Publishers / DC / Detective Comics (1937) / #27
27May 1939
$0.10

Detective Comics #27

DC · May 1939 · on sale 1939-03-30

First appearance: Bruce WayneFirst appearance: BatmanFirst appearance: Commissioner James Gordon
How to read this file
  • Every claim on this page traces to a public bibliographic record; the sources are listed at the bottom of the file.
  • A first-appearance badge means this is the earliest non-flashback appearance on record in this database.
  • Buy links are eBay affiliate links. They never change what the record says.

Identification plate

Series
Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series)
Issue
#27
Publication date
May 1939
Key date
1939-05-00
On-sale date
1939-03-30
Indicia publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Price
$0.10
Pages
68

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

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Bruce Wayne - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

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

First appearance of Commissioner James Gordon - 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.

Contents

SeqStoryTypePagesCreditsCharacters
0-cover1pencils: Bob Kane; inks: Bob KaneBatman First, Bruce Wayne First
1-cartoon1Helen Blixt; Luke May
2The Case of the Chemical Syndicatecomic story6script: Bill Finger; pencils: Rob't Kane; inks: Rob't Kane; letters: Bob KaneBatman First, Commissioner James Gordon First, Bruce Wayne First
3Action Comicspromo (ad from the publisher)0.05letters: typeset
4Tenderfootcomic story0.7script: Charles Biro; pencils: Charles Biro; inks: Charles Biro
6The Killers of Kurdistancomic story6script: Gardner Fox; pencils: Fred Guardineer; inks: Fred Guardineer; letters: Fred GuardineerSpeed Saunders
7Bullet Bluffcomic story6script: H. Fleming; pencils: H. Fleming; inks: H. FlemingBuck Marshall
8The Mysterious Murderscomic story6script: Jerry Siegel; pencils: Joe Shuster; inks: Joe ShusterBart Regan
9Murder on the Oceanic Line Dockscomic story6script: Jim Chambers; pencils: Jim Chambers; inks: Jim ChambersThe Crimson Avenger, Wing How, Lee Travis, Wing
10Death on the Airwavestext story1.75script: Paul Dean; pencils: Fred Guardineer; inks: Fred GuardineerRichard Drew (death); President Benson; Captain Richard Byrne; Brian DeAngelo (villain); Elaine Rutland; Eddie Dorson
13The New Orleans Mardi Gras Murder, Part 1comic story6script: Tom Hickey; pencils: Tom Hickey; inks: Tom HickeyBruce Nelson
14The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 11comic story4script: Leo O'Mealia, Sax Rohmer; pencils: Leo O'Mealia; inks: Leo O'MealiaRev. J. D. Eltham; Greba Eltham; Sir Dennis Nayland Smith; Vernon Denby; Dr. Petrie; Dr. Fu Manchu (villain); Caesar (dog)
15Flatfoot Flannigancomic story1script: Gustavson; pencils: Gustavson; inks: Gustavson; letters: GustavsonFlannigan
16Danzig Marks Anniversary; Nicaraguan Issuetext article0.6letters: typesetStephen Bathory
18Illegal Alienscomic story6script: Sven Elven; pencils: Sven Elvén; inks: Sven Elvén; letters: Sven ElvenCosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
19Plain Clothes Petecomic story4script: Alger; pencils: Alger; inks: Alger; letters: Russell ColePete; Joe; Louie th' Louse (villain)
20The Murderer on Vacationcomic story9script: Jerry Siegel; pencils: Joe Shuster; inks: Joe ShusterSlam Bradley, Shorty Morgan
21All-American Comics; Movie Comicspromo (ad from the publisher)1letters: typesetAndy Devine

Plus 1.9 pages of advertisements and other matter across 5 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

CollectionYear
Batman Annual #51963On eBay ›
Batman #2001968On eBay ›
Detective Comics #3871969On eBay ›
Batman from the 30s to the 70s #[nn]1972On eBay ›
A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics #[nn]
ISBN 0-87474-228-5; 0-8109-0696-1
1981On eBay ›
Detective Comics #6271991On eBay ›
Famous First Edition #C-281974On eBay ›
Double Action Comics #21940On eBay ›
Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 27 #[nn]2000On eBay ›
The Untold Legend of the Batman [MPI Audio Edition] #31989On eBay ›
Batman Archives #1
ISBN 0-930289-60-9
1990On eBay ›
Batman Begins - Special DVD Issue #[nn]2005On eBay ›

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

Before you buy

  • Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
  • Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
  • Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

Sources

  • Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Wikidata, Q116113 (Commissioner James Gordon), first-appearance property (CC0)

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