The Dark Knight returns to Mondo Gallery this Friday with a brand new show celebrating Batman, his allies, and the infamous rogues they’ve faced for eight decades and counting. The gallery, located in Austin, Texas, will showcase 18 Batman comic covers as premium-quality screen printed posters. Each poster is a fan favorite and every era of the hero’s incredible history is sure to be on display. However, we’ve only seen five of the eighteen posters since the event was unannounced! Well, until now that is…
Here’s your exclusive first look at two more posters that will be hanging in the gallery this Friday, and, hopefully, on your wall soon after Mondo decides to sell them online.
BATMAN #423 by Todd McFarlane & Anthony Tollin
Before he redefined the way we draw Spider-Man’s web or created Spawn, Todd McFarlane drew this iconic cover for Starlin and Cockrum’s Batman #423. This is an important issue, not just because it has a jaw-dropping cover, but because it’s one of the few times you’ll actually see The Dark Knight shed a tear. See, the story is about a group of cops who share tales of when they personally saw the Batman in action. There’s a story about an attempted suicide, a hostage situation, and, finally, Gotham’s homeless. I like that this poster was chosen for the gallery, because A) it’s gorgeous and B) it brings attention to a really exceptional comic.
BATMAN #37 “Widescreen” Variant by Darwyn Cooke
Honestly, Mondo could do an entire show comprised of Darwyn Cooke’s 2014 variant covers and I’d be happy. The beloved artist, who was taken from us far too soon, drew 23 variant covers in December 2014 for the entire DC Universe and in my opinion they’re some of the best covers of the past twenty years. His variant for Detective Comics #37, which depicted Alfred covering an exhausted Bruce Wayne with a blanket, is easily one of my favorite Batman images of all-time. However, what we’re announcing here is that cover’s companion piece, the variant cover of Batman #37, which shows us exactly why the Caped Crusader was so tuckered out: all those villains. Just sit back for a minute and let your eyes slowly trace over this scarlet collage of evil-doers. It’s incredible just how many characters Cooke squeezed into a single image, and how perfectly their poses and facial expressions exemplify their unique personalities.
Previously announced posters for the upcoming event include:
Selection of “80 Years Of Batman” Screen Printed Posters
- Detective Comics #27 (1939)
- Detective Comics #367 (1967)
- Batman #251 (1973)
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986)
- A Death In The Family (1988)
Opening night for “80 Years Of Batman” will be held Friday, May 17 from 7 – 10pm, and the show will run through May 25 during regular gallery hours (12pm – 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday) at Mondo Gallery located at 4115 Guadalupe St. in Austin, TX.
