About_Faces!

Huge news! IDW and the Library of American Comics have announced the third and final collection of the Batman Silver Age newspaper comic strips, featuring the ONLY Silver Age appearance of Two-Face as he leads an all-star roster of rogues!

I especially love how this Harvey is always smiling and friendly-looking on his scarred side. In retrospect, it’s such an obvious design choice that it’s bizarre that no one else has really tried depicting him that way before or since!

This volume will be released on November 18th, and will feature a cover price of $49.99! Start saving now, folks! I know I will!

After her first two appearances in comics, Ivy debuted in the Batman newspaper comic strip that very same year alongside her henchgirls, the Ivy League Dropouts!

From Batman: The Silver Age Newspaper Comics Volume 1, written by Whitney Ellsworth, art by either Joe Giella or Sheldon Moldoff.

The origin of Paul Sloane, the second Two-Face, originally published in Batman #68 (1951). This is the revised version from Batman Annual #3 (1962), which changed the nature of his scarring to a random accident rather than the original version, where he was scarred by acid planted on the film set by a jealous prop man.

Written by Bill Finger, art by Lew Sayre Schwartz and Charles Paris.

The origin of the second Two-Face from Batman #68 (1951) and the revised version from Batman Annual #3 (1962), which changed the cause of his scarring from a malicious act to a random accident. Which do you think makes for a better origin for Two-Face II? Judge for yourself when I post the full 1962 version later today!

As for why they changed the origin eleven years later, the prevailing theory is that the Comics Code--which had come into effect by the Silver Age--wouldn't have allowed acid scarring, but apparently getting your face blown up was A-OK. I also strongly suspect that the sex angle didn't help, what with the implication that Joe's girlfriend may have been having an affair with Sloane.

The second half (read Part 1 here) of the 30th anniversary retelling of the very first Batman story, “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” Published in Detective Comics #387 (1969). Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Joe Giella. Cover art by Irv Novick.

In 1969, Detective Comics honored the Caped Crusader's 30th anniversary by retelling and updating (in some hilariously dated ways) the very first Batman story, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate." Written by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Joe Giella. Cover art by Irv Novick. Part 1 of 2. 

When this story was reprinted for the 50th anniversary in 1989, it included the following editorial annotation: "Several significant changes were made, of course, to turn this into a sixties-style Batman 'Case of the Chemical Syndicate' was only six pages long, and was a far simpler tale. Not only were many of the character conflicts of the remake absent, but Batman's relationship with the police was far less cozy. And Robin had not yet been introduced in the original version either."

While Black Mask wasn't introduced until the 1985, the original character concept and his False Face Society first appeared twenty-three years earlier in 1962, with the unnamed Black Mask prototype revealed to be the Joker in disguise.

From Batman #152 (1962), written by Batman's co-creator Bill Finger, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, and inks by Charles Paris.

"Space chum." "Backward of me, wasn't it?" Summoning a polar bear with the power of super-suction. I fucking love the Silver Age Superman newspaper comic strip.

(Despite the signature, this was drawn by Frank Springer and Sid Greene.)