Batman #59

History

The lead story, 'The Man Who Replaced Batman!', was scripted by David Vern Reed (writing as 'David Vern') with pencils by Lew Sayre Schwartz and Bob Kane (who contributed Batman and Robin figures only), inked by Charles Paris — a division of labor typical of the Kane studio's ghost-art arrangement of the era. Schwartz, Kane's primary ghost artist at the time, was himself a prolific creator of Batman villains, also credited with originating Killer Moth and the Mad Hatter. The second story, 'The Forbidden Cellar!', was drawn by Jim Mooney, while the cover feature, 'Batman in the Future!', was scripted by Bill Finger, penciled by Schwartz and Kane (again on hero figures only), and inked by Charles Paris. Backup filler — a one-page Casey the Cop strip and a Shorty strip — were both written and drawn by Henry Boltinoff, a longtime DC staff cartoonist.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance and origin of Deadshot (Floyd Lawton), a wealthy socialite posing as a gun-toting vigilante with the secret goal of becoming Gotham's crime lord; the character wears a tuxedo, top hat, and domino mask in this debut — bearing virtually no resemblance to the later iconic armored design.
• Deadshot was created by writer David Vern Reed and artist Lew Sayre Schwartz, based on a concept by Bob Kane; Schwartz served as Kane's primary ghost artist and also originated the villains Killer Moth and the Mad Hatter during this period.
• The issue contains three complete Batman stories: 'The Man Who Replaced Batman!' (Deadshot debut), 'The Forbidden Cellar!' (art by Jim Mooney), and 'Batman in the Future!' (scripted by Bill Finger), plus one-page backup strips by Henry Boltinoff (Casey the Cop; Shorty).
• In 'Batman in the Future!', Bill Finger sends Batman and Robin — via Professor Carter Nichols's hypnotic time-travel — accidentally 100 years forward instead of backward, where they encounter the Joker's law-abiding future descendant, Police Chief Rokej, and foil a space-pirate saboteur; this is notably the first time Nichols sends the Dynamic Duo to the future rather than the past.
• This issue represents Deadshot's sole Golden Age appearance; the character did not return until Detective Comics #474 (December 1977), when Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers revived him with a completely redesigned look — wrist-mounted guns, a red-and-gray armored suit, and a targeting monocle — that became the character's permanent visual identity.
• The original Deadshot story was later retold in flashback in Secret Six Vol. 3 #15, cementing its place in DC's post-Crisis continuity.
• 'Batman in the Future!' was reprinted in the DC trade collection Batman in the Fifties (New Edition).
• The issue carries a cover price of 10¢ and a cover date of June–July 1950; cover art is penciled by Schwartz (with Kane on the hero figures) and inked by Charles Paris.

Cast · 15 characters

Full credits

Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers