Sunday, 22 February 2026

SO - WHO'S YOUR FAVOURITE BATMAN ARTIST OF ALL TIME...

Copyright DC COMICS

If this blog site was anywhere near as good as it thought it was (or I thought it was), it would now be showing you different pics of Batman, illustrated by various artists to help you answer the question in the title.  However, I guess it doesn't live up to my aspirations, namely because I'm far too fatigued (or maybe just lazy) to dig out a bunch of Batman mags so's I can give you a selection of panels to crystalise your thinking and help you choose which of all the artists ever to draw the Caped Crusader is your absolute favourite.

To make things a little easier for you (and perhaps a little more interesting), let's make it your three favourite Batman artists of all time.  Ready, steady - Go! 

27 comments:

McSCOTTY said...

A really difficult one as so many top artists have worked on Batman, but my 5 (can't possibly make it just 3)favourites are.

1. Neal Adams
2. Jim Aparo
3. David Mazzucchelli
4.Marshal Rogers
5.Frank Robbins

With a special nod to Alex Toth, Dick Sprang and Bruce Timm

Kid said...

You'll have to make it six, McS - you surely can't leave out Bernie Wrightson.

McSCOTTY said...

I wasn't a big fan of his Batman Kid but everything else he did was wonderful though.

Kid said...

Looks like you can leave him out then. Ho-ho!

RickH said...

Rogers was my favorite. Too short, but so sweet. I would have loved to see more from Walt Simonson.

Kid said...

There are probably artists who would've been great on Batman who never got the chance to draw him, RH, so we'll never know, alas. (I know Simonson drew Batman, didn't mean him.) One artist who couldn't draw Batman was Jack Kirby, so it wasn't just Spider-Man he couldn't draw.

Terranova47 said...

Bob Kane, Bill Finger since they set the stage. Then Neal Adams whose update gave new life to the character.

Kid said...

I'd have to say Bill Finger doesn't really qualify as a Batman artist as he never drew him, T47, and Bob Kane wasn't really a particularly good artist on anything he drew, which is why he used assistants while claiming to draw all the Batman strips with no help from anyone. He was also a 'swipe' artist who copied the positions of other artists' characters from other comics. However, you're allowed to like whatever you like.

baggsey said...

100% in agreement with McScotty on this, and am cut-and-pasting his list.

1. Neal Adams
2. Jim Aparo
3. David Mazzucchelli
4.Marshal Rogers
5.Frank Robbins

With a special nod to Alex Toth, Dick Sprang and Bruce Timm

Kid said...

Anyone like Dick Dillin?

baggsey said...

I tolerated Dick Dillon, but found his characters to always look awkward, and facial expressions were so similar. I think if he’d been teamed with better inkers I’d appreciate his artwork more.

baggsey said...

To add to my previous list, my 1. Would be Neal Adams inked by Dick Giordano. #2 was Aparo inked by Aparo #4 was Marshall Rogers inked by Terry Austin #5 would be Frank Robbins inked by Frank Robbins. The right inker made a huge difference.

McSCOTTY said...

Yeah I liked Dick Dillin and Irv Novick's Batman art but not as much as my top 5 etc.

Kid said...

Oddly enough, B, that's something I found with Neal Adams' work, especially in his later years on everything he drew.

Kid said...

It always did. How about this one, B - Don Newton inked by Alfredo Alcala?

Kid said...

The Demon Of Gothos Mansion is a classic, McS. There's another one, which escapes me at the moment.

baggsey said...

Can you point me to an example of Don Newton inked by Alcala, Kid? I was a big fan of Alcala’s pencils and inks on Beneath The Planet of the Apes, so him inking Don Newton sounds interesting.

McSCOTTY said...

Yeah that's a great comic one of Novick's best ( and very much influenced by Adams) all wrapped up in a great Neal Adams cover.

Kid said...

If you type Don Newton into my blog's search box, B, it should take you to an example of his work in Detective Comics #526 - Batman's 500th appearance in the mag. There's not a lot of Batman on display, but it should give you a hint of his moody illustrations.

Kid said...

Yes, he was clearly emulating Adams' style, but I think he captured it more than adequately, McS.

Kid said...

Oh, my brain hurts! I meant Irv Novick on Demon Of Gothos Mansion and other Batman tales, not Dick Dillin. Just what am I like?

Anonymous said...

Hope you are keeping well Kid.Triple F here still reading Fantastic Four comics from 60's and 70's and they are actually getting better....nostalgia and all that.The current topic has only one answer...Neal Adams .Revolutionised the character and is untouchable.The gold standard which all others aspire to!

Kid said...

Neal Adams sure has a lot of fans when it comes to Batman, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree, TF. Talking of The Fantastic Four, did you buy the facsimiles of the first dozen issues by any chance? I've already got them in various reprints, but I wanted them again in individual mags as close-as-possible to their original presentations. I just love thumbing through them and pretending they're the actual '60s comics.

Anonymous said...

1. Dick Sprang
2. Jerry Robinson
3. Bruce Timm
4. Carmine Infantino

Kid said...

All good artists sure enough, but hardly definitive Batman ones at this stage in his history. Pick a name for next time please.

Graham said...

Jim Aparo
Don Newton
Marshall Rogers
Neal Adams
Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

Kid said...

Some good choices there, G. Thanks for submitting them.



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