Today in Comics History, March 17: Batman bowls billboard, brilliantly blocks baddie

from "The Challenge of the Calendar Man" in Detective Comics #239 (DC/National, September 1958), script by Bill Finger, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris

Today in Comics History, September 1: Calendar Man imparts a vital piece of secret knowledge to the Caped Crusader

from Batman: The Long Halloween #12 (DC, November 1997), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, March 17: Alanis Morissette, The Dark Knight

from "The Challenge of the Calendar Man!" in Detective Comics #259 (DC, September 1958), script by Bill Finger, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris

Today in Comics History, March 19: Happy birthday, Calendar Man!

Hey, it's Calendar Man's birthday! (even though it doesn't say that on the probably-no-longer-canonical Super DC 1976 Calendar). Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Julian, happy birthday...y'see, I can sing that song because now, unlike Batman, it's in the public domain.


from Injustice 2 #3 (DC digital comic, April 2017), script by Tom Taylor, pencils by Bruno Redondo, inks by Juan Albarran, colors by Rex Lokus, letters by Wes Abbott
Oh, and I should probably point out that it's a dystopic alternative future where Superman killed the Joker and Batman has raised a rebellion against him and so both Supes and Bats kill people now and also Harley Quinn and Green Arrow had a meet cute. (It's all true!)\



Nooooo! Clock King! Magpie! Killer Moth! Wonder Bread Man!

So honestly, I wouldn't invite Future Murder Batman to your birthday party, but if you do, at least remember that he brings fireworks.

Today in Comics History, March 21: Calendar Man checks his oddly specialized custom Moleskine

from "Shadow Play" in Batman #348 (DC, June 1982), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Klaus Janson, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, August 12: Calendar Man incurs the wrath of the Penguin

from Batman: Arkham Unleashed #53 (DC digital, November 2011), script by Karen Traviss, pencils and inks by Tony Shasteen, colors by Allen Passalaqua, letters by Travis Lanham

Today in Comics History, Bastille Day, July 14: Arkham Asylum's cafeteria mistakenly serves French toast to Calendar Man

from Batman: Arkham Unhinged #44 (DC, September 2012), script by Karen Traviss, pencils and inks by Riccardo Burchielli, colors by Alejandro Sanchez, letters by Travis Lanham

Today This Month in Comics History, March 2000: Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Julian

The story you read in a previous Batman comic book is true. The names were not changed to protect the guilty. Trial was held in Section 22, Superior Court in and for the County of Kane in the municipality of Gotham City. In a moment, the results of that trial.


The suspect was found guilty of committing Calendar Crime. Calendar Crime is punishable by an extended sentence in Blackgate Prison.


Panels from "Chapter Two: Harsh Monday" in Batman 80-Page Giant #3, script by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Manuel Gutierrez, inks by Bud LaRosa, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by John Costanza
Alas, poor Julian Day, he won't even be able to see his cousin Jess and all her wacky loftmates when the Millennium switches over. On the bright side, he'll totally miss Y2K. Count your blessings, Julian!

And before you know it (a couple pages later), it is March 2000, and Jules is getting parole! Just in time to pick up the new NSYNC album No Strings Attached. C'mon, you know he's gotta be a fan.


At last! Sweet Gotham City Freedom!

Oh Gotham City freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Gotham City freedom, I kill kill kill you with calendars, yes I will



Panel from "Chapter Three: The Terrible Tuesdays", script by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Mike Deodato, inks by David Roach, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by John Costanza
Well, goodie! Now at last Julian Day can get out of prison, stretch his legs, smell the fresh air, carpe that diem, and at last just have a pleaceful, quiet night's slYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!


The moral of the story is: don't do the crime without a calendar that tells you the time. Or, it might be, don't give your extra house key to Batman. I dunno.

Today in Comics History: Calendar Man gets out of prison; misses Mayan Apocalypse

Panels from "All the Deadly Days, Chapter 7: Shatterday" in Batman 80-Page Giant #3 (July 2000), script by Chuck Dixon, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh, letters by John Costanza