1st published Jim Lee Batman - Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #50 pin-up - IDW DC Legends Artifact Edition book cover

Congrats! Seems like you managed to acquire your grail :)

I don't like to use the term "grail" since there is so much incredible art out there, but this one is a pretty major accomplishment for my collection

So awesome!  He would do Deathblow in the same manner in tribute to Miller, but you knew he wanted a Batman run in that style even back then. 

Apparently Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane both met with DC and tried to get a Batman run in 1992 and Jim used this piece to try to land the job. Rob Liefeld tried to get a run on Teen Titans. Rob talked about it on his podcast Robservations on the episode "The DC Detour!" (October 9, 2020). Rob talks about this specific pin-up extensively (at the 38 minute mark) and features the image on his Robservations website.

Whoa!!! Jim Lee's first published Batman piece/pin-up is as historic as it gets for "modern" DC/Batman art! I love this image because (like you pointed out) it reminds of the classic Batman #608 2nd print cover, almost like a prototype for that 10 whole years earlier! Except the style is so much more FM influenced than any other version Jim would do, amazing. Huge congrats brother!

Wow!! This is amazing! And they say crime doesn't pay??? The question is who... congrats! 

Awesome! It was Nice meeting you in San Diego!

Awesome!

An awesome Grail pickup, that has so much history behind it. ! Congrats!

AzBats Brother. Truly a Gem and belongs in your collection. Can't wait to see it framed and on your wall! Congrats! 

Insanely nice piece that I'm happy to see in your collection. Totally stunning.

Thanks Jason. Much appreciated! 🙏

Wow!!

That also might be Jim Lee's first gargoyle!

Holy Batman!

That’s crazy cool piece and moment from Jim Lee’s career. Love the touches of inspiration from FM and extra story with the Marvel board with X-Men on it.

Wow! Just wow!

Jaw on floor. This is a Mt. Rushmore style pickup, dude. The image itself is crazy good but the history behind it is so incredible. HUGE CONGRATS!

Thanks brother! Ultimate combo of art and history for me!

Where do you level up from here? Screen worn Adam West Bat-briefs signed by him with a Bob Kane remarque?

This one found its way to the right batcave!  Congrats 😎 

Damn Daryl, every piece you've posted have been gems. Great pick-up!

Absolutely ICONIC! Great pick up on one of the quintessal Batman artists doing a bang up rendition of the Dark Knightd. Masive congrats!! 

Awesome addition - such a great piece of comics history at a major pivot point in Jim Lee's career. The use of a Marvel/X-men board is a huge boon in my eyes as well. I find this type of thing to be very cool also. Congrats on landing a true gem, and a true foundation piece in your collection. 

Thanks Dave! Yeah that Marvel art board with "X-Men 6" written on it really does add to the history and appeal of this piece for me!

Always loved this one! Congrats!

What a fantastic addition to your collection. I feel like this was used as one of the limited edition covers for an Artist's Edition as well. I could be mistaken, though.

You are correct Victor! This image was used as the cover for the IDW Jim Lee DC Legends Artifact Edition book in 2018.

one great image! JK is the best!

I can't think of a piece that better exemplifies the transition of comic art from the 80's to the 90's. Absolutely extraordinary piece.

Great piece of Mr Lee's history, congrats on this Bat beauty!

Deathblow style Batman!

Wow, this is a real beauty. Incredible. I've always loved this, and Lee's first published Batman....great great piece. 

HELL YEEEAAAAAH!!!! Daryl, that's the perfect Jim Lee Batman for your collection. Congrats 

This is basically the blueprint for all the J Lee Batman that followed.  So much talent and it shows here where Jim ventured a bit outside his comfort zone.  Outsanding piece (and this comes from a Marvel-only-guy like myself!)

It's a fantastic image to begin with, but the fact that it is the first published is huge. His take on Bats is just as great as you would hope. I also love that it came from that same time frame as X-Men. Adds another layer to a special piece. Great to see you get this legendary pin up!

Yeah lots of crazy things were going on with comics back in '92. While Jim Lee was on fire with X-Men nobody knew he was seeking an exit from Marvel and employment with DC. Meanwhile, DC already had the Knightfall storyline planned out and artists assigned so it was a difficult time for Lee and McFarlane to audition for work on Batman since a consistent house style was needed across all the titles. Lee and the gang later decided to start Image instead so it took another decade until Lee was finally able to land a gig drawing Batman.

Come on!!!!!!!! Love it!! 

Epic! Huge congrats 👏 

Incredible pickup, congrats!

Sockamagee!

Pretty cool page.... for DC that is!!! In all seriousness, HUGE congrats on such an amazing historic piece!!! This is epic!!!!!

Everyone sees a masterpiece (and it is!!). I see talent, genius, vision and... what could have been and wasn't. What a shame!

I love this era of inking for Jim's work. Great piece.

Incredible piece!!

I can't be envious as owning this is beyond any possiblity for me.  So congratulations.  I bought LotDK at the time when I was 17 or so.I copied this line for line while on a holiday with my family and ended up rendering in gold and silver marker as I happened to have those with me.

While it's a nod to Miller/Janson, I think it's also the best Batman he's ever done.  I love Williams's inks but there's a stiffness to it all that takes me out the work mostly.

So glad to have it in the Artiface Edition.

Congrats again.

Man Daryl, such a great piece. His style here is reminiscent of the art style he adapted for Deathblow. Almost Miller-inspired.

TBH, it's so much better than his modern day Batman art, which I find very stiff and lifeless. Congrats, man!

I don't think anyone would argue this is a Lee Grail. Incredible piece Daryl!!

What a wonderful new addition to your gallery!

kickass buddy

Brother, 2025's gotta be unmatched for you on the OA front!  Love the more organic quality of this, mixing what's come to be Lee's trademark Batman with a more Miller aesthetic.  Outstanding.  Huge congrats!

Absolutely stunning. I remember waiting anxiously for my copy of LOTDK 50 to finally get a glimpse of what a Jim Lee Batman would look like. No internet to spoil things back then. Remember having to wait til the book was in your hands to see what was inside?

I admit...I was initially disappointed. I wanted "X-Men" Jim Lee, not the style that would eventually become "Deathblow" Jim Lee.  But the more I stared at it, the more it won me over, and it is to this day my favorite Jim Lee Batman drawing.

Decades later, finally seeing it in black and white made me realize what a crime it was to color this piece at all!  

Congratulations on owning a treasure of such incredible magnitude.

I can completely relate to these feelings. I also remember being surprised to see this version of Batman by Jim Lee in LOTDK #50. I expected his first presentation of Batman to be in line with his clean, sleek X-Men style from the same period as opposed to his heavily Miller-influenced Deathblow style. Nonetheless, this bulky, inky version of Batman was only presented once and lives on as a unique period piece representative of Jim in the early '90s. I have also grown to love and appreciate it much more as time has gone by.

OMG! Jim Lee's FIRST Batman drawing!!!??? Wow, that's a big deal. I appreciate all the commentary about it. I can see the Frank Miller influence you mention. And I agree this Batman is thicker and chunkier than his later iterations. But I think the really important point is--This is a helluva great Batman drawing. When I first saw it, I didn't see Jim Lee, I saw Batman. And I loved the image--The determination, the toughness, the ferocity. That's what I love about it. I think it's one kickass drawing of the Dark Knight.