Sonu Kumar :: Batman

Batman Dark Victory Issue 13 Page 47

Artist: Tim Sale (Penciller)

18 Comments - 740 Views - 9 Likes

Batman Dark Victory Issue 13 Page 47 Comic Art

Click Image to View Full Size

Previous Item:
Batman: The Long Halloween Issue 3 page 12

Next Item:
Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition Published Cover

Artwork Details

Title:	Batman Dark Victory Issue 13 Page 47
Artist:	Tim Sale (Penciller)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	740
Likes on CAF:	9 10
Favorited on CAF:	1
Comments:	18
Added to Site:	5/20/2022
Comic Art Archive:

Description

The search is finally over. When I made the plunge into original comic art, one of my collecting goals was to own a page from Dark Victory. Call me crazy, but I've always maintained that Dark Victory is just a hair better than its predecessor, The Long Halloween. Dark Victory dives deep into Batman lore; Harvey Dent's fall from grace, the beginning of Gordon's storied career as Gotham City Commissioner, and Batman moving away from battling the mob to taking on the "freaks". One of the underlying themes of the story is the idea of being alone. Tim and Jeph constantly circle back to this using intense imagery and dialogue respectively.

"...Harvey Dent was my friend, too. We've all lost so much...I can't help but think how alone he is at Arkham...how alone we all are" - Gordon

"The only problem with being alone, Master Bruce...is being alone" - Alfred

"I am alone" - Batman

Jeph and Tim paint a dark picture where the caped crusader is always one step behind. He needs help and gets it with the introduction of his sidekick, Robin. Dick Grayson's dramatic entrance in issue 9 is so intense; one of the most powerful scenes I've ever read. In those 5 or 6 pages, we see the infamous rope snap at the circus, Dick crouched over his parents's dead bodies, and a troubled Bruce watching in horror as he relives the death of his own parents in his mind. Tim's atmosphere is so dark, and it draws your eyes to the spotlight on Bruce and Dick. There is almost no color in the scene. After his introduction, we get these masterful flashback/parallel scenes of a young Bruce with Alfred and in the present, a young Dick with Bruce. The flashbacks are done in beautiful black and white ink wash while the present is done in color.

"I'm all alone now Mister Pennyworth" - Dick

"I can only tell you Dick, something I wish I had said a long time ago to someone else. You are not alone. I imagine you will never be again" - Alfred

Ok, enough about the story, and back to the art. When I made the deal for this page, I was ecstatic. To me, the most important part of the story is not the murder mystery surrounding "Hangman", but Batman's realization that he is no longer alone. Getting a Robin page from Dark Victory meant a lot to me. It may not be a Robin in costume page beating up a bad guy...but in my opinion...I got THE Robin page from the series. Dick Grayson getting his namesake Robin, Bruce finally embracing a fatherly role...the pivotal moment where they both realize they will never be alone again. Tim's art really shines here; Robin looks up at Batman where he spent much of the story avoiding eye contact, and the light from the candle dancing on Batman's glove and Robin's face.

"And what is it you want to call yourself?" - Batman

"Robin" - Dick

One of the best things about this page is how I got it. I had been eyeing it on CAF for a while, but had little hope that the previous owner would sell it to me. I could tell based on his collection, how important Tim Sale was to him. I saw he had so many amazing "moment" pages, that I was convinced that if I even inquired about it, that it would be lost in the eternal abyss that is his inbox. Since I knew he probably wouldn't sell, I decided on the next best thing, proposing a trade. I procured some Tim Sale pages, and reached out to Jared with an offer he couldn't refuse. We texted, and I discovered that not only is he a bigger Tim Sale fan than me, but he's local to me; less than a half hour drive away! When we met up for the trade, Jared unloaded what seemed to be an endless supply of art, maybe six or more portfolios, a plastic bin, and a framed double page spread. I had never seen a personal collection so vast; both in sheer volume, but also across so many genres. We looked through his Tim Sale portfolios first, and over the next FIVE hours, talked about art. He shared stories from the good ole days of art collecting, how he acquired certain pieces, and what made each one so special to him.

One of the questions of the evening was "why comic art?". We throw exorbitant sums of money and dedicate countless hours in pursuit of the "perfect piece". Do we collect the heroes of our past in an attempt to capture nostalgia? Is it the idea of owning something completely unique? Are we in the business of speculation and looking at this as an investment? Maybe it's the sense of community this hobby has given us that keeps us collecting. I think, at least for most of us, it's a combination of reasons. After my conversation with Jared, and seeing the wide array of art, I did some reflection on my own collecting habits. I realized that I've passed over a lot of good art because of my personal nostalgia bias. I realized that I need to be more open in buying art that makes me happy, regardless of the character, the company, or the artist, like he and so many other collectors are. Jared (aka the 11th greatest TS fan), thanks for giving me the opportunity to add this to my col

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Sonu Kumar Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	November 2018
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	Sonukumar21
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Sonu's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Steve . M
Member Since 2017

2 - Posted on 5/20/2022

This is glorious! I love moments and this one is a doozy I am also love your thoughtful description and am so happy your are able to not only get a page but YOUR page. Well done.

Sonu Kumar
Member Since 2018

Posted on 5/21/2022

Steve . M wrote:

This is glorious! I love moments and this one is a doozy I am also love your thoughtful description and am so happy your are able to not only get a page but YOUR page. Well done.�

Thanks so much..This ones not leaving me!

Jared Michalski
Member Since 2004

2 - Posted on 5/20/2022

Splendid write up, Sonu. I wasn't keen to let this one go, but it clearly means a lot to you. Perhaps even more than it does to me. So I'm as contented knowing it's gone to the perfect home as I am with the offer I couldn't refuse. Lol. Looking forward to many more art chats in the future.

Sonu Kumar
Member Since 2018

Posted on 5/21/2022

Jared Michalski wrote:

Splendid write up, Sonu. I wasn't keen to let this one go, but it clearly means�a lot to you. Perhaps even more than it does to me.�So I'm as contented knowing it's gone to the perfect home as I am with the offer I couldn't refuse. Lol. Looking forward to many more art chats in the future.�

I got the perfect combo, an awesome addition and a great collector to share stories with!

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Looks really well designed by Sale to have the word balloons become part of the art with their tails coming in like a diagram showing chess moves as one counters the other.

Michael 07
Member Since 2011

1 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Happy for you Sonu, that s a good one!

kent mansley
Member Since 2015

2 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Such a special moment in the story and also in the annals of Batman lore. Glad the trade worked out and both you and Jared are happy. Huge congrats!

John Stuart
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Stellar.

Mighty Hal
Member Since 2008

2 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Now, THAT is a write-up.

Sonu Kumar
Member Since 2018

Posted on 5/21/2022

Mighty Hal wrote:

Now, THAT is a write-up.

I didn't wanty to rush this one. So I took my time, and re-read certain parts of the book to put my best effort in!

Ken Martin
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/21/2022

Jared was telling me about this trade, and he is right, it did go to the perfect home. Congrats.

Sonu Kumar
Member Since 2018

Posted on 5/21/2022

Ken Martin wrote:

Jared was telling me about this trade, and he is right, it did go to the perfect home. Congrats.

I HOPE he is as happy with what he got! Thanks

Harry M
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 5/21/2022

You can't go wrong with Tim Sale and Dark Victory. Congrats.

bob fish
Member Since 2011

1 - Posted on 5/22/2022

Amazing page !

Stephen F
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/22/2022

A really special page. Congrats!!

Kin Wong
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 5/22/2022

Awesome story behind this, and congrats on getting a Dark Victory page! And I'm with you on Dark Victory being a bit better than Long Halloween (though it's still pretty fantastic). :)

David Bixler
Member Since 2016

2 - Posted on 5/24/2022

From someone who is the self-proclaimed biggest Batman fan, this is an amazing pickup. Congrats! Classic Sale in every way.

Stan F
Member Since 2019

Posted on 7/19/2022

Amazing page!

All
	sly design 9/7/2025 5:12:00 AM
	Jeffrey Wedding 9/7/2025 4:16:00 AM
	Jason Borelli 9/7/2025 2:11:00 AM
	R S 9/7/2025 1:59:00 AM
	Comics Gallery 9/7/2025 1:08:00 AM
View All


	Tony Isaza 9/7/2025 12:42:00 AM
	Neil Hansen 9/7/2025 12:04:00 AM
	Anthony Mauceli 9/6/2025 11:37:00 PM
	Alan E 9/6/2025 10:32:00 PM
	Jason Baccus 9/6/2025 10:23:00 PM