Detective Comics #402
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDetective Comics #402 is the second appearance of Man-Bat (Kirk Langstrom) and the first appearance of Francine Lee (later Francine Langstrom), the woman who eventually becomes She-Bat — making it the foundational issue of the Man-Bat family mythology that would sustain the character across decades. The issue marks the first time Man-Bat and Batman come to direct blows, pivoting Langstrom from reluctant ally to active antagonist and deepening the Jekyll-and-Hyde moral tension at the heart of the character. It also delivers two landmark story beats that define Man-Bat's continuity: Batman deducing that Langstrom and Man-Bat are one and the same, and Langstrom sprouting functional wings in his final mutation stage — the image that visually completed the character's iconic form. Together with #400 and #407, it forms what collectors and historians have called the 'Original Man-Bat Trilogy,' a cohesive Bronze Age horror arc that influenced Man-Bat's portrayal across animation, video games, and DC continuity ever since.
In "Man or Bat?", Robin grapples with his identity while visiting Speedy at Hudson University, questioning whether he should continue as Robin. The story sees Kirk Langstrom return as the Man-Bat, now compelled to stand against Batman in a conflict that tests loyalty and self. Written by Mike Friedrich and illustrated by Gil Kane with inks by Vince Colletta, the issue features a striking cover by Neal Adams.
In "My Place in the Sun!", Speedy visits Robin at Hudson University, where the duo intervenes in a clash between teenage delinquents, sparking a campus debate. As Robin questions whether he should keep fighting as Robin, he soon finds renewed resolve in his mission.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 22 grades ▾
More listings for this title
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was published on June 30, 1970, with a cover date of August 1970, under editor Julius Schwartz, who was actively steering Batman away from the campy, light-hearted tone of the Adam West television era and toward a darker, more psychologically grounded direction. The main story, titled 'Man or Bat?', was scripted by Frank Robbins with pencils and inks by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano respectively — the same creative trio that handled the debut in #400 — with credits for script, pencils, and inks confirmed from Schwartz's own editorial records. The creation of Man-Bat itself is a matter of some historical dispute: Neal Adams has consistently claimed he conceived the character and handed a synopsis to Robbins during a story meeting, while Schwartz on record stated that Adams's version of the character's origin was not his own; most histories attribute the creation jointly to Robbins and Adams under Schwartz's editorial direction. The issue also carries a Robin backup story — 'My Place in the Sun!' — written by Mike Friedrich with pencils by Gil Kane and inks by Vince Colletta, in which Robin questions whether he should continue in that role.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Second appearance of Man-Bat (Kirk Langstrom), following his debut in Detective Comics #400 (June 1970).
- First appearance of Francine Lee (later Francine Langstrom), Kirk's fiancée, who later takes the bat-serum herself to become She-Bat in Detective Comics #407.
- First time Batman and Man-Bat fight each other directly; Man-Bat knocks Batman unconscious and flees, marking the character's formal turn from uneasy ally to antagonist.
- Langstrom sprouts functional leathery wings in this issue — the final stage of his mutation — completing the creature's visual design as subsequently depicted across all media.
- Man-Bat inadvertently finds his way into the Batcave through a cliff crevice, one of the earliest Bronze Age stories to place a villain inside that sanctum.
- Main story ('Man or Bat?'): script by Frank Robbins, pencils and inks by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano; cover by Neal Adams; edited by Julius Schwartz. All credits confirmed from Schwartz's editorial records.
- Backup story: 'My Place in the Sun!' — written by Mike Friedrich, drawn by Gil Kane (pencils) and Vince Colletta (inks) — features Robin questioning his identity alongside a visit from Speedy; this backup was later reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin, the Boy Wonder Vol. 1.
- The main story has been reprinted multiple times, including in Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 (hardcover and trade paperback), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus (2016), Batman Arkham: Man-Bat (2017), and Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 2 (2019). Man-Bat's lineage from this issue was notably adapted in Batman: The Animated Series episode 'On Leather Wings' (1992), the first episode produced for that series.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Batman Classics #13 (1971), Batman Classics #14 (1971), Läderlappen #6/1971 (1971), Superman Supacomic #145 (1971), Batman from the 30s to the 70s #[nn] (1972), Batman and Robin #2 (1976), Batman Album #40 (1978), Batman Extra #5 (1982), Man-Bat #1 (1984), Super Star Comics #2 (1986), Batman #1 (1989), The Batman Gallery #1 (1992), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #2 (2004), Batman: Gotiske netter [Alle Tiders Superhelter] #[nn] (2005), Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder #1 (2008), Batman Collection: Neal Adams #2 (2009), Showcase Presents: Batman #5 (2012), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #2 (2013), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus #[nn] (2016), Batman Arkham: Man-Bat #[nn] (2017), Batman by Neal Adams #2 (2019), Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus #[nn] (2020), Batman #21
Key issues in Detective Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.