Steve Englehart's Detective issues finally coming in Hardcover

We'll have to wait until January 2020, but Steve Englehart's 10-issue run on Detective Comics from back in the late 1970s is finally being collected in a Hardcover trade.

[url]https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Dark-Knight-Steve-Englehart/dp/1401295541/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/130-7071531-9478569?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1401295541&pd_rd_r=7fec242a-6218-11e9-b421-cdcde3290510&pd_rd_w=Mz8UP&pd_rd_wg=1KFYz&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=MZ58NP06EQ1MATPE262R&psc=1&refRID=MZ58NP06EQ1MATPE262R[/url]

From the solicitation:

Some of the most memorable Batman stories of all time, written by Steve Englehart, are collected in a single hardcover volume for the first time.

In 1977 comics writer Steve Englehart left Marvel Comics following acclaimed runs on titles like The Avengers, Captain America and Doctor Strange, and came to DC to write the adventures of Batman in the pages of Detective Comics. Together with rising-star artist Marshall Rogers, Englehart crafted a dark, moody run of stories in which Batman faces his own lonely existence while struggling against one of his earliest foes, Dr. Hugo Strange. This run also includes the renowned "Joker Fish" storyline in which the Clown Prince of Crime comes up with his most off-the-wall scheme ever, along with a 2006 miniseries in which The Joker runs for office with the slogan "Vote for me or I'll kill you!" This volume collects Detective Comics #469-476, #478 and #479, and Batman: Dark Detective #1-6.

As usual BATMAN #311 is missing from this collection. This issue has never been reprinted. WHY?
Englehart is the writer. Dr. Phosphorus is the villain and Rupert Thorne has a cameo appearance.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]81444[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=signalman112;4313642]As usual BATMAN #311 is missing from this collection. This issue has never been reprinted. WHY?
Englehart is the writer. Dr. Phosphorus is the villain and Rupert Thorne has a cameo appearance.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]81444[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

I actually have this issue. However, it never occurred to me that it wasn't included. I guess they were just going with the Detective issues.

[QUOTE=caj;4317810]I actually have this issue. However, it never occurred to me that it wasn't included. I guess they were just going with the Detective issues.[/QUOTE]

This is very exciting Steve Englehart/Marshall Rodgers Batman is the gold standard.

The first Batman story that Steve Englehart did was "Night of the Stalker," in DETECTIVE COMICS 439 (February-March 1974).

What kind production will this get? Marshall Rogers redid the colours for the Baxter book reprints, whereas Jerry Serpe did the colours for most of the original printings. Personally, while it's nice that Rogers got the chance to colour his own work, I prefer the combo of Terry Austin and Serpe in the mass market comics.

[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;4319486]Marshall Rogers redid the colours for the Baxter book reprints, whereas Jerry Serpe did the colours for most of the original printings.[/QUOTE]Good question! Just a guess, but I would think they'll use whichever coloring was used for the single issues on their digital platform and/or the last collection.

Either way, sold. The "definitive" Batman, in hardcover? Aw yeh.

And thanks caj for the heads up - upon checking this on Amazon, I also found a Green Lantern/Green Arrow collection of the Dennis O'Neil-Mike Grell run coming from the same era. Great news all around:

[url]https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?123950-Green-Lantern-Green-Arrow-hardcover-by-Dennis-O-Neil-amp-Mike-Grell-Jan-2020&p=4319600#post4319600[/url]

Englehart had plans for another mini-series but Rogers passed away.
Also Englehart is feuding with DC over BATMAN(1989) movie.

Interesting article here.

[url]https://13thdimension.com/an-inside-look-at-englehart-and-rogers-unfinished-batman-trilogy/[/url]

[QUOTE=Dr. Ellingham;4319606]And thanks caj for the heads up - upon checking this on Amazon, I also found a Green Lantern/Green Arrow collection of the Dennis O'Neil-Mike Grell run coming from the same era. Great news all around:

[/QUOTE]

Great. Glad I could help.

[QUOTE=signalman112;4337159]Englehart had plans for another mini-series but Rogers passed away.
Also Englehart is feuding with DC over BATMAN(1989) movie.

Interesting article here.

[url]https://13thdimension.com/an-inside-look-at-englehart-and-rogers-unfinished-batman-trilogy/[/url][/QUOTE]

Very interesting interview. Thanks for posting.

Whenever I see folks on these boards asking for older Batman comics to get into, I always tell them about the Englehart/Rogers run, its just magical.

[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;4319486]The first Batman story that Steve Englehart did was "Night of the Stalker," in DETECTIVE COMICS 439 (February-March 1974).

What kind production will this get? Marshall Rogers redid the colours for the Baxter book reprints, whereas Jerry Serpe did the colours for most of the original printings. Personally, while it's nice that Rogers got the chance to colour his own work, I prefer the combo of Terry Austin and Serpe in the mass market comics.[/QUOTE]

Great story and here is the cover to DETECTIVE COMICS #439.


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My copy of this book finally arrived a couple weeks ago, and this weekend I looked through it. It's nice enough; it has all of Englehart's notable Batman stories in one place - including the Night of the Stalker.

The star attraction is the original Englehart/Rogers/Austin run from the 1970s, which inspired the Batman '89 film, TAS and lots of other stories. A lesser light included is the 2005 sequel, an earnest attempt to recapture the magic over 25 years later. There's also 1990s stories Englehart wrote for various Legends of the Dark Knight/DCU books, including an Aquaman vs. the Joker story. Eh.

A few gripes: The cover includes art by contributing artists...but not Marshall Rogers. There's also no essay or introduction, highlighting what this run did for Batman. Also, because the epilogue to the main arc was written by Len Wein, it's not included here. When DC reprinted these in deluxe format in the 1980s as 'Shadow of the Batman', Wein's epilogue was there - along with essays, and beautiful new wraparound covers by Rogers and Austin. This book has none of that - meaning that a single-issue reprint series from 35 years ago remains the best way to read the "definitive" Batman.

This is a nice book, and I'm pleased to finally have that classic run in hardcover. But it should never have taken this long, and it still needs to be collected appropriately - as a story. And ideally in an oversized HC with Rogers' beautiful wraparound covers.

[QUOTE=Dr. Ellingham;4959332]My copy of this book finally arrived a couple weeks ago, and this weekend I looked through it. It's nice enough; it has all of Englehart's notable Batman stories in one place - including the Night of the Stalker.

The star attraction is the original Englehart/Rogers/Austin run from the 1970s, which inspired the Batman '89 film, TAS and lots of other stories. A lesser light included is the 2005 sequel, an earnest attempt to recapture the magic over 25 years later. There's also 1990s stories Englehart wrote for various Legends of the Dark Knight/DCU books, including an Aquaman vs. the Joker story. Eh.

A few gripes: The cover includes art by contributing artists...but not Marshall Rogers. There's also no essay or introduction, highlighting what this run did for Batman. Also, because the epilogue to the main arc was written by Len Wein, it's not included here. When DC reprinted these in deluxe format in the 1980s as 'Shadow of the Batman', Wein's epilogue was there - along with essays, and beautiful new wraparound covers by Rogers and Austin. This book has none of that - meaning that a single-issue reprint series from 35 years ago remains the best way to read the "definitive" Batman.

This is a nice book, and I'm pleased to finally have that classic run in hardcover. But it should never have taken this long, and it still needs to be collected appropriately - as a story. And ideally in an oversized HC with Rogers' beautiful wraparound covers.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info and critique. I'm going to try and get this myself.

I really wish they would do a collection of Englehart's 10-issue run on [I]Justice League of America[/I] that came out around the same time as the Detective issues in the late 70s.

[QUOTE=signalman112;4313642]As usual BATMAN #311 is missing from this collection. This issue has never been reprinted. WHY?
Englehart is the writer. Dr. Phosphorus is the villain and Rupert Thorne has a cameo appearance.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]81444[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

I just received my copy. Batman #311 is included.

[QUOTE=caj;4959457]I really wish they would do a collection of Englehart's 10-issue run on [I]Justice League of America[/I] that came out around the same time as the Detective issues in the late 70s.[/QUOTE]Absolutely. He's had a really contentious relationship with DC for the last 10 years, so they're probably not in a hurry to work on collections with him. Which is a shame.