Stanley Merkel

Stanley Merkel stepped onto the Gotham City stage in 1987's Batman #405, born from the legendary creative partnership of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli — a debut that doesn't get more prestigious than that. That landmark issue is the cornerstone of one of DC's most celebrated Batman stories, meaning Merkel shares his pages with some of the most iconic figures in comics: Lieutenant James Gordon, Bruce Wayne, Batman himself, and Detective Sarah Essen. A supporting player in the truest sense, he's a small piece of a very big, very important world — and for collectors who prize the Copper Age and the stories that redefined the Dark Knight, even a minor figure with roots this deep is worth a second look.