Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21

Nov 1993 · DC · 1.75 USD; 1.25 GBP; 2.25 CAD

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“Bruce Wayne, Part One: The Hood”

★ 1st appearance — The Hood

About this Issue

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21 is the opening chapter of writer Alan Grant's 'Knightquest: The Search' arc within the sprawling Knightfall trilogy — the story thread that would ultimately explain how a broken Bruce Wayne physically recovered after Bane snapped his spine. As the issue that formally introduces British vigilante the Hood (George Cross) to DC continuity, it plants a character who would resurface decades later as a member of Batman Incorporated and play a minor role in 2022's Shadow War crossover. Critically, this is also a rare occasion where Alfred Pennyworth poses as Batman, a storytelling beat that highlights the creative team's interest in the limits of Bruce's shattered identity during his exile. The issue's position as the first Batman-titled chapter of 'The Search' makes it essential connective tissue in one of the most structurally complex crossover events in 1990s DC history.

writer Alan Grant · artist, inker Bret Blevins · colorist Adrienne Roy · letterer Todd Klein · cover Brian Stelfreeze

ComicBooks.com Value

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CGC 9.8 · 6 in census $90

CGC 9.6 · 2 in census $42*

CGC 9.4 none in existence

CGC 9.2 · 1 in census $31*

CGC 9.0 · 1 in census $30*

CGC 8.5 · 1 in census $24*

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CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $20*

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History

The issue was written by Alan Grant, whose tenure on Shadow of the Bat was a direct continuation of his long run on Detective Comics and Batman stretching back to 1988; the series itself was conceived as a psychologically focused companion title running in current Batman continuity alongside Detective Comics and the flagship Batman book. Grant was working within the tightly coordinated editorial framework of the Knightfall trilogy — overseen by editor Dennis O'Neil alongside assistant editor Jordan Gorfinkel — which threaded stories across Batman, Detective Comics, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Shadow of the Bat simultaneously. Interior art was handled by Bret Blevins, with a painted cover by Brian Stelfreeze, whose covers became a signature aesthetic of the series throughout its run. 'Knightquest: The Search' would not receive a standalone trade paperback collection until the Knightfall 25th Anniversary edition in November 2018, meaning these issues circulated for over two decades as individual floppies before being formally anthologized.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of the Hood (George Cross), an English vigilante modeled on Robin Hood, created by Alan Grant and Bret Blevins.
Cover date: November 1993; on-sale date: approximately October–November 1993. Published by DC Comics.
Written by Alan Grant; interior art by Bret Blevins; colors by Adrienne Roy; letters by Todd Klein; cover painted by Brian Stelfreeze; edited by Dennis O'Neil.
This is the third chapter in the 'Knightquest: The Search' reading order, and the first chapter of that sub-arc to appear in a Batman-family title (Shadow of the Bat #21).
The story title is 'Bruce Wayne, Part One: The Hood.' Bruce Wayne, still recovering from Bane's assault on his spine, has traveled to London to hunt for kidnapped Shondra Kinsolving and Jack Drake (Robin's father).
One of the rare issues in which Alfred Pennyworth disguises himself as Batman.
The issue is reprinted in Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2, Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2 – Knightquest, and the standalone Batman: Knightquest – The Search trade paperback (part of the 25th anniversary edition, 2018). It was notably omitted from the earlier 2012 Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2: Knightquest paperback collection.
The Hood (George Cross) would later be revived by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham in Batman Incorporated (Vol. 2) #1 and was eventually killed during DC's 2022 Shadow War crossover event.