Cover: Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella

Batman #183

Aug 1966 · DC · 0.12 USD

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About this Issue

Batman #183 delivers Poison Ivy's second-ever appearance just two issues after her debut, cementing her as a genuine recurring threat rather than a one-off novelty — a distinction that mattered enormously for a Silver Age villain's long-term survival in the rogues gallery. The lead story, 'A Touch of Poison Ivy!', directly continues the cliffhanger of Batman #181, establishing the two-issue arc as Poison Ivy's Silver Age foundation before she largely vanished from Bat-titles for over a decade. The Grand Comics Database notably flags this issue as the point at which 'camp style stories in the fashion of the TV series begin,' making it a visible marker of the Batman comic absorbing the cultural shockwave of the Adam West television show, even if that judgment remains debated among historians. The second story's reference to the Batusi — a pop-culture touchstone of the 1966 Batmania craze — further situates this issue at the hinge between Julius Schwartz's disciplined 'New Look' era and the looser, TV-inflected tone that followed.

In "A Touch of Poison Ivy!", Batman’s pursuit of criminals leads him into a devious trap when he falls through a hidden trapdoor and is captured—only for a disguised crook to take his place. With the real Bat-ally missing, Robin must rely on a subtle clue to expose the impostor and restore order. Written by Gardner Fox and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff, with inks by Joe Giella and lettering by Gaspar Saladino, this 1966 adventure features a cover by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.

Contains 3 stories

A Touch of Poison Ivy!

5.67 pp · Superhero

In "A Touch of Poison Ivy!" from Batman #183 (1966), Batman finds himself unexpectedly drawn into a dangerous game when the imprisoned Poison Ivy sends him a cryptic gift and claims she’s ready to change. Though he comes to her cell with caution, her charm proves overwhelming—and soon, the Dark Knight becomes her unlikely accomplice in a daring escape.

A Touch of Poison Ivy – – Part 2

7.67 pp · Superhero

Batman's Baffling Turnabout!

9.67 pp · Superhero

a Batman impostor (villain)impostor's gang (villains)

When a fake Batman leads Robin into a trap, the Boy Wonder must rely on a single, subtle clue to uncover the deception—because the real Dark Knight is missing, and time is running out. This classic 1966 tale delivers a clever twist on identity and trust, with the duo’s partnership tested in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (VG) $30

CGC 9.8 · 6 in census $3,223

CGC 9.6 · 9 in census $1,594

CGC 9.4 · 19 in census $537

CGC 9.2 · 29 in census $537

CGC 9.0 · 26 in census $307

CGC 8.5 · 35 in census $243

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CGC 8.0 · 31 in census $236

CGC 7.5 · 29 in census $165

CGC 7.0 · 38 in census $117

CGC 6.5 · 30 in census $112

CGC 6.0 · 29 in census $106

CGC 5.5 · 41 in census $106

CGC 5.0 · 34 in census $68*

CGC 4.5 · 27 in census $62

CGC 4.0 · 37 in census $62

CGC 3.5 · 13 in census $47*

CGC 3.0 · 12 in census $37*

CGC 2.5 · 2 in census $32*

CGC 2.0 · 8 in census $25*

CGC 1.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 1.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 0.5 · 7 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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GD $10.5 POOR $15 VG $24.11 GD $26 FN $28.99 VG+ $29.95 VG $30 VG $33

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History

The issue was published on June 2, 1966 (cover-dated August 1966) under editor Julius Schwartz, whose own editorial records — later provided to the Grand Comics Database by DC Comics — confirm the true creative credits: script by Robert Kanigher, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, and inks by Joe Giella, though the interior art was bylined to Bob Kane per the standard ghost-work arrangement of the era. Kanigher also wrote the debut issue, Batman #181, making him the sole architect of Poison Ivy's original two-part Silver Age story; the cover was penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Joe Giella. The second story, 'Batman's Baffling Turnabout!', was scripted by Gardner Fox with the same Moldoff-Giella art team.

Trivia · 8 facts

Second appearance of Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley), two issues after her debut in Batman #181 (June 1966).
Lead story 'A Touch of Poison Ivy!' is a direct sequel to Batman #181's 'Beware of — Poison Ivy!', continuing the storyline of Batman still under Ivy's spell while she orchestrates her escape from prison.
The second story, 'Batman's Baffling Turnabout!' (script by Gardner Fox), contains a reference to the Batusi — one of the earliest documented instances of the Batman comic directly incorporating a pop-culture element from the Adam West TV series.
Cover and story art credited to Bob Kane on the indicia, but Julius Schwartz's editorial records (provided to DC Comics) confirm pencils were actually by Sheldon Moldoff, with inks by Joe Giella.
Editor Julius Schwartz; cover by Carmine Infantino (pencils) and Joe Giella (inks); letters by Gaspar Saladino.
Following this issue, Poison Ivy made no further appearances in a Batman-title until Batman #291 in 1977, though she did surface in other DC books (including Lois Lane, Justice League of America, and Secret Society of Super-Villains) in the intervening years.
Both stories — 'A Touch of Poison Ivy!' and 'Batman's Baffling Turnabout!' — were reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 2 (2007).
The cover of this issue was homaged by artist Adam Hughes in DC Comics Presents: Batman #1 (2004) as part of a tribute to Julius Schwartz, with the Batman '66 TV show logo replaced by the logo from the animated series The Batman.