Detective Comics #500 [Direct]
(March 1981)

DC, 1937 Series
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Volume
45
Price
1.50 USD
Pages
84
Indicia Frequency
monthly
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics, Inc.
Brand
DC [bullet]
Editing
Joe Orlando (managing editor); Paul Levitz (editor)
Color
Color
Dimensions
Standard Golden Age US; Standard Silver Age US; Standard Modern Age US
Paper Stock
Newsprint; Glossy
Binding
Saddle-stitched; Squarebound
Publishing Format
Was Ongoing Series

Issue Notes

This issue has variants.

Lots of former Detective characters in the back-up Slam Bradley strip.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman / cover / 2 pages (report information)

Pencils
Dick Giordano (signed); Joe Kubert (signed); Carmine Infantino (signed); Walt Simonson (signed); Tom Yeates (signed); José Luis García-López (signed)
Inks
Dick Giordano (signed); Joe Kubert (signed); Bob Smith (signed); Walt Simonson (signed); Tom Yeates (signed); José Luis García-López (signed)
Colors
Jack Adler; Anthony Tollin
Letters
Gaspar Saladino
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Elongated Man [Ralph Dibny]; Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Hawkwoman [Shayera]; Deadman [Boston Brand]; Slam Bradley; Commissioner James Gordon; Pow-Wow Smith; Roy Raymond; Captain Compass; Human Target [Christopher Chance]; Jason Bard
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Wraparound cover. Colors credit confirmed by Anthony Tollin. Montage of covers of past issues of Detective Comics by Bob LeRose (signed, also noted in "The Guest List" inside back cover).

Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #500 [Direct] Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (1937 series) #500 [Newsstand]
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Detective Comics (Table of Contents: 1)

Batman / table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jim Aparo (signed)
Inks
Jim Aparo (signed)
Colors
Anthony Tollin; Adrienne Roy? (see notes)
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]

Indexer Notes

Contents page with illustration on inside front cover. Colorist added per comments by Anthony Tollin on Facebook on June 26, 2019: "I'm pretty certain that I colored this page. If not, [my] late wife Adrienne Roy colored it, but I'm pretty certain it was colored by yours truly (who also co-colored the cover with my late boss and mentor, Jack Adler)."

To Kill a Legend (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman / comic story / 19 pages (report information)

Script
Alan Brennert
Pencils
Dick Giordano
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
Adrienne Roy
Letters
John Costanza
Job Number
J-6870
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Phantom Stranger; Lieutenant James Gordon; Martha Wayne (flashback); Thomas Wayne (flashback)
Reprints

The "Too Many Cooks..." Caper! (Table of Contents: 3)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Len Wein
Pencils
Jim Aparo
Inks
Jim Aparo
Colors
Tatjana Wood
Letters
Jim Aparo
Job Number
J-7087
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Slam Bradley; Roy Raymond; Human Target [Christopher Chance]; Jason Bard; Mysto the Magician Detective; Captain Compass; Pow-Wow Smith

Indexer Notes

With lots of cameos and guest-stars in this anniversary issue.

Once Upon a Time... (Table of Contents: 4)

Batman / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Len Wein; Charles M. Schulz [as Snoopy]
Pencils
Walt Simonson
Inks
Walt Simonson
Colors
?
Letters
?
Job Number
J-7176
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Text is from a number of Peanuts strips published in 1970.

The Final Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe! (Table of Contents: 5)

The Elongated Man / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Mike W. Barr
Pencils
José Luis García-López
Inks
José Luis García-López
Colors
Tatjana Wood
Letters
John Costanza
Job Number
J-6992
Genre
superhero
Characters
Elongated Man [Ralph Dibny]; Sue Dibny
Reprints

The Batman Encounters - Gray Face (Table of Contents: 6)

Batman / text story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Walter Gibson
Pencils
Tom Yeates
Inks
Tom Yeates
Colors
?
Letters
?
Job Number
J-7170
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Commissioner James Gordon; Gray Face

Indexer Notes

Text story with small illustrations.

The Strange Death of Doctor Erdel (Table of Contents: 7)

Hawkman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Paul Levitz
Pencils
Joe Kubert
Inks
Joe Kubert
Colors
Tatjana Wood
Letters
Adam Kubert
Editing
Len Wein (guest editor)
Job Number
J-7060
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Hawkgirl [Shayera Hol]; Martian Manhunter (cameo, origin)
Synopsis
The Hawks solve The Strange Death of Dr. Erdel.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Title taken from contents page. Also listed in last panel of story.

What Happens When a Batman Dies? (Table of Contents: 8)

Batman; Deadman / comic story / 22 pages (report information)

Script
Cary Bates
Pencils
Carmine Infantino
Inks
Bob Smith
Colors
Adrienne Roy
Letters
John Costanza
Job Number
J-6876
Genre
superhero
Characters
Deadman [Boston Brand]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon
Reprints

The Guest List (Table of Contents: 9)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Paul Levitz
Pencils
Dick Giordano; Joe Kubert; Carmine Infantino; Walt Simonson; Tom Yeates; José Luis García-López
Inks
Dick Giordano; Joe Kubert; Bob Smith; Walt Simonson; Tom Yeates; José Luis García-López
Colors
?
Letters
?

Indexer Notes

Reproduction of cover in various states of completion, plus text about the characters. On inside back cover.

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman
  2. 1. Detective Comics
    Batman
  3. 2. To Kill a Legend
    Batman
  4. 3. The "Too Many Cooks..." Caper!
    Slam Bradley
  5. 4. Once Upon a Time...
    Batman
  6. 5. The Final Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe!
    The Elongated Man
  7. 6. The Batman Encounters - Gray Face
    Batman
  8. 7. The Strange Death of Doctor Erdel
    Hawkman
  9. 8. What Happens When a Batman Dies?
    Batman; Deadman
  10. 9. The Guest List
This issue was most recently modified by:
  • Dave Marchand
  • Derek Reinhard
  • Lars Brueder
  • Mark Q
  • Nick Caputo
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Jim Van Dore
  • Denys Howard
  • James Zieff
  • Lou Mazzella
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Peter Croome
  • Win Bent
  • Jim Stangas
  • John Monagle
Issues in this series have been indexed by:
  • Bill Wormstedt
  • Bob Klein
  • Mike Tiefenbacher
  • Jerry Bails (R.I.P.)
  • Carl Gafford
  • John Greb
  • Kelly Langston-Smith
  • Jeremy Heier
  • Chris Launder
  • Terry Vraspir
  • Craig Delich
  • Mike Bowen
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Dwayne Best
  • Bob Hughes
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Mark Gordon
  • Max Capp
  • Ed Boner
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