A Brief History of Batman Comic Book Covers with Chip Kidd

The prominent graphic designer analyzes cover design through the ages for one of the most iconic fictional vigilantes: Batman!

Chip Kidd (@chip_kidd) is a graphic designer and art director best known for his prolific career at American publishing house Alfred A. Knopf, designing over 3,000 covers for books of all genres and styles.

He’s responsible for creating the iconic visual representations for classic stories such as Jurassic Park, 1Q84, Possible Side Effects, and more. He’s also an avid comic book fan, creating designs for DC Comics’ titles, including The Complete History of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Tag along as Chip takes us through the various visual identities of Gotham City’s resident hero, while discussing his favorite Batman comic book covers of all time.

1. Detective Comics No. 31 (1939)

Batman was first introduced to the world in Detective Comics No. 27, The Case of the Chemical Syndicate, published in May of 1939. One of Chip’s favorite covers, Detective Comics No. 31, was published a few months later. The cover art, by Bob Kane, is a prime example of how Batman originally looked: fierce, a bit sinister, and—well—look at those ears!

2. Batman No. 9 (1941)

Before long, the editors at DC decided to lighten the tone of the Batman comics, introducing the idea of the youthful sidekick. This brought Robin into the spotlight—literally!

Robin’s arrival significantly increased Batman’s popularity, with comic book sales doubling almost overnight. The dynamic of the duo developed into a father/son-like relationship, with Batman taking Robin under his wing (wink wink), teaching him martial arts, gadgetry, and the basics of being a good detective.

But wait, Robin is in front… Who's protecting who?

3. Batman No. 241 (1972)

Through the 1940s and 1950s, and into the 1960s, Batman’s stories continued to get lighter, almost to the point of feeling childish. This trajectory culminated in 1966 with the release of the Batman television show with Adam West. Almost 30 years after Batman’s debut, the character became famous for not only fighting crime, but for also taking time to remind us of the importance of brushing our teeth, wearing seatbelts, and drinking milk. (Thanks, Batman.)

It wasn’t until the 1970s that Batman started to return to his original, darker, appearance. Artist Neil Adams is credited with bringing more realistic features to Batman, displayed clearly on Chip’s third favorite cover, Batman No. 241 from 1972.

4. The Dark Knight Returns No. 1 (1986)

The Dark Knight Returns was a four-part comic series written by Frank Miller that spawned a revolution, not only within the comic book industry, but in how comic books were perceived by the general public. Miller’s art, along with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley, reads more like a literary novel than a comic book. This new style established a more adult-oriented storytelling aesthetic in comic books, which for a long time had been perceived as children’s entertainment.

To this day, The Dark Knight Returns remains one of DC’s best selling titles, and is considered one of the greatest achievements in the history of comic books.

Did you enjoy this video? If you’d like to learn more about Graphic Design, check out Chip Kidd’s online course Comic Book Cover Design: Unleash Your Super Designer.

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