50 YEARS LATER: Batgirl and Robin would (almost) never be the same…
Batman Family debuted in June 1975, and was a major landmark in Bat-history. But in a significant way, the series’ third issue, which came out 50 years ago Tuesday, on Oct. 21, 1975, was the title’s real beginning.
The first issue’s lead Batgirl and Robin story was originally intended for the cancelled 1st Issue Special title and Issue #2 was all reprints because of deadline crush.
But the main story in Batman Family #3 — “Isle of a Thousand Thrills!” by Elliot S! Maggin, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Vince Colletta, with an Ernie Chan cover — radically alters the Batgirl-Robin status quo: On the final page, both heroes reveal that they’ve figured out each other’s Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson identities.
It’s never explained how each reached their conclusions, but then it didn’t need to be: In two adventures in a row, Dick and Babs happened to be in the same place outside Gotham, and Robin and Batgirl happened to show up at the same time. Given how long they’d known each other, it only made sense they’d have an epiphany. They are, y’know, supposed to be smart people.
The reveal was a big deal 50 years ago. When Batgirl debuted in the comics at the end of 1966 and on the Batman TV show in the fall of 1967, much was made of how the Dynamic Duo and the Dominoed Daredoll were careful to conceal their alter egos from the other. But nearly a decade later, when it was decided to create the Dynamite Duo, it made sense to dispense with any convoluted explanations about how they kept running into each other.
The ish even gave us a Monty Python shoutout!
It also, more importantly, added a certain closeness. In costume, they could be teammates; outside costume, they could be partners. Friends.
It also ended up cultivating the seeds of what would become a will-they-or-won’t-they scenario that was ultimately kiboshed at the time. And then, a few years later, in January 1980’s Detective Comics #489, DC weirdly backtracked and took the knowledge — and that of Batman’s ID — out of Barbara’s mind, while allowing Dick and Bruce to know who she really was. That was a strange and unnecessary development.
No matter. You can’t keep a good idea down and it’s been firmly re-established that the (pun intended) Batman Family is hip to who everyone is. (To the point where it’s kind of ridiculous, actually.)
Most importantly, the decision to have Batgirl and Robin on the same page opened the door for an intimacy that, through de-aging reboots, would establish Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson as soulmates.
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MORE
— Why BATMAN FAMILY #1 is a Surprising Landmark in Comics History. Click here.
— BATMAN FAMILY TURNS 50: Dig the TOP 13 ISSUES of the Great Bronze Age Series — RANKED. Click here.
October 21, 2025
Detective comics 526, I believe it was. Put back that Barbara Gordon knew their identity’s. The Killing Joke cemented it
October 21, 2025
Batman Family # 3 was the first issue I picked up, possibly because it seemed to have a crazily wide distribution in the UK (not always the case with this title). I would often find random copies of it tucked away in newsagents shops for years to follow.
It’s some kind of Bat-mystery.
October 21, 2025
Absolutely the same for me. I was primarily a Marvel fan, but one week there were no Marvels to be found on the shelves of the town’s newsagents. I had, I think, 50p burning a hole in the pocket of my jeans and decided to get this issue.
Being largely unfamiliar with the ins-and-outs of the Barman oeuvre, I can remember reading and then re-reading it in an attempt to puzzle things out. It was in my collection for years – it may still be for all I know – but l probably saw it more often on spinner racks outside newsagents in Northern seaside towns; it was absolutely ubiquitous.
October 21, 2025
So weird, David, why that issue seemed to receive such a spread of distribution.
Like you, I was mostly buying Marvel titles (both UK and US), but when I did pick up DCs it was usually favourites like Superman, Supergirl and Batman.
However, a cover featuring Robin, Batgirl and a dinosaur was never not going to pull me in!
Happily I know all of the above still nestle in my collection.
October 24, 2025
I had a copy too – though it was racked with issue 2 and I got that too. Next issue I saw was 16.
October 21, 2025
I remember that brain-washing issue, I got it off the newsstands (my grandma bought it for me) as a child I did not like that Babs was brainwashed, just like I didn’t like it that Wonder Woman was. sad face
October 21, 2025
I’d buy a DC Finest of Batman Family, even though most all of the stories are reprinted elsewhere, just to have the series under one cover.
October 21, 2025
Nobody could draw prettier women than Colletta!
October 22, 2025
Vince Colletta was the inker, Ed. Jose Luis Garcia Lopez pencilled the first story referred to here, and Don Heck pencilled the other one.
October 21, 2025
Great read!
October 22, 2025
This reminds me how I still cringe whenever I look at the hack work of Ernie Chua/Chan. Artists like he should’ve been restricted to mostly mystery titles & were totally inappropriate for superhero titles like this. I don’t know how his lower level of “talent” passed editor Julius Schwartz’s eye, who usually had taste when it came to artists.
October 22, 2025
>> with an Ernie Chan cover
>>
I have some great memories of his covers.