Batman #139
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeBatman #139 marks the debut of Bat-Girl — Betty Kane, niece of Kathy Kane (Batwoman) — making it the first appearance of any female character to bear the 'Bat-Girl' name in DC Comics history, predating Barbara Gordon's far more enduring Batgirl by six years. The introduction deliberately mirrored the Batman-and-Robin dynamic with a female counterpart pair, and scholars have noted it was part of a broader Silver Age editorial strategy to add romantic-interest characters to the Bat-Family, in part to deflect contemporary cultural criticism of the books. Although Betty Kane's tenure was brief — she appeared only seven times before editor Julius Schwartz retired her in 1964 alongside Batwoman, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bat-Hound in favor of a grittier, more grounded Batman — her existence as the original Bat-Girl became a thread that DC writers continued pulling for decades, ultimately reincarnating the character as Bette Kane / Flamebird in the post-Crisis era.
In "The Blue Bowman," Batman, Robin, and Batwoman face off against the Cobra gang—only to be paralyzed by a mysterious Electronic-Ring. Just as all seems lost, a new hero swings in: a costumed Bat-Girl with a striking blue costume. Written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff, with inks by Charles Paris and letters by Stan Starkman, this 1961 classic introduces a bold new figure in Gotham’s fight against crime. The cover, also by Moldoff, captures the dramatic moment of the Bat-Girl’s arrival in bold, dynamic lines.
In "The Blue Bowman," the Signalman attempts to outwit Batman by donning a Green Arrow-inspired disguise, leveraging tactics taught by Bulls-Eye, Green Arrow’s archenemy. The clash unfolds as Batman faces a cunning foe who’s learned to mimic his greatest rival’s style—leaving the Dark Knight to question who’s truly aiming for the mark.
In a 1961 adventure from Batman #139, Batman, Robin, and Batwoman face off against the Cobra gang—only to be paralyzed by a mysterious Electronic-Ring. Just as all seems lost, a daring new heroine swings in: Bat-Girl. Though her identity remains a secret at first, it’s soon revealed she’s Kathy Kane’s niece, inspired by Batwoman’s legacy and eager to carry on the fight.
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The issue was written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff, with Moldoff also providing the cover; the interior story was inked by Charles Paris and lettered by Stan Starkman, while the cover was inked by Moldoff himself. At this point in the Batman line, Moldoff was serving as a ghost artist for Bob Kane — drawing all the pages that would be signed under Kane's name, an arrangement that ran from 1953 to 1967 — meaning the book shipped with no public creative credit to Finger or Moldoff. Jack Schiff served as editor, with Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan as associate editors; the issue went on sale February 23, 1961, carrying a cover date of April 1961. The Bat-Girl debut story was reprinted as early as Batman Annual #7 (Summer 1964) and has since been collected in the DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals Vol. 2 (2010) and in Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years (2017).
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- First appearance of Bat-Girl (Betty Kane), niece of Batwoman (Kathy Kane) — the original character to hold that name in DC Comics continuity, not to be confused with Barbara Gordon's later Batgirl.
- Written by Bill Finger and penciled/inked by Sheldon Moldoff (ghosting under Bob Kane's name); cover also by Moldoff; lettered by Stan Starkman on the Bat-Girl story, Ira Schnapp on the cover.
- Edited by Jack Schiff, with associate editors Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan; on-sale date February 23, 1961; cover date April 1961; cover price 10 cents; 36 pages.
- Also contains the first appearance of Blue Bowman (Phil Cobb, formerly the Signalman), a villain who reinvents himself using trick arrows after being mentored in prison by Green Arrow's foe Bulls-Eye.
- The issue includes a third story, 'The Island of 1,000 Traps,' scripted by Finger with art by Moldoff and inked by Charles Paris, featuring Professor Milo.
- Betty Kane's Bat-Girl costume was red and green, colors chosen to coordinate visually with Robin's outfit, explicitly framing her as a romantic interest for the Boy Wonder.
- Betty Kane appeared in only seven issues between 1961 and 1964 before being removed by incoming Batman editor Julius Schwartz, who judged the character — along with Batwoman, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bat-Hound — as too whimsical for his planned relaunch.
- The Bat-Girl debut story was reprinted in Batman Annual #7 (Summer 1964) and later collected in DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals Vol. 2 (2010) and Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years (2017).
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↩ Reprints Star Spangled Comics #104 (1950)
Reprinted in Batman #109 (1961), Batman (2ª Série) #20 (1963), Batman Annual #7 (1964), Batman from the 30s to the 70s #[nn] (1972), DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals #2 (2010), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection #33 (2015), Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years #[nn] (2017)
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