Former DC head Jenette Kahn picks the Darknight Detective’s best…
Batman’s 85th anniversary is in March and the Folio Society, British makers of high-end hardcover collections, this week published DC: Batman, a slipcased volume showcasing some of the greatest stories starring the Caped Crusader since the Golden Age.
The 11 stories were selected by former DC head Jenette Kahn, who also wrote the introduction to the volume. The set also includes a replica of 1940’s Batman #1.
DC: Batman comprises:
The Case of the Chemical Syndicate
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
Editor: Vincent Sullivan
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Robin—the Boy Wonder
Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artists: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth
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The Crimes of Two-Face!
Detective Comics #66 (August 1942)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artists: Jerry Robinson, George Roussos
Letterers: Ira Schnapp
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth
—
Batman and Green Arrow: The Senator’s Been Shot!
The Brave and the Bold #85 (September 1969)
Writer: Bob Haney
Cover artist: Neal Adams
Penciler: Neal Adams
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Murray Boltinoff
—
Daughter of the Demon
Batman #232 (June 1971)
Writer: Dennis O’Neil
Cover artist: Neal Adams
Penciler: Neal Adams
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Julius Schwartz
—
The Dead Yet Live
Detective Comics #471 (August 1977)
Writer: Steve Englehart
Cover artists: Marshall Rogers, Terry Austin, Tatjana Wood, Gaspar Saladino
Penciler: Marshall Rogers
Inker: Terry Austin
Colorists: Marshall Rogers
Letterer: John Workman
Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell
—
The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (June 1986)
Writer: Frank Miller
Cover artists: Frank Miller, Lynn Varley
Penciler: Frank Miller
Inker: Klaus Janson
Colorist: Lynn Varley
Letterer: John Costanza
Editors: Dick Giordano, Dennis O’Neil
—
Batman: Year One—Chapter One: Who I Am—How I Come to Be
Batman #404 (February 1987)
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Dave Mazzucchelli
Colorist: Richmond Lewis
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Dennis O’Neil
—
Batman: The Killing Joke (July 1988)
Writer: Alan Moore
Cover artists: Brian Bolland, Richard Bruning
Artist: Brian Bolland
Colorist: John Higgins
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Dennis O’Neil, Dan Raspler
—
The Last Arkham (Part One)
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June 1992)
Writer: Alan Grant
Cover artist: Brian Stelfreeze
Penciler: Norm Breyfogle
Inker: Norm Breyfogle
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editors: Scott Peterson, Dennis O’Neil
—
Knightfall Part 1: Crossed Eyes and Dotty Teas
Batman #492 (May 1993)
Writer: Doug Moench
Cover artists: Kelley Jones, Bob LeRose
Penciler: Norm Breyfogle
Inker: Norm Breyfogle
Colorist Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Scott Peterson, Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Dennis O’Neil
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A few thoughts:
— 11 stories? The only thing better would be if it were 13!
— This is the second release in the Folio Society’s DC program, following DC: The Golden Age. The stories were scanned from original copies in the DC archives and have been reproduced in 10” x 7” format. It is available for $100 exclusively from the Folio Society.
— I’m impressed they used the classic Bronze Age Batman logo on the front. You just don’t see it enough these days. I’m especially impressed they used Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin’s Detective Comics artwork
— This is a nice assortment, but hardly comprehensive. That’s OK, we’ve got you covered with the ULTIMATE BATMAN READING AND VIEWING GUIDE. Click here.
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MORE
— The TOP 13 GREATEST BATMAN STORIES EVER — RANKED. Click here.
— 13 Top Artists Pick Their Favorite BATMAN Covers. Click here.
February 21, 2024
Scanning the original art, not redrawing and/or recoloring, is always the way to go.
February 21, 2024
The selection for stories is severely lopsided. The 50’s are completely skipped over and so is the new look era of the 60’s. Also, this collection stops in early 1993. I thought Kahn’s choice of Golden Age stories for the prior DC Folio collection was not ideal but her selection of stories for this new Batman volume is even more uneven and a disservice to fans, whether they be newer, casual readers or die hard fans of this character.
The Batman Folio book is 320 pages but one of the Marvel Folio editions have gone up to 368! That is 48 pages they could have used to include a story from the 50’s (A Dick Sprang World’s Finest Superman team up perhaps?), new look 60’s era (Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl debut perhaps?). Kahn has left a gaping hole in this retrospective anthology.
February 21, 2024
Hmm, I dunno. I want to like it but I don’t think I’ll buy it. The scanning of original copies doesn’t matter so much when it comes to things like DKR and Killing Joke which were on glossy paper to begin with. Plus it seems odd to present number one issues of a series like DKR, Year One and Knightfall, but I guess it’s sort of a taster or degustation. Plus, it’s not as physically big as some of their other books (even though Screen Rant said it would be treasury edition size).
February 22, 2024
I’m sure it’s beautifully done, but no Aparo representation so I’m out.
He’s my Batman artist.
February 23, 2024
Too expensive for me. I don’t see the point of yet another reprinting of the Killing Joke; or the first parts of long stories. Aa others note, the 50s are not represented neither are defining artist like Aparo. I’ve altead got that facsimile as a recent facsimile!