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DC's 80th Anniversary Celebration
Detective Comics: 80 años de Batman
Conmemora los 80 años del nacimiento del mayor fenómeno de la cultura popular estadounidense: Batman, ¡y ocho décadas de Detective Comics! Incluye:
La primera historia de Batman.
Los debuts de personajes legendarios y de grandes villanos clásicos como Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman, Batmito, Dos Caras, El Acertijo o Manbat.
Bocetos inéditos de Lew Sayre Schwartz, con la planificación original de su legendaria aventura de Batman para el núm. 200 de Detective Comics.
Una historia original, obra de Paul Levitz y Denys Cowan, ambientada en la infancia de Bruce Wayne.
¡Y muchísimo más!
La primera historia de Batman.
Los debuts de personajes legendarios y de grandes villanos clásicos como Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman, Batmito, Dos Caras, El Acertijo o Manbat.
Bocetos inéditos de Lew Sayre Schwartz, con la planificación original de su legendaria aventura de Batman para el núm. 200 de Detective Comics.
Una historia original, obra de Paul Levitz y Denys Cowan, ambientada en la infancia de Bruce Wayne.
¡Y muchísimo más!
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
58 people are currently reading
2514 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 21, 2019
Like they did last year before Action Comics hit its historic 1000 issue milestone, DC have produced a massive celebratory edition for Detective Comics (the company is named after this very title) ahead of its 1000th issue next week and also its 80th anniversary this year. The book showcases comics from the 1930s through the decades right up to the New 52 days in the 2010s.
Unlike Action which introduced Superman in its first issue, Detective didn’t introduce Batman (or “The Bat-Man” as he was initially called) until its 27th issue. We know it today as another Batman title but originally it was an anthology of stories featuring long-forgotten characters like Slam Bradley, The Crimson Avenger, Air Wave, The Boy Commandos (by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, fresh from their success at Timely Comics - later renamed Marvel - creating the character of Captain America) and Pow-Wow Smith, Indian Lawman. The latter is a reminder of the casual racism of ye olden days, along with the amusing cover of the first issue of Detective Comics of a caricature of a Chinese man!
Strips featuring all of those characters are reprinted here and… yeah they’re not good! In fact none of the comics printed here are actually any good, which is ironic given that this book is a celebration of comics! The Golden Age stuff is especially hard to read - the writing and art are both so crude and the stories are utterly corny, overwritten and predictable. And it doesn’t really get better as the years progress either though you can see the title becomes consumed with Batman stories until it’s the Detective Comics of today - 100% Batman (or Bat-family, as it is in its current incarnation). Though it does retain its original focus (for the most part) on crime-solving stories with this title being the place to read the less superhero-y Batman stories.
The accompanying essays interspersing the various comics though were largely interesting to read. Paul Levitz’s essay reveals that “DC” unofficially stood for Donenfeld’s Comics, Donenfeld being the early owner of the publisher. Anthony Tollin’s essay reveals just how much creators in the ‘30s were ripping each other off with Batman owing much to the more popular characters of the day, Doc Savage and The Shadow, and how the Joker was inspired by a villain who first appeared in The Shadow, the Grim Joker.
And, while I knew Batman, Robin, and a great many Batman characters like Two-Face and The Riddler made their debut in this title, I didn’t realise J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter also first appeared in Detective!
I’ll also say that this book made me genuinely appreciate and understand the impact Neal Adams’ art had on Batman as, prior to his comics, the art on Batman was sooooo bad! Adams’ art at least looks modern compared to the stodgy stylings of the art from the 1930s, 40s and 50s! I still don’t like Denny O’Neil’s writing though - even his essay was annoying to read!
Glen David Gold’s essay was good, I liked Kirby’s art on Boy Commandos and it’s still fascinating to read the very first Batman story, The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (also included is the revamped version that appeared in the New 52 Detective Comics #27 by Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch).
There were too many Batman strips focusing on his origins though. One was enough - I would’ve liked to have seen one of the early comics where Batman still wielded a .45 automatic! There’s also a cringey poem by Neil Gaiman at the end.
Rather than being this wonderful collection for anyone interested in Batman, Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is really only going to appeal as a curio to readers who are very forgiving of the cheesy old comics of yesteryear.
But I’ll also say that some of the best Batman stories ever published first appeared in this title. Ed Brubaker/Doug Mahnke’s The Man Who Laughs, Scott Snyder/Jock/Francesco Francavilla’s The Black Mirror and Paul Dini/Dustin Nguyen/Derek Fridolfs’ Private Casebook are all must-reads for any Batman fans (the less said about Batman: Year Two: Fear the Reaper, the better!). And I think if you wanted to celebrate Detective Comics, those are the books I’d pick up over this one.
Happy 80th, Detective Comics, and hearty congrats to Donenfeld’s Comics for publishing 1000 (mostly unreadable) issues of the title - here’s to 1000 more with hopefully more good than bad this time!
Unlike Action which introduced Superman in its first issue, Detective didn’t introduce Batman (or “The Bat-Man” as he was initially called) until its 27th issue. We know it today as another Batman title but originally it was an anthology of stories featuring long-forgotten characters like Slam Bradley, The Crimson Avenger, Air Wave, The Boy Commandos (by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, fresh from their success at Timely Comics - later renamed Marvel - creating the character of Captain America) and Pow-Wow Smith, Indian Lawman. The latter is a reminder of the casual racism of ye olden days, along with the amusing cover of the first issue of Detective Comics of a caricature of a Chinese man!
Strips featuring all of those characters are reprinted here and… yeah they’re not good! In fact none of the comics printed here are actually any good, which is ironic given that this book is a celebration of comics! The Golden Age stuff is especially hard to read - the writing and art are both so crude and the stories are utterly corny, overwritten and predictable. And it doesn’t really get better as the years progress either though you can see the title becomes consumed with Batman stories until it’s the Detective Comics of today - 100% Batman (or Bat-family, as it is in its current incarnation). Though it does retain its original focus (for the most part) on crime-solving stories with this title being the place to read the less superhero-y Batman stories.
The accompanying essays interspersing the various comics though were largely interesting to read. Paul Levitz’s essay reveals that “DC” unofficially stood for Donenfeld’s Comics, Donenfeld being the early owner of the publisher. Anthony Tollin’s essay reveals just how much creators in the ‘30s were ripping each other off with Batman owing much to the more popular characters of the day, Doc Savage and The Shadow, and how the Joker was inspired by a villain who first appeared in The Shadow, the Grim Joker.
And, while I knew Batman, Robin, and a great many Batman characters like Two-Face and The Riddler made their debut in this title, I didn’t realise J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter also first appeared in Detective!
I’ll also say that this book made me genuinely appreciate and understand the impact Neal Adams’ art had on Batman as, prior to his comics, the art on Batman was sooooo bad! Adams’ art at least looks modern compared to the stodgy stylings of the art from the 1930s, 40s and 50s! I still don’t like Denny O’Neil’s writing though - even his essay was annoying to read!
Glen David Gold’s essay was good, I liked Kirby’s art on Boy Commandos and it’s still fascinating to read the very first Batman story, The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (also included is the revamped version that appeared in the New 52 Detective Comics #27 by Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch).
There were too many Batman strips focusing on his origins though. One was enough - I would’ve liked to have seen one of the early comics where Batman still wielded a .45 automatic! There’s also a cringey poem by Neil Gaiman at the end.
Rather than being this wonderful collection for anyone interested in Batman, Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is really only going to appeal as a curio to readers who are very forgiving of the cheesy old comics of yesteryear.
But I’ll also say that some of the best Batman stories ever published first appeared in this title. Ed Brubaker/Doug Mahnke’s The Man Who Laughs, Scott Snyder/Jock/Francesco Francavilla’s The Black Mirror and Paul Dini/Dustin Nguyen/Derek Fridolfs’ Private Casebook are all must-reads for any Batman fans (the less said about Batman: Year Two: Fear the Reaper, the better!). And I think if you wanted to celebrate Detective Comics, those are the books I’d pick up over this one.
Happy 80th, Detective Comics, and hearty congrats to Donenfeld’s Comics for publishing 1000 (mostly unreadable) issues of the title - here’s to 1000 more with hopefully more good than bad this time!
August 16, 2023
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
My undying and unconditional love for Batman has only grown to inconceivable heights ever since my first encounter of the Dark Knight as a child. There was so much to love about this superhero on top of the fact that he has no superpowers to compete with Gods like Superman, The Flash or Wonder Woman. Not only is he the world’s greatest detectives à la Sherlock Holmes within a superhero universe, he simply shines with charisma in the darkest of nights with his superior intellect, detective skills, sheer willpower and a mind grounded in rationality and science. Millionaire playboy as Bruce Wayne and dedicated and resolute vigilante as Batman, his stories over the years have explored powerful, intimate, dark and dreary themes that would always easily catch my attention. The kaleidoscope of villains within Gotham City also raises the bar so high for this hero that there’s no other that can match his once humouristic and colourful world and now gritty and gloomy universe.
What is Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman about? Collecting various different stories marking Batman’s saga within his iconic Detective Comics run, this beautiful hardcover deluxe edition looks into sharing some of the most quintessential stories that have ever been published in this series in the comic book industry. From origin stories introducing emblematic heroes and villains within Batman’s universe to adventures of non-superhero characters that were printed within the Detective Comics series, editor Paul Levitz shares these memorable moments interspersed with essays from various contributors who recognize and acknowledge the influence of the Dark Knight on our culture and the individual lives of its fans. With never-before-seen stories and artwork, this celebratory volume, similar to Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman, allows fans to relive the greatness of Batman and his adventures over the years within a comic book series that went on to give the company its name (Detective Comics Comics, also known as DC Comics).
It should be noted that this collection doesn’t solely celebrate Batman’s story but the inspirations behind the hero as well as pulp fiction that highlighted various different heroes who have showcased qualities that mankind strives to propagate. While the majority of the volume does focus on the Dark Knight, his friends and his foes, it is not only his stories that are celebrated in order to fully acknowledge the impact of the Detective Comics series throughout the years. The commentary in the form of short essays is also key to this volume’s pertinence and importance as it helps illuminate the epic scale of Batman’s and this series’ influence on various other stories but also on all of its readers. One of the most interesting essays in this volume is the essay on intellectual property that recounts the unfair crediting of creator Bob Kane for both the story and the art for countless years as the real contributors are left unrecognized, such as Bill Finger and Lew Sayre Schwartz. It is only much later that the issue was fixed and credit was given where credit was due.
What should not be expected from this volume is a chronological analysis of the artwork as its main focus is on the stories rather than the art. While you can see a significant difference in artwork style as you progress through this volume, it isn’t as impressive as it could’ve been knowing that there are some iconic stories in the run that have incredible artwork but would’ve been impossible to include here without adding 300 pages or including a part of the story without context (e.g. Scott Snyder’s Batman: The Black Mirror). The stories also reflect a very humouristic and campy tone that is closer to Adam West’s Batman whilst tackling some slightly heavier themes. In fact, the various stories are sometimes over-the-top and don’t restrain themselves in realism. It isn’t, however, impossible to appreciate these stories. After all, this is the comic book series that allowed Batman to achieve the impossible over the years since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27.
Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a stunning and beautiful commemorative collection imbued with a nostalgic value that shares some of the greatest stories published in one of the most important comic book runs in history.
My undying and unconditional love for Batman has only grown to inconceivable heights ever since my first encounter of the Dark Knight as a child. There was so much to love about this superhero on top of the fact that he has no superpowers to compete with Gods like Superman, The Flash or Wonder Woman. Not only is he the world’s greatest detectives à la Sherlock Holmes within a superhero universe, he simply shines with charisma in the darkest of nights with his superior intellect, detective skills, sheer willpower and a mind grounded in rationality and science. Millionaire playboy as Bruce Wayne and dedicated and resolute vigilante as Batman, his stories over the years have explored powerful, intimate, dark and dreary themes that would always easily catch my attention. The kaleidoscope of villains within Gotham City also raises the bar so high for this hero that there’s no other that can match his once humouristic and colourful world and now gritty and gloomy universe.
What is Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman about? Collecting various different stories marking Batman’s saga within his iconic Detective Comics run, this beautiful hardcover deluxe edition looks into sharing some of the most quintessential stories that have ever been published in this series in the comic book industry. From origin stories introducing emblematic heroes and villains within Batman’s universe to adventures of non-superhero characters that were printed within the Detective Comics series, editor Paul Levitz shares these memorable moments interspersed with essays from various contributors who recognize and acknowledge the influence of the Dark Knight on our culture and the individual lives of its fans. With never-before-seen stories and artwork, this celebratory volume, similar to Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman, allows fans to relive the greatness of Batman and his adventures over the years within a comic book series that went on to give the company its name (Detective Comics Comics, also known as DC Comics).
It should be noted that this collection doesn’t solely celebrate Batman’s story but the inspirations behind the hero as well as pulp fiction that highlighted various different heroes who have showcased qualities that mankind strives to propagate. While the majority of the volume does focus on the Dark Knight, his friends and his foes, it is not only his stories that are celebrated in order to fully acknowledge the impact of the Detective Comics series throughout the years. The commentary in the form of short essays is also key to this volume’s pertinence and importance as it helps illuminate the epic scale of Batman’s and this series’ influence on various other stories but also on all of its readers. One of the most interesting essays in this volume is the essay on intellectual property that recounts the unfair crediting of creator Bob Kane for both the story and the art for countless years as the real contributors are left unrecognized, such as Bill Finger and Lew Sayre Schwartz. It is only much later that the issue was fixed and credit was given where credit was due.
What should not be expected from this volume is a chronological analysis of the artwork as its main focus is on the stories rather than the art. While you can see a significant difference in artwork style as you progress through this volume, it isn’t as impressive as it could’ve been knowing that there are some iconic stories in the run that have incredible artwork but would’ve been impossible to include here without adding 300 pages or including a part of the story without context (e.g. Scott Snyder’s Batman: The Black Mirror). The stories also reflect a very humouristic and campy tone that is closer to Adam West’s Batman whilst tackling some slightly heavier themes. In fact, the various stories are sometimes over-the-top and don’t restrain themselves in realism. It isn’t, however, impossible to appreciate these stories. After all, this is the comic book series that allowed Batman to achieve the impossible over the years since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27.
Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a stunning and beautiful commemorative collection imbued with a nostalgic value that shares some of the greatest stories published in one of the most important comic book runs in history.
May 5, 2019
A good Book for Batman's 🦇 hardcore Fans
October 10, 2025
A fun collection of Batman stories from Detective Comics (the first comic to actually carry the Batman - issue 27). You have the first appearance of Batman, Robin, Batmite, the Riddler (a fav) Two Face, Batwoman,(remember her?), Man-Bat, you have some of the non-Batman characters Slam Bradley, Pow Wow Smith, The Martian Manhunter. You have some fun stories with some great art. A very nice collection if you want to sample comics from every decade. Not all stories are classics but they are almost all enjoyable.
I had read quite a few of these before so I rate it a bit lower but still worthy of a read for Batman fans who haven't sampled these classics yet.
REREAD 6 years later: One thing I will add to my review is how much a let down the more "modern" stories they picked were. I am not saying the earlier ones were examples of amazing writing or art but at least they introduced new villains and characters and were fun to read. The modern ones felt instantly forgettable and you wondered why they were picked. One was literally a rewriting of the first Batman story. I suspect one problem is - the way comics are written for the past 20 years there are so few "stand alone classics". Everything has to be part of a 30 issue mega crossover. This was shown to be true because one of the more interesting modern stories they picked kept referring to "No Man's Land" which I haven't read but know it is a mega event from Batman. It's a shame. I don't mind long story arcs but I wish we also had some well written stand alone stories thrown in.
I had read quite a few of these before so I rate it a bit lower but still worthy of a read for Batman fans who haven't sampled these classics yet.
REREAD 6 years later: One thing I will add to my review is how much a let down the more "modern" stories they picked were. I am not saying the earlier ones were examples of amazing writing or art but at least they introduced new villains and characters and were fun to read. The modern ones felt instantly forgettable and you wondered why they were picked. One was literally a rewriting of the first Batman story. I suspect one problem is - the way comics are written for the past 20 years there are so few "stand alone classics". Everything has to be part of a 30 issue mega crossover. This was shown to be true because one of the more interesting modern stories they picked kept referring to "No Man's Land" which I haven't read but know it is a mega event from Batman. It's a shame. I don't mind long story arcs but I wish we also had some well written stand alone stories thrown in.
November 10, 2023
"Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman," is an absolute must have for any Batman fan/collector. Not only does this addition contain the first appearance of The Batman in Detective Comics #27, but the first appearance and origin of: Robin #38, Two Face #66, The Riddler #140, Martian Manhunter #225, Batwoman #233, Bat-Mite #267, Clay-Face #298, Batgirl #359, and Man-Bat #400. I was a bit disappointed that the first appearance of The Joker was not included in this volume, however I understand that decision. That was obviously saved for "The Joker 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime," which I totally need to read.
My personal favorite story in this volume was "To Kill A Legend" in Detective Comics #500. In this story Batman is given the opportunity to save Thomas and Martha Wayne in another reality. Robin is opposed to this, as he believes that action will prevent that alternate reality from having its own Batman. Spoiler alert, Batman successfully prevents the murder of his parents. In the epilogue of the story, a young Bruce Wayne is so impressed by the bat-winged creature that saved his family, that he dedicates his life to become such a hero in his own reality. However, one born of awe, mystery and gratitude, not grief,guilt or vengeance .
In addition to the multitude of Batman stories, we also have reprints of many other stories published in Detective Comics. These include: The Crimson Avenger, Sam Bradley (looked a lot like Kal-el), Air Wave, The Boy Commandos, Pow-Wow Smith: Indian Lawman, and the "all new" Manhunter, which includes a team up with the Caped Crusader.
It was an enjoyable read, 4-Stars!
My personal favorite story in this volume was "To Kill A Legend" in Detective Comics #500. In this story Batman is given the opportunity to save Thomas and Martha Wayne in another reality. Robin is opposed to this, as he believes that action will prevent that alternate reality from having its own Batman. Spoiler alert, Batman successfully prevents the murder of his parents. In the epilogue of the story, a young Bruce Wayne is so impressed by the bat-winged creature that saved his family, that he dedicates his life to become such a hero in his own reality. However, one born of awe, mystery and gratitude, not grief,guilt or vengeance .
In addition to the multitude of Batman stories, we also have reprints of many other stories published in Detective Comics. These include: The Crimson Avenger, Sam Bradley (looked a lot like Kal-el), Air Wave, The Boy Commandos, Pow-Wow Smith: Indian Lawman, and the "all new" Manhunter, which includes a team up with the Caped Crusader.
It was an enjoyable read, 4-Stars!
November 12, 2020
Una lectura que no puede faltar en las estanterías de los fans de Batman, al menos yo que recien empiezo me divertí bastante con ella.
Detective Comics 80 años de BATMAN a grandes rasgos es una enorme antología que reune los comics que definieron tanto a las primeras historias de Detective Comics como al propio personaje de Batman y nos muestra una evolución y refinamiento de sus aventuras con el paso del tiempo. Cabe aclarar que no todo el contenido se relaciona a Batman de manera directa pues el murciélago apareció hasta el Detective Comics número 27 y en este libro se incluyen cómics sueltos de los personajes que fueron los primeros ensayos para crear a Batman y esto puede notarse por los ideales, la vestimenta, o incluso por los gadgets que varios de ellos utilizaban para combatir el crimen.
En esta antología lo hay de todo: desde viñetas de personajes olvidados de DC, colegas del Batman clásico, las historias más icónicas del hombre murciélago cuando aun no existía el concepto de la continuidad en los cómics hasta las primeras apariciones de sus villanos más reconocibles y los miembros de su batifamilia y un par de historias ineditas que complaceran a cualquier fan que quiera re-descubrir el origen de Batman.
Y por si no fuera suficiente tambien hay entrevistas, artículos, anécdotas, bocetos, storyboards, homenajes y notas a pie de página en las que participa mucha gente del medio del cómic que en algun momento se involucró con las publicaciones de Batman. Y para rematar una colección de sus portadas más emblemáticas.
El unico punto "negativo" que le encontre a este volumen es que creo que no es una lectura para todo el mundo, al día de hoy el personaje a cambiado tanto que creo que un vistazo primerizo con esta antología daría una percepción erronea de lo que es Batman hoy en día sin mencionar que hay historias que envejecieron un poco mal por las tramas que resuelven todo en un solo capítulo o referencias a personajes tan underground que podrían abrumar a la gente que recien empieza con Batman sin el contexto de que la mayoría de las historias de este libro no forman parte de la continuidad actual de DC y que tampoco es un resumen de lo que ha pasado en 80 años con el personaje, en todo caso este volumen sería una representación gráfica de la evolución de Detective Comics antes y después de Batman hasta que terminó volviendose su emblema.
Detective Comics 80 años de BATMAN es nostalgia en estado puro y un homenaje al caballero de la noche y sus primeras aventuras antes de que hubiera algun tipo de continuidad o congruencia en sus historias, lo considero ideal para coleccionistas o los fanáticos más clavados del personaje.
Detective Comics 80 años de BATMAN a grandes rasgos es una enorme antología que reune los comics que definieron tanto a las primeras historias de Detective Comics como al propio personaje de Batman y nos muestra una evolución y refinamiento de sus aventuras con el paso del tiempo. Cabe aclarar que no todo el contenido se relaciona a Batman de manera directa pues el murciélago apareció hasta el Detective Comics número 27 y en este libro se incluyen cómics sueltos de los personajes que fueron los primeros ensayos para crear a Batman y esto puede notarse por los ideales, la vestimenta, o incluso por los gadgets que varios de ellos utilizaban para combatir el crimen.
En esta antología lo hay de todo: desde viñetas de personajes olvidados de DC, colegas del Batman clásico, las historias más icónicas del hombre murciélago cuando aun no existía el concepto de la continuidad en los cómics hasta las primeras apariciones de sus villanos más reconocibles y los miembros de su batifamilia y un par de historias ineditas que complaceran a cualquier fan que quiera re-descubrir el origen de Batman.
Y por si no fuera suficiente tambien hay entrevistas, artículos, anécdotas, bocetos, storyboards, homenajes y notas a pie de página en las que participa mucha gente del medio del cómic que en algun momento se involucró con las publicaciones de Batman. Y para rematar una colección de sus portadas más emblemáticas.
El unico punto "negativo" que le encontre a este volumen es que creo que no es una lectura para todo el mundo, al día de hoy el personaje a cambiado tanto que creo que un vistazo primerizo con esta antología daría una percepción erronea de lo que es Batman hoy en día sin mencionar que hay historias que envejecieron un poco mal por las tramas que resuelven todo en un solo capítulo o referencias a personajes tan underground que podrían abrumar a la gente que recien empieza con Batman sin el contexto de que la mayoría de las historias de este libro no forman parte de la continuidad actual de DC y que tampoco es un resumen de lo que ha pasado en 80 años con el personaje, en todo caso este volumen sería una representación gráfica de la evolución de Detective Comics antes y después de Batman hasta que terminó volviendose su emblema.
Detective Comics 80 años de BATMAN es nostalgia en estado puro y un homenaje al caballero de la noche y sus primeras aventuras antes de que hubiera algun tipo de continuidad o congruencia en sus historias, lo considero ideal para coleccionistas o los fanáticos más clavados del personaje.
June 28, 2019
This celebratory book has a smattering of stories from across the 80 years of Batman, specifically Detective Comics. I typically don't like these types of books but despite the variety it gave a decent representation of Batman, at least in the Gold/Silver/Bronze age. In those cases, there were a few key stories and styles allowing the reader to experience the Batman as he was written in those times. From that respect, being a fan of Batman and increasingly becoming aware of his status in society and his longevity, it was inspiring to see his roots. While those early stories may seem goofy from today's perspective, they were clearly interesting enough to captivate audiences everywhere.
The modern stories were less than stellar choices. It almost felt as if they went out of their way to not choose the best stuff. I can understand not reprinting the A level stuff, but this wasn't even B level. I was also surprised at how few covers were actually reprinted. Instead there were prose pieces from various people, in and out of the industry.
Despite all that, did I like this more than it deserves? Probably. But it isn't all a waste.
The modern stories were less than stellar choices. It almost felt as if they went out of their way to not choose the best stuff. I can understand not reprinting the A level stuff, but this wasn't even B level. I was also surprised at how few covers were actually reprinted. Instead there were prose pieces from various people, in and out of the industry.
Despite all that, did I like this more than it deserves? Probably. But it isn't all a waste.
Read
June 17, 2019Edit: Some historical, political reasons why certain characters were introduced and how anti-gay propaganda influenced these comics - http://www.blastoffcomics.com/2014/01/bat/#lightbox/3/
Some standouts:
First appearance of Robin:
Story has been told bajillion times. But something absolutely wonderful is this comic when Batman makes this kid take an undying oath to not stray from the path of righteousness.
You know he is just a kid right? Like 15 or 16? What is wrong with you.
First appearance of Two-Face:
Two face: my handsome face is now only half handsome. So am half evil cause if am not full handsome am not full good. His entire reason for criminal behavior --- half handsome = half good. half scarred = half evil.
I am opening a dying bottle of Krakow. Its very close to bleach.
First appearance of Pow-wow smith:
White boy [Jiimmy] and native American [Ohiyesa] boy grow up together.
Jimmy to older white man - His name is Ohiyesa
Older white man - That's too tough to pronounce. Lets call him Pow wow smith cause its simple.
Right......
First appearance of Batwoman: where she kicks ass and saves Batman and Robin. Right after that -
Robin - A girl saving you? Ridiculous.
Batman - But she takes so many risks!!
Yeah, no shit asshole. Three guesses which douche is carrying out this conversation in a car and is riding with a minor child as his sidekick. Take your time. I'll be here.
Batman says "If I could find out who you are then so can bad guys."
Batwoman - "Oh no. I quit. But I can find out who you are because I have cameras and x-ray and stuff. But I wont do that and wont ever hurt you."
What. Really, what. Lady, expose his ass to Gotham. He basically didn't rest till he "investigated" who you were cause you were beating in his own game. Us in 2019 call it casual stalking but hey, you do you girl. Batman berates her at one point saying that there is actually a law in Gotham that no man can become Batman. She gives Batman middle finger stating she is "no man". LOTR feels here. Get it? Get it?
Also Batwoman - "Take this gigantic photo of mine. Cause reasons."
Ugh
First appearance of Bat-mite:
Nope.
First appearance of Batgirl:
I am taking a shot in advance. Seeing how Batwoman was introduced....
Batman - you ruined everything; although you figured out the bad guys plan all on your own, kicked ass, figured out their extra evil future plan, without any inner knowings of meetings that Bruce Wayne was privy too but that's not the point! I organized everything and crime fighting is my territory and unfortunately the main bad guy ran away. Its your fault!!!
Get fucked asshole.
In the end she still manages to fight along their side and help the two dicks. After coming home, her dad - Commissioner Gordon says - "Too bad you aren't a little more like Batgirl, Barbara."
Dad of the year, everyone.
I am not really a huge fan of these comics from late 70s to mid 90s. The stories were alright, but the artwork didn't work for me. There is just too much some time and sometimes I want to rub my eyes and see the panel again. The stories became slightly edgier, Batman less of a dick and more cynical but there are couple of decent ones there which tie in with his subtle gentle regard for hope.
From there the collection fast forwards to Grek Rucka era - this is the time of late grunge, over consumption of caffeine, pretentious edgy nonsense, searching for deeper meaning in every goddamn thing, copious amount of retrospection, inability to differentiate introspection and self indulgent bullshit and Batman finally loses those goddamn overtly pointy ears. Yes, this was my teenage years and I remember them and Batman from this era with little fondness.
Its a super fast forward to New 52 - that are meh. They are alright I suppose.
The collection ends with a super long prose/poem thing by Gaiman. Its good, the way he writes and makes it personal. But I am going to be that person and say - its no Sandman...
Every major league writers have written something or the other for Batman - either an entire arc or bunch of standalone lines. The character has had a major influence on pop-culture and media franchises. Even now we can't seem to stop making Batman movies. [Sparkly vampire is going to be new Batman.]
I was 9 when I read first Batman comic and I really hated it. I thought he looked stupid with cape and mask, besides, Chacha Choudhary was super intelligent and was intelligent-er than Batman. It took few more years for me to come back to this and it was Batman - The Animated Series that got me into reading comics. Comics don't interest me anymore, but this was a nice trip to nostalgia lane. I am glad I got to read some bat-shit (get it?) stuff from the past.
Some standouts:
First appearance of Robin:
Story has been told bajillion times. But something absolutely wonderful is this comic when Batman makes this kid take an undying oath to not stray from the path of righteousness.
You know he is just a kid right? Like 15 or 16? What is wrong with you.
First appearance of Two-Face:
Two face: my handsome face is now only half handsome. So am half evil cause if am not full handsome am not full good. His entire reason for criminal behavior --- half handsome = half good. half scarred = half evil.
I am opening a dying bottle of Krakow. Its very close to bleach.
First appearance of Pow-wow smith:
White boy [Jiimmy] and native American [Ohiyesa] boy grow up together.
Jimmy to older white man - His name is Ohiyesa
Older white man - That's too tough to pronounce. Lets call him Pow wow smith cause its simple.
Right......
First appearance of Batwoman: where she kicks ass and saves Batman and Robin. Right after that -
Robin - A girl saving you? Ridiculous.
Batman - But she takes so many risks!!
Yeah, no shit asshole. Three guesses which douche is carrying out this conversation in a car and is riding with a minor child as his sidekick. Take your time. I'll be here.
Batman says "If I could find out who you are then so can bad guys."
Batwoman - "Oh no. I quit. But I can find out who you are because I have cameras and x-ray and stuff. But I wont do that and wont ever hurt you."
What. Really, what. Lady, expose his ass to Gotham. He basically didn't rest till he "investigated" who you were cause you were beating in his own game. Us in 2019 call it casual stalking but hey, you do you girl. Batman berates her at one point saying that there is actually a law in Gotham that no man can become Batman. She gives Batman middle finger stating she is "no man". LOTR feels here. Get it? Get it?
Also Batwoman - "Take this gigantic photo of mine. Cause reasons."
Ugh
First appearance of Bat-mite:
Nope.
First appearance of Batgirl:
I am taking a shot in advance. Seeing how Batwoman was introduced....
Batman - you ruined everything; although you figured out the bad guys plan all on your own, kicked ass, figured out their extra evil future plan, without any inner knowings of meetings that Bruce Wayne was privy too but that's not the point! I organized everything and crime fighting is my territory and unfortunately the main bad guy ran away. Its your fault!!!
Get fucked asshole.
In the end she still manages to fight along their side and help the two dicks. After coming home, her dad - Commissioner Gordon says - "Too bad you aren't a little more like Batgirl, Barbara."
Dad of the year, everyone.
I am not really a huge fan of these comics from late 70s to mid 90s. The stories were alright, but the artwork didn't work for me. There is just too much some time and sometimes I want to rub my eyes and see the panel again. The stories became slightly edgier, Batman less of a dick and more cynical but there are couple of decent ones there which tie in with his subtle gentle regard for hope.
From there the collection fast forwards to Grek Rucka era - this is the time of late grunge, over consumption of caffeine, pretentious edgy nonsense, searching for deeper meaning in every goddamn thing, copious amount of retrospection, inability to differentiate introspection and self indulgent bullshit and Batman finally loses those goddamn overtly pointy ears. Yes, this was my teenage years and I remember them and Batman from this era with little fondness.
Its a super fast forward to New 52 - that are meh. They are alright I suppose.
The collection ends with a super long prose/poem thing by Gaiman. Its good, the way he writes and makes it personal. But I am going to be that person and say - its no Sandman...
Every major league writers have written something or the other for Batman - either an entire arc or bunch of standalone lines. The character has had a major influence on pop-culture and media franchises. Even now we can't seem to stop making Batman movies. [Sparkly vampire is going to be new Batman.]
I was 9 when I read first Batman comic and I really hated it. I thought he looked stupid with cape and mask, besides, Chacha Choudhary was super intelligent and was intelligent-er than Batman. It took few more years for me to come back to this and it was Batman - The Animated Series that got me into reading comics. Comics don't interest me anymore, but this was a nice trip to nostalgia lane. I am glad I got to read some bat-shit (get it?) stuff from the past.
March 12, 2019
This collection forced me to reflect on my relationship with The Dark Knight. Why has he retained his popularity for so many years? Why do I follow him more closely than Superman? I believe I am like most people in that I appreciate his humanity, his pain, and his dark and brooding demeanor. This won’t be a debate on Superman vs Batman because there have been just too many of those over the years, but I do find myself drawn to Batman, and this book helps to verify that.
Like Superman’s anniversary edition last year, this is another awesome tribute to one of the titans of the comic world.
4 out of 5 stars.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/03/11/de...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
Like Superman’s anniversary edition last year, this is another awesome tribute to one of the titans of the comic world.
4 out of 5 stars.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/03/11/de...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
May 3, 2020
I ended up skimming a lot of the second half of this book, which was a disappointing collection of stories.
Batman is prominently on the cover. The largest word on the cover is "Batman", as in "80 Years of BATMAN". Yet this volume contained several NON-Batman stories.
If I'm going to read a book celebrating "80 Years of BATMAN", isn't it a good assumption that I want to read stories featuring his most well-known adversaries? The Joker? Catwoman? The Penguin? The Penguin appears for a few frames. Otherwise, all of these villains are excluded. Why?
Well, here's why. There are separate volumes coming about those villains. So I guess I'm expected to buy those. Come on, DC. Thrown us a bone. You could give us a story featuring each of those villains.
This was not what I expected it to be.
Batman is prominently on the cover. The largest word on the cover is "Batman", as in "80 Years of BATMAN". Yet this volume contained several NON-Batman stories.
If I'm going to read a book celebrating "80 Years of BATMAN", isn't it a good assumption that I want to read stories featuring his most well-known adversaries? The Joker? Catwoman? The Penguin? The Penguin appears for a few frames. Otherwise, all of these villains are excluded. Why?
Well, here's why. There are separate volumes coming about those villains. So I guess I'm expected to buy those. Come on, DC. Thrown us a bone. You could give us a story featuring each of those villains.
This was not what I expected it to be.
May 20, 2019
An excellent way to celebrate the legacy of the long-running series, not only with the debuts of memorable characters but even those who are somewhat lost to history, as well as stories that represent the changing face of comic book storytelling and society itself. A variety of essays spotlight Detective Comics itself and Batman in general. Bonus material proves inspired, too.
DC publisher Dan DiDio opens the collection by disproving the myth that the company itself is named after the series. He also shares how his earliest fond memory of Detective Comics doesn't involve Batman at all, but a '70s version of Manhunter that has become a deep cut of fan acclaim. But you don't have to search your memories to recognize other achievements from a thousand issues of the series. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Riddler, Two-Face, Man-Bat, Martian Manhunter, Bat-Mite, and even the original Batwoman all made their first appearances here, and those stories are all interesting to revisit. The Crimson Avenger was the first superhero to appear in Detective Comics, so it's only fitting to have him included as well. Batman's monopoly in the series didn't happen overnight, either, so you also get characters like Airwave, Pow-Wow Smith (it's incredible to read this version of Native Americans in 1949!), the Boy Commandoes (from legendary duo Joe Simon and Jack Kirby) and Slam Bradley (from Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in the same issue as Batman's first appearance).
From there the collection features the issue that debuted Batman's updated look, with the famous yellow spotlight behind the bat emblem on his chest, a few reprints from the Manhunter saga, a famous Denny O'Neil reflective tale on Batman's origins (and later another from the five hundredth issue of the series), a longstanding repackaging of Deadshot, a second Bat-Mite segment that reflects the emerging face of fans in the comics industry, a story from genre icon Harlan Ellison, a sober spotlight for Commissioner Gordon, and two stories from the "New 52" era relaunch of Detective Comics and its historic twenty-seventh issue, a Brad Meltzer recreation of the very first Batman adventure and a Scott Snyder peak at the future (my all-time favorite from Snyder, in fact).
The bonus material includes sketched artwork for another anniversary issue, Detective Comics #200 and pencil art and script from an unpublished comic. The essays come from a wide range of personalities: a senator, a police chief, and several novelists. Neil Gaiman closes out the collection with a poem depicting his relationship with Batman, and it's of course a highlight.
Any retrospective collection by nature captures the perspectives of past eras, what was important to creators from different times. Whether it's what kind of rich guy Bruce Wayne is (whether critiqued by Cory Doctorow or not!) or the kind of villains he faces, or the extent of the focus on the nature of Batman himself, it's not just "comics being comics," but a window into a vast realm of possibilities, a celebration of the medium, too. You can be a fan who's read comics for years or just getting into them, and you ought to be able to appreciate something like this.
In short, a fine collection.
DC publisher Dan DiDio opens the collection by disproving the myth that the company itself is named after the series. He also shares how his earliest fond memory of Detective Comics doesn't involve Batman at all, but a '70s version of Manhunter that has become a deep cut of fan acclaim. But you don't have to search your memories to recognize other achievements from a thousand issues of the series. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Riddler, Two-Face, Man-Bat, Martian Manhunter, Bat-Mite, and even the original Batwoman all made their first appearances here, and those stories are all interesting to revisit. The Crimson Avenger was the first superhero to appear in Detective Comics, so it's only fitting to have him included as well. Batman's monopoly in the series didn't happen overnight, either, so you also get characters like Airwave, Pow-Wow Smith (it's incredible to read this version of Native Americans in 1949!), the Boy Commandoes (from legendary duo Joe Simon and Jack Kirby) and Slam Bradley (from Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in the same issue as Batman's first appearance).
From there the collection features the issue that debuted Batman's updated look, with the famous yellow spotlight behind the bat emblem on his chest, a few reprints from the Manhunter saga, a famous Denny O'Neil reflective tale on Batman's origins (and later another from the five hundredth issue of the series), a longstanding repackaging of Deadshot, a second Bat-Mite segment that reflects the emerging face of fans in the comics industry, a story from genre icon Harlan Ellison, a sober spotlight for Commissioner Gordon, and two stories from the "New 52" era relaunch of Detective Comics and its historic twenty-seventh issue, a Brad Meltzer recreation of the very first Batman adventure and a Scott Snyder peak at the future (my all-time favorite from Snyder, in fact).
The bonus material includes sketched artwork for another anniversary issue, Detective Comics #200 and pencil art and script from an unpublished comic. The essays come from a wide range of personalities: a senator, a police chief, and several novelists. Neil Gaiman closes out the collection with a poem depicting his relationship with Batman, and it's of course a highlight.
Any retrospective collection by nature captures the perspectives of past eras, what was important to creators from different times. Whether it's what kind of rich guy Bruce Wayne is (whether critiqued by Cory Doctorow or not!) or the kind of villains he faces, or the extent of the focus on the nature of Batman himself, it's not just "comics being comics," but a window into a vast realm of possibilities, a celebration of the medium, too. You can be a fan who's read comics for years or just getting into them, and you ought to be able to appreciate something like this.
In short, a fine collection.
August 16, 2023
27 issues, 9 out of them are not batman stories. A disappointment to find out when you buy a book with batman in the title. These 9 stories contain the origins of other characters that used to be part of detective comics before it got completely batman centered. The thing is none of them is interesting at all except for the Martian Manhunter. Maybe they hold some historical impact but they were deadly boring to me.
So we're left with 18 issues and a bunch of articles about the character. I mostly enjoyed all of them. Observing the transitions that batman as a title went through in terms of writing, art, characterisation, appearance, setting, villains etc, is the reason why I wanted to read this and I'm fairly satisfied with what I got. Never the less some context is needed that the book doesn't offer, but there are two videos from a youtube channel called Salazar knight that did pretty well covering batman in the golden age & silver age of comics.
The issues debuted characters like batman, robin, batgirl, twoface, riddler, manbat, and others. Also included some other good stories such as: There's No Hope in Crime Alley, To Kill a Legend.
Overall most of them were enjoyable, few were boring. The articles provided some insight regarding batman's character, past, and influence.
So we're left with 18 issues and a bunch of articles about the character. I mostly enjoyed all of them. Observing the transitions that batman as a title went through in terms of writing, art, characterisation, appearance, setting, villains etc, is the reason why I wanted to read this and I'm fairly satisfied with what I got. Never the less some context is needed that the book doesn't offer, but there are two videos from a youtube channel called Salazar knight that did pretty well covering batman in the golden age & silver age of comics.
The issues debuted characters like batman, robin, batgirl, twoface, riddler, manbat, and others. Also included some other good stories such as: There's No Hope in Crime Alley, To Kill a Legend.
Overall most of them were enjoyable, few were boring. The articles provided some insight regarding batman's character, past, and influence.
August 8, 2019
The large pages and properly flexible spine make the book quite nice to read. The reproduced comics pages are well done. There are a very few exceptions: some pages that look rougher, and some that look pixelated, as if from a low resolution scan. It seems as if most of the book was reproduced from high quality archived originals except a few pages that had to be sourced elsewhere for some reason.
The book design is nothing special. Cover is generic and bland. Same for the layout and design for the essays.
As for the comics themselves. Well, the early stuff is obviously from a very different time, produced in a very different social and entertainment context, and for a very young demo. So, not for me. And yet I still enjoyed reading them (most of them) for their historical and anthropological qualities.
But some of the stuff is just wacko:
Meanwhile in the background, Slam Bradley's "partner pal, Shorty Morgan" is holding... a wrench? He brought a wrench to a gun fight? This is not explained. Sheesh.
The book design is nothing special. Cover is generic and bland. Same for the layout and design for the essays.
As for the comics themselves. Well, the early stuff is obviously from a very different time, produced in a very different social and entertainment context, and for a very young demo. So, not for me. And yet I still enjoyed reading them (most of them) for their historical and anthropological qualities.
But some of the stuff is just wacko:
Very early issue:
Bad guy, pointing a gun: "Raise 'em -- you dumb cluck."
Slam Bradley: "What's the idea of --?"
next panel
Slam Bradley, giving bad guy an uppercut to the chin: "I'll raise 'em all right -- straight to your chin!"
Meanwhile in the background, Slam Bradley's "partner pal, Shorty Morgan" is holding... a wrench? He brought a wrench to a gun fight? This is not explained. Sheesh.
Batman and Robin are described as "the groping duo"
(why 'groping'? ... they are searching through a labyrinthine maze for the Riddler)
In her first comic book appearance The Batwoman carries a purse as part of her costume. And how does she battle the bad guy?
(narration): "The amazing Batwoman extracts a large powder-puff from her bag and..."
(bad guy speach balloon): "She shook a whole cloud of powder in my face - - achoo - - can't stop sneezing!"
There's the first ever Bat-Mite story, which was the stupidest thing I've read in a long time. It appeared in "Detective Comics" but seemed targeted at 7-year-olds. Quite credulous 7-year-olds.
Now it's 1967. The new character Batgirl is smart, tough, and resourceful. Yay progress. But she still carries a purse while fighting crime (in this case the totally lame Killer Moth). And how does she catch the bad guy? She sniffs out the smell of her own perfume that had rubbed off on him earlier.
Also, why did the artist draw their capes flowing up off their backs even when they're standing still?
And what's the deal with the comically oversized objects? Early in the book Batman and Robin find themselves, inexplicably, in a hall full of super-sized Hi-Fi equipment where they battle a bunch of bad guys. In a later issue Batman is at a convention hall where he battles Deadshot on a huge electric typewriter, one where the keys are a bit larger than their feet. And it's actually a functioning typewriter, not just a cardboard display. Who would ever actually build such a thing? So stupid.
November 10, 2024
This is a celebration of Detective Comics as a whole. Rather than focusing solely on Batman and related characters, we see a wide selection of other characters. Unfortunately, Slam Bradley, the Crimson Avenger, Air Wave, the Boy Commandoes, etc. are really only interesting from a history-of-comics perspective. I was mostly annoyed not to be getting more Batman and it's easy to see why he was the breakout character.
It's not all bad, though. Martian Manhunter's first appearance is welcome, and you can't argue with Batman-related characters like Batwoman and Batgirl being included. This collection is also interspersed with essays from various contributors. And of the Batman stories included, there are a few real gems - for instance, a Harlan Ellison story that is offbeat and hilarious.
Nevertheless, I would have liked to see more Batman stories - we don't even get a story with the Joker, or Catwoman. And I know it's because DC published separate anniversary books for them, but it still seems odd not to have them represented here. I'm sure there have been enough stories with Joker and Catwoman over the years, that DC could have rounded up a couple not already included in the other anniversary books.
It's not all bad, though. Martian Manhunter's first appearance is welcome, and you can't argue with Batman-related characters like Batwoman and Batgirl being included. This collection is also interspersed with essays from various contributors. And of the Batman stories included, there are a few real gems - for instance, a Harlan Ellison story that is offbeat and hilarious.
Nevertheless, I would have liked to see more Batman stories - we don't even get a story with the Joker, or Catwoman. And I know it's because DC published separate anniversary books for them, but it still seems odd not to have them represented here. I'm sure there have been enough stories with Joker and Catwoman over the years, that DC could have rounded up a couple not already included in the other anniversary books.
February 12, 2022
I got this book for free as part of a holiday sales promotion. I really appreciate the concept and the variety of stories that are included - it's unfortunate that Batman still bores the hell out of me, though.
August 23, 2024
Issues of Detective through time. Many feature the first appearance of a character. Besides that, not much noteworthy. The essays are forgettable. The assortment of gifted artists is very cool.
March 15, 2022
This hardcover edition is a collection of curated stories from the first 80 years of Detective Comics, along with new text pieces examining the history and legacy of both the title and the Batman.
This volume is as much a history of Detective Comics as it is of the Batman. So, while most of the book is devoted to the Caped Crusader, we're treated to the occasional story featuring other characters who had features in the comic over the years, such as Roy Raymond, Pow-Wow Smith, and Manhunter. It's worth remembering that Batman didn't even appear until the 27th issue, so it's only right that these other characters share a bit of the spotlight.
Still, this is mostly a celebration of the Batman. An array of notable Batman stories from over the decades is presented. By no means are these necessarily the best of the character, but they are a mix of notable milestones for the character, as well as a representation of the diverse approaches to him over the years. As such, I found this an entertaining and well-selected collection, a good primer to the character in addition to a nice way to revisit the character for older readers.
This volume is as much a history of Detective Comics as it is of the Batman. So, while most of the book is devoted to the Caped Crusader, we're treated to the occasional story featuring other characters who had features in the comic over the years, such as Roy Raymond, Pow-Wow Smith, and Manhunter. It's worth remembering that Batman didn't even appear until the 27th issue, so it's only right that these other characters share a bit of the spotlight.
Still, this is mostly a celebration of the Batman. An array of notable Batman stories from over the decades is presented. By no means are these necessarily the best of the character, but they are a mix of notable milestones for the character, as well as a representation of the diverse approaches to him over the years. As such, I found this an entertaining and well-selected collection, a good primer to the character in addition to a nice way to revisit the character for older readers.
November 21, 2025
Wow; this was just a huge reinforcement that the Golden Age of comics were just terrible.
Most comic fans know that Batman first appeared in Detective Comics. It was Detective #27 to be precise, but Detective was not exclusively Batman... and that is a huge problem. I assert that no one gives a shit about “The Scarlet Avenger”; “Slam Bradley”; “Air Wave”; “Boy Commandos”; “Pow-Wow Smith”; and “the Manhunter”. Seriously, we have about ½ of this book devoted to boring, non essential characters. The most egregious is the inclusion of “Bat-Mite”. Seriously, WTF. It is in not one, but two separate stories. An idiotic character and an embarrassment.
Is Joker here? Nope. Mr. Freeze? Nope. Yes, we get The Riddler and a brief appearance of the Penguin plus Clay-Face and Two Face, so not a total loss. The casual racism and sexism is tough. The simply bad art and lettering hurts ones eyes after a while.
So many great stories that are just not in here. But there are 2 interesting vignettes that are very worthwhile. 1st, we have the fantastic Cory Doctorow who pens a marvelous essay on the failure of Batman. He fights symptoms, not causes so he is destined for continual failure. Yup, this seems pretty accurate; and 2nd, Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know all about Mr. Gaiman, but basically, so what. This is the man who wrote “The Sandman”. Both essays are really worth reading and that is why this is not a 1 star book. 2 stars
Most comic fans know that Batman first appeared in Detective Comics. It was Detective #27 to be precise, but Detective was not exclusively Batman... and that is a huge problem. I assert that no one gives a shit about “The Scarlet Avenger”; “Slam Bradley”; “Air Wave”; “Boy Commandos”; “Pow-Wow Smith”; and “the Manhunter”. Seriously, we have about ½ of this book devoted to boring, non essential characters. The most egregious is the inclusion of “Bat-Mite”. Seriously, WTF. It is in not one, but two separate stories. An idiotic character and an embarrassment.
Is Joker here? Nope. Mr. Freeze? Nope. Yes, we get The Riddler and a brief appearance of the Penguin plus Clay-Face and Two Face, so not a total loss. The casual racism and sexism is tough. The simply bad art and lettering hurts ones eyes after a while.
So many great stories that are just not in here. But there are 2 interesting vignettes that are very worthwhile. 1st, we have the fantastic Cory Doctorow who pens a marvelous essay on the failure of Batman. He fights symptoms, not causes so he is destined for continual failure. Yup, this seems pretty accurate; and 2nd, Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know all about Mr. Gaiman, but basically, so what. This is the man who wrote “The Sandman”. Both essays are really worth reading and that is why this is not a 1 star book. 2 stars
January 10, 2020
I'm a big Batman fan and this was oddly a disappointment. Lots of the golden age stuff covers odd non-Batman heroes, those were especially not very good and I kind of wish the focus had been more on Batman. There's a lot of cheese throughout the entire collection but especially during the early days. The highlights to me were seeing the origins or various Batman characters like Two-Face, Batgirl, Batwoman, Robin, The Riddler, etc. Though the Batgirl/Batwoman are full of the casual sexism of the time, Batwoman uses makeup powder as a weapon yikes. The writings between some of the issues were also for the most part very well written and interesting.
The later issues included aren't anything special and I wonder why some of them were chosen. I had many problems with this collection, here's a select few: Why was the 1990s era completely skipped? Why didn't we get to see any of the comics where Batman used a gun? Why did we need so many Batman origin variations? Why the hell does a Batman collection not include any comics featuring the Joker!?
In the end as a Batman fan this was an interesting read but I get the feeling it could have been much, much better. Recommended for hardcore Batman fans but not casual readers.
2.5/5
The later issues included aren't anything special and I wonder why some of them were chosen. I had many problems with this collection, here's a select few: Why was the 1990s era completely skipped? Why didn't we get to see any of the comics where Batman used a gun? Why did we need so many Batman origin variations? Why the hell does a Batman collection not include any comics featuring the Joker!?
In the end as a Batman fan this was an interesting read but I get the feeling it could have been much, much better. Recommended for hardcore Batman fans but not casual readers.
2.5/5
September 8, 2024
This features a sampling of Detective Comics stories from its 80 years of history. I’m actually pretty surprised at the amount I enjoyed, particularly from the Gold and Silver ages. I started this because I wanted to read the Harlan Ellison story, and I finished it out of genuine curiosity. No regrets.
Detective Comics #20 ⧫ 2.5 Stars "Block Buster" (Oct. 1938)
This is the first appearance of the Crimson Avenger, and he uses a very circuitous plan to kill a mobster. His Asian manservant hasn’t aged well… He’s clearly a take on the Green Hornet, but this was pretty okay, especially for the Golden Age.
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
“The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” ⧫ 2.5 Stars
I would love to give Kane’s of-the-time, whimsical art more credit, but it’s largely copied from the issue of The Shadow as is the plot… Kane is a real piece of work. It’s a shame he worked out sole credit and more pay for Batman by selling out his writer and Superman creators Siegel and Shuster for it. Finger’s dialogue is pretty rough. This is everything the Batman haters love. He comes off as rich, out-of-touch and callous, shrugging off the death of the villain. The mystery itself is fine for only eight pages of condensed Shadow story.
"The Murder on Vacation" ⧫ 1.5 Stars
I don’t think I’m much of a Slam Bradley fan. His cartoon sidekick and the weird coincidences aren’t for me.
Detective Comics #38 ⧫ 3 Stars "Robin, the Boy Wonder!" (Apr. 1940)
The first appearance of Robin is actually pretty great. Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson are a great team, and the elements of Robin are all here. It’s the Golden Age, so it's light on characterization, but large on action and fun.
Detective Comics #60 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Case of the Missing Evidence!" (Feb. 1942)
This is the first appearance of Air Wave who thinks privacy is very silly…His ability to hear things from far away and throw his voice through electronic means is a fascinating gimmick, though I feel like it has very different connotations today.
Detective Comics #64 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Commandos Are Coming" (June 1942)
This is the first appearance of the Boy Commandos. I’d only read Kirby’s return to this team in The Fourth World Omnibus , and I think they're fine. Kirby’s art in this is very expressive, and this story is actually pretty cool, especially for the Golden Age. Kind of a Golden Age Inglourious Basterds.
Detective Comics #66 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “The Crimes of Two-Face” (Aug. 1942)
The first Two Face story is actually pretty incredible. While it moves a little too quickly due to the era, the elements are all there, and it ends on a cliffhanger. I think the creative team knew what they had..
Detective Comics #140 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Riddler!" (Oct. 1948)
The first appearance of the Riddler is such high camp. It’s no wonder people have had a hard time making him serious. This is ridiculous, but not uncommon for this time.
Detective Comics #151 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Origin of Pow-Wow Smith!" (Sept. 1949)
I’m only familiar with Ohiyesa “Pow-Wow” Smith from Justice League Unlimited, so it’s cool to see him in this. His name and a few elements are definitely rough, but for 1948, this is astonishingly progressive. Also, the gay overtones? I was not expecting to like this.
Detective Comics #153 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Land of Lost Years!" (Nov. 1949)
Roy Raymond is much less impressive than Ohiyesa. He’s a generic adventurer with a generic hot sidekick who discovers a silly crime.
Detective Comics #225 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" (Nov. 1955)
The first appearance of the Martian Manhunter is right on the cusp of the Silver Age. His origin is much more 50s Science Fiction than anything in the rest of this book. At this point superheroes were falling out of popularity, so that’s no surprise. John is awesome, and it shows in this, even if he doesn’t get to solve a crime.
Detective Comics #233 ⧫ 3 Stars "The Bat-Woman" (1956)
The classic Batwoman is very much a result of the Comics Code. They need a woman around to date Bruce and mommy Dick. Okay, that came out wrong. Also, she’s kind of fun? Her stuff is all “girl versions” of Batman gear, which isn’t great, but she’s tough, skilled, and fun. Batman and Robin need all their wits to discover her. It’s honestly much better than I was expecting. It’s a shame she’s named after a monster.
Detective Comics #267 ⧫ 2 Stars "Batman Meets Bat-Mite" (May 1959)
Bat-Mite appears for some Sixties hilarity! And, it’s kind of dull. Bat-Mite isn’t much of a nuisance, and his tricks aren’t that fun…
Detective Comics #298 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Challenge of Clay-Face" (Dec. 1962)
Matt Hagen’s Clayface is way goofier than I thought he'd be. Also, he’s beaten by an arbitrary time limit…
Detective Comics #327 ⧫ 2.5 Stars "Mystery of the Menacing Mask!" (May 1964)
This is apparently the beginning of Batman's "New Look" era, and it feels more like an average story from the 1970s. This has a good setup and a silly ending.
Detective Comics #359 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl" (Jan. 1967)
This is the debut of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl. The original was essentially a Comics Code mandated girlfriend for Robin, not that this one won’t date Dick Grayson eventually. Here, she’s quite fun with her secret identity helping establish her quickly. Also, her skills are her knowledge and fighting prowess. She does do one femme-coded thing, but I like it, and I think it works. What a great debut!
Detective Comics #400 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Challenge of the Man-Bat” (June 1970)
Having only seen the Animated Series introduction of Man-Bat, I was pretty surprised to see a more sympathetic Langstrom and a more body horror approach to the character. It’s a nice start.
Detective Comics #437 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Himalayan Incident" (Nov. 1973)
Goodwin wiring and some gorgeous Simonson art really make this revival of the Manhunter a feast. I’m a little less certain about Paul Kirk’s heroic standing, and it appears that much happens in a year because the next story appears to be the end of the story, so be warned if you actually want to read Manhunter’s story.
Detective Comics #443 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "Gotterdammerung" (Nov. 1974)
This is a Batman/Manhunter team-up that ends the Manhunter’s story. It’s cool, but I feel like I might have wanted the option to take that journey on my own.
Detective Comics #457 4.5 Stars "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" (Mar 1976)
This is a seminal story with the introduction of important character Leslie Thompkins. I love how it shows that even good things can be born of tragedy, and the real hope lies in restoration, not in vengeance.
Detective Comics #474 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Deadshot Ricochet” (Dec. 1977)
I’m glad a Silver St. Cloud story made it in because I recently read her opening arc, and I think she’s great, probably my favorite Bruce love interest. The return of Deadshot is cool though his costume isn’t quite there yet. The tease is awesome. So much good stuff.
Detective Comics #482 ⧫ 3 Stars "Bat-Mite's New York Adventure!" (Feb.-Mar. 1979)
A cute little Bat-Mite meta story.
Detective Comics #500 ⧫ 4 Stars "To Kill a Legend" (Mar. 1981)
Another great tale of Batman’s obsession and how there can be more to the character than just tragedy.
Detective Comics #567 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Night of Thanks, But No Thanks!" (Oct. 1986)
I find Harlan Ellison a bit more hit and miss than most, but I did really enjoy this story. That cover is phenomenal, and the story of Batman dealing with a city that might not need him is also excellent. This is also
Detective Comics #742 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Honored Dead" (Mar. 2000)
Grief always gets me.
Detective Comics Vol. 2 #27 (Mar. 2014)
"The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" ⧫ 2 Stars
This is the New 52 retelling of the first Batman story, and it’s kind of representative of the worst of that era. It fixes some things, but it’s also not complete and adds some really dumb stuff to the story. I’m also not sure Bryan Hitch is the one to draw it. I like his art, but it just didn’t work for me here.
"Twenty-Seven" ⧫ 3 Stars
It’s a neat Future-Batman story by the famous Scott Snyder.
Other Comics Reviews
Challengers of the Unknown
Jack Kirby’s The Fourth World Omnibus
Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus
Roots of the Swamp Thing
Orion Omnibus
Power Girl: Power Trip
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Detective Comics #20 ⧫ 2.5 Stars "Block Buster" (Oct. 1938)
This is the first appearance of the Crimson Avenger, and he uses a very circuitous plan to kill a mobster. His Asian manservant hasn’t aged well… He’s clearly a take on the Green Hornet, but this was pretty okay, especially for the Golden Age.
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
“The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” ⧫ 2.5 Stars
I would love to give Kane’s of-the-time, whimsical art more credit, but it’s largely copied from the issue of The Shadow as is the plot… Kane is a real piece of work. It’s a shame he worked out sole credit and more pay for Batman by selling out his writer and Superman creators Siegel and Shuster for it. Finger’s dialogue is pretty rough. This is everything the Batman haters love. He comes off as rich, out-of-touch and callous, shrugging off the death of the villain. The mystery itself is fine for only eight pages of condensed Shadow story.
"The Murder on Vacation" ⧫ 1.5 Stars
I don’t think I’m much of a Slam Bradley fan. His cartoon sidekick and the weird coincidences aren’t for me.
Detective Comics #38 ⧫ 3 Stars "Robin, the Boy Wonder!" (Apr. 1940)
The first appearance of Robin is actually pretty great. Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson are a great team, and the elements of Robin are all here. It’s the Golden Age, so it's light on characterization, but large on action and fun.
Detective Comics #60 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Case of the Missing Evidence!" (Feb. 1942)
This is the first appearance of Air Wave who thinks privacy is very silly…His ability to hear things from far away and throw his voice through electronic means is a fascinating gimmick, though I feel like it has very different connotations today.
Detective Comics #64 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Commandos Are Coming" (June 1942)
This is the first appearance of the Boy Commandos. I’d only read Kirby’s return to this team in The Fourth World Omnibus , and I think they're fine. Kirby’s art in this is very expressive, and this story is actually pretty cool, especially for the Golden Age. Kind of a Golden Age Inglourious Basterds.
Detective Comics #66 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “The Crimes of Two-Face” (Aug. 1942)
The first Two Face story is actually pretty incredible. While it moves a little too quickly due to the era, the elements are all there, and it ends on a cliffhanger. I think the creative team knew what they had..
Detective Comics #140 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Riddler!" (Oct. 1948)
The first appearance of the Riddler is such high camp. It’s no wonder people have had a hard time making him serious. This is ridiculous, but not uncommon for this time.
Detective Comics #151 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Origin of Pow-Wow Smith!" (Sept. 1949)
I’m only familiar with Ohiyesa “Pow-Wow” Smith from Justice League Unlimited, so it’s cool to see him in this. His name and a few elements are definitely rough, but for 1948, this is astonishingly progressive. Also, the gay overtones? I was not expecting to like this.
Detective Comics #153 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Land of Lost Years!" (Nov. 1949)
Roy Raymond is much less impressive than Ohiyesa. He’s a generic adventurer with a generic hot sidekick who discovers a silly crime.
Detective Comics #225 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" (Nov. 1955)
The first appearance of the Martian Manhunter is right on the cusp of the Silver Age. His origin is much more 50s Science Fiction than anything in the rest of this book. At this point superheroes were falling out of popularity, so that’s no surprise. John is awesome, and it shows in this, even if he doesn’t get to solve a crime.
Detective Comics #233 ⧫ 3 Stars "The Bat-Woman" (1956)
The classic Batwoman is very much a result of the Comics Code. They need a woman around to date Bruce and mommy Dick. Okay, that came out wrong. Also, she’s kind of fun? Her stuff is all “girl versions” of Batman gear, which isn’t great, but she’s tough, skilled, and fun. Batman and Robin need all their wits to discover her. It’s honestly much better than I was expecting. It’s a shame she’s named after a monster.
Detective Comics #267 ⧫ 2 Stars "Batman Meets Bat-Mite" (May 1959)
Bat-Mite appears for some Sixties hilarity! And, it’s kind of dull. Bat-Mite isn’t much of a nuisance, and his tricks aren’t that fun…
Detective Comics #298 ⧫ 2 Stars "The Challenge of Clay-Face" (Dec. 1962)
Matt Hagen’s Clayface is way goofier than I thought he'd be. Also, he’s beaten by an arbitrary time limit…
Detective Comics #327 ⧫ 2.5 Stars "Mystery of the Menacing Mask!" (May 1964)
This is apparently the beginning of Batman's "New Look" era, and it feels more like an average story from the 1970s. This has a good setup and a silly ending.
Detective Comics #359 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl" (Jan. 1967)
This is the debut of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl. The original was essentially a Comics Code mandated girlfriend for Robin, not that this one won’t date Dick Grayson eventually. Here, she’s quite fun with her secret identity helping establish her quickly. Also, her skills are her knowledge and fighting prowess. She does do one femme-coded thing, but I like it, and I think it works. What a great debut!
Detective Comics #400 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Challenge of the Man-Bat” (June 1970)
Having only seen the Animated Series introduction of Man-Bat, I was pretty surprised to see a more sympathetic Langstrom and a more body horror approach to the character. It’s a nice start.
Detective Comics #437 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "The Himalayan Incident" (Nov. 1973)
Goodwin wiring and some gorgeous Simonson art really make this revival of the Manhunter a feast. I’m a little less certain about Paul Kirk’s heroic standing, and it appears that much happens in a year because the next story appears to be the end of the story, so be warned if you actually want to read Manhunter’s story.
Detective Comics #443 ⧫ 3.5 Stars "Gotterdammerung" (Nov. 1974)
This is a Batman/Manhunter team-up that ends the Manhunter’s story. It’s cool, but I feel like I might have wanted the option to take that journey on my own.
Detective Comics #457 4.5 Stars "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" (Mar 1976)
This is a seminal story with the introduction of important character Leslie Thompkins. I love how it shows that even good things can be born of tragedy, and the real hope lies in restoration, not in vengeance.
Detective Comics #474 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Deadshot Ricochet” (Dec. 1977)
I’m glad a Silver St. Cloud story made it in because I recently read her opening arc, and I think she’s great, probably my favorite Bruce love interest. The return of Deadshot is cool though his costume isn’t quite there yet. The tease is awesome. So much good stuff.
Detective Comics #482 ⧫ 3 Stars "Bat-Mite's New York Adventure!" (Feb.-Mar. 1979)
A cute little Bat-Mite meta story.
Detective Comics #500 ⧫ 4 Stars "To Kill a Legend" (Mar. 1981)
Another great tale of Batman’s obsession and how there can be more to the character than just tragedy.
Detective Comics #567 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Night of Thanks, But No Thanks!" (Oct. 1986)
I find Harlan Ellison a bit more hit and miss than most, but I did really enjoy this story. That cover is phenomenal, and the story of Batman dealing with a city that might not need him is also excellent. This is also
Detective Comics #742 ⧫ 4 Stars "The Honored Dead" (Mar. 2000)
Grief always gets me.
Detective Comics Vol. 2 #27 (Mar. 2014)
"The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" ⧫ 2 Stars
This is the New 52 retelling of the first Batman story, and it’s kind of representative of the worst of that era. It fixes some things, but it’s also not complete and adds some really dumb stuff to the story. I’m also not sure Bryan Hitch is the one to draw it. I like his art, but it just didn’t work for me here.
"Twenty-Seven" ⧫ 3 Stars
It’s a neat Future-Batman story by the famous Scott Snyder.
Other Comics Reviews
Challengers of the Unknown
Jack Kirby’s The Fourth World Omnibus
Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus
Roots of the Swamp Thing
Orion Omnibus
Power Girl: Power Trip
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
October 5, 2020
El año pasado compré esta colección que sacaron en honor a Detective Comics 1000. La dejé pendiente un buen rato porque leer cómics viejos, aunque a veces lo hago, no me emociona demasiado. Disfruto mucho de la etapa moderna y la etapa clásica es mucho más pesada y difícil de digerir. De todos modos como buen fanático, no podía no tener en mi colección un detective comics 27 aunque sea en esta edición y no en la costosísima primera edición.
Este tomo es una selección de las historias más icónicas que se han visto en Detective Comics. Lamentablemente hay unas cuantas historias que no entiendo por qué sobrevivieron el corte y llegaron a este tomo. Me gustó mucho que incluyeran algunas historias que no protagonizaran a Batman. Recordemos que DC empezó como un título antológico que presentaba historias de misterio y que no fue hasta el número 27 donde se introdujo al mítico Batman. Que ésta colección presentara un par de historias de personajes de ese formato antológico más allá de Batman se me hizo un buen acierto, aunque todos estemos en ese título por el proverbial murciélago.
Es importante notar no sólo la evolución del personaje sino de la complejidad de contar una historia de manera gráfica. En esta colección, y la de Superman del año anterior, podemos notar como las historias y sus narraciones eran mucho más simples. Detective Comics 27 nos muestra una historia bastante simplona sobre Batman deteniendo una conspiración de unos empresarios. El público, y lo que demanda, ha cambiado; ahora somos mucho más exigentes con lo que consumimos, esperamos que nos asombre y nos perturbe más. En esta colección puedo ver cómo el personaje cambia y cómo las historias que cuentan también. Vemos a Robin evolucionar. Vemos la introducción de Batwoman y su salida en ese mismo número. Vemos cómo surge Batgirl y vemos el interesante origen de Harvey Kent (quien eventualmente se volverá Harvey Dent), vemos el origen de Riddler también que es mucho más simplón que el E. Nigma que obtenemos muchos años después.
Una historia que me asombró fue la de No hope in Crime Alley, una historia interesante que sirve también como una reinterpretación del origen de Batman más moderna, pero anterior a Year One de Frank Miller que popularizó el origen del personaje que conocemos ahora. Esta historia me gustó mucho por el tono y su complejidad narrativa además de su fluidez. Para ser una historia de 1974, se lee como una historia moderna sin envidiarle nada. O'neil estaba en otro nivel de escritor para su época sin lugar a duda.
Contiene dos piezas más modernas, del Detective Comics 27 de New 52, que aunque interesantes, palidecen un poco con la importancia histórica de otras obras que vienen en esta colección.
En general es una colección interesante. La pieza de Deadshot y la de Manhunt yo las hubiera retirado, además que son unas de las piezas más largas en número de páginas pero no entiendo bien qué aportan al mito del murciélago o por qué deberían de estar en esta antología.
Si eres fan del murciélago este es un tomo que no puede faltar en tu colección por el peso histórico que tiene, es un tomo al cuál me veo regresar en algún futuro para poder disfrutar de algunas de las historias aquí presentes.
Este tomo también viene acompañado con algunas historias en prosa contadas por famosos, de distintos ámbitos, que han contribuido o que han sido influenciados por el personaje. Estas piezas de prosa me gustaron bastante, no hubo una que se me hiciera tediosa o innecesaria y todas comparten historias atractivas y diversas sobre el personaje.
Este tomo es una selección de las historias más icónicas que se han visto en Detective Comics. Lamentablemente hay unas cuantas historias que no entiendo por qué sobrevivieron el corte y llegaron a este tomo. Me gustó mucho que incluyeran algunas historias que no protagonizaran a Batman. Recordemos que DC empezó como un título antológico que presentaba historias de misterio y que no fue hasta el número 27 donde se introdujo al mítico Batman. Que ésta colección presentara un par de historias de personajes de ese formato antológico más allá de Batman se me hizo un buen acierto, aunque todos estemos en ese título por el proverbial murciélago.
Es importante notar no sólo la evolución del personaje sino de la complejidad de contar una historia de manera gráfica. En esta colección, y la de Superman del año anterior, podemos notar como las historias y sus narraciones eran mucho más simples. Detective Comics 27 nos muestra una historia bastante simplona sobre Batman deteniendo una conspiración de unos empresarios. El público, y lo que demanda, ha cambiado; ahora somos mucho más exigentes con lo que consumimos, esperamos que nos asombre y nos perturbe más. En esta colección puedo ver cómo el personaje cambia y cómo las historias que cuentan también. Vemos a Robin evolucionar. Vemos la introducción de Batwoman y su salida en ese mismo número. Vemos cómo surge Batgirl y vemos el interesante origen de Harvey Kent (quien eventualmente se volverá Harvey Dent), vemos el origen de Riddler también que es mucho más simplón que el E. Nigma que obtenemos muchos años después.
Una historia que me asombró fue la de No hope in Crime Alley, una historia interesante que sirve también como una reinterpretación del origen de Batman más moderna, pero anterior a Year One de Frank Miller que popularizó el origen del personaje que conocemos ahora. Esta historia me gustó mucho por el tono y su complejidad narrativa además de su fluidez. Para ser una historia de 1974, se lee como una historia moderna sin envidiarle nada. O'neil estaba en otro nivel de escritor para su época sin lugar a duda.
Contiene dos piezas más modernas, del Detective Comics 27 de New 52, que aunque interesantes, palidecen un poco con la importancia histórica de otras obras que vienen en esta colección.
En general es una colección interesante. La pieza de Deadshot y la de Manhunt yo las hubiera retirado, además que son unas de las piezas más largas en número de páginas pero no entiendo bien qué aportan al mito del murciélago o por qué deberían de estar en esta antología.
Si eres fan del murciélago este es un tomo que no puede faltar en tu colección por el peso histórico que tiene, es un tomo al cuál me veo regresar en algún futuro para poder disfrutar de algunas de las historias aquí presentes.
Este tomo también viene acompañado con algunas historias en prosa contadas por famosos, de distintos ámbitos, que han contribuido o que han sido influenciados por el personaje. Estas piezas de prosa me gustaron bastante, no hubo una que se me hiciera tediosa o innecesaria y todas comparten historias atractivas y diversas sobre el personaje.
April 6, 2019
Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a compilation of some of the best representative Batman stories over the years to commemorate both the eightieth anniversary debut of one of the most iconic comic characters and to celebrate the (then) upcoming one-thousandth issue of Detective Comics, collected and edited by Paul Levitz. Over the years, there were many incarnations and depictions of the Dark Knight and this collection explores them all rather well.
This anthology collects Detective Comics #1, 20, 27, 38, 60, 64, 66, 140, 151, 153, 225, 233, 267, 298, 327, 359, 400, 437, 443, 457, 474, 482, 500, 567, 742 and #27 (908).
As a whole, Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a rather interesting collection comics and essays. Interestingly enough, they included Detective Comics #1 and 20 that doesn't even feature Batman – as his first appearance was in Detective Comics #27. It is however, very interesting to see these old comics and how society thought during those times – as some of the semi-racist stereotypes wouldn’t have been accepted nowadays, despite the lightness of the issues.
Limited the story selection to the Detective Comics series was wise, since it is also a celebration of the series, but is still must have been a Herculean Task as there was close to one thousand issues to choose from and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorites from the masses.
Logical choices were made like the first issue of Detective Comics, despite the lack of Batman, Detective Comics #27 – the first appearance of Batman, the first appearances of Robin, Batwoman, Bat-Mite, and Batgirl were also included as wells as villains Two-Face, the Riddler, Clayface, Man-Bat and many more. Furthermore, it also spotlights crime-fighters and detectives including Slam Bradley, Air Wave, the Boy Commandos, Paul Kirk, and surprisingly Martian Manhunter inception was here in Detective Comics as for quite a while Detective Comics focused on the Detective part of the title and hasn't always been a Batman or Batman Family title.
Additionally, there are essays from the comic industry alumnus, an original comic story by Paul Levitz, which was illustrated by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz and the original layouts for Detective Comics #200, which was rather interesting to see how it was composed.
All in all, I think Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a wonderful selection of stories over the eight decades that Batman has been around. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
This anthology collects Detective Comics #1, 20, 27, 38, 60, 64, 66, 140, 151, 153, 225, 233, 267, 298, 327, 359, 400, 437, 443, 457, 474, 482, 500, 567, 742 and #27 (908).
As a whole, Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a rather interesting collection comics and essays. Interestingly enough, they included Detective Comics #1 and 20 that doesn't even feature Batman – as his first appearance was in Detective Comics #27. It is however, very interesting to see these old comics and how society thought during those times – as some of the semi-racist stereotypes wouldn’t have been accepted nowadays, despite the lightness of the issues.
Limited the story selection to the Detective Comics series was wise, since it is also a celebration of the series, but is still must have been a Herculean Task as there was close to one thousand issues to choose from and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorites from the masses.
Logical choices were made like the first issue of Detective Comics, despite the lack of Batman, Detective Comics #27 – the first appearance of Batman, the first appearances of Robin, Batwoman, Bat-Mite, and Batgirl were also included as wells as villains Two-Face, the Riddler, Clayface, Man-Bat and many more. Furthermore, it also spotlights crime-fighters and detectives including Slam Bradley, Air Wave, the Boy Commandos, Paul Kirk, and surprisingly Martian Manhunter inception was here in Detective Comics as for quite a while Detective Comics focused on the Detective part of the title and hasn't always been a Batman or Batman Family title.
Additionally, there are essays from the comic industry alumnus, an original comic story by Paul Levitz, which was illustrated by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz and the original layouts for Detective Comics #200, which was rather interesting to see how it was composed.
All in all, I think Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman is a wonderful selection of stories over the eight decades that Batman has been around. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
March 14, 2022
An essential piece for any collector. 'Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman' lives up to it's title, delivering a considerably selective catalogue of importante titles from the series of the very same name. From the invaluable #27, the Batman very first solo integration to the comics, to the modern age in the 'New 52' era. This compilation gathers important names such as Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Archie Goodwin, Dennis O'Neil, Alan Brennert, Greg Rucka, Jack Kirby, Don Cameron, Neil Adams, Scott Snyder, just to name the basics, incorporating the most important issues related to the Cape Crusader, and even offering certain insight from relevant figures in the media, such as Dan DiDio (who offers the introduction), Paul Levitz, Dennis O'Neil and even a beautiful memoir by Neil Gaiman.
The book collects some very special issues as well, strangely enough, the first ones not necessarily integrating the character of Batman, but others of certain importance for the 'Detective Comics' magazine, like DC #20, the first appearance of The Phantom Stranger, or DC #233, Martian Manhunter's first appearance. Other characters like Air Waver (DC #60), The Boy Commandos (DC #64), or even the infamous Pow-Wow Smith (DC #151) have a place in the initial pages of the book, despite taking away certain focus of the main character this compilation is dedicated to. However, there are other special issues, such as 30, 66 or 140, the first appearance of Robin, Two-Face and Riddler, respectively. The book is divided (as one might expect) between the Golden, Silver and Dark age of the character, which offers the reader a unique opportunity to experience the evolution of Batman through the decades, which works for any fan who'd like to get through a character study of one of the most important icons in pop culture. My personal favorite is the Silver and Dark eras, since those are the ones introducing some of the most important creative figures for Batman, such as O'Neil, Frank Robbins, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, Neil Adams or Dick Giordano, names that basically reshaped the essence and spirit of the Batman from an aesthetic and narrative point of view, even before Frank Miller did it in a definitive way before his Year One.
Perhaps the selection felt a little too odd at the very beginning, and there's a strange lacking of "dark-modern era" issues that could've made the list just fine, but historically this feels proper for any fan, and it's perhaps the perfect way to enter the world of Detective Comics and the Batman, in general, for beginners and even purists.
The book collects some very special issues as well, strangely enough, the first ones not necessarily integrating the character of Batman, but others of certain importance for the 'Detective Comics' magazine, like DC #20, the first appearance of The Phantom Stranger, or DC #233, Martian Manhunter's first appearance. Other characters like Air Waver (DC #60), The Boy Commandos (DC #64), or even the infamous Pow-Wow Smith (DC #151) have a place in the initial pages of the book, despite taking away certain focus of the main character this compilation is dedicated to. However, there are other special issues, such as 30, 66 or 140, the first appearance of Robin, Two-Face and Riddler, respectively. The book is divided (as one might expect) between the Golden, Silver and Dark age of the character, which offers the reader a unique opportunity to experience the evolution of Batman through the decades, which works for any fan who'd like to get through a character study of one of the most important icons in pop culture. My personal favorite is the Silver and Dark eras, since those are the ones introducing some of the most important creative figures for Batman, such as O'Neil, Frank Robbins, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, Neil Adams or Dick Giordano, names that basically reshaped the essence and spirit of the Batman from an aesthetic and narrative point of view, even before Frank Miller did it in a definitive way before his Year One.
Perhaps the selection felt a little too odd at the very beginning, and there's a strange lacking of "dark-modern era" issues that could've made the list just fine, but historically this feels proper for any fan, and it's perhaps the perfect way to enter the world of Detective Comics and the Batman, in general, for beginners and even purists.
Read
September 19, 2025Although the individual stories that comprise this collection are almost uniformly bad, the book as a whole is terrific. I can’t speak to how truly representative this collection is of the history of Detective Comics - like most living Detective Comics readers, I have known the Batman era exclusively - it is fun to see a Batman collection that spans not just the entire history of Batman, but also the entire history of Detective Comics itself.
The art, of course, is quite primitive until the Neal Adams era, although some early Jack Kirby work is also included here (his work on “Boy Commandos”). The writing remains primitive a little longer, but Harlan Ellison, Brad Meltzer, and Scott Snyder offer highlights closer to the present day.
I would also say of many of these stories that contemporary standards of political correctness would forbid something like Powwow Smith from appearing today; this isn’t any real loss, but I’m glad the editor included it as a glimpse into the mass culture of a prior era. In an era when there are a lot of complaints about wokeness “ruining” superhero comics, it is good to have a reminder that the older comics - even when chock full of racism and misogyny - were an order of magnitude worse than any “woke” comic today. Maybe wokeness isn’t advancing graphic storytelling; but surely racism didn’t advance it either.
Other highlights: Martian Manhunter’s first appearance (I had no idea this was in Detective Comics!), the first appearances of Robin, Batwoman and Batgirl, and stories from basically forgotten pre- or non-Batman pulp heroes like the Crimson Avenger and Slam Bradley.
All told, this is a great collection for any more-than-casual Batman fan. I wouldn’t recommend this book as an introduction to Batman, but for anyone looking to get a taste of the Detective Comics archive without having to take the plunge and simply start with Detective Comics #1, this is a great start.
April 4, 2019
Okay, I have a soft spot for this type of collection, flawed as they are in that they never manage to collect everything that I think should be collected.
This collection's main focus appears to be on first appearances, though it veers from that with Slam Bradley, and contains the first appearances of the Crimson Avenger, Two-Face, Riddler, Batwoman, Bat-Mite, Clayface, the second Batgirl (the first Bat-Girl, Betty Kane, debuted in BATMAN), Man-Bat (in his original anti-hero form, not the villain he became later), Martian Manhunter, Pow-Wow Smith, and the Boy Commandos. As DETECTIVE was an anthology title into the '80s, however, I was a little disappointed to see no representation of some of its later backup features like Elongated Man or Jason Bard or Green Arrow.
And what was with the 14-year, 175-issue gap between stories? Was there nothing that could have been included between issues 567 and 742 (1986-2000)? (There was a lot of interconnected storytelling in that period which may have made selecting a single story difficult, I suppose.) And I guess a 600-page collection would have been out of the question. ☺
If DC really wants to take my money, here's a couple suggestions for future deluxe editions: (1.) The Goodwin/Simonson MANHUNTER (probably too short, at maybe 64 pages total, but totally deserving of the larger format); and (2.) The Englehart/Rogers STRANGE APPARITIONS/DARK DETECTIVE stories (and possibly include Roy Thomas's excellent origin of the golden age Batman that, though published some eight years after "Strange Apparitions" concluded in 1978, reads as if Englehart and Rogers used it as the basis for their stories).
This collection's main focus appears to be on first appearances, though it veers from that with Slam Bradley, and contains the first appearances of the Crimson Avenger, Two-Face, Riddler, Batwoman, Bat-Mite, Clayface, the second Batgirl (the first Bat-Girl, Betty Kane, debuted in BATMAN), Man-Bat (in his original anti-hero form, not the villain he became later), Martian Manhunter, Pow-Wow Smith, and the Boy Commandos. As DETECTIVE was an anthology title into the '80s, however, I was a little disappointed to see no representation of some of its later backup features like Elongated Man or Jason Bard or Green Arrow.
And what was with the 14-year, 175-issue gap between stories? Was there nothing that could have been included between issues 567 and 742 (1986-2000)? (There was a lot of interconnected storytelling in that period which may have made selecting a single story difficult, I suppose.) And I guess a 600-page collection would have been out of the question. ☺
If DC really wants to take my money, here's a couple suggestions for future deluxe editions: (1.) The Goodwin/Simonson MANHUNTER (probably too short, at maybe 64 pages total, but totally deserving of the larger format); and (2.) The Englehart/Rogers STRANGE APPARITIONS/DARK DETECTIVE stories (and possibly include Roy Thomas's excellent origin of the golden age Batman that, though published some eight years after "Strange Apparitions" concluded in 1978, reads as if Englehart and Rogers used it as the basis for their stories).
April 13, 2019
Ce pavé de plus de 400 pages est l'album spécial proposé par Detective Comics pour célébrer les 80 ans de Batman. Le super-héros au costume de chauve-souris est clairement mon personnage préféré parmi tous les héros de comics, et en particulier son duo avec Robin, l'appel de cet album était donc trop fort pour que j'y résiste.
L'album alterne des textes de deux à trois pages par des auteurs ou des amoureux de Batman, et la reprise de comics au fil de l'histoire. On peut ainsi relire les aventures du Crimson Avenger, en quelque sorte l'ancêtre de Batman, publiées en 1938 puis l'apparition de Batman en 1939. L'album propose ensuite les premières apparitions de plus figures emblématiques : Robin, Two-Face, Batwoman, Batgirl, The Riddler, etc.
La première moitié de l'album m'a bien plu, j'ai découvert des histoires que je ne connaissais pas et j'ai trouvé ça plutôt plaisant. La seconde moitié m'a moins intéressé, d'autant que les histoires choisies ne m'ont pas semblé être les plus représentatives ou les plus fortes de l'histoire récente de Batman. Pas de trace des grands arcs comme Death in the Family, The Long Halloween, ou Hush.
Pire encore, je ne crois pas avoir vu d'histoires avec le Pingouin, Ra's Al Ghul ni avec le Joker, pourtant l'adversaire emblématique de Batman. Je regrette également que les incarnations successives de Robin n'aient pas été évoquées.
Au final, je suis assez mitigé après avoir terminé cet album. Ce qui devait être une célébration des 80 ans de Batman m'a finalement semblé trop terne pour atteindre totalement l'objectif. Batman méritait mieux, clairement ...
L'album alterne des textes de deux à trois pages par des auteurs ou des amoureux de Batman, et la reprise de comics au fil de l'histoire. On peut ainsi relire les aventures du Crimson Avenger, en quelque sorte l'ancêtre de Batman, publiées en 1938 puis l'apparition de Batman en 1939. L'album propose ensuite les premières apparitions de plus figures emblématiques : Robin, Two-Face, Batwoman, Batgirl, The Riddler, etc.
La première moitié de l'album m'a bien plu, j'ai découvert des histoires que je ne connaissais pas et j'ai trouvé ça plutôt plaisant. La seconde moitié m'a moins intéressé, d'autant que les histoires choisies ne m'ont pas semblé être les plus représentatives ou les plus fortes de l'histoire récente de Batman. Pas de trace des grands arcs comme Death in the Family, The Long Halloween, ou Hush.
Pire encore, je ne crois pas avoir vu d'histoires avec le Pingouin, Ra's Al Ghul ni avec le Joker, pourtant l'adversaire emblématique de Batman. Je regrette également que les incarnations successives de Robin n'aient pas été évoquées.
Au final, je suis assez mitigé après avoir terminé cet album. Ce qui devait être une célébration des 80 ans de Batman m'a finalement semblé trop terne pour atteindre totalement l'objectif. Batman méritait mieux, clairement ...
May 27, 2019
Great sampling of all the different eras the Detective Comics title has gone through over the past eighty years. It has a lot of Batman, like you would expect, having stuff like the first stories, the first appearances of the likes of Robin, Batwoman, Batgirl, Two-Face, Clayface, and The Riddler. What was as interesting was seeing some of the other stories and characters that came from it, like Jack Kirby's wartime stories of The Boy Commandos and the mix of superheroics and James Bond espionage in Manhunter.
Sadly, unlike the previous Action Comics, the essays that accompany the comics aren't quite as strong. There's a few good ones, like the one by Anthony Tollin about the pulp influences of the character, but a few of them fell flat for me, the worst being the one by a San Francisco Police Commissioner that felt more like an advertisement for the San Francisco Police Department, and surprisingly Cory Doctorow's piece felt so empty and basic that it almost made me wonder if he had actually any experience or love with the character, or if he just wrote it for a check. However, that stuff doesn't fill that much of the book, so I can't really fault the whole thing for that.
Overall, if you're at all interested in seeing some of the history of the character and comics in general, I'd give it a shot.
Sadly, unlike the previous Action Comics, the essays that accompany the comics aren't quite as strong. There's a few good ones, like the one by Anthony Tollin about the pulp influences of the character, but a few of them fell flat for me, the worst being the one by a San Francisco Police Commissioner that felt more like an advertisement for the San Francisco Police Department, and surprisingly Cory Doctorow's piece felt so empty and basic that it almost made me wonder if he had actually any experience or love with the character, or if he just wrote it for a check. However, that stuff doesn't fill that much of the book, so I can't really fault the whole thing for that.
Overall, if you're at all interested in seeing some of the history of the character and comics in general, I'd give it a shot.
May 5, 2024
This hardcover book reprinted less monumental Batman stories from Detective Comics that what I hoped for. For example, the Joker origin story from 1950 (first printed in Detective Comics Vol. 1 No. 168) and Batman love interest Talia al Ghul's debut story (first printed in Detective Comics Vol. 1 No. 411) weren't in it despite the fact that The Joker and Talia are among major members of the Batman rogues gallery. Additionally, not every era of Batman comics had an equal amount of key stories to get reprinted in this book with the 1990s being the only decade to apparently have no story material featured. On the upside, the stories it reprinted were worthwhile, and I'm glad that it reprinted the two versions of "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" as the first one (first printed in Detective Comics Vol. 1 No. 27) is Batman's first appearance story and the second one (first printed in Detective Comics Vol. 2 No. 27) featured a deep thought commentary of why Batman does what he does on a regular basis. In the end, Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman can be seen as a starter pack for those new to the Batman experience (given the amount of stories it reprinted) as well as a gateway to parts of the past of Batman comics for those who have stuck around for a long time (including myself), and it's worth the money too.
May 9, 2019
Loved taking my time with this one. The last two years have brought milestone anniversary treatments of Action and Detective Comics. Hopefully, the same with the Amazon reaches her 80th year. So glad that we got to travel the Dark Knights history with this collection of classic comic tales. From his very beginning in Detective No. 27 to a modern story. Along the way we get treated to an array of intros by various members of the Bat-family (Robin, Batwoman, and Batgirl... even the pest Bat-mite) and the beginnings of a few well-known members of the Caped Crusader’s rogue’s gallery (Riddler, Two Face, and Clayface to name three). Some stories actually have piqued my interest in going back and searching out past collections (notably No Man’s Land as one of the stories printed in this collection goes into Commissioner Gordon’s character after that landmark series). All in all a great read. I wish we had more of the other classic villains (A Joker, Catwoman, and Penguin Story would have been nice). I think it would have been silly fun to see some of the Bat-pets come along aside from the cameo of Ace.
February 23, 2025
First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that this book is not exactly a Batman book or a dedicated collection. So, if you’re expecting a compilation similar to the 80 years of Joker edition, you’re definitely mistaken. Rather than being a character-focused collection, this book serves as a special edition of the series —Detective Comics.
As a result, instead of featuring Batman’s most iconic or popular stories, the book presents some of the most significant comic book issues from the Detective Comics series. For instance, we often come across the debut issues of newly introduced heroes and explore the origins of various characters beyond Batman. However, this doesn’t mean that Batman is absent from the book. Of course, Batman is here—and in abundance! This is largely because he is the main star and the most popular character of the Detective Comics series.
Additionally, the book includes articles written by notable figures, offering valuable insights that contribute to general knowledge and enrich the reading experience.
Recommended for DC and Batman fans who is curious about the history of comic books.
Overall: 4/5
As a result, instead of featuring Batman’s most iconic or popular stories, the book presents some of the most significant comic book issues from the Detective Comics series. For instance, we often come across the debut issues of newly introduced heroes and explore the origins of various characters beyond Batman. However, this doesn’t mean that Batman is absent from the book. Of course, Batman is here—and in abundance! This is largely because he is the main star and the most popular character of the Detective Comics series.
Additionally, the book includes articles written by notable figures, offering valuable insights that contribute to general knowledge and enrich the reading experience.
Recommended for DC and Batman fans who is curious about the history of comic books.
Overall: 4/5
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