The Batman Family #17 for Sale - First Appearance of Becky Langstrom - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: The Batman Family (DC, 1975 series)
Issue: #17
Publication date: April-May 1978
Key date: 1978-04-00
On-sale date: 1978-01-17
Indicia publisher: DC Comics Inc.
Price: $1.00
Pages: 84
Barcode: 0709893165505
Rating: Approved by the Comics Code Authority

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Becky Langstrom - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Lori Elton - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Senator Thomas Cleary - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Madame Zodiac - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1	pencils: Michael Wm. Kaluta; inks: Michael Wm. Kaluta; colors: Tatjana Wood	Batgirl, Batman, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, The Huntress, Kirk Langstrom, Man-Bat, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Helena Wayne
1	-	foreword, introduction, preface, afterword	1	pencils: Jim Starlin; inks: Jim Starlin	Batman, Bruce Wayne
2	Scars	comic story	23	script: Gerry Conway; pencils: Jim Aparo; inks: Jim Aparo; colors: Adrienne Roy	Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Batman, Batman, Batwoman, Catwoman, Doctor Fate, Dr. Mid-Nite, Lori Elton First, The Flash, Jay Garrick, Barbara Gordon, Ted Grant, Dick Grayson
4	-	letters page	1	script: Bob Rozakis
5	Horoscopes of Crime!	comic story	21	script: Bob Rozakis; pencils: Don Heck; inks: Bob Wiacek, Vince Colletta; colors: Jerry Serpe; letters: Clem Robins	Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, Catwoman, Senator Thomas Cleary First, Barbara Gordon, The Huntress, Pamela Isley, Kathy Kane, Selina Kyle, Selina Kyle, Madame Zodiac First, Poison Ivy, Helena Wayne
6	-	letters page	1	script: Paul Levitz
7	There's a Demon Born Every Minute	comic story	19	script: Bob Rozakis; pencils: Michael Golden; inks: Michael Golden; colors: Jerry Serpe; letters: Jean Simek	Batgirl, Batman, Jason Blood, Etrigan the Demon, Barbara Gordon, The Huntress, Francine Langstrom, Kirk Langstrom, Becky Langstrom First, Man-Bat, Morgaine le Fey, Bruce Wayne, Helena Wayne
8	30 Cary Burkett	in-house column	0.4	script: Mike Catron
9	-	in-house column	0.6	script: Bob Rozakis

Plus 1 page of advertisements and other matter across 1 sequence, as published.

Where to read it

Collection	Year
The Best of DC #51	1984	On eBay ›
Batman: Cover to Cover #[nn] ISBN 1-4012-0659-X	2005	On eBay ›
Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway #1 ISBN 978-1-4012-7255-5	2017	On eBay ›
Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo #3 ISBN 978-1-4012-7161-9	2017	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Check the price box: Marvel ran 30-cent and 35-cent test-market price variants in 1976-77.
Canadian and Whitman editions exist for many bronze books; match the barcode area to the plate.
Look for Mark Jewelers inserts and date stamps - they affect collector preference, not authenticity.

Series context

‹ #1617 of 20#18 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com