Collecting stories by comic book legends including Alan Moore, Frank Miller and more, DC: Batman launches a brand-new series from The Folio Society in collaboration with DC, focusing on the characters who founded the DC Super Hero genre as you know it today.
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Themes of duality, of dark and light, of twin identities, of good and evil, of law and lawlessness, and of sanity and madness, thread their way through every decade of Batman comics.
Jenette Kahn, from her Introduction
Marking the 85th anniversary of a superhero icon, Folio presents DC: Batman, the first in a brand-new series, following on from DC: The Golden Age by taking you even deeper into the characters who founded a worldwide phenomenon. Charting Batman’s evolution from Caped Crusader to The Dark Knight, this knockout collection features 12 key adventures by a host of equally iconic talent, from co-creators Bob Kane with Bill Finger to the legendary Frank Miller and Alan Moore. Selected and introduced by former Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and President of DC Comics, Jenette Kahn, this compilation includes a separate replica copy of Batman #1. Scanned in its entirety from an original 1940 copy – back-up strips and vintage ads included – this immaculate collector’s piece provides a unique starting point to one of the longest-running comic book series in history. Comprising tales from The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, and the still-shocking The Killing Joke, as well as the debut appearances of Batman himself, Robin, The Joker, Catwoman and Two-Face, DC: Batman is a hardcover compilation with more features than a utility belt, worthy of a place in the library of your own Wayne Manor.
Production Details
Prelims set in FreightText with Greta Sans as display
In all of comics, there is no rogue’s gallery more garish, more inspired, or more maniacal than The Joker, Two-Face, the Penguin, and the Scarecrow. Their sanity is always in question and brings into question Batman’s own
Jenette Kahn, from her Introduction
Created towards the end of the Depression by artist Bob Kane with writer Bill Finger, Batman went on to become an icon as familiar as James Bond or Tarzan, a mythic fantasy that has evolved to reflect the changing attitudes of the twentieth century. The stories selected for DC: Batman reveal how Batman and his billionaire alter-ego Bruce Wayne gradually evolved from the dutiful crimefighter of the 1940s to a man possessed, as crazy as the criminals he puts away. He faces a rogue’s gallery steeped in gothic horror, from the Weimar cinema-inspired The Joker to the Jekyll/Hyde figure of Two-Face and the Moriarty-like Ra's al Ghul. Darker still are centrepiece texts The Dark Knight Returns (1986) and Batman: Year One (1987), both by Frank Miller, as well as the entirety of Alan Moore’s terrifying classic The Killing Joke (1988). Widely regarded as among the greatest comic books ever created, these stories changed the graphic medium forever with their combination of cinematic storytelling, shocking violence and literary depth. An anti-scratch laminated hardcover features Batman’s signature silhouette, with titles foil-embossed in yellow and midnight blue, the book itself cowled in a pitch-black slipcase bearing the famous bat-signal. A compendium of gothic artwork and Batarang-sharp storytelling, DC: Batman is an unmissable investigation into the adventures and pathology of one of the world’s most famous – and most troubled – DC Super Hero.
CONTENTS
'The Bat-Man' – Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
'Robin–the Boy Wonder' – Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
'The Crimes of Two-Face!' – Detective Comics #66 (August 1942)
'Batman and Green Arrow: The Senator’s Been Shot!' – The Brave and the Bold #85 (September 1969)
'Daughter of the Demon' – Batman #232 (June 1971)
'The Dead Yet Live' – Detective Comics #471 (August 1977)
'The Dark Knight Returns' – Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (June 1986)
'Batman: Year One—Chapter One: Who I Am—How I Come to Be' – Batman #404 (February 1987)
Batman: The Killing Joke (July 1988)
'The Last Arkham (Part One)' – Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June 1992)
'Knightfall Part 1: Crossed Eyes and Dotty Teas' – Batman #492 (May 1993)
Biographies
About Milton ‘Bill’ Finger
Milton ‘Bill’ Finger (1914–74) was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the Bronx during the Great Depression. He joined Bob Kane’s art studio in 1938 and together they developed a concept Kane had for a new superhero called ‘the Bat-Man’. Debuting in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, Batman became a runaway success and Finger continued to write comics until the early sixties. He worked on several characters, including Green Lantern and Superman, and co-created many of Batman’s supporting cast, including Robin and the Joker (both with artist Jerry Robinson). He later moved into screenwriting, with credits including episodes of the Batman TV show. He was given several posthumous awards including an Inkpot Award and induction into the Jack Kirby and Will Eisner Halls of Fame. The Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was established in 2005.
About Bob Kane
Bob Kane (1915–98) – born Robert Kahn – was born and raised in New York City, studying art before joining the Fleischer Brothers animation studio in 1934. He moved into drawing comics two years later, producing strips for several studios before setting up one of his own. Working with writer Bill Finger, he co-created Batman in 1939, his initial concept inspired by Douglas Fairbanks’ Zorro and the bat-like wings of Da Vinci’s ‘ornithopter’. Batman proved phenomenally popular, and Kane had to assemble a team of ‘ghost artists’ to keep up with demand for stories. He retired from comics in the 1960s and returned to animation and fine art. He received an Inkpot Award in 1978 and was inducted into both the Jack Kirby and Will Eisner Halls of Fame. He later worked as a project consultant on the first four Batman films (1989–97) and was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
About Jenette Kahn
After graduating from Harvard in 1968 and founding several magazines for young readers, Jenette Kahn joined National Periodical Publications as its publisher in 1976. She quickly revived the name DC Comics to publicly proclaim the company's pride in the comic book medium. In 1981, Kahn became president of the division, the youngest ever within what is now Warner Bros. Discovery to hold that title – and the first woman. A key architect of DC’s modern shared universe, she introduced the graphic novel to America and transformed comics into a sophisticated art form. She oversaw the launch of two seminal imprints, Vertigo and Milestone, and under her leadership, DC became known for addressing critical issues of domestic violence, sexual orientation, gun violence, homelessness, racism and AIDS in the company’s mainstream titles. In an industry where creators had few rights, Kahn granted royalties, reprint payments and a share in merchandise, film and television revenue. Inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame, Jenette Kahn has also been honoured by the Library of Congress, and by numerous organizations for DC's work on landmines and gun control.
Reviews Powered By
Average Score for 58 Review(s)
A wonderful book that does Batman justice.
Review by
Sam
on 31st March 2025
Beautiful addition to DC collection.
Review by
TONY SMITH
on 10th March 2025
It's a really great compilation of some classic Batman comics, as well as other perfect nostalgic touches and collectible pieces. Packing was very good, shipping a little slower than promised, but it arrived safely. Value rated lower because Folio Society makes very clear that smart people will get it for half off if they just wait.
Review by
MATTHEW IVALIOTES
on 16th January 2025
Beautiful book. Great presents for book lovers who have everything.
Review by
Fred
on 22nd December 2024
Spiderman was fabulous and this one is too. Happy grandson.
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