Batman #1 (1940) · 1940
The Dynamic Duo takes flight.
Batman and Robin swing across a bold yellow sky. Follow the iconic debut-issue composition through generations of partners, parodies and tributes.
The origin pointBatman #1 (1940) · Bob Kane; Jerry Robinson
The original cover
Batman #1 (1940)
Batman and Robin swing across a bold yellow sky. Follow the iconic debut-issue composition through generations of partners, parodies and tributes.
This catalog follows the original cover’s composition across published comics and announced editions. Trade dress, virgin, foil and sketch treatments are described in edition notes. Connecting sets identify their participating issues and panels.
Verified records have source support for the exact cover and target. Partial records retain attribution or edition gaps. Reprints, interior-scene homages, different targets and unresolved references are listed separately below.
Batman #1 (1940) collection
Browse the lineage
- Homage entries
- 15
- Verified
- 11
- Qualified
- 4
Search by title, artist, publisher, character or edition. Entries may represent an individual panel or a documented connecting set; the count is not a count of unique complete panoramas.
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Research & releases · Reviewed October 21, 2026
New editions and open questions
No publisher, artist or retailer confirmed an exact Batman #1 (1940) homage scheduled after October 21, 2026. The new Philip Tan NYCC 2025 addition is already published. Future Batman and Absolute Batman search results often refer to different targets, reprints or unrevealed artwork; no speculative upcoming entries were added.
Undisclosed print quantities, ambiguous credits and conflicting edition dates remain identified as unknown. This catalog can grow as publishers, artists and collectors provide new evidence.
Research changes and source notes
- CL-BAT1-0001: Cover homage
Nested homage: the foreground Main Man mock comic restages Batman #1; the main central Lobo figure does not. Other miniature covers contain superhero parodies whose exact identities remain unresolved. DC Universe Infinite confirms the August 10 release and Kevin O’Neill artwork. Also distributed in SDCC 1993 gift bags; no separate exclusive edition established.
- CL-BAT1-0002: Cover homage
Howard Chaykin cover credit confirmed by exact signature and retailer metadata; interior artist M.D. Bright is not the cover artist. Exact direct-sales barcode edition reviewed. November 1995 is the cover date; September is the release month.
- CL-BAT1-0003: Cover homage
Reuses original Batman artwork and adds Finster in Robin’s position, with a redesigned Fanboy masthead. Both Bob Kane and Sergio Aragonés are signed and credited by the retailer. This is an adaptation rather than a wholly redrawn Batman figure.
- CL-BAT1-0004: Cover homage
Corrected year to 2009: the exact magazine reads February 2009, and the contemporary January 2, 2009 Diamond shipping list includes this Kubert edition. Supplied December 31, 2008 date differs; the precise on-sale day remains qualified. Rorschach appears in the Watchmen photograph inset. Hugh Jackman’s real actor headshot is not tagged Wolverine. Robin’s civilian identity remains unconfirmed.
- CL-BAT1-0005: Cover homage
Corrected companion from Launchpad to Gizmoduck, visibly wearing his wheel and armored suit. Retailer credits Sabrina Alberghetti for Cover B. Supplied December 15, 2010 release retained; contemporary shipping forecast instead listed December 29, so the exact day remains unresolved. Printed weathering is intentional cover design.
- CL-BAT1-0006: Cover homage
Publisher solicitation confirms the 1:25 Scribblenauts edition; current issue page confirms January 22 actual release after the original January 15 solicitation. Exact scan shows stylized Batman and Robin; civilian versions were not inferred from the interior cast. Native scan is small.
- CL-BAT1-0007: Cover homage
Exact standard cover is signed Dan 2015 after Kane and Robinson. Jesus, Satan and Sister Maria swing together; interior antagonist Hercules is not shown. The limited 1,500-copy Halloween incentive is a different cover, so that limit does not apply here.
- CL-BAT1-0008: Cover homage
Batvark and Cerebus are visible, rather than the actual Batman and Robin. Retailer credits source composition to Bob Kane and Cerebus artwork to Dave Sim. Creator production notes discuss Sandeep Atwal’s mockups and Sean Michael Robinson’s prepress; precise cover adaptation credit remains qualified. Printed aged texture is preserved.
- CL-BAT1-0009: Cover homage
Publisher credits Steven Butler and Dan Feldmeier and documents an alternate Night edition comprising 10% of production, without a total run. Clean printed scan names Lady Bat and Chaotica the Girl Wonder. Publisher day/night masters have shop watermarks; selected clean printed Day cover. Supplied July 1, 2022 date remains unconfirmed for this edition; Halloween dress is not proof of release date. Night is grouped as the same artwork with changed background colors.
- CL-BAT1-0010: Cover homage
Publisher product and edition-specific GCD identify issue #3 Cover D, released July 13, 2022. The exact promotional master nevertheless prints No. 4, as does the supplied collector scan. Retained the documented issue #3 catalog identity and disclosed this inconsistent printed number. Signature explicitly says after Bob Kane; Dinei Ribeiro is credited for colors.
- CL-BAT1-0011: Cover homage
Original Batman artwork and masthead are adapted with Harley replacing Robin. Printed credit names Bob Kane and Ryan Sook; Jerry Robinson’s source background credit is retained. Publisher DC Connect #25 confirms August 2 and the Sook cardstock variant. Distressed texture is intentional cover design.
- CL-BAT1-0012: Cover homage
Tom King’s published April Fools cardstock variant recreates Batman #1 using stick figures. Signed TK with the note I’m sorry, Bob. Exact edition and release checked; this is a printed variant rather than a unique remarked copy.
- CL-BAT1-0013: Cover homage
Corrected main figures to actual Santa Claus and Robin (Damian Wayne), rather than Batman and Robin wearing Santa costumes. Batman remains identifiable in the masthead portrait. Printed holiday crossover advertisement is part of the cover. December 5, 2023 release differs from February 2024 cover date.
- CL-BAT1-0014: Cover homage
Artist webstore explicitly names the 1940 target and identifies Cover A with the vintage logo and trade dress. NYCC 2024 edition debut October 17 retained; ordinary issue release was October 16. Selected the unsigned 1014 × 1600 master over signed and slab photos. Covers B and C show unrelated spotlight/Dick Sprang portraits and are excluded from this exact composition family. No print limit announced.
- CL-BAT1-0015: Cover homage
Retailer confirms 800 gold-foil copies. Announced for NYCC October 9–12, 2025, with limited online presale October 6. October 9 convention start is used as the edition release rather than the base issue’s September 3 date. Clean 1632 × 2560 press master replaces retailer image containing a Lens icon. Flat digital artwork does not depict physical foil reflections. Robin’s civilian identity is unconfirmed. A separately mentioned black-logo cover is not counted without matching artwork.
- Batman #1 Facsimile Edition (2023/2025) and Comic Mint gold/silver foils: Not added
Reused original Kane/Robinson cover, not newly drawn homage; supplied PDF original/reprints excluded fromdistinctgallery.
- Batman and Robin: Year One #1 Alex Ross covers B and C: Not added
Exact unsigned images inspected: Cover B shows a spotlight duo and Cover C close-up portraits. Neither reproduces the Batman #1 swinging composition; only Cover A qualifies.
- Bantam #1 / Bantam (Lupi McGinty): Not added
Published parody lead with ISBN 9780983885450. Retailer print date March 31, 2012 differs from digital release July 10, 2013. Exact native cover was not verified in this pass; retained as a research lead rather than adding an unreviewed image.
- Big Bang Comics #3 Jim Valentino interior tribute: Not added
Interior page rather than published cover; excluded from the cover gallery.
- Absolute Batman #1 and its2025/2026 homages: Not added
Different 2024 Nick Dragotta composition, not Batman #1 (1940); separated to prevent target confusion.
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