One of the best covers in Batman history gets a Michael Keaton twist. 2024 officially marks the 85th anniversary of the year that Detective Comics #27 first hit shelves, the comic in which Batman made his on-panel debut. From that moment on, the Dark Knight became a staple of DC Comics worth celebrating — including all the iconic actors who brought him to life on-screen.
To celebrate Batman’s milestone anniversary, DC Comics is releasing a series of movie-themed variant covers featuring different iterations of the Caped Crusader, including for Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #30 by by Mark Waid and Gleb Melknikov. The Batman 85th Anniversary variant cover by Jorge Jiménez can be seen below, and it clearly depicts the Keaton version of the Batsuit from 1989’s Batman, directed by Tim Burton.
Beyond honoring Keaton’s fan-favorite depiction of Batman, the Jiménez cover pays homage to the cover art for Detective Comics #587 by the late Norm Breyfogle. The cover art is just as much a tribute to the iconic Batman artist as it is paying homage to Batman himself.
Breyfogle served as the primary artist for Batman comics at DC between 1987 and 1995. Breyfogle’s pen touched some of the most important storylines in Batman’s history, including Tim Drake’s integration into the Bat-Family. He also played a part in creating memorable characters like Anarky. Breyfogle passed away in 2018 at the age of 58. Long before entering retirement, Breyfogle’s achievements and contributions were recognized and celebrated by the comic-book community, who still praise him as one of Batman’s best artists.
Two years after Breyfogle first began penciling for Batman, Burton brought the Caped Crusader to the big screen for 1989’s live-action Batman movie, starring Keaton as the title character. In a time when mainstream audiences were most familiar with the campy nature of the 1960s Batman sitcom, Burton’s first venture into Gotham was vital in changing worldwide perception of Batman and his stories. The darker and stylized portrayal of Batman is a tone that is still sticking around in the comics of today.
35 years after hitting theaters, Tim Burton’s Batman has become just as important and nostalgic to the franchise as Breyfogle’s artwork, and Keaton’s depiction of Bruce Wayne is a fan-favorite. In many ways, the work that both Breyfogle and Burton did for Batman in the ’80s was some of the most important work done for the character. Their work has helped shape the way the World’s Greatest Detective is viewed even today. Whether the connection was intentional on Jiménez’s part or not, celebrating both creators within the same cover art is the perfect way to celebrate Batman’s 85th anniversary.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #30 is available August 21st from DC Comics.