Cover: John Byrne

Batman #401

Nov 1986 · DC · 0.75 USD; 1.00 CAD; 0.40 GBP

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“A Bird in the Hand ...”

★ 1st appearance — Magpie

About this Issue

Batman #401 holds a dual distinction as the opening chapter of Legends — the first major DC Universe crossover event following Crisis on Infinite Earths — and as the second published appearance of Magpie (Margaret Pye), the bird-obsessed jewel thief who had debuted in John Byrne's Man of Steel #3 just one week earlier in on-sale order. The issue plants G. Gordon Godfrey — the disguised New God Glorious Godfrey — into the post-Crisis Batman universe, using a party at Wayne Manor to dramatize the core Legends thesis: a media propagandist actively turning ordinary citizens against the heroes who protect them. As the very first tie-in chapter in DC's official Legends reading order, it set the tone for a crossover that would ultimately dissolve the old Justice League of America and launch replacement titles including the new Justice League and John Ostrander's Suicide Squad.

In "A Bird in the Hand ...," Magpie makes a flashy entrance at a high-society gala showcasing the Wayne family jewels, drawing the attention of G. Gordon Godfrey before vanishing into the night. Batman and Robin follow her trail to a museum, where the chase intensifies—setting the stage for a tense game of cat and mouse. Written by Barbara J. Randall and illustrated by Trevor Von Eeden, with colors by Adrienne Roy and letters by John Costanza, this 1986 classic features a striking cover by John Byrne.

writer Barbara J. Randall · artist, inker Trevor Von Eeden · colorist Adrienne Roy · letterer John Costanza · cover John Byrne

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VF) $3

CGC 9.8 · 63 in census $66*

CGC 9.6 · 27 in census $30

CGC 9.4 · 9 in census $21*

CGC 9.2 · 18 in census $20*

CGC 9.0 · 9 in census $20*

CGC 8.5 · 9 in census $20*

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CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 7.5 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 7.0 none in existence

CGC 6.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 6.0 none in existence

CGC 5.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 5.0 · 1 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

More listings for this title

NM $0.99 VF $2.86 Direct $2.95 FN $3 FN $3 FN $3.6 VF $4.2 VF $4.75

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History

The issue was written by Barbara Randall Kesel — credited in the indicia under her pre-marriage name 'Barbara J. Randall' — with interior art by Trevor Von Eeden, coloring by Adrienne Roy, lettering by John Costanza, and a cover painted by John Byrne; Denny O'Neil edited, with Kesel herself serving as assistant editor, a dual role specifically noted in the issue's editorial pages. Kesel had entered the industry after writing a ten-page letter to executive editor Dick Giordano about the portrayal of women in comics, and this assignment — scripting the Batman half of DC's biggest 1986 publishing initiative — came while she was simultaneously holding down an editorial desk. Legends itself was conceived as DC's strategic response to the continuity overhaul wrought by Crisis on Infinite Earths, with the core plot devised by John Ostrander and scripted in the miniseries by Len Wein, while the Batman tie-in chapters were entrusted to Kesel as a one-time creative team, a notable editorial gamble for a franchise-launching crossover.

Trivia · 8 facts

Published with a November 1986 cover date; on-sale date confirmed by Grand Comics Database as July 15, 1986.
Story title: 'A Bird in the Hand…'; officially designated Chapter 1 of the Legends crossover, with the reading order continuing in Detective Comics #568 and then Legends #1.
Second published appearance of Magpie (Margaret Pye) — her debut was in Man of Steel #3, which went on sale approximately one week prior; both issues end with Magpie's capture.
G. Gordon Godfrey (Glorious Godfrey in disguise) appears here in the Batman titles as part of his Legends-wide campaign to turn the public against superheroes; the Wayne Manor party scene dramatizes this anti-hero propaganda directly.
Written by Barbara Randall Kesel (credited as 'Barbara J. Randall'), drawn by Trevor Von Eeden, with a cover by John Byrne and an interior Batman pin-up page by Brian Bolland.
Edited by Denny O'Neil; Kesel served double duty as both the issue's writer and its assistant editor, a fact noted in the issue's own editorial column.
Robin in this issue is Jason Todd, establishing the post-Crisis status quo of the Batman titles; the issue is set on New Earth following Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Reprinted multiple times: in Legends: The Collection (1993), The DC Universe by John Byrne (2018), DC Finest: Batman: Year One & Two (November 2024), and a 2026 French Urban Comics edition, among others; also received a second and third printing in 1989 as part of DC multipack distribution.