Detective Comics #27

A copy of Detective Comics #27, which marks the debut of Batman, sold at auction today for more than $1 million, barely breaking a record set just three days ago by Action Comics #1.

The Associated Press reports the Certified Guaranty Company-graded 8.0 issue, sold by Heritage Auction Galleries on behalf of an anonymous party, was purchased for $1,075,500. Earlier estimates had the May 1939 issue selling for $100,000. However, as CBGExtra notes, bids had already reached $400,000 by the time the auction opened.

Before this week, the record for the most expensive comic book was $317,000, set in 2009 by a copy of Action Comics #1.

Batman Beyond, as we all obviously know but I’m going to explain anyway, takes place in the future. Bruce Wayne’s old. Too old to be Batman anymore.

In comes Terry McGinnis. A young punk. But when he’s father is murdered, he discovers Batman and yadda yadda, new future Batman.

Now, onto Return of The Joker. I will try and keep this spoiler free, even though the movie’s a few years old by now.

Joker’s back, somehow. Batman has to stop him. This might be the most personal the Joker has ever gotten in the animated continuity.

And the uncut PG-13 version is surprisingly adult and disturbing. At several points in the great, great flashbacks it’s quite dark.

Really, it’s just excellent. It might not be Mask of The Phantasm, which I still consider the finest Batman movie so far, better even then The Dark Knight, but wow, is it great.

Honestly, it’s one of the best comics ever published. O’Neill is a master of comics, and Cowan is a great gritty artist (At least he is here).

The Question is Vic Sage, a reporter in Hub City, who’s taking a stance on corruption and crime.

But O’Neill makes it much more. It’s also about, well like the first collection is called, Zen and Violence.

DC finally began collecting this great 80s series in 2007, although I would still recommend hunting down the singles. Why? Because of the letter pages. O’Neill included a recommended reading list in each issue, about a subject the issue dealt with, and sometimes not. But it was definitely interesting, and I wish DC would reprint the letter pages in the trades. Either way, this series is definitely worth your time, even if Batman only appears a little.

Not everyone has loved Morrison’s run on Batman, like I have. Personally, I love how he’s pretending the entire history of Batman’s comic adventures happened in the span of 10-15/20 years. It’s insane.

Anyway, in Batman and Son, Bats meets his, well, son, Damian. Damian is Talia al Ghul’s kid, whom Batsy had relations with in the 1987 graphic novel Son of The Demon.

I’m explaining it badly, so to get the full picture, I suggest you read Funnybook Babylon’s annotations.

Official Lala Land page, with samples.

Plenty of of fanboys are anticipating the new Justice League DVD “Crisis on Two Earths,” which premieres on Feb. 23, but that disc will also give birth to a new DC must-see home movie when the Dark Knight saga “Batman: Under the Red Hood” launches one of its first promos.
Written by Judd Winick and based on his 2005 Batman comics story line, it’s Batman versus another vigilante, Red Hood, who doesn’t mind cleaning up Gotham by leaving dead bodies in his wake. Animated guru Bruce Timm exec produces this pretty violent look into crime on the streets, and it’s directed by “Superman Doomsday” co-director Brandon Vietti, with a cavalcade of stars as voice talent. It all starts with Bruce Greenwood (“Star Trek”) as Batman, then continues with”Supernatural” star Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Nightwing, John DiMaggio (“Futurama”) as the Joker and Jason Isaacs (theHarry Potter films) as Ra’s Al Ghul.This was one of the most popular story lines to come out of Batman in recent history. Will you watch?– Jevon Phillips

I’ll be honest, I don’t remember the storyline too much. So I’ll reread it. Like I said, an interesting cast.

Or if you prefer .JPG:

Some might say “No no, it was the Bat-Nipples.” But no. You don’t notice those if you just casually watch the movie. No, this was it.