This Day in Comic Book History: July 15
This Day in Comic Book History: July 15
July 15 is a day to celebrate Batman — the Dark Knight of Gotham City, created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and one of the most culturally enduring characters in the history of popular entertainment.
Batman: A History of Reinvention
The Dark Knight's 87 Years
Bob Kane and Bill Finger (1939) · Golden Age vigilante · Silver Age camp · Bronze Age darkness · Modern era deconstruction
Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger (whose contribution went uncredited for decades). In 87 years, Batman has been reimagined more times and more successfully than perhaps any other fictional character in any medium. He has been a Golden Age vigilante, a campy 1960s TV hero, a Bronze Age detective, Frank Miller's dystopian Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's realistic billionaire crime-fighter, and countless iterations between. Each era's Batman says something distinctive about what Americans fear, admire, and want from their heroes.
Bill Finger: The Man Who Really Created Batman
Bill Finger's Belated Recognition
Created Batman's costume, name, Gotham City, Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face · Received no credit for 75 years · Finally recognized in 2015
Bill Finger (1914–1974) co-created Batman alongside Bob Kane but received no credit for his work for over 75 years — one of the most glaring injustices in comics history. Finger created Batman's iconic costume (Kane's original concept was a much simpler design), named Gotham City and Bruce Wayne, created Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Two-Face, and wrote or co-wrote thousands of the most important Batman stories. It was not until 2015, following a campaign by his granddaughter, that DC officially added Finger's name to all Batman publications as co-creator.
The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told
Batman's Essential Reading List
The Dark Knight Returns · Batman: Year One · The Killing Joke · Knightfall · Hush · Batman begins here
Batman's comic book canon includes some of the finest superhero comics ever published. Frank Miller's Batman: Year One remains the definitive modern origin story. His The Dark Knight Returns proved that superhero comics could carry genuine literary weight. Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke is the most controversial Batman story ever told and one of the most discussed. Doug Moench and Kelley Jones' Knightfall broke Batman's back and gave the character his most shocking physical defeat. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman: Court of Owls brought genuine horror to Gotham. The Batman library is a gift to any new reader.
🏆 Top 10 Essential Batman Comics
- Batman: Year One (DC, 1988) — Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's definitive modern origin; the template for every gritty Batman story since.
- The Dark Knight Returns (DC, 1986) — Frank Miller's landmark; Batman at 55, coming out of retirement in a dystopian Gotham. Changed superhero comics permanently.
- Batman: The Killing Joke (DC, 1988) — Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's controversial one-shot; one of the Joker's defining stories and among the most-discussed Batman comics ever.
- Batman: Hush (DC, 2003) — Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's blockbuster; features every major Batman villain in a twisting mystery with the most beautiful Batman art of its era.
- Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) — Batman's debut; created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, one of the most valuable comics in the world.
- Batman: The Long Halloween (DC, 1997) — Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's year-long Gotham mystery; a perfect gateway Batman story that inspired The Dark Knight Rises.
- Batman #1 (Spring 1940) — Batman's first solo comic; introduced the Joker and Catwoman in a single issue — both created by Bill Finger.
- Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 (DC, 1993) — The saga in which Bane breaks Batman's back; one of the most shocking storylines in superhero comics history.
- Batman: Court of Owls (DC, 2012) — Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's acclaimed New 52 opener; introduced the Owls into Batman's mythology and became an instant classic.
- Batman: Arkham Asylum (DC, 1989) — Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's painted nightmare; one of the most visually distinctive and psychologically intense Batman stories ever told.
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