Monday, May 16, 2011

Batman Part VI

Batman Family was published by DC Comics from 1975 to 1978, a total of 20 issues. The first 10 issues had reprints.

Issue 3 (Jan-Feb 1976) is memorable for reprinting the first "Batman in Outer Space" story - "Batman in the Year 3000!" from Batman 26 (Dec/44-Jan/45).

"Batman in Outer Space" is the title of an essay by Mike Barr in Batman Unauthorized (Dallas: BenBella Books, 2008). The essay makes the point that the Batman SF stories in the 40s, 50s and early 60s were "some of the best character-oriented and character-driven stories of the time period." This first SF story is indeed one of the best.

If you missed the first reprint you would have waited 35 years until the second - in Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Volume 7 (DC Comics, 2010).  The two reprints are identical except the Batman Family version substitutes "The Batman of the Future" for the original B&R logo on page 1 seen below from the Archives reprint.


No comments:

Post a Comment