10 Legendary DC Artists Who Changed Batman Forever

Every comic book artist hopes to leave their mark on the industry, using their talents to create a “definitive” look for classic characters the world loves. But, the reality is that, when it comes to the biggest characters, there is no true definition because these heroes and villains are constantly evolving with the times and being recreated in the vision of new artists. Still, there are artists who leave their mark on a character, forever locking in an era where their version becomes the “definitive” version of that period. And, with a character like Batman, with almost 90 years of artists crafting thousands of stories with millions of pages, there are a select few who truly stand out as the creators who captured the Dark Knight.

Some managed to pull off the feat with just a few issues while others spent years working on Batman’s tales, ensuring their place in the history books. But whatever amount of time these artists spent working on the adventures of the Caped Crusader, it’s impossible to ignore how their work inspired those who followed them, putting their stamp on an iconic figure known the world over. Their work appears on the t-shirts, the posters, the lunch boxes, and whatever other pieces of merchandise DC Comics can come up with. These are the artists who, more than anyone else, showed the world who Batman is.

10

Bob Kane And Jerry Robinson Created The Blueprint

While there is plenty of controversy surrounding the creation of Batman, from Bill Finger going uncredited for decades to Finger admitting to plagiarizing the character’s debut story, there is no doubting that without Bob Kane, there would be no Batman. Kane, along with inker/artist Jerry Robinson created the blueprint for what the Dark Knight would look like, and it’s a blueprint that is still used to this day.

And while it’s impossible to know just how many Batman stories Kane actually drew, there’s no arguing that he was there at the beginning, or that Robinson is responsible for creating Robin and the Joker. Without these two men, there would be no Batman.

9

Sheldon Moldoff Was The Secret Batman Artist Who Changed The Game

While not every one of Bob Kane’s ghost artists may be known, Sheldon Moldoff’s talents were too good to keep hidden. From 1953 to 1967, Moldoff secretly worked for Kane, drawing Batman stories without DC knowing it. At the same time, Moldoff was doing work for the publisher under his own name, essentially collecting two paychecks (but with Kane paying him far less than what DC did). As Moldoff explained in an interview with Alter-Ego:

I worked for Bob Kane as a ghost from ’53 to ’67. DC didn’t know that I was involved; that was the handshake agreement I had with Bob: ‘You do the work don’t say anything, Shelly, and you’ve got steady work’. No, he didn’t pay great, but it was steady work, it was security. I knew that we had to do a minimum of 350 to 360 pages a year. Also, I was doing other work at the same time for [editors] Jack Schiff and Murray Boltinoff at DC. They didn’t know I was working on Batman for Bob. … So I was busy. Between the two, I never had a dull year, which is the compensation I got for being Bob’s ghost, for keeping myself anonymous.

During his time as Kane’s ghost artist, Moldoff created Batwoman, the second Clayface, Mr. Freeze, and Bat-Mite, among others. Moldoff was fired in 1967 when he asked DC for health and retirement benefits, but returned to the company 30 years later to contribute to 2000’s Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest.

8

Dick Sprang Was DC’s Batman Backup But Became So Much More

Fearing that Bob Kane would be drafted into World War II and no longer be able to turn in Batman stories, DC Comics hired Dick Sprang as his backup. Working as a ghost artist (that DC knew about), Sprang’s first Batman work appeared on the cover of Batman #18. From there he did four stories in #19. In time, Sprang became the artist DC would turn to for Batman-related projects.

Along with the comics, Sprang drew the daily Batman newspaper strip and, in 1955, he took over art duties from Curt Swan on World’s Finest Comics. He also designed the Riddler and gave Batman what would become his iconic square jaw and barrel chest throughout the Silver Age.

7

Neal Adams Made Batman Sexy

While Neal Adams is most remembered for his work on Green Lantern/Green Arrow’s Hard Traveling Heroes, his art on Batman set up the Caped Crusader for the modern age. Along with his frequent collaborator Dennis O’Neil, Adams was tasked with saving Batman from the campy image the world had of the character thanks to the Adam West TV series. To do this, O’Neil and Adams brought Batman back to his darker nature.

O’Neil and Adams hit pay dirt with the creation of Ra’s al Ghul, but what may be the most important element that may have added to Batman was making the Caped Crusader sexy. It is impossible to look at the shirtless Batman showing off his hairy chest in Batman #244 and not see why Talia fell head over heels for him.

6

David Mazzucchelli Made Batman Seem Real

While most American comic book artists draw heroes with big, bulging muscles and use a lot of extreme foreshortening to make everything feel dynamic, David Mazzucchelli’s style has more in common with European comics, choosing naturalism over dynamism. But, as his work on Batman: Year One proves, that didn’t make the work any less exciting.

Mazzucchelli’s take on Batman made the hero feel real, almost as if he could come off the page and start solving crimes in your hometown. The artist’s Gotham also had a life unlike any version before it, feeling seedy and dangerous. Like a city that truly needed Batman. It’s hard to look at the work of artists like Jorge Fornes and David Aja and not see how Mazzucchelli inspired them.

5

Frank Miller Made Batman Into A Tank

It is impossible to properly describe just how influential Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns has been on not only Batman, but comics in general. Miller’s masterpiece recontextualized Batman for a new age, filling the character with a sense of cynicism that wasn’t there before and making DC’s most famous non-powered hero feel like a god of vengeance who came to judge the world and found it lacking.

Miller’s work on Batman has influenced just about every writer and artist who has tackled the character since. It’s hard to imagine Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s massive figure in Absolute Batman would be quite so large if they weren’t taking a page from Miller’s version of the World’s Greatest Detective.

4

Jim Aparo Was The Batman Artist For A Generation

While his style may not have been as flashy as some others, Jim Aparo’s take on Batman was the quintessential version of the character for a generation of readers. Aparo first drew Batman when he took over Brave and the Bold in 1971, tackling the art chores of almost 100 issues of the series. From there, he jumped over to Batman and the Outsiders before becoming the primary Batman artist with Batman #414, drawing it off and on until #500. Aparo drew two of the most famous Batman stories of all time — A Death in the Family and Knightfall — forever cementing his place in comics history.

3

Norm Breyfogle Made Batman Dangerous

With heavy shading, big ears, and a sharp cape with hooked shoulders, Norm Breyfogle’s Batman leaned heavily into the character looking like someone who wouldn’t just fight crime; they would beat it to a pulp with their bare fists. Breyfogle’s Dark Knight felt like he grew out of the darkness of the city, ready to do whatever was needed to keep the people safe.

Even before he was a professional artist, Breyfogle’s work appeared in a Batman comic. In 1977, he submitted a design for a new Robin costume that was published in Batman Family #13. Years later, he would play a role in designing the first new Robin costume in decade, working with Neal Adams to give Tim Drake a modern Robin suit.

2

Kelley Jones Made Batman Scary

As the story goes, Bruce Wayne chose the Batman identity to strike fear in the hearts of the superstitious and cowardly criminals of Gotham City. No artist has ever made Batman look as frightening as Kelley Jones. Often drawing the Dark Knight with his cape seemingly engulfing him, and with pointed ears reaching to the heavens, Jones’ Batman is a gothic figure that fills even the innocent with terror.

Jones’ greatest Batman work can be seen in the Batman & Dracula trilogy he created with writer Doug Moench. The series, an Elseworlds tale that sees Batman become a vampire, feeds into the artist’s style, allowing him to go as wild as he wanted with the gothic feel that he so perfectly captures.

1

Jim Lee Built The 21st Century Batman

When he first tackled the Dark Knight for Hush, Jim Lee’s Batman was an instant success in the eyes of fans, and with good reason. Lee incorporated elements of the artists who came before him, creating a Batman that harkened back to the likes of Sheldon Moldoff, Neal Adams, Frank Miller, and Jim Aparo while adding his own distinctive elements, making it something totally new.

Lee is one of the most inspirational artists of his generation, with his work clearly influencing countless artists who have followed him, including current Batman artist Jorge Jiménez, who will almost certainly be considered a legendary Batman artist himself when fans look back in ten years. But, for the moment, Lee is still the artist almost every penciler has looked to when drawing the Caped Crusader this century.

Created By

Bob Kane, Bill Finger

Alias

Bruce Wayne

Alliance

Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family

Race

Human

Franchise

D.C.