The Dark Knight Descends on the City…

The Dark Knight Descends on the City…

The Whirlwind Adventures of Batman and Robin.

BATMAN Vol.1,  No.4,  December 1940;  Cover Art:  Bob Kane,  Jerry Robinson;  Writer:  Bill Finger;  Penciler:  Bob Kane;  Inkers:  George Roussos,  Jerry Robinson

Not only is the origin of the Batman directly related to the death of his parents,  his evolution as the Dark Knigh twas shaped by his city.  In his early adventures,  the Batman was a dark and brooding creature of the night in a city that was as sinister and dangerous as the many bizarre villains he faced.  As time passed,  this grim cityscape became as much a part of the Batman and Robin stories as the heroes themselves.

Even with the addition of the colorful and lighthearted sidekick,  Robin the Boy Wonder,  the foreboding darkness of the city was a constant reminder of the perils they faced.  Notably,  the city did not have a name until it appeared in a newspaper headline in the fourth appearance of the Joker in Batman #4,  shown here.  From that point forward,  “Gotham” was known as the home of Batman and Robin.

Big Batman THANKS and Kudos to Bill Jourdain for his expert commentary and to the talented artists and writers of DC Comics who captivated and inspired millions of readers during this magical Golden Age.  Bill Jourdain has been an avid reader and collector of comic books for over 40 years. He has an extensive collection of comics spanning the 1930s to the 1970s. Bill previously produced a podcast devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books, has penned articles about the Golden Age for Alter-Egomagazine and Comics Now!magazine, and has maintained websites devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books and the Golden Age of Batman. Bill resides in north Georgia with his wife and children, and somehow finds time away from comic books to practice law.