13 COVERS!
Unless it’s the occasional “slice of Gotham” story, Batman these days only fights his city’s most notorious, horrific villains — a larger-than-life figure dueling other larger-than-life figures.
The idea of having a Big Time Bad Guy every time out dates to the 1966 Batman TV show, with its villain-of-the week formula. For years before that, however, the Caped Crusader battled a litany of colorless thugs and malefactors, mixed in with the Joker, Penguin and Catwoman stories.
Found this online. Not sure who created it, but if it’s you, let me know! — Dan
But those fedora-wearing mobsters weren’t pushovers: They frequently got the jump on our heroes, even if, in the end, the Dynamic Duo always prevailed.
The everyday crook made something of a comeback once Batmania ended, but by the mid-’70s, the Darknight Detective was increasingly menaced again by his colorful rogues gallery, as well as costumed pretenders. Today, almost every Batman story tries to be an opera of epic proportions, with the gunsels and gangsters generally relegated to cannon fodder.
Alex Ross
But let’s return to the Golden Age, when Batman and Robin were as likely (if not more so) to fight random gangsters as they were the likes of the Scarecrow or Two-Face — even on the front of the book.
Dig these 13 COVERS, from 1939 to 1949:
Bob Kane
Dick Sprang pencils, Charles Paris inks
Kane pencils, Jerry Robinson inks
Sprang
Fred Ray pencils, Robinson inks
Sprang
Kane pencils and inks, with Robinson inks
Win Mortimer pencils, Paris inks
Sprang
Jack Burnley
Kane and Robinson
Paul Cooper pencils, Ray Burnley inks
Jack Burnley and Paris
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MORE
— HOLY POP-TARTS! WAYNE BORING’s Rare Foray Into BATMAN. Click here.
— CINCO DE MAYO: Dig These 13 Muy Bueno NEAL ADAMS MEXICAN BATMAN COVERS. Click here.
July 18, 2026
I absolutely LOVE the golden age Batman and Robin comics! So much fun!
I’m beyond thrilled that DC has begun reprinting the omnibus collections. Been getting them as they are rereleased. I made the mistake of going with the trade collections not knowing that they would end at volume Six. Which was only the later half of contents of omnibus volume Three. So now I eagerly look forward to getting omnibus Four in a few months.
July 18, 2026
I also miss the early-1970s murder mysteries, espionage capers, and occasional whodunnits. A legitimate detective story is harder to write than another angsty retelling of “my adversary is out for revenge and/or is my mirror reflection and fatal attraction.”
July 18, 2026
@James –
I wholeheartedly agree!! The whole “dark reflection” trope has been done so often it’s become a laughable cliche. It’s almost as bad as the parody that is The Evil Batman of the Dark Multiverse. lol
July 18, 2026
Unfortunately the current model is the multi issue arc to be collected and sold as trade. I miss the one and done stories. They had a greater chance of addressing relatable issues.
July 18, 2026
@Jim a –
Yeah, I really miss good self contained, one and done stories. Seems like everything now is written for the trade. And even worse, publishers are pushing for even longer stories where even trades won’t have a very good satisfying conclusion. This trend of writing for the compendium or omnibus.
I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy long running stories. But sometimes a self contained adventure is much more enjoyable.
July 18, 2026
And to think it actually was some common criminal who killed the Earth-Two Batman in the 1970s Adventure Comics. If you ask the average person who killed Batman in the comics, they might guess the Joker or Two-Face. Who even recalls the name of the guy that got the Golden Age Batman?
July 23, 2026
Bill Jensen
stroke of genius that it was a nobody!
July 25, 2026
Batman #2 features a regular thug while inside the Joker and Catwoman appear in a story together.