Tomorrow is Gotham Calling’s fourth anniversary. I usually mark these occasions with a compilation of kicks in the head (accompanied by exciting, onomatopoeic sound effects). However, this year I’ve decided to celebrate another longstanding tradition of Batman comics, namely the Caped Crusader’s habit of surprising his foes with sudden entrances that involve breaking a lot of glass.
Whether crashing through a window or through a glass ceiling, this trope has been reinterpreted throughout the ages, with artists coming up with various dynamic angles (although often going for the same ways of depicting broken shards). Moreover, even when Batman doesn’t supplement his theatrical entrance with a badass one-liner, these moments are often a treat due to the villains’ astonished reactions.
Enjoy these fifty glorious examples:
Detective Comics #65
Batman #199
The Brave and the Bold #90
Detective Comics #421
Batman #269
Detective Comics #437
Batman #284
Detective Comics #471
The Brave and the Bold #98
Batman #288
Detective Comics #474
The Brave and the Bold #198
Detective Comics #484
Batman Annual #14
Detective Comics #571
The New Titans #61
Batman/Green Arrow: The Poison Tomorrow
Detective Comics #614
Detective Comics #634
Batman Annual #18
The Batman Adventures #33
Shadow of the Bat #13
Batman #493
Legends of the Dark Knight #72
Shadow of the Bat #32
Batman #516
Batman: Black and White #1
Batman #520
Gotham Adventures #15
Night Cries
Batman #541
Poison Ivy
Mr. Freeze
Dark Knight Dynasty
Batman #552
No Man’s Land #0
Detective Comics #476
Batman: Black and White #3
Detective Comics #479
Gotham Knights #5
Batman #575
Detective Comics #787
Legends of the Dark Knight #169
After the Fire #2
Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #1
Detective Comics #827
Batman Adventures (v2) #13
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9
Superman/Batman #68
Batman: Earth One
By the way, the Dark Knight clearly taught this trick to his sidekicks:
Robin (v4) #53
NEXT: Essential Batman comics.