Detective Comics #598, p. 59 (Batman 50th Anniversary Issue)
Artists: Denys Cowan (Penciller) , Dick Giordano (Inker)
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DescriptionCover dated March 1989. A celebration of Batman’s 50th anniversary.Given the recent release of the new Batman movie along with Bill Cox’s great interview with the penciller of this issue, Denys Cowan, I figured it was time to post this. We have here a page featuring Bruce Wayne. Even though there’s no image of Batman present, I was still extremely happy to get this piece given that this issue of Detective Comics marked an important turning point in my comic book collecting. Up until 1989, my two comic collecting friends and I would only buy Marvel. We bought into the whole idea that you could be a fan of Marvel or DC, but not both. But in early 1989, everyone was talking about Batman. Even though the Tim Burton movie was still a few months away, the buzz around it was growing. Not only that, in the comic shop people were either talking about “A Death in the Family” or “The Killing Joke.” So, one Saturday afternoon I called one of my aforementioned collecting pals, Hubert, to talk about a very serious matter. Should we go to the comic store and buy Batman comics? We debated the topic for what seemed like hours. Would we somehow be betraying Marvel if we did this? Do we tell our third comic fan friend, Matt, what we were doing? Do we tell anyone what we’re doing for that matter since we had frequently argued with other kids at school that Marvel is the only company worth collecting? These were weighty questions for a couple of 12 year-olds. Suffice to say, we decided to go for it. We told Matt our plan, and after he got over his hurt feelings resulting from our reaching our decision without consulting him, the three of us headed to the comic book store the following weekend to buy Batman comics. I remember feeling nervously excited as I picked Detective Comics #598 off of the rack. When I read it later that day, it was like a bolt of lightning hit me. The story by Sam Hamm seemed more sophisticated than the other comics I had been reading, and the artwork by Denys Cowan and Dick Giordano knocked my socks off. I had to wonder, were all DC comics this good? Had I been needlessly depriving myself of good comics out of loyalty to Marvel? Well, no and yes. Not every DC comic was as good as Detective #598, but that comic opened me up to the idea of checking out other DC books. Within a few short months I was immersed in a whole other universe of titles – the Legion of Super-Heroes, the New Titans, the Superman books, the Justice League books, etc. I was also diving into the back issues bins for issues of All-Star Squadron, Ambush Bug, Secret Origins and so much more. Would I have gotten into DC Comics if Detective #598 had been bad? Who knows? What I do know is that because Hamm, Cowan and Giordano put together such a great story, I was now open to exploring comics from all different companies. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Davide G.
Member Since 2009
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Congrats on a so meaningful addition to your collection! Cowan and Giordano did a great job on this story, and I'm happy to have got a page from it myself ;)
Jason Hussa 
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
FANTASTIC story, Michael - like you, I had a small circle of comics buddies that would intensely debate the merits / "betrayal level" of such dalliances. Great times! :) And a really swell page, too. I'm always fascinated most by the "talking heads" pages, where you can see the artist wrestle with the mechanics of storytelling and presenting things in a way that will keep readers engaged, and there is such great technique here: POV changes, great color balance, WONDERFUL faces, great backgrounds (love the closed window shades in panel 3 and the carpeted floor in panel 4)... All of that playing against the uniform, skinny-paneled grid makes for a really striking visual texture. Really cool work even SEPARATE from the fact that it's a key book from your childhood! Any time you score one of those beauties, it's a two-fer! Congrats, sir!
Daryl R
Member Since 2015
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Memorable story and art indeed! This issue came out right before I got into comics, but I got it as a back issue soon after. It's funny, but I don't remember having am internal conflict of "DC vs. Marvel" in my head or even in my circle of friends. I'm glad this issue opened the gate for you though. 💊💉🦇
Michael McIsaac
Member Since 2020
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Daryl R wrote:
Memorable story and art indeed! This issue came out right before I got into comics, but I got it as a back issue soon after. It's funny, but I don't remember having am internal conflict of "DC vs. Marvel" in my head or even in my circle of friends. I'm glad this issue opened the gate for you though. 💊💉🦇
You and your circle of friends were smarter than me and my pals. I think we were brainwashed at an early age by the Bullpen Bulletins into thinking DC was an inferior product. Stan Lee and Jim Shooter knew how to manipulate our young minds!
Rick W
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Great artist pairing! Denys can certainly draw a nice suit & tie ;)
Steve N. Comic/Fantasy Art
Member Since 2017
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
This really does hit differently after watching the movie...!
Mark V
Member Since 2021
3 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Great page, Michael. This makes me so happy since this story came out in the wake of the Batman movie in 1989. We don't get Batman on this page but we do get prime Cowan using an innovative 8-panel arrangement.
This page also makes me realize that Cowan has been blessed with some great inkers over the years: Sienkiewicz, Rick Magyar and Malcolm Jones on the Question. Giordano is right up there with Sienkiewicz as one of Cowan's best inkers.
Paul P Spiderversity
Member Since 2011
2 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Your entertaining story about the Marvel vs DC debate from your childhood past reminds me of a funny scene from an Everybody Loves Raymond episode called "A Date for Peter." Everyone is worried about Peter, who is the rather odd brother of Ray's brother's fiance Amy. Ray goes over to Peter's apartment, where Peter has set up his comic book selling business. Ray asks Peter about his love life, and Peter explains his high standards, saying "You see, I'm a DC Comics man, and if the woman is into Marvel, well, then it's 'See ya!'.... Oh, who am I kidding? Women hate me." Haha! So, kind of the opposite of your transition. Anyway, great page and a great story to go along with it.
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
3 - Posted on 3/8/2022
It's a good argument for kids to have when you need to justify not having enough money to buy everything. I mean, not everyone has a renewal fund like that orphaned Wayne kid. This is a great Cowan page from an era where no one could escape the movie hype. Batman has to put on his Bruce Wayne mask to take control of his wealth. Poor guy looks like he's gonna get nuts. Wanna get nuts? With all that Wayne money he could get both Marcona Almonds and Deeknut.
Michael McIsaac
Member Since 2020
3 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Marcus Wai wrote:
It's a good argument for kids to have when you need to justify not having enough money to buy everything. I mean, not everyone has a renewal fund like that orphaned Wayne kid. This is a great Cowan page from an era where no one could escape the movie hype. Batman has to put on his Bruce Wayne mask to take control of his wealth. Poor guy looks like he's gonna get nuts. Wanna get nuts? With all that Wayne money he could get both Marcona Almonds and Deeknut.
Your first point is spot on, as I ended up dropping a bunch of Marvel books in 1990 so I could buy more DC (I then got a job in a comic store in 1991 to help solve that problem). And I heard a rumor that rich old Bruce Wayne has an Uncle Scrooge style money bin but that it's filled with almonds instead of coins, and that he uses it to impress young wards.
J H
Member Since 2019
3 - Posted on 3/8/2022
Cheater!!!!!!! Heh, what a great story. I think I looked over my shoulder when I got my first DC comic off of the stands, too. My dad was DC, and I was Marvel, and That Was That. Great page, and even greater that it brings you back to that great childhood moment. Congrats!
F M
Member Since 2005
2 - Posted on 3/9/2022
That fifht panel alone is fantastic. Agreed that Giordano supplemented his pencils perfectly (and he is probably not the easiest artist to ink).
Ian Saint
Member Since 2021
2 - Posted on 3/10/2022
The gateway comic lol. Awesome story. I have been back and forth a few times. Last thing that really had me reading DC was Liam Sharp Wonder Woman. Was reading all DC around that time. Still go back and forth with a few titles. Mainly Marvel, but Swamp Thing is a favorite of mine. Also loved Harleen. Was reading Liam Sharp Green Lantern. Also Legion of Super Heroes. Lol. I love it all.
Fuzzy Dunlop
Member Since 2009
2 - Posted on 3/11/2022
Every line in this page is immaculate. Love your story attached to it as well. I had the pleasure of meeting Sam Hamm years ago and he was great; his influence on the character in comics and especially other mediums is definitely underrated. Congrats!
K Gearon
Member Since 2011
2 - Posted on 3/11/2022
Sweet page (love Cowan's unique line work) and an even sweeter story to boot! To the dark side you went...and never returned ;) You didn't know the power did you?! Love that you and your bud had to REALLY think it through before making the jump :) Congrats on getting a page from the crossover book, man!
Michael Reyes
Member Since 2014
2 - Posted on 3/13/2022
Great panels. You don't see this often these days,
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
2 - Posted on 3/13/2022
Great story, Michael! You were only 12, yet you had the foresight to consider doing something which even Marvel Zombie adults still can't do. As you say, it's an entire new universe of established characters to try and experience, with plenty good and plenty bad, just like Marvel. So it always blows my mind that there are still Marvel Zombies walking the earth. I mean, to not even have interest in trying the main DC characters like the Trinity and all the JLA affiliated members, I can't wrap my head around that. Even I, today and over the last few years, have been purposely immersing myself in DC books I've never read before and it's incredibly refreshing and fun. Thanks to shows like Stargirl, I finally had the impetus to seek out and read JSA related books, which I always wanted to do as a kid but couldn't afford. Kudos, by the way, on finding and acquiring this page, from the comic which represents such a seminal moment in your comic reading "career"!
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