Batman Timeline: the Silver Age

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1958, September – First appearance of Julian Day, the Calendar Man in Detective Comics vol.1 #259, created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff (credited as Bob Kane).

Detective Comics vol.1 #259, DC Comics, September 1958. Pencils: Curt Swan - inks: Stan Kaye - unknown collorist.

Curt Swan (1920-1996).

1959, February – First appearance of Dr. Victor Fries, the Mr. Zero in Batman vol.1 #121, created by Bob Kane, David Wood and Sheldon Moldoff.

Batman vol.1 #121, DC Comics, February 1959. Pencils: Curt Swan - inks: Stan Kaye - unknown collorist.

 May - First appearance of Bat-Mite in Detective Comics vol.1 267 in a story titled "Batman Meets Bat-Mite" written by Bill Finger and with art by Sheldon Moldoff.

Detective Comics vol.1 #267, DC Comics, May 1959. Pencils: Curt Swan - inks: Stan Kaye - unknown collorist.

             September – First appearance of Ted Carson, the second Firefly in Batman vol.1 #126, created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff.

Batman vol.1 #126, DC Comics, September 1959. Pencils: Curt Swan - inks: Stan Kaye - unknown collorist.

1960, February - Batman debuted as a member of the Justice League of America in The Brave and the Bold #28.

1961, April - First appearance of Katty Kane, the Bat-Girl in Batman vol.1 #139, created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff.

Batman vol.1 #139, DC Comics, April 1961. Pencils: Sheldon Moldoff - inks: Sheldon Moldoff - unknown collorist.

November – National Comics Publications becames National Periodical Publications.

December – First appearance of Matt Hagen, the second Clay Face in Detective Comics vol.1 #298, created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff.

 

Detective Comics vol.1 #298, DC Comics, December 1961. Pencils: Sheldon Moldoff - inks: Sheldon Moldoff - unknown collorist.

1963, January -First appearance of Thomas Blake, the Catman in Detective Comics vol.1 #311, created by Bill Finger and Jim Mooney.

Detective Comics vol.1 #311, DC Comics, January 1963. Pencils: Dick Dillin - inks: Sheldon Moldoff - unknown collorist.

1964 – The sales on Batman titles had fallen drastically. Bob Kane noted that, as a result, DC was "planning to kill Batman off altogether."In response to this, editor Julius Schwartz was assigned to the Batman titles. He presided over drastic changes, beginning with 1964's Detective Comics vol.1 #327 (May 1964), which was cover-billed as the "New Look". Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary, and to return him to more detective-oriented stories. He brought in artist Carmine Infantino to help overhaul the character. The Batmobile was redesigned, and Batman's costume was modified to incorporate a yellow ellipse behind the bat-insignia. The space aliens, time travel, and characters of the 1950’s such as Batwoman, Ace, and Bat-Mite were retired. Batman's butler Alfred was killed off (though his death was quickly reversed) while a new female relative for the Wayne family, Aunt Harriet, came to live with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. It leads Batman to the Multiverse. The Batman from the Golden Age is from the Earth-Two while the new Batman is from the Earth-One, “our” universe. The Earth-Two version of Batman partners with and marries the reformed Earth-Two Catwoman, Selina Kyle (as shown in Superman Family #211) and fathers Helena Wayne, who, as the Huntress, becomes (along with Dick Grayson, the Earth-Two Robin) Gotham's protector once Wayne retires from the position to become police commissioner, a position he occupies until he is killed during one final adventure as Batman. Batman titles however often ignored that a distinction had been made between the pre-revamp and post-revamp Batmen (since unlike The Flash or Green Lantern, Batman comics had been published without interruption through the 1950s) and would on occasionally make reference to stories from the Golden Age.Nevertheless, details of Batman's history were altered or expanded upon through the decades. Additions include meetings with a future Superman during his youth, his upbringing by his uncle Philip Wayne (introduced in Batman vol.1 #208, January/February 1969) after his parents' death, and appearances of his father and himself as prototypical versions of Batman and Robin, respectively. In 1980 then-editor Paul Levitz commissioned the Untold Legend of the Batman limited series to thoroughly chronicle Batman's origin and history.

Julius Schwartz (1915-2004).

Carmine Infantino (1925-2013).

the "New Look" edition.
Detective Comics vol.1 #327, DC Comics, May 1964. Pencils: Carmine Infantino - inks: Joe Giella - unknown collorist.

             - Little Brown & Co. publishes Donald Barthelme's collection of short stories "Come Back, Dr. Caligari", that contains the story "The Joker's Greatest Triumph." Batman is portrayed for purposes of spoof as a pretentious French-speaking rich man.

             June – First appearance of Auntie Harriet Cooper in Detective Comics vol.1 #328, created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff.

Aunt Harriet Cooper.
Excerpt of "Gotham Gang Line-Up!" - text: Bill Finger - pencils: Sheldon Moldoff - inks: Joe Giella - unknown collorist - letters: Gaspar Saladino. Detective Comics vol.1 #328, DC Comics, June 1964.

 1965, May – Batman team-up for the first time. The honor is for the Green Lantern in The Brave and the Bold #59. 

The Brave and the Bold vol.1 #59, DC Comics, April-May 1965. Pencils: Gil Kane - inks: Gil Kane - unknown collorist.

Gil Kane (1926-2000).

            November – First appearance of Mark Desmond, the Blockbuster in Detective Comics vol.1 #345, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino.

Blockbuster.
Excerpt of "The Blockbuster Invasion of Gotham City!" - text: Gardner Fox - pencils: Carmine Infantino - inks: Joe Giella - unknown collorist - letters: Gaspar Saladino. Detective Comics vol.1 #345, DC Comics, November 1965.

1966 - is aired a Public Service Announcement featuring Adam West as Batman called “U.S. Savings Bonds for Vietnan War”.

            - MGM's "Leo the Lion" label releases “The Official Adventures Of Batman And Robin” (with the episodes: “The Legend of Batman and Robin”, “The Penguin's Plunder” and “The Joker's Revenge”) and later a second LP called “More Official Adventures of Batman & Robin” (with the episodes “The Marriage of Batman and Batwoman”, “The Fake Boy Wonder” and “When Batman Became a Coward”).

 January, 12 – 20^th Century Fox releases through ABC the first espisode of “Batman” with Adam West as the hero.

Adam West (1928-2017) as Batman.

             May – First appearance of Arthur Brown, the Cluemaster in Detective Comics vol.1 #351, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino.

Detective Comics vol.1 #351, DC Comics, May 1966. Pencils: Carmine Infantino - inks: Murphy Anderson - unknown collorist.

Murphy Anderson (1926-2015).

             May, 5 - 20^th Century Fox ended the first season of “Batman” with Adam West as the hero.

            June – First appearance of Dr. Lillian Rose, the Poison Ivy in Batman vol.1 #181, created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff.

Batman vol.1 #181, DC Comics, June 1966. Pencils: Carmine Infantino - inks: Murphy Anderson - unknown collorist.

             July, 9 – written by Whitney Ellsworth and E. Nelson Bridwell and initially drew by Sheldon Moldoff started the third serie of Batman in comic strips. Later the series will be draw by Joe Giella, Carmine Infantino and Al Plastino.

           July, 30 - 20th Century Fox releases “Batman” directed by Leslie H. Martinson and with Adam West as Batman.

              September, 7 - 20^th Century Fox lauches the second season of “Batman” with Adam West as the hero.

1967, January – First appearance of Barbara Gordon in "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino in Detective Comics vol.1 #359.

Detective Comics vol.1 #359, DC Comics, January 1967. Pencils: Carmine Infantino - inks: Murphy Anderson - unknown collorist.

 March, 30 - 20^th Century Fox ended the second season of “Batman” with Adam West as the hero.

            September, 14 - 20^th Century Fox launches the third season of “Batman” with Adam West as the hero.

November –The Brave and the Bold #74 stablished the series as a team-up magazine between Batman and other stablished super-heroes.

1968, March – Mr. Zero is renamed as Mr. Freeze in Detective Comics #373 by Gardner Fox.

Detective Comics vol.1 #373, DC Comics, March 1968. Pencils: Irv Novick - inks: Irv Novick - unknown collorist.

Irv Novick (1916-2004).

March, 14 – 20^th Century Fox cancels the “Batman” series with Adam West as the hero.

         September, 14 – Filmation launches the animated series “The Batman/ Superman Hour” broadcasted on CBS. Batman is voiced by Olan Soule.

Olan Soule (1909-1994).

1969 - Starting in 1969, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams made a deliberate effort to distance Batman from the campy portrayal of the 1960s TV series and to return the character to his roots as a "grim avenger of the night". O'Neil said his idea was "simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after". To some their work is considered the end of the Silver Age in comics.

Dennis O'Neil (1939-).

Neal Adams (1941-).

            - In 1969, Dick Grayson attends college as part of DC Comics' effort to revise the Batman comics. Additionally, Batman also moves from his mansion, Wayne Manor into a penthouse apartment atop the Wayne Foundation building in downtown.

January, 4 – CBS cancelsFilmation’s “The Batman/Superman Hour".