Major Key
Detective Comics #27
First appearance of Batman, introducing Bruce Wayne’s masked crime-fighting identity in a landmark Golden Age story.
View key issue guideMarvel & DC Key Comic Issues
Explore 20 collector guides covering major and minor Marvel & DC comic milestones.
Batman Key Comic Issues
Explore major and minor Batman key issues in publication order, with collector milestones and spoiler-light story context.
20 Batman key issues
Major Key
Detective Comics #168
The Red Hood story provides a foundational origin for the Joker.
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Major Key
Batman #121
First appearance of Mister Freeze, originally introduced as Mr. Zero.
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Major Key
Detective Comics #230
First appearance of the original Batwoman, Kathy Kane.
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Major Key
Detective Comics #474
Deadshot returns with the visual identity that becomes his classic look.
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Minor Key
Batman #366
Jason Todd begins operating as Robin in the post-Crisis predecessor continuity.
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Minor Key
Batman #423
A celebrated standalone Batman story featuring an iconic Todd McFarlane cover.
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Major Key
Batman #428
Conclusion of A Death in the Family, a defining turning point for Batman and Jason Todd.
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Major Key
Batman #635
Jason Todd returns to Gotham as the Red Hood in the opening of Under the Hood.
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Minor Key
Detective Comics #880
A major chapter in The Black Mirror, featuring one of the modern era’s most acclaimed Batman stories.
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