NEW DETAILS on the Long-Awaited BRONZE AGE BATMAN OMNIBUS

What’s inside? Now we know! PLUS: New info on DC FINEST: BATMAN — BLIND JUSTICE…

When we got word over the summer that DC would finally be publishing Batman: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1, the only damper was that we didn’t know precisely what would be in it.

Now, we do. (Turns out our guesswork was pretty dang close.)

Dig the updated online listing, as well as one for DC Finest: Batman — Blind Justice:

BATMAN: THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 1

The Dark Knight enters a new era of grit, mystery, and psychological depth in this sweeping Bronze Age collection.

Step into the shadows of Gotham City as Batman evolves from colorful crime-fighter to brooding detective in Batman: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1. This definitive hardcover collection gathers the Caped Crusader’s earliest Bronze Age adventures, a transformative period that redefined the character for a new generation. Featuring iconic storytelling from some of the most influential creators in comics history, this volume showcases Batman as a solitary guardian navigating a darker, more complex world—setting the stage for the legend he would become. A must-have for fans and collectors, this omnibus marks the beginning of a bold new chapter in the Dark Knight’s legacy.

Features Detective Comics #393 (main story and cover), collects Batman #217-244, Detective Comics #393-426, Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-51, The Saga of Ra’s Al Ghul #1-4

On Sale Date: July 28, 2026
1,088 pages
$150

DC FINEST: BATMAN — BLIND JUSTICE

Sam Hamm, Denys Cowan, Dick Giordano

A cerebral Batman thriller that uncovers Bruce Wayne’s buried past and tests the limits of justice—crafted by the screenwriter of the 1989 Batman film.

Bruce Wayne is accused of espionage and faces the loss of his company, his reputation, and his freedom. As Batman investigates, he uncovers a sinister conspiracy tied to a secret government project—and a forgotten chapter of his own past. Introducing Henri Ducard, a mysterious mentor from Bruce’s early training days, Blind Justice explores themes of identity, justice, and the cost of secrets.

Collects Batman #430-435, Detective Comics #596-603, Batman Annual #13, Detective Comics Annual #2, and stories from Secret Origins #36 and #39.

On Sale Date: July 14, 2026
576 Pages
$39.99

Many thoughts:

— Cool. DC Comics’ definition of the beginning of Batman’s Bronze Age aligns almost perfectly with my own. I’ve long pegged it at 1969’s Batman #217, when Robin left for Hudson University. They have it at Detective Comics #393, which was the Dynamic Duo’s final case before that. I always saw that one as the last story of the Silver Age but I dig. (Others have it at Detective Comics #395, the first Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams collaboration, but I think this timeline is more accurate.)

— As I said when news of the book surfaced over the summer: I’m not a regular omnibuyer, but I’m still excited about Batman: The Bronze Age Omnibus. There are a ton of Batman stories from the early ’70s — which in many ways was his greatest period — that have never been collected.

— The book ends with Batman #244, the final chapter of the original Ra’s al Ghul saga (which is the cover image of the omnibus itself). That’s a good endpoint for Vol. 1, but they probably should have gone with Batman #245, which was a sort-of epilogue to the story. The inclusion of Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-51 and The Saga of Ra’s Al Ghul #1-4 — both of which reprinted the Ra’s storyline — suggests that cover art from those will be included.

Blind Justice is for completists or those with a particular affinity for late ’80s Bat-comics. It’s a mixed bag, though we do get some cool Grant/Breyfogle.

Standard caveat: The description comes from Penguin Random House’s online catalogue. PRH handles DC in the book market. This hasn’t been formally solicited by DC yet, so nothing is official until it’s official.

MORE

— LONG TIME COMING: DC to Publish BRONZE AGE BATMAN OMNIBUS. Click here.

– Hey, Here’s a Big Content Update for 2026’s DC FINEST Books. Click here.

Author: Dan Greenfield

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21 Comments

  1. Huge fan of the Bronze-Age Batman. Being the “ultimate detective,” as well as reluctant fighter, as a child Batman was heroic and a character readers could look up to, and admire. Unfortunately, today, he’s basically a poor-man’s Punisher and a psychopath.

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    • If this were a three volume series of approximately 300 pp apiece I’d be all over it but I know I’m unlikely to comfortably read a 1000+ page hardcover.

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    • Agreed on all parts. I really don’t like many of the modern takes of Batman where they make him straight up psychotic. Or just overly violent and visceral for no reason other than being edgy and grimdark.

      I wanna see a Batman that’s calm, cool and collected. A brilliant detective and master tactician.

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  2. I’m most definitely going to be pre-ordering each of these Batman Bronze Age omnis as soon as they come available!!
    Going to have to clear some shelf space, as I’m imagining just how quickly they will accumulate, same as the Golden Age omnis did. Though I’m much more looking forward to these. As much as I’d like to see the rest of the Silver Age get printed, I’m happy to see the Bronze Age finally getting its due. This collection has been a long time coming.

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  3. Blind Justice is terribly underrated so it’s good to see that leading off a DC Finest. The Bronze Age Omnibus has lots of stuff that’s been much reprinted, but having it together is a good idea; volume 2 will interest me more. And I’d love a Silver Age Batman Omnibus volume 2.

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  4. I love Bronze Age reprint volumes of books, as there are SO MANY main DC titles that haven’t been collected in organized reprint formats that it’s embarrassing. With that said, I’m sick of the heavy awkward giant omnibus volumes that make them not fun to attempt to read….THEY’RE TOO DAMN BIG AND HEAVY…How hard is it to just do affordable softcover volumes of 20-25 issues each volume, released in numerical order, making it easier for the reader to buy, organize neatly on a bookshelf, and enjoy reading without breaking their back and lap…? Sorry, I won’t support buying the Omni format, but if you decide to do them all as well-organized volumes of the DC Finest format, then please feel free to take my money…

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    • Same. I have the Robin Omni and it’s just a burden. I don’t get the appeal at all. I’m not rereading these like they’re library books, so a well made TPB is perfect for me. I’ll be waiting for the DC Finest volumes instead (I can wait, I have all the originals and Showcase Presents volumes anyway).

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      • I was admittedly tempted by the Robin Omni because of the Rozakis stories I enjoy so much, but held back because I can wait too, same reasons as you…

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  5. I’ve been hoping that Irv Novick, Don Newton, Ernie Chan, Bob Brown and others would get their due. Bravo!

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    • Same here!
      Back when DC was releasing the hard covers of “tales of the Batman by…“ and “legends of the dark Knight by…” I was greatly disappointed that Irv Novick And so many others that you’d mentioned never got their own volumes. And the most egregious, is that Denny O’Neil never even got ONE single volume collecting his Batman writing!!! Not one! That’s absolutely egregious! I mean I understand that they gave Neal Adams three Batman hard cover books. But not all of Denny’s Batman riding was with Neal.
      It’s just wonderful that, provided the sell well enough to complete the series, that will be getting all of the bronze age! God willing!

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      • Those volumes are long out of print and are selling for ridiculous prices on eBay. I lucked out and found two of them at Ollie’s several years back. There was a Don Newton volume that I wanted, but it’s $$$.

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    • Bob Brown is one of those guys it took me YEARS to appreciate (like Mike Sekowsky on anything and Rocke Mastroserio on all those Charlton’s). I remember him doing Daredevil with Marv Wolfman in the 70s but as a kid, I just didn’t NOTICE it. As a decades-long fan and collector, I’m really enjoying Brown’s Batman work as much as I liked Irv Novick as far back as the 70s. Bob Brown, Novick, and Dick Giordano exemplify those 70s issues in my mind.

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  6. Since the Bronze Age is a tonal shift (not a continuity shift), it begins with the art changes appearing in Batman 204 (Novick) and Detective 378 (Brown), cover dates August 1968.. It was by design, with DC announcing the changes in house ads. And of course with Neal Adams leading the way.

    More changes came to DC books over the next year and a half. During that time we also saw newer, edgier story types. This came to a head with “The Senator’s been shot” and “the Secret of the Waiting Graves”—which some say is the beginning, but it’s really the fulfillment of what began 18 months before.

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    • I could go on about this (too tired right now) but I’ve long seen the post-Batmania/pre-Bronze Age period as latter-day Silver Age. More in line with where Schwartz wanted to go with the New Look but the TV show’s popularity intervened. 1968 was definitely a point of demarcation, though, for multiple reasons. But Robin moving out really was the start of something new. It was such a big deal at the time.

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  7. The more that I think about it I am absolutely THRILLED that we’re actually getting these Bronze Age omnibus volumes.
    Back when DC first announced the Golden Age omnibus I jumped on them right away. But like a fool I downgraded to the TPB versions, which were half the size and a lot easier to handle. Unfortunately due to low sale numbers or what have you, they never made it past volume 6 (which was the equivalent of the second half of omnibus volume 3)
    So I had to reacquire omnis 1 through 3 then try hunt down the others I’d let pass me by for prices that weren’t TOO overly outrageous!!

    So with that in mind, I’m definitely going to stick it through for the long haul with these upcoming Omnis and not jump ship if DC later starts releasing TPB versions.

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  8. Should’ve included Brave and the Bold issues in the Bronze Age omnibus

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      • @Dan did we get all the Bronze Age material within the 3 Brave and the Bold Omnis?
        Or was there more material that needed to be collected?

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  9. Can’t wait for this – but Bats #244 *is* an odd choice. #245 is the natural end.

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    • I’m wondering if saving #245 for a future volume was their way to incentivize continued purchases of the series?

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  10. Nice for the fans who don’t have these to finally get them. (I’ve got everything from the New Look to the present.) Yeah, Batman 217 (Dec 69) and Tec 395 (Jan 70) are in a tie for me about the start of the Bronze Age.
    What we really need is an affordable reprint of the late Golden Age/early Silver Age Batman (say, 1951-57). The last Golden Age and first Silver Age Omnibuses are out of print and waayyyyy too expensive in the aftermarket. You know fans want those, but DC refuses to either keep them in print or make them affordable to collectors on a tighter budget. Same with the Superman volumes. I really want all those Wayne Boring issues.

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