Dustin Gebel
The Folio Society has teamed up with DC to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the world’s greatest detective’s first issue in DC: Batman. The prestige collect includes 12 seminal issues like Detective Comics #27 (aka the first appearance of the Bat-Man), Detective Comics #38 (the first appearance of Robin), Batman #404 (the start of Year One), and more.
Along with the reprinting of these issues, which were curated by President, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of DC, Jennette Kahn, the collection also includes a full replica of Batman #1, including back-up strips and ads. The issue originates from a scanned copy of an original printing and establishes not just the dark knight but his core rogues gallery like Joker and the proto-Catwoman.
James Rose, Folio Society’s Head of Editorial, spoke about the enduring influence of Batman in the press release, stating:
“Created towards the end of the Great Depression by artist Bob Kane with writer Bill Finger, Batman is an icon as familiar as James Bond or Tarzan, one who has evolved to reflect the changing attitudes of the twentieth century. The stories selected for DC: Batman reveal how the character and his billionaire alter-ego Bruce Wayne gradually evolved from the dutiful crimefighter of the 1940s to a man possessed, as crazy as the criminals he puts away. The Caped Crusader faces a rogue’s gallery steeped in gothic horror, from the Weimar cinema-inspired The Joker to the Jekyll/Hyde figure of Two-Face and the Moriarty-like Ra’s al Ghul.”
Alongside the announcement, Folio Society also revealed the full line-up of stories and creators in the edition, which can be seen below:
Facsimile: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Writer: Bill Finger
Cover artists: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
Artists: Bob Kane, Sheldon Moldoff
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth
The Bat-Man
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
Editor: Vincent Sullivan
Robin—the Boy Wonder
Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artists: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth
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
The Folio Society edition of DC: Batman, selected and introduced by Jenette Kahn, will be available for £65 / US $100 on February 20, 2024 exclusively from https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/fiction/comics-graphic-novels.