WHY COLLECTORS WANT IT
first Joker and Catwoman
- Joker (secret identity unknown, Batman villain) — introduction
- The Cat (Selina Kyle) — disguised as Miss Peggs, introduction, see notes
Dates
- Cover date
- Spring 1940
- On sale
- April 25, 1940
- Pages
- 68
Values
Looking up values…
Editions and covers (2)
Copies of #1 are not all the same book. Here is how to tell each one apart.
- Cover Number with PeriodThis edition’s page
- Cover Number without PeriodSource ↗
Batman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (2023), Batman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (2025). A facsimile reproduces this issue with a modern cover price and barcode; check before buying.
Creators
Publisher’s description
The first comic dedicated exclusively to The Dark Knight! This 1940 issue pitted the Dynamic Duo against classic menaces including Professor Hugo Strange. Plus, the first appearances of The Joker and Catwoman (referred to as "the Cat")! Also includes a 2-page retelling of Batman's origin.
Reprinted in
Millennium Edition: Batman No. 1 (2001), Famous First Edition (1974), Batman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (2023), Batman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (2025), Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (1992), The Batman Chronicles (2005), Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus (2015), Batman: The Golden Age (2016), The Great Comic Book Heroes (1965), Batman from the 30s to the 70s (1971), The Great Comic Book Heroes (1977), Caped Crusader Classics! (1988), The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told (1989), The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told (1989), The Joker: 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime: The Deluxe Edition (2020), DC Comics: The Golden Age (1938-1956) (2023), Batman (1966), Batman (1966), Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (1976), Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (1976)