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The Batman Chronicles, Vol. 1 (The Batman Chronicles #1)
Presenting an exciting new way to experience the rich history of the Dark Knight in an affordable trade paperback collection of every Batman adventure, in color, in chronological order!
Batman Chronicles, Volume 1 reprints Batman stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #27-37 and BATMAN #1, featuring the earliest adventures of the Dark Knight by Batman creator Bob Kane, B
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 1st 2005
by DC Comics
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These early Batman stories (most of which were originally published in Detective Comics in 1939 and 1940) are cloddishly written and primitively illustrated, but nearly everything that makes Batman a powerful and intriguing character is present. There is no Alfred the butler, and we don't see a lot of Bruce Wayne's life as a feckless playboy, but we see enough. The villains and situations are pure pulp, and the dark, sinister atmosphere is thick. Each issue of Detective Comics in which Batman or...more
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No Batmobile.
No Alfred.
It all starts from Bob Kane's pen.
The stories are not as complex or as rich as we have today. But is fantastic to read the orginal stories and watch as the Batman legend builds.
Seriously, this Batman uses bullets and guns! The introduction of the Joker is so true to what we have today.
Now reader, "and swear that we two will fight together against crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteou...more
No Alfred.
It all starts from Bob Kane's pen.
The stories are not as complex or as rich as we have today. But is fantastic to read the orginal stories and watch as the Batman legend builds.
Seriously, this Batman uses bullets and guns! The introduction of the Joker is so true to what we have today.
Now reader, "and swear that we two will fight together against crime and corruption and never to swerve from the path of righteou...more
Claire
added it
These very early strips show a different Batman to the character we know and love now. He is still mysterious and driven by the deaths of his parents, but the plotlines and his personality are more simplistic and somewhat two-dimensional here, reflecting a different era and audience for comic book superheroes. Despite these tales being pre-Gotham and the Batmobile etc, there is much that is familiar in these strips, including the first appearances of characters such as Robin, Commissioner Gordon...more
Neat collection that (is planned) to have every Batman story in chronological order. This volume starts with a bunch of Detective Comics and ends with Batman #1. The artwork is somewhat crude but still fairly effective. When robin shows up the mood of the book changes drastically, transforming into a goofier Batman more akin to the television show. It would be many years before Batman went back to the darker early stories. Recommended for superhero or pulp fiction fans, and especially for Batman...more
This is spectacular stuff, the first year of Batman comics 1939-1940. It's not "good" per se, but these stories are fascinating.
Bruce Wayne's initial motivation for fighting crime isn't the death of his parents, although that's in here too. No, at first his motive is boredom. Bored billionaire Bruce Wayne is the "Bat-Man" (note the article, the hyphen and the quotation marks, as if we need to be convinced.) Batman kills criminals as well, in the beginning. This qu...more
Bruce Wayne's initial motivation for fighting crime isn't the death of his parents, although that's in here too. No, at first his motive is boredom. Bored billionaire Bruce Wayne is the "Bat-Man" (note the article, the hyphen and the quotation marks, as if we need to be convinced.) Batman kills criminals as well, in the beginning. This qu...more
The first appearances of Batman. Loved the hypenated name in the first stories. Very much of it's time; Bruce Wayne smokes a pipe.
The original Batmobile is Red, didn't expect that.
Unfortunately Robin appears early on. Fortunately, the Joker shows up as a very evil man, killing people all over the place. Fun as a book and to see how Batman was at the very beginning.
The original Batmobile is Red, didn't expect that.
Unfortunately Robin appears early on. Fortunately, the Joker shows up as a very evil man, killing people all over the place. Fun as a book and to see how Batman was at the very beginning.
i'm a huge Batman fan and I recently discovered that I can read the first Batman comics collected in the Batman Chronicles. In this collection, the reader is introduced to the Joker and the Cat. I don't know if the Cat will eventually morph into Catwoman. That's what Vol. 2 is for.
By the end of 1940, with the introduction of Robin, he's already getting pretty campy, but the earliest stories, and the first depictions of the Joker, are dark and weird and harsh in a way that's great.
Reprints Detective Comics #27-38 and Batman #1. Batman starts his attack on crime, encounters the Joker, and adopts Robin as a sidekick. The stories in this collection are a great way to see how much the character has changed. The old Batman was willing to use a gun if necessary, relied heavily on fear, and often ended up with a dead villain on his hands by the end of the story. The style of the story is very indicative of most Golden Age comics. They are short, choppy, and the art is very ...more
I never knew batman could kill to get the job done. An eye opener. Also includes the introduction of Robin
Not so much "good" as a historical document. Kind of quaint 6 to 12 page stories full of generic fedora-wearing baddies, "Hindu" henchman and extra-cheesy dialogue. Later in the book we get the first telling of the origin story, the first appearances of Robin, and the first two Joker stories. Batman's come a long way in 70 years, but he had to start somewhere.
Both dorkier and darker than expected.
GN YA BATMAN - original superhero comic, violence
This is a compilation of the very first Batman comics, circa 1939. It doesn't translate to contemporary times very well (although I've never been much of a superhero comic fan, so I could be wrong). I laughed about a million times at the dated terminology, scenarios, and villains, who almost all die. Lots of gangsters, mad geniuses and jewel heists. The Joker and Robin are introduced. For very serious fans or those entertained by things old...more
This is a compilation of the very first Batman comics, circa 1939. It doesn't translate to contemporary times very well (although I've never been much of a superhero comic fan, so I could be wrong). I laughed about a million times at the dated terminology, scenarios, and villains, who almost all die. Lots of gangsters, mad geniuses and jewel heists. The Joker and Robin are introduced. For very serious fans or those entertained by things old...more
Hmmm. Well, I learned that "DC" stands for "Detective Comics", which is pretty cool. The original Batman was much less dark and much more campy than its current incarnations. Also, he kills people pretty regularly and without the accompanying angst. It's interesting to read the origins of all of the character though, and see how they have developed over the years.
It's always fun to look back at the early days of the Dark Knight, even if they were filled with corny dialogue and big plot holes. If he only knew what was in store for him.
It's fascinating how Batman came to be and to read the stories in its time-frame order. I have always had an obsessive interest in people who put on masks to do something else. Batman was a favorite of mine as a little boy. Now I am more curious about the subtext of Batman. Bruce Wayne is one interesting character!
Historically fascinating early Golden Age stories, exposing the character's roots in early 20th century pulp (as opposed to more recent noir/crime) fiction. If you've ever wanted to see Batman cracking wise while roughing up some stereotypical Chinese gangsters (or vampires!), then here's your chance.
Great stuff.
Fun look into the past at the beginning of Bob Kane's Batman. I loved seeing the old art style, the first stories with famous villains like the Joker and of course the awkward dialogue from 70 years ago.
Typical superhero writing, but still fun. Plus, it's funny to note the resemblance between Kane's style and what Fletcher Hanks would be doing just a few years later.
Awesome. The earliest ones rock. Loves the '30s.
Read 10/23/06
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William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers ...more
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