DC to Celebrate 80 Years of Batman with Two Anniversary Books

On Thursday, DC Comics announced its plans for celebrating 80 years of Batman. The Dark Knight’s birthday is coinciding with Detective Comics #1000 in March of 2019, along with a new hardcover book titled Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman The Deluxe Edition. You’ll find the details on both forthcoming collections below.

Detective Comics #1000

Similarly to this year’s Action Comics #1000, Batman’s thousandth issue will feature stories from a wide variety of creators, spanning 96 pages. Peter J. Tomasi (Batman and Robin, Detective Comics, Batman: Arkham Knight) and Doug Mahnke (Batman: The Man Who Laughs, Blackest Night) are taking the lead on writing and art, respectively. Joining up with their own original stories are some of DC’s top talents, including Geoff Johns, Brian Michael Bendis, Paul Dini, Christopher Priest, Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Kelley Jones, Dustin Nguyen, Alex Maleev and more. In one of those stories, DC promises “a never-before-seen iteration of the Arkham Knight,” introducing the character to the DC Comics continuity.

Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman The Deluxe Edition

This hardcover collects reprints of Batman’s most memorable adventures, a fresh new cover from Batman: Hush artist Jim Lee and previously unpublished works. Chief among those stories is one by Paul Levitz and artist Denys Cowan, in which we’ll witness a traumatic moment from Bruce Wayne’s early life. There’s also a look at the superhero’s early stages, with unseen layouts from Detective Comics #200. And DC has Batman covered from a writing standpoint, too: Essayists Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Glen David Gold, Denny O’Neil, former San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman and pulp historian Anthony Tollin will each be featured as they share their insights on the character in essay form.

“The enduring popularity of Batman over the past 80 years speaks to the character’s multi-generational appeal,” said DC publishers Lee and Dan DiDio in a statement. “We’re proud to celebrate Batman’s cultural impact with these special releases and look forward to a year of commemorating this milestone anniversary with fans across the globe.”

Prices and exact dates have yet to be unannounced for either book. For a look at Lee’s full, uncropped cover, check out the image below.

Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman The Deluxe Edition Cover Art by Jim Lee