which Wagner showed at this past weekend’s Original Art Expo in Orlando, Fla., follow others he’s done in the past, like these:
Based on 1941’s Action Comics #39, by Fred Ray
Based on Fantastic Four #46, by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott
Check out more of Matt’s work at his website.
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MORE
— Dig MATT WAGNER’s Superb Revamps of Classic BATMAN Covers. Click here.
— Dig MATT WAGNER’s Fantastic CHARACTERTHON. Click here.
February 24, 2026
These are the bees knees! They pack a wallop that would kayo King Kong!
February 24, 2026
I wish I could fix my typo.
February 24, 2026
Fixed it for you!
February 24, 2026
Thanks!
February 24, 2026
This was the first year I’ve heard of the OAE conference. I hope they do it again. I wish I had made this year’s. I watched (streamed) Steve Rude paint an awesome Superman painting while there. Would have loved to see Matt there.
February 24, 2026
Wagner’s Detective 27 has echoes of Amazing Fantasy 15. Sort of makes me wonder if Kirby was influenced by Detective 27.