Today in Comics History, November 29: Commissioner Gordon is born again

This is an expanded, updated, and combined version of posts originally published November 29, 2012.


from Batman #587 (DC, March 2001), script by Greg Rucka, pencils by Rick Burchett, inks by Rodney Ramos, colors by Noelle Giddings, color separations by Wildstorm FX, letters by Willie Schubert

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Jill Thompson!

Born on this day: comic book writer and artist Jill Thompson (Sandman, Wonder Woman, Elementals, Black Orchid, more; co-creator of Beasts of Burden, creator of Scary Godmother)!


from cover of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #5 (Bongo, September 1999), pencils and inks by Bill Morrison, colors by Nathan Kane
Chibi Vertigo editor Shelley Bond (left) and Jill Thompson self-portrait!:


from Vertigo X Anniversary Preview one-shot (DC/Vertigo, April 2003), by Jill Thompson

Today in Halloween Comics History, October 31: And now, a little Halloween candy for the ladies!*

from Batman: Ghosts: A Legends of the Dark Knight Special (DC, December 1995), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Gregory Wright, color separations by Android Images, letters by Todd Klein
(*Manly yes, but I like it too!)

Today in Comics History, October 30: Desperately lonely, the Wayne Building cries out for friends

from Batman: Ghosts: A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special one-shot (DC, December 1995), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Gregory Wright, color separations by Android Images, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, October 7: Happy birthday, Batman...?

Born on this day: Batman! Well, kinda. Actually, his canon birthday is on February 19.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975)
However, this recent digital story lists his birthday as today, October 7.



from Legends of the Dark Knight (2021 digital series) #10 (DC, June 2021), scropt by Brandon Thomas, art by Giannis Milonogiannis, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Deron Bennett

So what's the experts' opinion on when Batman's birthday is? Well, I (little stuffed expert) choose to believe that this is a non-canon story and will still contrinues to celebrate on February 19. Altho' it's just possible that this is a new post-Rebirth canon birthday. Unless, of course, Batman is lying to J'onn. Which, consider the big green guy is a telepath, may not be the smartest thing to do.

Either, or. Happy batday, Birthman!

Today in Comics History, October 4: Happy birthday, Buster Keaton!

Born on this day in 1895: Buster Keaton, my favorite silent comedian actor and director! He is just absolutely brilliant.


from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #162 (DC, February 2003); script by John Arcudi; pencils, inks, and letters by Roger Langridge, colors by James Sinclair

Today in Comics History, July 14: Batman seems really eager to move on from having missed something

from Legends of the Dark Knight (2021 series) #5 (DC, November 2021), script by Brandon Thomas, pencils and inks by Giannis Milonoggiannis, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Deron Bennett

Today in Comics History, May 17: This should probably be on August 17, but hey, go with the date in the panel

from Legends of the Dark Knight (2021 series) #5 (DC, November 2021), script by Brandon Thomas, pencils and inks by Giannis Milonogiannis, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Deron Bennett

Today in Comics History, January 9, 1910: P-p-pick up a Penguin

from Legends of the Dark Knight (2021 digital series) #8 (DC, May 2021), script by Stephanie Phillips, pencils and inks by Max Dunbar, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, letters by Troy Peteri

Today in Comics History, February 20: Batman reads the Twilight series

from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #73 (DC, July 1995), script by James Robinson, pencils and inks by John Watkiss, colors by Digital Chameleon, letters by Willie Schubert

Today in Comics History, January 2: Alfred tunes into the Incredibly Plot-Specific Channel

from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #66 (DC, December 1994), script by J.M. DeMatteis, pencils by Joe Staton, inks by Steve Mitchell, colors by Digital Chameleon, letters by Willie Schubert

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 8: Dumbass Things You Especially Shouldn't Do in Crime Alley

Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight (digital comic) #48 (April 2013), script by Tim Seeley, pencils and inks by Freddie E. Williams II, colors by Wendy Broome, letters by Saida Temofonte
I'm pretty sure the Batman doesn't want to hear philosophical musings by a guy who holds people up at gunpoint in Crime Alley, so I can only presume the rest of the comic is Batman continuously pummeling this guy until Alfred tells him to come in for breakfast.

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 1: Now that Batman's got a gun he ain't never gonna be the same

Everybody run
Batman's got a gun!

All sung to the tune of that popular '80s hit that probably shouldn't be played today:


If there's any superhero or costumed crimefighter who is more a figurative wasp up the literal nose of Earth-1's NRA, it's Batman. (The NRA fully support Batman's begunnéd protege Red Hood, however.) Does Batman like guns? Well, let's check:


Panels from "The Night of the Shadow!" in Batman #259 (November-December 1974), script by Denny O'Neil, pencils by Irv Novick, inks by Dick Giordano
He does not like guns, Commissioner Gordon I-Am. He does not like them with a silencer, he does not like them when they're quieter. He does not like them shooting his dad, he does not like them, they make him mad.


Panels from "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley!" in Detective Comics #457 (March 1976), script by Denny O'Neil, pencils and figure inks by Dick Giordano, background inks by Terry Austin, letters by Ben Oda
And he doesn't mind telling you about it, either. He's the equivalent of your grandpa telling the same old story about when he had Ben Grimm in the back of his cab. All the crooks know Batman doesn't like guns, and yet they risk hearing about it every time they pick up a gat or a roscoe. And also risk getting beaten to a pulp.


Panels from Batman #607 (November 2002), script by Ed Brubaker and Geoff Johns, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Andy Owens, colors by Gregory Wright, color separations by Wildstorm FX, letters by John Costanza
To be fair, all the really horrible homicidal criminals (Joker, Penguin, Kite-Man) are pretty pleased that Batman favors his patented "hammers of justice" instead of a gun. Batman was later denied this application from the Gotham Patent Office on the basis that you can't trademark your fists, but that doesn't stop the Caped and Gloved Crusader, no how, no way.


Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight digital comic #6 (July 2012); script by B. Clay Moore; pencils, inks, and colors by Ben Templesmith; letters by Saida Temofonte
Yes but aside from all that small discomfort and mild unpleasantness in Crime Alley on the night of June 26 — don't remember? Check here, and here, and also here to refresh your memory — why does Batman have such a strict personal boycott against guns, which, after all, are just tool not unlike your explosive batarangs shot out of and air compressor gun or maybe missiles fired into a parade commandeered by the Joker? What's better than a gun for senseless comic book violence, Batman?


Panels from "Fugitive from the Stars!" in World's Finest Comics #211 (May 1972), script by Denny O'Neil, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Joe Giella
Well, that certainly makes sense! So ergo, the conclusion we should draw from Batman comic books is


Panel from "Batman — Frontier Marshall" in Batman #99 (April 1956), script by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris, letters by Pat Gordon
So Batman never has a gun. What this feature presupposes, however...what if he did?


Yes, this month, all month: panels featuring Batman with a gun. Nope, he won't touch 'em, carry 'em, or hold 'em, except for every day in May! You might say April flowers bring May showers...of bullets! And it's true, lots of these are gonna be fake-outs or Batman doubles or hoaxes, dreams, imaginary stories...or comics written and drawn by Neal Adams, but get ready for Batman's Got a Gun by scoping (heh!) out some early examples of the Armed and Dangerous Dark Knight. These events may no longer be canon at hand, but he's certainly carrying a hand cannon! (tee hee)


Splash panels from "The Case of the Ruby Idol" in Detective Comics #35 (January 1940), script by Bill Finger, figure pencils and inks by Bob Kane, background pencils and letters by Sheldon Moldoff


Panels from "Batman vs. the Vampire, Part 2" in Detective Comics #32 (October 1939), script by Gardner F. Fox, figure pencils and inks by Bob Kane, background pencils and letters by Sheldon Moldoff


Panel from "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939); script by Bill Finger, pencils, inks, and letters by Bob Kane
So put your safety on and check back in every day, firing wildly into my blog, to see that Batman's Got a Gun! To the tune of this '80s classic! Ah, you know you've been humming it under your breath this whole time.

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 25

Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight (2012 digital series) #50 (May 2013), script by Jim Zubkavich, pencils and inks by Neil Googe, colors by Kathryn Layno, letters by Saida Temofonte

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 15

Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight (2012 digital series) #52 (May 2013), script by Robert Jeschonek, pencils and inks by Declan Shalvey, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Saida Temofonte

Batman's Great Escapes Month, Day 29: Next panel: Batman disappears

Panels from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125 (January 2000), script by Greg Rucka, pencils by Rick Burchett, inks by James Hodgkins, colors by Klaus Janson, color separations by Wildstorm FX, letters by Willie Schubert

Batman's Great Escapes Month, Day 5: Commissioner Gordon sneaks a smoke behind the Batman

Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight (2012 digital series) #74 (November 2013), script by Doug Wagner, pencils and inks by Matthew Dow Smith, colors by Wendy Broome, letters by Saida Temofonte

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 2

Panels from Legends of the Dark Knight #36 digital comic (February 2013), script by Peter Milligan, pencils and inks by Riccardo Burchielli, colors by Wendy Broome with Randy Mayor, letters by Saida Temofonte

Today in Comics History, May 31: Penguin is nervous because the street has turned to oatmeal

from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #71 (DC, November 2013), script by Marc Guggenheim, pencils and inks by Federico Dallocchio, colors by Alejandro Sanchez, letters by Saida Temofonte

Today in Comics History: The Gordons' Christmas is improved by not getting an invisible turkey for once

Panels from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126 (February 2000), script by Greg Rucka and Devin Grayson, pencils by Damien Scott and Dale Eaglesham, inks by John Floyd, colors by Pamela Rambo, color separations by Wildstorm FX, letters by Willie Schubert