Detective Comics #405
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeDetective Comics #405 marks the formal debut of the League of Assassins — the first time that shadowy organization of elite killers is named, defined, and directly pitted against Batman in the pages of a comic book. Though a proto-version of the group had appeared in Strange Adventures #215 (1968) without the iconic name, this issue locks in the concept and sets the stage for Denny O'Neil's entire Ra's al Ghul mythology, which would culminate in Batman #232 and fundamentally reshape the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery for decades. The Batgirl backup story, 'The Living Statue,' continues a multipart Jason Bard subplot that typified the era's willingness to give Barbara Gordon her own self-contained noir detective arcs. Together, the two stories in this single issue represent Bronze Age DC at its most ambitious — a darker, globe-trotting Batman in the lead story and an independent, street-level Batgirl running a parallel murder mystery in the backup.
In "The First of the Assassins!", Batman faces a deadly threat on a remote island, tasked with shielding a shipping magnate, his fiancée, and an employee from a relentless killer. Written by Denny O'Neil and brought to life with sharp, atmospheric art by Bob Brown and Frank Giacoia, the story unfolds with tense precision. The cover, a striking piece by Neal Adams, captures the isolation and danger of the setting.
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The lead story, 'The First of the Assassins!', was scripted by Denny O'Neil with interior art by penciller Bob Brown and inker Frank Giacoia, under the editorial stewardship of Julius Schwartz — the same team then methodically dismantling the campy residue of the 1966 TV series. Neal Adams, whose creative partnership with O'Neil had begun in Detective Comics #395 (January 1970), contributed only the cover here, not the interior pencils, though his cover work was later confirmed through Schwartz's editorial records at DC. The Batgirl backup, 'The Living Statue,' was scripted by Frank Robbins with pencils by Gil Kane and inks by Giacoia, continuing a story begun the previous issue; its credits were likewise verified from Schwartz's editorial files. Notably, despite the issue's status as a launching pad for the Ra's al Ghul saga, the stories from Detective Comics #405 and #406 have repeatedly been omitted from DC's various Batman: Tales of the Demon trade paperback collections dating back to the early 1990s.
Trivia · 10 facts
- First appearance and naming of the League of Assassins — the issue is the first time the organization is explicitly called the League of Assassins and made a direct antagonist of Batman.
- The League had technically surfaced unnamed in Strange Adventures #215 (December 1968), but Detective Comics #405 is universally recognized as its formal, named debut tied to the Batman mythos.
- Lead story 'The First of the Assassins!' was written by Denny O'Neil with interior pencils by Bob Brown and inks by Frank Giacoia; cover art was by Neal Adams.
- Dr. Ebenezer Darrk, the League's leader, is first mentioned in this issue (though he appears in person only in the following issue, Detective Comics #406).
- The backup story, 'The Living Statue,' features Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) and Jason Bard in a murder mystery — scripted by Frank Robbins, pencilled by Gil Kane, and inked by Frank Giacoia; it continues directly from Detective Comics #404.
- The issue also contains a reprint backup, 'The Sleuth in the Iron Mask!', with art by Bob Brown, drawn from an earlier DC crime comic (Gangbusters #62, 1958).
- The Batman lead story contains the unusual detail of Batman using a rifle — fired at dolphins carrying explosives, not at people — a moment that collector forums have flagged as out of step with his later established no-guns code.
- The Batgirl backup 'The Living Statue' has been reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1; the Adams cover appears in the Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 hardcover (2004) and the Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus (2016).
- This issue is a narrative prequel to the Ra's al Ghul arc: the League introduced here reappears in Detective Comics #411 (featuring Darrk and the first appearance of Talia al Ghul) and then Batman #232 (first appearance of Ra's al Ghul himself).
- Published with a cover date of November 1970 and an on-sale date confirmed as September 29, 1970, under the DC indicia publisher name National Periodical Publications Inc.
Cast · 4 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Gang Busters #62 (1958)
Reprinted in Batman Classics #16 (1971), Batman Classics #20 (1971), Lynvingen #4/1971 (1971), Batman #608 (1971), Superman Supacomic #149 (1972), Superman Supacomic #151 (1972), Batman Géant #7 (1973), Batman Extra #4 (1981), Batman Extra #7 (1983), Superserien #7/1984 (1984), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #2 (2004), Batman: Cover to Cover #[nn] (2005), Batman: Gotiske netter [Alle Tiders Superhelter] #[nn] (2005), Showcase Presents: Batgirl #1 (2007), Batman Collection: Neal Adams #3 (2009), Showcase Presents: Batman #5 (2012), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams #2 (2013), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus #[nn] (2016), Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 (2018), Batman by Neal Adams #2 (2019), Batman #23
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