Cover: Carmine Infantino & Murphy Anderson

Detective Comics #359

Jan 1967 · DC · 0.12 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Batgirl★ 1st appearance — Barbara Gordon

About this Issue

Detective Comics #359 marks the debut of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl — the Silver Age's most enduring female hero in the Batman universe and one of the most significant female characters in DC's history. Unlike the earlier, discarded Bat-Girl (Betty Kane), Barbara was conceived as a fully independent, professionally accomplished adult woman: a doctoral-level librarian and martial artist who stumbles into crime-fighting on her own terms, pointedly ignoring Batman's dismissal of her on the basis of gender. Her introduction at the crossroads of comics and television demonstrated that the two media could develop characters in tandem rather than in isolation, and the character's longevity — from Silver Age adventurer to Oracle to restored Batgirl — has made this issue a touchstone in discussions of women's representation in superhero comics.

Contains 2 stories

The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!

15 pp · Superhero

PupaLarvaBurton Talbot

Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi!

7.5 pp · Superhero

Beejay and the Sleepytime Taxi Crew (villain)

In "Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi!" from Detective Comics #359, Jo stumbles upon a bizarre conspiracy when a mysterious taxi service begins targeting high-profile individuals—knocking them out and stealing secrets that could compromise national security. With the city's safety at stake, Jo must unravel the strange connection between the drowsy drivers and the stolen intelligence before it's too late.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $339

CGC 9.8 · 5 in census $74,372*

CGC 9.6 · 17 in census $37,667*

CGC 9.4 · 24 in census $13,048

CGC 9.2 · 32 in census $6,831*

CGC 9.0 · 54 in census $3,648

CGC 8.5 · 91 in census $2,681

Show all 22 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 144 in census $1,962

CGC 7.5 · 164 in census $1,464

CGC 7.0 · 242 in census $1,215*

CGC 6.5 · 307 in census $844

CGC 6.0 · 294 in census $761

CGC 5.5 · 324 in census $706

CGC 5.0 · 368 in census $569

CGC 4.5 · 432 in census $461*

CGC 4.0 · 419 in census $446

CGC 3.5 · 326 in census $438

CGC 3.0 · 290 in census $380

CGC 2.5 · 172 in census $380

CGC 2.0 · 82 in census $333

CGC 1.5 · 39 in census $229

CGC 1.0 · 22 in census $210*

CGC 0.5 · 46 in census $210

* 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

VF+ $24.97 CGC 3.5 $225 CGC 3.5 $295 CGC 0.5 $299.95 CGC 1.8 $315 CGC 1 $320 CGC 1 $320 CGC 1.8 $325

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History

The character's creation was a direct response to a request from Batman television series executive producer William Dozier, who wanted a new female cast member to help sell a third season to ABC. As editor Julius Schwartz recalled in his 2000 memoir Man of Two Worlds, Dozier had already sketched a scenario in which Commissioner Gordon's daughter becomes Batgirl; Schwartz then enlisted writer Gardner Fox and penciler Carmine Infantino to execute the concept. When Dozier and producer Howie Horowitz visited the DC offices and saw Infantino's rough concept art, they optioned the character on the spot. The issue carries a January 1967 cover date but was placed on sale November 29, 1966, roughly nine months before Yvonne Craig brought Batgirl to television screens on September 14, 1967 — ensuring the comics took creative precedence. Schwartz also used the occasion to quietly retire all prior appearances of Betty Kane (the original Bat-Girl) as apocryphal, by editorial edict.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance and origin of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, in the lead story 'The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!' — written by Gardner Fox, penciled by Carmine Infantino, and inked by Sid Greene, with a cover by Infantino and Murphy Anderson.
Barbara Gordon is introduced as the daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon, a head librarian and martial artist who dons a Batgirl costume for a policeman's charity masquerade ball and spontaneously intervenes when Killer Moth (Drury Walker) attacks Bruce Wayne.
The issue was physically on sale November 29, 1966, despite carrying a January 1967 cover date — making the comic's debut several months before Yvonne Craig's television debut as Batgirl in the Season 3 premiere 'Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin' (September 14, 1967).
By editorial edict from Julius Schwartz, this issue retroactively rendered all prior appearances of the original Bat-Girl (Betty Kane/Bette Kane) apocryphal, effectively replacing her with Barbara Gordon as the definitive Batgirl.
The issue contains a second story, 'Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi!', featuring the Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny) and Sue Dibny — written by John Broome with art by Murphy Anderson, also edited by Julius Schwartz.
The letters column in this issue includes a letter from the then-unknown future comics writer and historian Mark Evanier.
The lead story has been reprinted numerous times, including: a 5-page excerpt in Batman #208 (1969); the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #22; a 1997 Toys 'R' Us Special Replica Edition; the DC Millennium Edition (October 2000); the 2020 DC Facsimile Edition; the Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus (2018); and Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman (2019).
The cover to this issue was later reimagined for the cover of Batman: Gotham Knights #43, and the story's events were formally adapted into Batgirl's post-Crisis origin in Secret Origins (Vol. 2) #20.