Detective Comics #1000 will be ultimate issue for Batman fans

The 80th anniversary of Batman arrives as Detective Comics #1000 hits shelves, and with its all-star lineup this is one comic book you can’t miss.

The Dark Knight is celebrating his 80th anniversary in 2019 and the big event coincides with the arrival of Detective Comics #1000. Detective Comics, the comic book that put the “DC” in DC Comics, is shaping up to be the most coveted piece of Batman memorabilia around as top comic writers and artists come together for this supersized collector’s issue.

It’s not every day that a comic book hits its 1000th issue. In 2018 the Man of Steel celebrated the milestone with Action Comics #1000, and now it’s time for Batman to have his day.

DC Comics Publisher Dan DiDio is thrilled at how much talent has been packed into this monumental issue: “Following in the footsteps of the blockbuster Action Comics #1000, Detective Comics #1000 is going to be a must-have for every kind of Batman fan. Everyone we asked to be a part of this monumental issue immediately said yes and we can’t wait for fans to get their hands on the comic book.”

Detective Comics #1000 features the hottest writers across the DC Comics universe, including Tom King and Peter J. Tomasi. King is currently guiding the ship on the Batman series while Tomasi is the one guiding the Detective Comics ship toward #1000 with his current arc, “Mythology.”

Not only have the best writers signed on for this milestone, but they’ve partnered with the top talent as well. Some fans might notice that King has once again partnered with Joelle Jones, the artist who brought Selina Kyle’s wedding dress to life for the wedding that wasn’t in Batman #50.

Given the wide breadth of stories represented in Detective Comics #1000, it’s the kind of issue that will appeal to longtime Batman fans and comic book aficionados as well as newcomers. This is important because the comic book industry is always looking for new blood. Big event issues like this often attract the attention of people who have never read a comic, or who have never ventured into a comic book shop. For that reason, these stories will all be accessible to readers across the board.

“Medieval,” by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke

"Appearing in DC’s comic book continuity for the very first time, a new and mysterious version of the Arkham Knight will be debuting in a story that looks at Batman’s encounters with his villains throughout his career through the Arkham Knight’s eyes—but the Knight’s scheme remains to be seen."

“Batman’s Longest Case,” by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

"One of the most popular talent teams in the history of the Dark Knight delivers a tale in which Batman follows clues around the world, leading him back to his home in Gotham City and to a secret organization that has been keeping tabs on him for years."

“Manufacture for Use,” by Kevin Smith and Jim Lee

"The fan-favorite director of Clerks and one of Batman’s most visionary artists present a story that cuts between Batman fighting his greatest villains and his attempts to track down the gun that killed his parents."

“The Legend of Knute Brody” by Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs and John Kalisz

"The villains of Gotham speak, documentary-style, about that one henchman they each hired who was the absolute WORST at his job, constantly screwing up their plans."

“The Batman’s Design” by Warren Ellis and Becky Cloonan

"Warren Ellis pens “The Batman’s Design” with Becky Cloonan, the first woman to draw Batman in the main comic series, in a story of Batman pursuing a pack of technologically enhanced mercenaries into a warehouse, where they think they’ve trapped him."

“Return to Crime Alley” by Denny O’Neil and Steve Epting

"A direct sequel to O’Neil’s classic “There Is No Hope in Crime Alley,” from DETECTIVE COMICS #457, in which Leslie Thompkins takes Batman to task for his addiction to violence, which, in her mind, perpetuates the horror that birthed him."

“Heretic” by Christopher Priest and Neal Adams

"Two of the biggest powerhouse writers and artists in the comic book industry work together on a story featuring Batman helping a young man escape from Ra’s al Ghul’s League of Assassins— who then turned up in Gotham, dead. Batman travels to Tibet with a message for the League."

“I Know” by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev

"The creative team behind SCARLET takes a unique future look at Batman and the Penguin. The Penguin comes to an elderly, wheelchair-bound Batman to tell him of the time that he learned Batman was Bruce Wayne—and to explain why he never did anything with that information. This story is available to read in its entirety here."

“The Last Crime in Gotham” by Geoff Johns and Kelley Jones

"Superstar writer Geoff Johns and famed artist Kelley Jones tell a future story where the future family of Batman and Catwoman face off in a battle with the family of The Joker and Harley Quinn."

“The Precedent” by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez

"The team of James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez return to DETECTIVE COMICS after their highly successful Rebirth run, in a story of the night Bruce Wayne made the decision to bring Dick Grayson into his dark world, ending with the classic candlelight oath."

“Batman’s Greatest Case” by Tom King, Tony Daniel and Joëlle Jones

"Groundbreaking BATMAN writer Tom King is joined by Tony Daniel and Joëlle Jones, who share artistic duties on the story. Presented using parallel story threads, Bruce Wayne visits his parents’ grave while Batman assembles his entire coalition of allies around him."

There will also be art from Mikel Janin, Amanda Conner and Jason Fabok, whose contribution is a two-page spread featuring the “current state” of Batman’s universe.

In addition to the main issue, there will be variant covers available to celebrate the big event. These variants will be available at select comic book retailers and will include covers from Michael Cho, Frank Miller, Jock and Greg Capullo, to name a few. Each cover will pay tribute to Batman across the decades. There will also be a celebration of Jerry Robinson’s 1942 issue of Detective Comics #69 from Bruce Timm.

The variant covers can be tricky to track down, so a pro tip is to start doing research on which shops will carry them and find out how they’re handling releases.

The 96-page comic will be available for $9.99 and arrives digitally and in stores on March 27, 2019.