Detective Comics (later retitled asBatman Detective Comics) is anAmerican comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened toDC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing thesuperheroBatman inDetective Comics #27 (cover-dated May 1939).
A second series of the same title was launched in September 2011, but in 2016, reverted to the original volume numbering. The series is the source of its publishing company's name, and—along withAction Comics, the series that launched with the debut ofSuperman—one of themedium's signature series. Between 1937 and 2011, there were 881 issues of the series. It is the longest-running comic book series in the United States.[1][Note 1]
Detective Comics was the final publication of the entrepreneurMajorMalcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, whose comics company, National Allied Publications, evolved intoDC Comics, one of the world's two largest comic book publishers, though long after its founder had left it. Wheeler-Nicholson's first two titles were the landmarkNew Fun: The Big Comic-Magazine #1 (cover-dated Feb. 1935), colloquially calledNew Fun Comics #1 and the first such early comic book to contain all-original content, rather than a mix ofnewspapercomic strips and comic-strip-style new material. His second effort,New Comics #1, was retitled twice to becomeAdventure Comics, another seminal series that ran for decades until issue #503, in 1983, and was laterrevived in 2009.
The third and final title published under his aegis wasDetective Comics, advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, but eventually premiering three months later, with a March 1937 cover date. Wheeler-Nicholson was in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributorHarry Donenfeld, who was, as well, apulp-magazinepublisher and a principal in the magazine distributorshipIndependent News. Wheeler-Nicholson took Donenfeld on as a partner to publishDetective Comics #1 with Wheeler-Nicholson andJack Liebowitz, Donenfeld'saccountant, listed as owners.[2] Wheeler-Nicholson was forced out a year later.
Originally ananthology comic,Detective Comics #1 (March 1937) featured stories in the "hard-boiled detective" genre, with such stars as Ching Lung (aFu Manchu-style "Yellow Peril" villain);Slam Bradley (created byJerry Siegel andJoe Shuster before their characterSuperman saw print two years later); andSpeed Saunders, among others. Its first editor,Vin Sullivan, also drew the debut issue's cover. TheCrimson Avenger debuted in issue #20 (October 1938).[3]
Early issues of the series have been criticized for their racism and xenophobia.[4][5][6][7]
Detective Comics #27 (released March 1939, with acover date of May 1939) marked thefirst appearance ofBatman.[8] He eventually became the star of the title, the cover logo of which is often written as "Detective Comics featuring Batman". Because of its significance, issue #27 is among the most valuable comic books in existence, with one copy selling for $1,075,000 in a February 2010 auction.[9]
Batman's origin is first revealed in a two-page story in issue #33 (Nov. 1939).[10] Batman became the main cover feature of the title beginning with issue #35 (Jan. 1940).[11] Issue #38 (April 1940) introduced Batman'ssidekickRobin, billed as "The Sensational Character Find of 1940" on the cover and the first of several characters that would make up the "Batman Family."[12] Robin's appearance and the subsequent increase in sales of the book soon led to the trend of superheroes and young sidekicks that characterize the era that fans and historians call the "Golden Age of Comic Books." Several of Batman's best known villains debuted in the pages ofDetective Comics during this era, including thePenguin in issue #58,[13]Two-Face in issue #66,[14] and theRiddler in issue #140.[15]
Batwoman first appeared inDetective Comics #233 (July 1956).[16] Since the family formula had proven very successful for theSuperman franchise, editor Jack Schiff suggested to Batman co-creator Bob Kane that he create one for the Batman. A female was chosen first, to offset the charges made byFredric Wertham that Batman and Robin were homosexual.[17] WriterBill Finger and artistSheldon Moldoff introducedBat-Mite in issue #267 (May 1959)[18] andClayface in #298 (Dec. 1961).[19]
In 1964,Julius Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the fading Batman titles.[20] WriterJohn Broome and artistCarmine Infantino jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the franchise, such asAce the Bathound and Bat-Mite and gave the character a"New Look" that premiered inDetective Comics #327 (May 1964).[21] Schwartz,Gardner Fox, and Infantino introduced, from theWilliam Dozier produced TV series,Barbara Gordon as a new version ofBatgirl in a story titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" in issue #359 (Jan. 1967).[22]Mike Friedrich wrote the 30th anniversary Batman story inDetective Comics #387 (May 1969) which was drawn byBob Brown.[23]
WriterDennis O'Neil and artistNeal Adams had their first collaboration on Batman on the story "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" in issue #395 (Jan. 1970).[24] The duo, under the direction of Schwartz,[25] revitalized the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature and taking the books away from thecampy look and feel of the 1966–68ABCTV series.[26] Comics historianLes Daniels observed that "O'Neil's interpretation of Batman as a vengeful obsessive-compulsive, which he modestly describes as a return to the roots, was actually an act of creative imagination that has influenced every subsequent version of the Dark Knight."[27] Adams introduced theMan-Bat with writerFrank Robbins inDetective Comics #400 (June 1970).[28] O'Neil and artist Bob Brown crafted Batman's first encounter with theLeague of Assassins inDetective Comics #405 (Nov. 1970)[29] and createdTalia al Ghul in issue #411 (May 1971).[30]
After publishing on a monthly schedule throughout its run,Detective Comics became a bi-monthly book from issues #435 (June–July 1973) to #445 (Feb.-March 1975). Issues #438 (Dec. 1973-Jan. 1974) to #445 (Feb.–March 1975) of the series were in the100 Page Super Spectacular format.[31] O'Neil and artistDick Giordano created the Batman supporting characterLeslie Thompkins in the story "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" appearing in issue #457 (March 1976).[32] WriterSteve Englehart and artistMarshall Rogers produced an acclaimed run of Batman stories inDetective Comics #471–476 (Aug. 1977 – April 1978),[33] and provided one of the definitive interpretations that influenced the 1989Batman film and was adapted for the 1990sanimated series.[34] The Englehart and Rogers pairing, was described in 2009 by comics writer and historianRobert Greenberger as "one of the greatest" creative teams to work on the Batman character.[35] In their story "The Laughing Fish", theJoker is brazen enough to disfigure fish with a rictus grin, then expects to be granted a federaltrademark on them, only to start killing the bureaucrats who try to explain to him that obtaining such a claim on a natural resource is legally impossible.[36] WriterLen Wein and Rogers co-created the third version of the supervillainClayface inDetective Comics #478 (July–Aug. 1978).[37] From issue #481 (Dec. 1978 – Jan. 1979) through #495 (Oct. 1980), the magazine adopted the expandedDollar Comics format used by the canceledBatman Family,[38] adding solo features including "Robin: the Teen Wonder", "Batgirl", the "Human Target" and the anthology "Tales ofGotham City", which featured stories of the city's ordinary people. Julius Schwartz, who had edited the title for most of its run since 1964, left the series as of issue #484 (June–July 1979)[20] The originalKatherine Kane also known as "Batwoman" was killed in the lead story in issue #485 (Aug.–Sept. 1979) by theLeague of Assassins.[39]
The title's 500th issue (March 1981) featured stories by several well-known creators including television writerAlan Brennert andWalter B. Gibson best known for his work on thepulp fiction characterThe Shadow.[40][41] Also used during the 1980s was the use of serialization of the main Batman story, with stories fromDetective Comics andBatman directly flowing from one book to another, with cliffhangers at the end of each book's monthly story that would be resolved in the other title of that month. A single writer handled both books during that time beginning withGerry Conway and followed up byDoug Moench. The supervillainKiller Croc made a shadowy cameo in issue #523 (Feb. 1983).[42] Noted authorHarlan Ellison wrote the Batman story in issue #567.[43]
WriterMike W. Barr and artistsAlan Davis andTodd McFarlane crafted the "Batman: Year Two" storyline inDetective Comics #575–578 which followed up onFrank Miller's "Batman: Year One".[44] WriterAlan Grant and artistNorm Breyfogle introduced theVentriloquist in their first Batman story together[45] and theRatcatcher in their third (#585).[46]Sam Hamm, who wrote the screenplay forTim Burton'sBatman, wrote the "Blind Justice" story inDetective Comics issues #598–600.[47]Chuck Dixon became the writer of the series with issue #644 (May 1992).[48] He andTom Lyle co-created theElectrocutioner inDetective Comics #644 (May 1992)[49] andStephanie Brown inDetective Comics #647 (August 1992).[50]
The "Batman: Legacy" storyline began in issue #700 (August 1996).[51] The "No Man's Land" storyline crossed over intoDetective Comics in issues #730–741. WriterGreg Rucka and artistShawn Martinbrough became the creative team as of issue #742 (March 2000)[52] and created theSasha Bordeaux character in issue #751 (Dec. 2000).[53] Issue #800 (Jan. 2005) was written byAndersen Gabrych and drawn byPete Woods.[54] Paul Dini became the writer of the series as of issue #821 (Sept. 2006)[55] and created a new version of theVentriloquist in #827 (March 2007).[56]Scott Snyder became the writer ofDetective Comics with issue #871 (Jan. 2011).[57]
In addition to the Batman stories, the title has had numerous back-up strips. TheBoy Commandos byJoe Simon andJack Kirby debuted inDetective Comics #64 (June 1942) and were then soon spun off into their own title.[58] The characterRoy Raymond first appeared in issue #153 (Nov. 1949).[59] TheMartian Manhunter was created by writerJoseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa in the back-up story "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" inDetective Comics #225 (Nov. 1955).[60] After issue #326 (April 1964), the Martian Manhunter was moved toHouse of Mystery and in issue #327 theElongated Man and his wife, now remodeled afterDashiell Hammett'sNick and Nora Charles, took over. The characters crossed over with Batman three times. The Elongated Man run lasted until issue #383 (Jan. 1969) and his feature returned sporadically 15 times until issue #572, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the title by teaming him up with Batman, Robin, Slam Bradley andSherlock Holmes against Edgar Moriarty, the great-grandnephew ofProfessor Moriarty. After the Elongated Man back-up feature ended, Batgirl held the role until issue #424. She returned from issues 481–519 after being moved to Batman Family.Jason Bard appeared as the backup feature in the odd-numbered issues ofDetective from #425–435.[61] TheManhunter was resurrected in a story byArchie Goodwin andWalt Simonson in issue #437 (Oct.-Nov. 1973).[62][63] With the last episode of the series, Manhunter moved to the front of the book in a full-length team-up with Batman. TheGreen Arrow became the back-up feature starting with issue #521 (Dec. 1982)[64] and running until #567 (Oct. 1986).[65] TheBlack Canary received a new costume in the back-up story in issue #554 (Sept. 1985).[66]DC Comics Bonus Books were included in issues #589 (August 1988)[67] and 595 (Jan. 1989).[68]
After a lengthy absence, the backup features returned for issues #746–810. These were more closed-ended stories featuring new and established characters in the Batman mythos. The first was "The Jacobian" in issues #746–757, followed by a one-issue Batman story in #758. The following issues, #759–762, featuredSlam Bradley and were a lead-in to the 2002Catwoman series. Issues #763–772 featured Josephine "Josie Mac" MacDonald, a Gotham police detective. Issues #773–775 were titled "Tales of Gotham" and feature Detectives Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya. Batman starred in "Spore" from issues #776–780. #781 featured a specialElseworlds tale, while #782 featured a Batman solo tale. Issue #783 featured a prelude to the "Death and the Maidens" miniseries, and issue #784 featured a Josie Mac tale. The "Tales of Gotham" stories resumed in issues #785–788 with "The Dogcatcher", and #789–794 featured "The Tailor". "Polished Stone", featuring theGreen Arrow andOnyx, ran in issues #795–796. "Low", featuring the Riddler and Poison Ivy, ran from issues #797–799.Under the title "Tales of Gotham," Detective Comics #800 had a short Batman back-up story. A four-issue (#801–805) story featuring the Barker entitled "When You're Strange" was next and "Mud" in issue #805. The last back-up was a three-issue (#808–810) story about Killer Croc. It came after a two-issue (#806–807) story about Alfred.
The "Manhunter" series that ran as a backup inDetective Comics from 1973 to 1974 won theShazam Award for "Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic)" in 1974 for the story "Cathedral Perilous" in issue #441, written byArchie Goodwin andWalt Simonson.
In 2009, as part of a planned reorganization of the Batman universe due to the events shown inBatman R.I.P. andFinal Crisis,Detective Comics went on hiatus for three months while DC Comics published theBattle for the Cowl miniseries. Upon its return, the series featured the newly reintroduced (in52)Batwoman as the new star of the book, as well as a 10-page back-up feature starringRenee Montoya as the new Question.[69] The series returned Batman to a starring role in early 2010.
DC Comics relaunchedDetective Comics with issue #1 in September 2011, as part of an initiative calledThe New 52.[70] The series was written and drawn byTony Daniel until the 12th issue, with the team of John Layman and Jason Fabok beginning with issue #13.[71][72]
The first issue of the relaunchedDetective Comics has received six printings, second only to the relaunchedJustice League which had seven printings.[73] The series' 7th issue was also DC Comic's 6th highest selling digital comic, ranking above many other series in the Batman category.[74] Scott West of Sciencefiction.com gave the series' third arc a positive review, stating that "After last month's disappointing 'Night of the Owls' tie-in issue, it's nice to see 'Detective Comics' getting back to where it should be...good detective stories."[75] The relaunchedDetective Comics received the award for "Best Series" at the 2012 Stan Lee Awards.[76] The series' first collected edition reached the number 1 spot onThe New York Times Best Seller list in the category of "Hardcover Graphic Books".[77]
Daniel wrote and penciled the series until theNight of the Owls crossover, at which pointEd Benes,Julio Ferreira, and Eduardo Pansica began drawing the series for a three-issue arc.[78][79] The price ofDetective Comics was increased due to the addition of a backup feature starring Batman villainTwo-Face, which was written by Daniel and illustrated by Syzmon Kudranski, this followed a similar backup featuringProfessor Hugo Strange.[80] Daniel left the series with issue #12 being his last as writer and the "0" issue his last as penciller.[81]
DC celebrated the first anniversary of The New 52 in September 2012 by publishing a number "0" of each originalNew 52 title which act as prequels to the series and reveal previously unexplained plot elements.[82]Gregg Hurwitz wrote the "0" issue.[83] Hurwitz was approached by Daniel to write the "0" issue due to Daniel's busy schedule.[84][85] To follow up on theNight of the Owls elements inDetective Comics, Daniel wroteDetective Comics Annual #1, which was pencilled by Romano Molenaar and inked by Sandu Florea.[86]
Following Daniel's tenure on the series,John Layman became the new writer and Jason Fabok the new artist[87] withJames Tynion IV writing the backup features and Syzmon Kudranski remaining as artist for Tynion's first feature. With issue #19 ofDetective Comics vol. 2, released on April 3, 2013, the series reached 900 issues as combined with the first volume of the series, and was a special oversized celebratory issue. Under Layman, the series featured its first crossover,Gothtopia after which Layman and Fabok moved to theBatman Eternal series andDetective Comics was taken over by Brain Buccalleto andFrancis Manapul.[88]
In commemoration of the second anniversary of The New 52, DC Comics announced "Villains Month" withDetective Comics getting four issues. The issues starredPoison Ivy,Harley Quinn, theScarecrow, and theMan-Bat, and, respectively, being numbered #23.1, #23.2, #23.3, and #23.4, by an ensemble of writers and artists.[89]
For the 75th anniversary of Batman, issue #27 was a larger-sized issue featuring new stories byBrad Meltzer andBryan Hitch,[90]Scott Snyder andSean Murphy,Peter Tomasi and Ian Bertram, John Layman and Jason Fabok,Gregg Hurwitz andNeal Adams,Mike W. Barr and Guillem March, and one written and drawn byFrancesco Francavilla. In addition, variant covers to the issue were byGreg Capullo,Frank Miller,Chris Burnham,Jim Lee, Jason Fabok, andTony Daniel. Single page artwork included work byKelley Jones,Mike Allred,Patrick Gleason, andJock.
In February 2016, DC Comics announced that as part of the company's continuity relaunch calledDC Rebirth,Detective Comics would resume its original numbering system with June 2016's issue #934. The 52 issues ofDetective Comics volume 2 (2011–2016) were added to the original count of 881 issues fromDetective Comics volume 1 (1937–2011), makingDetective Comics #934 the premier issue following the end of the DC Rebirth initiative. The series was published twice-monthly.[91]
The creative team beginning with issue #934 included writerJames Tynion IV and artistsEddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez.[92] The series featured a team led by Batman andBatwoman (Kate Kane), operating out of a secondary base in the heart of Gotham known as the Belfry. Team members initially included Red Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Orphan (Cassandra Cain) andClayface (Basil Karlo), withBatwing (Luke Fox) andAzrael (Jean-Paul Valley) later recruited as new members.[93]Zatanna also briefly joins the team as a guest star in several issues. This status quo ended with the conclusion of Tynion's run on the series in issue #981, published May 2018. During the interim period without a permanent writer, Bryan Edward Hill wrote the story arc "On the Outside" starring Batman, Orphan,Signal,Katana andBlack Lightning over issues #983–987 as a prelude to his ongoing seriesBatman and the Outsiders. The next regular writer,Peter Tomasi, began on the series with issue #994, published December 2018. Tomasi's run as writer continued for two years until issue #1033, published December 2020.
On March 27, 2019, DC Comics released the series' 1,000th issue,[94] marking the second American comic book in history to reach that milestone afterAction Comics in 2018.[95][96][97] The issue, which coincided with Batman's 80th anniversary,[98] is an anthology featuring several stories from a variety of different creative teams.[94]
WriterMariko Tamaki began on the series with issue #1034 as part of theInfinite Frontier line-wide relaunch.[99] In April 2022, it was announced thatRam V andRafael Albuquerque would serve as the new creative team starting with issue #1062.[100]
| Character | Issue | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Slam Bradley andSpeed Saunders | #1 | March 1937 |
| Crimson Avenger | #20 | October 1938 |
| Batman,Commissioner Gordon | #27 | May 1939 |
| Doctor Death | #29 | July 1939 |
| Monk,Julie Madison | #31 | Sept. 1939 |
| Dala | #32 | Oct. 1939 |
| Joe Chill,Thomas Wayne,Martha Wayne | #33 | Nov. 1939 |
| Hugo Strange | #36 | Feb. 1940 |
| Robin (Dick Grayson) | #38 | April 1940 |
| Clayface I (Basil Karlo) | #40 | June 1940 |
| Penguin | #58 | December 1941 |
| Air Wave | #60 | February 1942 |
| Mister Baffle | #63 | May 1942 |
| Boy Commandos | #64 | June 1942 |
| Two-Face | #66 | Aug. 1942 |
| Tweedledum and Tweedledee | #74 | April 1943 |
| Cavalier | #81 | Nov. 1943 |
| Riddler | #140 | October 1948 |
| Pow Wow Smith | #151 | Sept. 1949 |
| Roy Raymond | #153 | Nov. 1949 |
| Red Hood | #168 | Feb. 1951 |
| Firefly | #184 | June 1952 |
| Mysto | #203 | January 1954 |
| Mirror Man | #213 | Nov. 1954 |
| Batmen of All Nations | #215 | Jan. 1955 |
| Martian Manhunter | #225 | Nov. 1955 |
| ImpostorMad Hatter | #230 | April 1956 |
| Batwoman (Kathy Kane) | #233 | July 1956 |
| Diane Meade | #246 | Aug. 1957 |
| Terrible Trio | #253 | March 1958 |
| Calendar Man | #259 | Sept. 1958 |
| Doctor Double X | #261 | Nov. 1958 |
| Bat-Mite | #267 | May 1959 |
| Clayface II (Matt Hagen) | #298 | Dec. 1961 |
| Catman,Zook | #311 | Jan. 1963 |
| Idol Head of Diabolu | #326 | April 1964 |
| Outsider | #334 | Dec. 1964 |
| Blockbuster | #345 | Nov. 1965 |
| Cluemaster | #351 | May 1966 |
| Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) | #359 | Jan. 1967 |
| Jason Bard | #392 | Oct. 1969 |
| Man-Bat | #400 | June 1970 |
| Talia al Ghul | #411 | May 1971 |
| Harvey Bullock | #441 | July 1974 |
| Leslie Thompkins | #457 | March 1976 |
| Calculator | #463 | Sept. 1976 |
| Doctor Phosphorus,Rupert Thorne | #469 | May 1977 |
| Silver St. Cloud | #470 | June 1977 |
| Clayface III (Preston Payne) | #478 | July 1978 |
| Maxie Zeus | #483 | May 1979 |
| Odd Man | #487 | December 1979 |
| Swashbuckler | #493 | March 1980 |
| Killer Croc | #523[Note 2] | Feb. 1983 |
| Onyx | #546 | Jan. 1985 |
| Ventriloquist I (Arnold Wesker) | #583 | Feb. 1988 |
| Ratcatcher | #585 | April 1988 |
| Anarky I (Lonnie Machin) | #608 | Nov. 1989 |
| Renee Montoya | #642 | March 1992 |
| Stephanie Brown | #647 | Jun. 1992 |
| Cypher | #657 | March 1993 |
| Crispus Allen | #742 | March 2000 |
| Sasha Bordeaux | #751 | Dec. 2000 |
| Nyssa Raatko | #783 | Aug. 2003 |
| Ventriloquist II (Peyton Riley) | #827 | March 2007 |
| Dollmaker | (vol. 2) #1 | Sept. 2011 |
| Dollhouse, Mister Toxic | (vol. 2) #2 | Oct. 2011 |
| Eli Strange | (vol. 2) #5 | March 2012 |
| Emperor Blackgate | (vol. 2) #13 | Nov. 2012 |
| The Merrymaker | (vol. 2) #17 | Feb. 2013 |
| Anarky IV (Sam Young) | (vol. 2) #37 | Feb. 2015 |
| Arkham Knight | #1000 | May 2019 |
| Silver Ghost | #1027 | November 2020 |
TheDetective Comics series has been collected into a number oftrade paperbacks and hardback collections.
AllDC Archive Editions are hardback only and printed on high quality archival paper.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman Archives Vol. 1 | Stories fromDetective Comics #27–50 | November 1997 | HC:978-0930289607 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 2 | Stories fromDetective Comics #51–70 | November 1997 | HC:978-1563890000 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 3 | Stories fromDetective Comics #71–86 | November 1997 | HC:978-1563890994 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 4 | Stories fromDetective Comics #87–102 | December 1998 | HC:978-1563894145 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 5 | Stories fromDetective Comics #103–119 | April 2001 | HC:978-1563897252 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 6 | Stories fromDetective Comics #120–135 | August 2005 | HC:978-1401204099 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 7 | Stories fromDetective Comics #136–154 | November 2007 | HC:978-1401214937 |
| Batman Archives Vol. 8 | Stories fromDetective Comics #155–170 | July 2012 | HC:978-1401233761 |
| Batman: The Dynamic Duo Archives Vol. 1 | Batman #164–166;Detective Comics #327–333 | March 2003 | HC:978-1563899324 |
| Batman: The Dynamic Duo Archives Vol. 2 | Batman #168–171;Detective Comics #334–339 | June 2006 | HC:978-1401207724 |
The Batman Chronicles series plans to reprint every Batman adventure in color, in chronological order, in affordable trade paperbacks. It is not to be confused with the now-finishedseries of the same name.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #27–38;Batman #1 | April 2005 | SC:978-1401204457 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #39–45;Batman #2–3;New York World's Fair Comics #2 | September 2006 | SC:978-1401207908 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 3 | Detective Comics #46–50;Batman #4–5;World's Best Comics #1 | May 2007 | SC:978-1401213473 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 4 | Detective Comics #51–56;World's Finest Comics #2–3;Batman #6–7 | October 2007 | SC:978-1401214623 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 5 | Detective Comics #57–61;World's Finest Comics #4;Batman #8–9 | April 2008 | SC:978-1401216825 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 6 | Detective Comics #62–66;World's Finest Comics #5–6;Batman #10–11 | October 2008 | SC:978-1401219611 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 7 | Detective Comics #67–70;World's Finest Comics #7;Batman #12–13 | March 2009 | SC:978-1401221348 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 8 | Detective Comics #71–74;World's Finest Comics #8–9;Batman #14–15 | October 2009 | SC:978-1401224844 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 9 | Detective Comics #75–77;World's Finest Comics #10;Batman #16–17 | March 2010 | SC:978-1401226459 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 10 | Detective Comics #78–81;World's Finest Comics #11;Batman #18–19 | December 2010 | SC:978-1401228958 |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 11 | Detective Comics #82–85;World's Finest Comics #12;Batman #20–21 | January 2013 | SC:978-1401237394 |
AllShowcase Presents collections are large (over 500 pages), softcover, black and white only reprints.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #327–342;Batman #164–174 | August 2006 | SC:978-1401210861 |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #343–358;Batman #175, #177–181, #183–184, #188 | June 2007 | SC:978-1401213626 |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 3 | Detective Comics #359–375;Batman #189–192, #194–197, #199–201 | July 2008 | SC:978-1401217198 |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 4 | Detective Comics #376–390;Batman #202–215 | July 2009 | SC:978-1401223144 |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 | Detective Comics #391–404;Batman #216–228 | December 2011 | SC:978-1401232368 |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 | Detective Comics #408–426;Batman #229–244 | January 2016 | SC: 978-1401251536 |
| Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #225–304 | July 2007 | SC: 978-1401213688 |
| Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #305–326 | May 2009 | SC: 978-1401222567 |
| Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 | Robin stories fromDetective Comics #386, 390, 394–395, 398–403, 445, 447, 450–451 | January 2008 | SC: 978-1401216764 |
| Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 | Batgirl stories fromDetective Comics #359, 363, 369, 371, 384–385, 388–389, 392–393, 396–397, 400–401, 404–424 | July 2007 | SC: 978-1401213671 |
| Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace Vol. 1 | includes Enemy Ace story fromDetective Comics #404 | February 2008 | SC: 978-1401217211 |
Starting in 2014, DC began releasing character retrospective anthologies, several of which feature issues ofDetective Comics
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics #27, 83, 211, 216, 327, 359, 395, 442, 474, 574, 633, 711, 757, 821; Batman #1, 49, 181, 497Batman (vol. 2) #2,World's Finest Comics #94,DC Special Series #21,Batman Special #1 | July 2014 | 978-1401247584 |
| Robin the Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics #38, 342;Batman #20, 107, 156, 408, 428, 442, 657;Star-Spangled Comics #82, 86, 103; Batman Family #1;Nightwing #25, 101;Superman/Batman #7, 77;Robin (vol. 4) #46, 126;Batman & Robin Annual #1;Justice League of America #55;DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1,000,000 | May 2015 | 978-1401255367 |
| The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years | Batman #1, 5, 25, 32, 85, 163, 251, 427,Batman (vol. 2) #15,Detective Comics #64, 168, 180, 475, 476, 726, 741, 826, Detective Comics (vol. 2) #1,World's Finest Comics #61,Superman (vol. 2) #9,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #66 | July 2014 | 978-1401247591 |
| Two-Face: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics #66, 68, 80, 739;Batman #50, 81, 234, 410–411, 572,Annual #14;The Brave and the Bold #106;The Joker #1;Secret Origins #1;Batman: Black and White #1;Gotham Central #10;Joker's Asylum: Two-Face #1;Batman and Robin #23 | November 2017 | 978-1-4012-7438-2 |
| Green Arrow: A Celebration of 75 Years | More Fun Comics #73, 89;Leading Comics #1;Adventure Comics #256;Justice League of America #4;The Brave and the Bold #85; Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85, 86, 90;Detective Comics #549–550; 559;Green Arrow (vol. 2) #24, 100–101;Green Arrow (vol. 3) #4, 18;Green Arrow Year One #2; Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special #1;Justice League #8;Green Arrow (vol. 4) #24 | July 2016 | 978-1401263867 |
These hardcover books reprint issues by particular creators and contain many issues ofDetective Comics, as well as other Batman titles.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of the Batman:Carmine Infantino | Detective Comics #327–347, 349, 351–371, 500,Batman #166–175, 181, 183–184, 188–192, 194–199,The Brave and the Bold #172, 183, 190, 194,DC Comics Presents: Batman #1. | June 2014 | 9781401247553 |
| Tales of the Batman:Len Wein | Detective Comics #408, 444–448, 466, 478–479, 500, 514,Batman #307–310, 312–319, 321–324, 326–327, World's Finest Comics #207,DC Retroactive Batman – The 70s,Untold Legends of the Batman #1–3,Batman Black and White #5 | December 2014 | 978-1401251543 |
| Tales of the Batman:Archie Goodwin | Batman stories fromDetective Comics #437–438 and #440–442, the Manhunter stories from #437–442, and the Batman/Manhunter team-up from #443;Detective Comics Annual #3;Showcase '95 #11;Batman Black and White #1 and 4; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #132–136; theBatman: Night Cries graphic novel | July 2013 | 978-1401238292 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Jim Aparo Volume 3 | Detective Comics #444–446,Batman Family #17,The Brave and the Bold #152, 154, 155, 157–162, 168–170, 173–178, 180–182, The Untold Legend of the Batman #1–3 | September 2017 | 978-1401271619 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Michael Golden | Batman Family #15–20,Batman #295, 303,DC Special Series #15,Detective Comics #482,Batman Special #1,Batman: Gotham Knights #22 Covers fromDetective Comics #625–626, 628–631, 633, 644–646,Batman #484–485,Showcase '93, Nightwing #66–77 & #129–130 and theMan-Bat entry fromWho's Who in the DC Universe #12 | June 2019 | 978-1401289614 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Marshall Rogers | Detective Comics #468, 471–476, 478–479, 481;DC Special Series #15;Secret Origins #6; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #132–136;Batman: Dark Detective #1–6 | November 2011 | 978-1401232276 |
| Tales of the Batman:Don Newton | Detective Comics #480, 483–497;Batman #305–306, 328;The Brave and the Bold #153, 156 and 165 | December 2011 | 978-1401232948 |
| Tales of the Batman:Alan Brennert | The Brave and the Bold #178, 181, 182 and 197,Detective Comics #500,Batman: Holy Terror | July 2016 | 978-1401263492 |
| Tales of the Batman:Gerry Conway Volume 1 | Detective Comics #463, 464, 497–499, 501–504,The Brave And The Bold #158, 161, 171–174,Batman #295, 305, 306, Batman Family #17,Man-Bat #1,World's Finest Comics #250, #269 | July 2017 | 978-1401272555 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 2 | Detective Comics #505–513,Batman #337–346, 348;World's Finest Comics #270 | August 2018 | 978-1401281632 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 3 | Detective Comics #515–526,Batman #349–359 | September 2019 | 978-1401292737 |
| Tales of the Batman:Gene Colan Volume One | Detective Comics #517, 520, 523, 528–529 andBatman #340, 343–345, 348–351 | August 2011 | 978-1401231019 |
| Tales of the Batman:Gene Colan Volume Two | Batman #373,Detective Comics #530–538 and #540–544,World's Finest Comics #297 and #299 | March 2018 | 978-1401277697 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Alan Davis | Detective Comics #569–575,Batman: Full Circle,Batman: Gotham Knights #25 | February 2013 | 978-1401236816 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Norm Breyfogle Volume One | Detective Comics #579, 582–594, 601–607, stories fromBatman Annual #11–12 | July 2015 | 978-1401258986 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Norm Breyfogle Volume Two | Detective Comics #608–621 andBatman #455–459 | November 2018 | 978-1401285128 |
| Tales of the Batman: J.H. Williams | Batman #526,550, 667–669,Batman Annual #21,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #86–88, 192–196,Chase #7–8,Detective Comics #821 | July 2014 | 978-1401247621 |
| Batman by Brian K. Vaughn | Batman #588-590,Detective Comics #787,Wonder Woman #160-161, andBatman: Gotham City Secret Files #1 | December 2016 | 978-1401265373 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:Matt Wagner | Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28–30;Batman: Riddler—the Riddle Factory;Batman Black and White #3; Batman: the Monster Men #1–6; Batman: The Mad Monk #1–6;Batman #54,Robin II #1,Robin III #5,Detective Comics #647–649,Batman #626–641 | June 2020 | 978-1779502599 |
Many of these other editions are anthologies containing comics from titles other thanDetective Comics. Titles here are presented as close to chronologically as possible.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Volume 1 | Detective Comics #359, 363, 369, 371, 384–386, 388–389, 392–393, 396–397, 400–401, 404–424, 481–499, 501–502, 505–506, 508–510, 512–519, Batman #197 andBatman Family #1, 3–7 and 9–20. | December 2017 | 978-1401276409 |
| Manhunter: The Special Edition | Manhunter backup stories from #437–442 and the Batman/Manhunter crossover in #443, Manhunter #1, andBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100 | June 1999 | 978-1-56389-374-2 |
| Batman: Strange Apparitions | Detective Comics #469–476, #478–479 | December 1999 | 978-1-56389-500-5 |
| DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore | IncludesNight Olympics featuring theGreen Arrow and theBlack Canary fromDetective Comics #549–550 | January 2006 | 978-1-4012-0927-8 |
| Batman: Year Two | Detective Comics #575–578 (later printing includesBatman: Full Circle) | January 1990 December 2002 | 978-0-930289-49-2 978-1563899676 |
| Batman: Year Two 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition | Detective Comics #575–578;Batman: Full Circle | November 2017 | 978-1401274566 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 1 | Detective Comics #568–574; 579–582 | April 2018 | 978-1401271084 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 2 | Detective Comics #583–591,Annual #1 | October 2018 | 978-1401284688 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 3 | Detective Comics #592–600 | February 2020 | 978-1779501011 |
| Batman: Blind Justice | Detective Comics #598–600 | May 2005 | 978-1-56389-047-5 |
| Batman: Anarky | Detective Comics #608–609,Batman Chronicles #1,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #40–41, andAnarky #1–4 | February 1999 | 978-1-56389-437-4 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 1 | Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1,Batman #491–500,Detective Comics #659–666, Showcase '93 #7–8Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16–18 | May 2012 | 978-1401233792 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 2: Knightquest | Detective Comics #667–675,Shadow of the Bat #19–20, 24–28,Batman #501–508,Catwoman #6–7Robin #7 | May 2012 | 978-1401235369 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 3: KnightsEnd | Batman #509–510, 512–514,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29–30, 32–34,Detective Comics #676–677, 679–681, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62–63,Robin #8–9, 11–13,Catwoman #12–13 | September 2012 | 978-1401237219 |
| Batman: Prelude to Knightfall | Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1,Batman #484–491,Detective Comics #654–658 | September 2018 | 978-1401284220 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 | Batman #492–497,Detective Comics #659–663 | September 2018 | 978-1401284299 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2 | Batman #498–500,Detective Comics #664–666,Showcase '93 #7–8,Shadow of the Bat #16–18 | September 2018 | 978-1401284398 |
| Batman: Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #667–670,Robin #1–2,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19–20,Batman #501–504,Catwoman #6–7 | October 2018 | 978-1401284503 |
| Batman: Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #671–675,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #24–28,Batman #505–508,Showcase '94 #7 | October 2018 | 978-1401284589 |
| Batman: KnightsEnd | Batman #509–510,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29–30,Detective Comics #676–677,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62–63,Robin #8–9,Catwoman #12–13,Showcase '94 #10 | December 2018 | 978-1401285180 |
| Batman:Zero Hour | Batman #0, #511;Batman: Shadow of the Bat #0, 31;Detective Comics #0, 678;Catwoman #0, 14; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #0;Robin #0, 10. | June 2017 | 978-1401272586 |
| Batman: Prodigal | Batman #512–514,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32–34,Detective Comics #679–681 andRobin #0 and #11–13 | January 2019 | 978-1401285609 |
| Batman: Troika | Batman #515,Batman: Shadow of The Bat #35,Detective Comics #682,Robin #14,Nightwing: Alfred Returns andBatman: Vengeance of Bane II | February 2019 | 978-1401285876 |
| Robin Vol. 5: War of the Dragons | Robin #14–22,Robin Annual #3 andDetective Comics #685–686 | January 2018 | 978-1401275129 |
| Batman: Contagion | CollectsAzrael #15–16,Batman #529,Batman Chronicles #4,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48–49, Catwoman #31–35,Detective Comics #695–696,Robin #27–30 | March 2016 | 978-1401260682 |
| Batman: Legacy Volume 1 | Batman #533,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53,Catwoman #33–35,Detective Comics #697–700 andRobin #31. | April 2017 | 978-1401272029 |
| Batman: Legacy Volume 2 | Batman #534,Batman: Bane #1,Batman: Bane of the Demon #1–4,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #54, Detective Comics #701–702,Robin #32–33 | February 2018 | 978-1401277611 |
| Batman: Cataclysm | Batman #553–554,Detective Comics #719–721,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73–74,Nightwing #19–20, Catwoman #56–57,Robin #52–53,Azrael #40,Batman Chronicles #12,Batman: Blackgate #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1, andBatman: Arkham Asylum – Tales of Madness #1 | June 2015 | 978-1401255152 |
| Batman: Road to No Man's Land Volume 1 | Detective Comics #722, 724–726,Batman #555–559,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #75–79,Robin #54, andBatman Chronicles #14 | October 2015 | 978-1401258276 |
| Batman: Road to No Man's Land Volume 2 | Detective Comics #727–729,Batman #560–562,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80–82, Batman Chronicles #15,Azrael #47–50, andBatman: No Man's Land Secret Files & Origins #1 | July 2016 | 978-1401260637 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 1 | Batman: No Man's Land #1,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83–86,Batman #563–566,Detective Comics #730–733, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51–55,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117–118,Batman Chronicles #16 | December 2011 | 978-1401232283 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 2 | Batman #567–568,Detective Comics #734–735,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119–121, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87–88,Batman Chronicles #17,Robin #67,Nightwing #35–37,Catwoman #72–74, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56–57,Young Justice: No Man's Land #1 | April 2012 | 978-1401233808 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 3 | Batman #569-71,Detective Comics #736–738,Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122–124, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89–92,Robin #68–72, andBatman: No Man's Land Secret Files and Origins #1 | August 2012 | 978-1401234560 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 4 | Batman Chronicles #18,Batman #572–574,Detective Comics #739–741,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125–126, Robin #73,Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93–94,Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59–61,Catwoman #75–77,Nightwing #38–39 andBatman: No Man's Land #0 | December 2012 | 978-1401235642 |
| Batman: Evolution | Detective Comics #743–750 | August 2001 | 978-1-56389-726-9 |
| Batman: New Gotham Volume 1 | Detective Comics #742–753 | May 2017 | 978-1401263676 |
| Batman: Officer Down | Batman #587,Robin #86,Birds of Prey #27,Catwoman #90,Nightwing #53,Detective Comics #754,Batman: Gotham Knights #13 | August 2001 | 978-1-56389-787-0 |
| Batman: New Gotham Volume 2 | Detective Comics #755–765 | March 2018 | 978-1401277949 |
| Batman: Bruce Wayne – Murderer? | Batgirl #24, 27,Batman #599–602,Batman: Gotham Knights #25–28,Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Birds Of Prey #39–41, 43,Detective Comics #766–767,Nightwing #65–66, 68–69 andRobin #98–99 | March 2014 | 978-1401246839 |
| Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive | Batman #603–607,Detective Comics #768–775,Batman: Gotham Knights #29–32 andBatgirl #29, 33 | July 2014 | 978-1401246822 |
| Batman: The Man Who Laughs | Detective Comics #784–786 andBatman: The Man Who Laughs | January 2008 (hardcover) February 2009(softcover) | 978-1-4012-1622-1 978-1-4012-1626-9 |
| Batman: False Faces | Batman #588-590,Detective Comics #787,Wonder Woman #160-161, andBatman: Gotham City Secret Files #1 | February 2008 | 978-1-4012-1640-5 |
| Batman: War Drums | Detective Comics #790–796 andRobin (vol. 2) #126–128 | October 2004 | 978-1-4012-0341-2 |
| Batman: War Games Act One – Outbreak | Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure,Detective Comics #797,Batman #631,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182, Nightwing #96,Batman: Gotham Knights #56,Robin #129,Batgirl #55,Catwoman #34 | February 2006 | 978-1401204297 |
| Batman: War Games Act Two – Tides | Detective Comics #798,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #183,Nightwing #97, Batman: Gotham Knights #57,Robin #130,Batgirl #56,Catwoman #35,Batman #632 | June 2005 | 978-1401204303 |
| Batman: War Games Act Three – Endgame | Batgirl #57,Batman #633,Batman: Gotham Knights #58,Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #184, Catwoman #36,Detective Comics #799,Nightwing #98,Robin 131 | October 2005 | 978-1401204310 |
| Batman: City of Crime | Detective Comics #800–808, 811–814 | July 2006 | 978-1-4012-0897-4 |
| Batman: War Crimes | Batman #643–644,Detective Comics #809–810 | February 2006 | 978-1-4012-0903-2 |
| Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz | Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1–4, a story fromBatman Chronicles #3,Batman: Batgirl (1998) #1,Detective Comics #815–816, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10–11; a story fromDetective Comics v2 #18 and the never-before-published story "Draining," originally intended forGotham Knights #12. | February 2020 | 978-1401298975 |
| Batman: Face the Face | Detective Comics #817–820,Batman #651–654 | September 2006 | 978-1-4012-0910-0 |
| Batman: Detective | Detective Comics #821–826 | April 2007 | 978-1-4012-1239-1 |
| Batman: Death and the City | Detective Comics #827–834 | November 2007 | 978-1-4012-1575-0 |
| Batman: Harley Quinn | Batman: Harley Quinn,Batman: Gotham Knights # 14, 30,Detective Comics #831, 837.Joker's Asylum: Harley Quinn #1,Batman Black and White #1, 3,Legends of the Dark Knight 100-Page Super Spectacular #1,Detective Comics (2011) #23.2 | July 2015 | 978-1401255176 |
| Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul | Batman #670–671,Robin #168–169,Detective Comics #838–839,Nightwing #138–139,Batman Annual #26 andRobin Annual #7 | May 2009 | 978-1401220327 |
| Batman: Private Casebook | Detective Comics #840–845 andDC Infinite Halloween Special | December 2008 (hardcover) November 2009 (softcover) | 978-1-4012-2009-9 978-1-4012-2015-0 |
| Batman: Heart of Hush | Detective Comics #846–850 | April 2009 (hardcover) March 2010 (softcover) | 978-1-4012-2123-2 978-1-4012-2124-9 |
| Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? | Batman #686,Detective Comics #853,Batman Black and White #2,Secret Origins (Volume 2) #36,Secret Origins Special (Volume 2) #1 | July 2009 | 978-1-4012-2303-8 |
| Batwoman: Elegy | Detective Comics #854–860 | July 2010 (hardcover) June 2011 (softcover) | 978-1-4012-2692-3 978-1-4012-3146-0 |
| Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III | Detective Comics #854–863 | June 2017 | 978-1401274139 |
| Batman: Arkham Reborn | Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum #1,Arkham Reborn #1–3,Detective Comics 864–865 | August 2010 | 978-1401227081 |
| Batman: Impostors | Detective Comics #867–870 | August 2011 | 978-1-4012-3144-6 |
| Batman: The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871–881 | November 2011 | 978-1-4012-3206-1 |
The New 52 saw every DC Comics series collected in its entirety in trade paperback form. Notably, collected volumes ofDetective Comics vol. 2 were published in hardcover editions first, with paperback editions being delayed until the release of the next hardcover volume.
| # | Publication date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publication date | Night of the Owls | All-Star Western vol. 3 #9;Batman vol. 2 #8–9;Batman Annual vol. 2 #1;Batman: The Dark Knight vol. 2 #9;Detective Comics vol. 2 #9;Batgirl vol. 4 #9;Batwing #9;Birds of Prey vol. 3 #9;Nightwing vol. 3 #8–9;Batman and Robin vol. 2 #9;Catwoman vol. 4 #9;Red Hood and the Outlaws #9 | HC: February 2013 SC: November 2013 | HC:978-1401237738 SC:978-1401242527 |
| The Joker:Death of the Family | Catwoman vol. 4 #13–14;Batgirl vol. 4 #13–16;Suicide Squad vol. 4 #14–15;Batman and Robin vol. 2 #15–16;Nightwing vol. 3 #15–16;Detective Comics vol. 2 #15–16;Red Hood and the Outlaws #15–16;Teen Titans vol. 4 #15–16 | HC: October 2013 SC: April 2014 | HC:978-1401242343 SC:978-1401246464 | |
| DC Comics:Zero Year | Action Comics vol. 2 #25;Batgirl vol. 4 #25;Batman vol. 2 #24–25;Batwing #25;Batwoman #25;Birds of Prey vol. 3 #25;Catwoman vol. 4 #25;Detective Comics vol. 2 #25;Green Arrow vol. 6 #25;Green Lantern Corps vol. 3 #25;Nightwing vol. 3 #25;Red Hood and The Outlaws #25;The Flash vol. 4 #25 | HC: November 2014 SC: April 2015 | HC:978-1401249373 SC:978-1401253370 | |
| The Joker:Endgame | Batman vol. 2 #35–40;Batman Annual vol. 2 #3;Gotham Academy: Endgame #1;Batgirl: Endgame #1;Detective Comics: Endgame #1;Arkham Manor: Endgame #1 | HC: September 2015 SC: May 2016 | HC:978-1401258771 SC:978-1401261658 |
Volumes 1–5 were published with DC Rebirth trade dress on the cover. This was dropped from volume 6 onwards, coinciding with the end of "DC Rebirth" branding on the series from issue #970 onwards.
Numbering on the collected editions was restarted from volume 1 with the start of Peter Tomasi's run as writer in issue #994. The first three volumes were published in hardcover editions first, before being reprinted in paperback.
| # | Title | Material collected | Pages | Cover | Date Published | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original printings | ||||||
| 1 | Rise of the Batmen | Detective Comics #934–940 | 176 | TPB | February 1, 2017 | 978-1401267995 |
| Batman: Night of the Monster Men | Batman vol. 3 #7–8;Detective Comics #941–942;Nightwing vol. 4 #5–6 | 144 | February 22, 2017 | 978-1401270674 | ||
| 2 | The Victim Syndicate | Detective Comics #943–949 | 168 | May 10, 2017 | 978-1401268916 | |
| 3 | League of Shadows | Detective Comics #950–956 | 184 | October 4, 2017 | 978-1401276096 | |
| 4 | Deus Ex Machina | Detective Comics #957–962 | 144 | December 13, 2017 | 978-1401274979 | |
| 5 | A Lonely Place of Living | Detective Comics #963–968 | April 4, 2018 | 978-1401278229 | ||
| 6 | Fall of the Batmen | Detective Comics #969–974 andAnnual #1 | 184 | June 20, 2018 | 978-1401281458 | |
| 7 | Batmen Eternal | Detective Comics #975–981 | 176 | September 5, 2018 | 978-1401284213 | |
| 8 | On The Outside | Detective Comics #982–987 | 144 | December 5, 2018 | 978-1401285289 | |
| 9 | Deface The Face | Detective Comics #988–993 | 168 | April 3, 2019 | 978-1401290641 | |
| 1 | Mythology | Detective Comics #994–999 | 144 | HC | September 10, 2019 | 978-1779501622 |
| TPB | February 20, 2020 | 978-1779501721 | ||||
| 2 | Arkham Knight | Detective Comics #1001–1005 | 144 | HC | December 17, 2019 | 978-1779501646 |
| TPB | September 8, 2020 | 978-1779502513 | ||||
| 3 | Greetings From Gotham | Detective Comics #1006–1011 | 144 | HC | April 8, 2020 | 978-1401288617 |
| TPB | September 29, 2020 | 978-1779505545 | ||||
| 4 | Cold Vengeance | Detective Comics #1012–1019 | 192 | TPB | December 29, 2020 | 978-1779504555 |
| 5 | TheJoker War | Detective Comics #1020–1027 andAnnual #3;Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P | 256 | HC | March 23, 2021 | 978-1779509222 |
| TPB | August 22, 2023 | 978-1779521125 | ||||
| 6 | The Road to Ruin | Detective Comics #1028–1033 | 144 | HC | October 5, 2021 | 978-1779512703 |
| 1 | The Neighborhood | Detective Comics #1034–1039 | 203 | HC | February 8, 2022 | 978-1779514226 |
| TPB | February 21, 2023 | 978-1779519863 | ||||
| 2 | Fear State | Detective Comics #1040–1045, backup stories from #1040–1043 andBatman Secret Files: Huntress #1 | 240 | HC | July 5, 2022 | 978-1779515551 |
| TPB | June 27, 2023 | 978-1779520180 | ||||
| 3 | Arkham Rising | Detective Comics #1046, backup stories from #1044–1046 andAnnual 2021 | 128 | HC | September 13, 2022 | 978-1779518057 |
| TPB | January 23, 2024 | 978-1779520012 | ||||
| — | Shadows of the Bat: House of Gotham | Detective Comics backup stories from #1047–1058 | 144 | HC | December 22, 2022 | 978-1779517012 |
| TPB | January 9, 2024 | 978-1779520821 | ||||
| — | Shadows of the Bat: The Tower | Detective Comics #1047–1058 | 296 | HC | December 27, 2022 | 978-1779517005 |
| TPB | January 9, 2024 | 978-1779520838 | ||||
| 4 | Riddle Me This | Detective Comics #1059–1061 | 112 | HC | April 11, 2023 | 978-1779520678 |
| TPB | April 9, 2024 | 978-1779524867 | ||||
| 1 | Gotham Nocturne: Overture | Detective Comics #1062–1065 | 152 | HC | August 15, 2023 | 978-1779520944 |
| TPB | July 30, 2024 | 978-1779525567 | ||||
| 2 | Gotham Nocturne: Act I | Detective Comics #1066–1070 andAnnual 2022 | 232 | HC | February 13, 2024 | 978-1779524621 |
| TPB | August 13, 2024 | 978-1779529381 | ||||
| 3 | Gotham Nocturne: Act II | Detective Comics #1071–1075 | 184 | HC | September 17, 2024 | 978-1779527424 |
| TPB | 978-1779529428 | |||||
| 4 | Gotham Nocturne Intermezzo: Batman, Outlaw | Detective Comics #1076–1080 | 232 | HC | December 31, 2024 | 978-1779528568 |
| TPB | 978-1779529459 | |||||
| Deluxe hardcovers | ||||||
| Book 1 | Detective Comics #934–949 | 388 | OHC | November 7, 2017 | 978-1401276089 | |
| Book 2 | Detective Comics #950–962 | 320 | May 15, 2018 | 978-1401278571 | ||
| Book 3 | Detective Comics #963–973 andAnnual #1 | 320 | October 30, 2018 | 978-1401284817 | ||
| Book 4 | Detective Comics #974–982 | 296 | April 23, 2019 | 978-1401289102 | ||
| Issue #1000 | Detective Comics #1000 | 160 | June 18, 2019 | 978-1401294199 | ||
In 2000 and 2001, DC reprinted several of its most notable issues in theMillennium Edition series. Seven issues ofDetective Comics were reprinted in this format.[101]
DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz accepted an award on behalf of DC from the Guinness World Records, recognizingDetective Comics as the longest-running comic book periodical in the United States of America.
The launch ofDetective Comics defined [Malcolm] Wheeler-Nicholson's young comics company and set it on an ascendant path within the industry...His smart business decision to partner with businessmen Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz onDetective Comics guaranteed that his company's third title would at least be solvent.
Released over two years before Batman's debut, this issue (marred by its grotesquely racist cover) [...]
Hindsight is 20/20, [...] and being published in 1937, there's a fair bit of racism and xenophobia as is clearly shown by the cover.
Prior to Batman's arrival, stars of the book included [...] Ching Lung (a "yellow peril" villain...and yes, it's every bit as racist/cringeworthy as it sounds)
Gotham City's most famous detective ultimately usurped the coveted cover position with issue 35.
The main story, written by Mike Friedrich and drawn by Bob Brown, celebrated Batman's 30th anniversary by updating the first Batman story [fromDetective Comics #27].
Editor Julius Schwartz had decided to darken the character's world to further distance him from the camp environment created by the 1966 ABC show. Bringing in the talented O'Neil as well as the innovative Frank Robbins and showcasing the art of rising star Neal Adams...Schwartz pointed Batman in a new and darker direction, a path the character still continues on to this day.
Even though their Batman run was only six issues, the three laid the foundation for later Batman comics. Their stories include the classic 'Laughing Fish' (in which the Joker's face appeared on fish); they were adapted forBatman: The Animated Series in the 1990s. Earlier drafts of the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight were based heavily on their work.
I understand that for one month all the original new 52 books will be numbered #0 instead of being #13. And that their #13s will run in October instead.
Tony was so busy on so many different fronts that we thought it could be really fun for us to collaborate, with him handling the art and me handling the story on this one. And so we just jumped in.
Perhaps the most daunting task was given to Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch, who have created what DC is calling a 'modern-day retelling' of the first Batman story – the one in the originalDetective Comics #27.
Action Comics numbering will pick up with #957 andDetective will be at #934. Both series will be released on twice-monthly schedule, at a $2.99 price.
| Characters | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locations inGotham City | |||||
| Technology |
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| Batman in other media | |||||
| Ongoing publications (history) | |||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||
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