Detective Comics #392
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDetective Comics #392 marks the debut of Jason Bard, a Vietnam War veteran turned Gotham City private investigator who became one of Barbara Gordon's most significant supporting characters — her romantic partner and eventual fiancé across years of Bronze Age storytelling. His introduction in the Batgirl backup gave that feature a recurring civilian anchor and a grounded, street-level detective dynamic that distinguished it from the main Batman strip. The issue also represents a snapshot of Julius Schwartz's editorial transition, landing just a few months before the O'Neil/Adams run that would decisively darken the Batman mythos, with Neal Adams already delivering the cover while the interior still reflected the late Silver Age formula. As one of the final issues of the Elongated Man–to–Batgirl baton-pass era in the backup slot, it captures the precise moment the Batgirl feature was solidifying into the vehicle it would occupy for years.
In "I Died... a Thousand Deaths!", a mysterious and eerie presence stalks gangsters Angles Moore and Scap Scarpel, haunting them with visions of Batman’s apparent demise in a watery ambush. Written and drawn entirely by John Costanza, this 1969 issue blends suspense and supernatural dread, with Neal Adams' striking cover capturing the chilling tone.
In "I Died... a Thousand Deaths!", Batman confronts a mysterious figure on the shore of Kaksinaama, where a sudden gunshot shatters the silence. The fight ends in the sea, and as he escapes along a breaking wave, Batman is left to ponder his fate.
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The issue was edited by Julius Schwartz, whose editorial records — later provided to DC and verified by the Grand Comics Database — confirm the credits for both stories. Frank Robbins scripted both the Batman lead and the Batgirl backup, with Bob Brown penciling and Joe Giella inking the Batman story, while Gil Kane penciled and Murphy Anderson inked the Batgirl feature. Neal Adams handled both the cover and the pencils and inks for an interior reprint page. The Batgirl backup was part of the consistent run Robbins and Kane were producing in the alternating backup slot that had launched with Detective Comics #384 earlier in 1969, making Bard's introduction an organic extension of that ongoing feature rather than a one-off.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Jason Bard, a disabled Vietnam War veteran and criminologist-turned-private-investigator, introduced in the Batgirl backup story 'A Clue… Seven-Foot Tall!' (9 pages).
- Jason Bard was created by writer Frank Robbins and penciler Gil Kane, with inks by Murphy Anderson; credits confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records.
- The cover is by Neal Adams; the lead Batman story 'I Died… A Thousand Deaths!' (15 pages) is scripted by Frank Robbins, penciled by Bob Brown, and inked by Joe Giella.
- Jason Bard went on to become Barbara Gordon's romantic partner and eventual fiancé, appearing throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Detective Comics backup features, later called 'The Master Crime Files of Jason Bard.'
- The Batgirl backup story is continued in Detective Comics #393, establishing Bard's multi-part introductory arc.
- The issue was published August 28, 1969, with a cover date of October 1969, at a cover price of 15 cents, and runs 36 pages.
- The Batman lead story has been reprinted multiple times, including in Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 1 (2003/2012) and the Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus (2016); the Batgirl backup was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (2018).
- Jason Bard was adapted for animation in the DC series Young Justice (2010–present), voiced by Jeff Bennett, with his backstory updated from Vietnam veteran to U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Action Comics #381 (1969), Batman Classics #2 (1970), Lepakkomies #6/1970 (1970), Superman #1/1970 (1970), Superman Supacomic #126 (1970), Lynvingen #6/1970 (1970), Superman Supacomic #132 (1970), Superman Supacomic #137 (1971), Superman et Batman et Robin #34 (1971), Batman géant #1 (1979), Batman Annual #1980 (1979), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #1 (2003), Showcase Presents: Batgirl #1 (2007), Batman Collection: Neal Adams #2 (2009), Showcase Presents: Batman #5 (2012), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #1 (2012), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus #[nn] (2016), Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 (2018), Batman by Neal Adams #1 (2018), Superman #33
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