Detective Comics #627 [Newsstand]
(March 1991)

DC, 1937 Series
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Price
2.95 USD; 3.50 CAD
Pages
84
Indicia Frequency
monthly
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics Inc.
Brand
DC [bullet]
Barcode
070992304653 03
Editing
Denny O'Neil; Kelley Puckett (assistant)

Issue Notes

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Norm Breyfogle (painting)
Inks
Norm Breyfogle (painting)
Colors
Norm Breyfogle (painting)
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This issue is bannered "Anniversary Celebrating Batman's 600th Appearance in Detective Comics" even though it is actually the 601st appearance in Detective Comics.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The story isn't long...

Indexer Notes

This article, appearing on the inside front cover, explains the structure of the issue: a reprint of Batman's first appearance, a reprint of the story Julius Schwartz commissioned to commemorate Batman's thirtieth anniversary, and two new stories using the same plot as the others created by the then-current creative teams of Batman and Detective Comics.

The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane
Inks
Bob Kane
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Commissioner James Gordon; Lambert; Steven Crane; Alfred Stryker
Synopsis
The Bat-Man investigates a string of murders connected to a chemical syndicate.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This is not a reprint of this story as originally published. Instead, it is a redrawn (traced), re-lettered, and censored copy which originally appeared in Detective Comics #387. A notable change is that the murder victim on page 2, panel 2 does not have a knife jutting out of his back, as he did in the originally-published version of this story.

The Cry of Night Is-- "Kill!" (Table of Contents: 3)

Batman / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Script
Mike Friedrich
Pencils
Bob Brown
Inks
Joe Giella
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Alfred Pennyworth; Mel Lambert; Steven Crane, Alfred Stryker
Synopsis
Batman and Robin investigate a string of murders connected to a scientific research syndicate.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Story commissioned by Julius Schwartz in celebration of Batman's thirtieth anniversary in 1969 which re-uses the plot of "Case of the Chemical Syndicate" from Detective Comics #27. Credits for script, pencils and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. The original story is 16.67 pages long; this reprint fills in the final 0.33 page with a caption box ("Several significant changes were made, of course...").

The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (Table of Contents: 4)

Batman / comic story / 22 pages (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman
Pencils
Jim Aparo
Inks
Mike DeCarlo
Colors
Adrienne Roy
Letters
John Costanza

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Theodore Lambert, Sr. (death); Detective Dana Hanrahan; Ted Lambert; Fred Stryker; Pesticyde [Priscilla Stryker] (death); Steven Crane (death); Elaine Crane (death); Paul Rogers
Synopsis
Batman investigates a gruesome costumed murderer targeting the partners at a industrial chemical firm.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

New story re-using the plot of "Case of the Chemical Syndicate" from Detective Comics #27. Story is dedicated to "Bob Kane and Bill Finger and all those others who have kept the legend alive."

Girls, Gorillas, and a whole ton of trouble! (Table of Contents: 5)

Angel and the Ape / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Phil Foglio
Inks
Keith Wilson
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; detective-mystery
Characters
Angel O'Day; Sam Simeon; Gorilla Grodd; Dumb Bunny

Indexer Notes

Promotes the forthcoming series, Angel and the Ape (DC, 1991 series). Appears between pages 15 and 16 of the third story sequence.

At last! He's the official Green Lantern of Earth... (Table of Contents: 6)

Green Lantern / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Joe Staton
Inks
Bruce Patterson
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Guy Gardner; G'Nort

Indexer Notes

Promotes Guy Gardner "solo epic" in Green Lantern (DC, 1990 series) #9-12. Appears immediately following the third story sequence and immediately prior to the Flash promo.

Flashback! (Table of Contents: 7)

Flash / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Carmine Infantino
Inks
John Nyberg
Colors
?
Letters
?

Characters
Flash [Barry Allen]; Flash [Jay Garrick]; Kid Flash [Wally West]; Captain Boomerang; Gorilla Grodd; Captain Cold; Trickster; Weather Wizard

Indexer Notes

Promoting The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told (DC, 1991 series) #[nn] with an image very close to the cover art for the hardcover. Appears immediately following the previous sequence and prior to the fourth story sequence.

The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (Table of Contents: 8)

Batman / comic story / 22 pages (report information)

Script
Alan Grant
Pencils
Norm Breyfogle
Inks
Steve Mitchell
Colors
Adrienne Roy
Letters
Todd Klein

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Commissioner James Gordon; Mel Lambert; Mr. Crane (death); Paul Rogers (death); Alfred Stryker (death); CAMEOS (see note): Barbara Gordon; Alfred Pennyworth; Robin [Tim Drake]; Poison Ivy [Pamela Isley]; Killer Moth [Cameron Van Cleer]; The Cavalier [Mortimer Drake]; Doctor Phosphorus [Dr. Alexander Sartorius]; Black Spider [Eric Needham]; Killer Croc [Waylon Jones]; Deadshot [Floyd Lawton]; Crazy Quilt [Paul Dekker]; Clayface [Preston Payne]; Penguin [Oswald Cobblepot]; Catwoman [Selina Kyle]; Mad Hatter [Jervis Tetch]; Ventriloquist [Arnold Dresker; also as Scarface]; Two-Face [Harvey Dent]; The Riddler [Edward Nigma]; Anarky [Lonnie Machlin]; Scarecrow [Jonathan Crane]; The Spook [Val Kaliban]; The Joker; Mr. Freeze [Victor Fries]; Black Mask [Roman Sionis]
Synopsis
Batman investigates a string of murders connected to a chemical company.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

New story re-using the plot of "Case of the Chemical Syndicate" from Detective Comics #27. The final two-page spread of this story shows Batman swinging above images of his friends and foes with the number 600 super-imposed over the Bat-Signal behind him along with two caption boxes concluding the narration from the story.

To wage his war on crime, he'd go to any lengths... (Table of Contents: 9)

Batman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
José Luis García-López (signed)
Inks
José Luis García-López (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman

Indexer Notes

Promotes the Venom storyline, beginning in Legends of the Dark Knight (DC, 1989 series) #16. Appears between pages 6 and 7 of the fourth story sequence.

[advertisements] (Table of Contents: 10)

advertisement / 10 pages (report information)


Indexer Notes

There are a number of advertisements in this issue. The first page of ads contains 20 small ads on a single page prior to page 6 of the first story sequence. Remaining ads promote Capcom's Mega Man 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (between pages 1 and 2 of the second story sequence), Fleer's 1991 series of baseball cards (between pages 13 and 14 of the second story sequence), Capcom's Destiny of the Emperor game for Nintendo (between the second and third story sequences), Upper Deck's 1990-91 series of hockey cards(between pages 9 and 10 of the third story sequence), personalized baseball cards from Cracker Jack (between pages 20 and 21 of the fourth story sequence), Buck Rogers XXVc Role-Playing Game and Countdown to Doomsday computer game from TSR (following the fourth story sequence), Great Eastern Conventions comic book convention in February 1991 (following the TSR ad), the Ultimate Game Club phone tipline (top half of last page in issue), the National Baseball Club Hotline (bottom half of final page), and Akklaim's Arch-Rivals: A Basketbrawl, a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (on the back cover).

3 Musketeers Adventure! No. 2 in a Series (Table of Contents: 11)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

Synopsis
A salvage crew attempting to rescue a sunken nuclear sub at the Marianas Trench discovers a giant 3 Musketeers candy bar instead.

Indexer Notes

This ad for the 3 Musketeers candy bar is in comic form.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman
  2. 1. ["The story isn't long..."]
  3. 2. The Case of the Chemical Syndicate
    Batman
  4. 3. The Cry of Night Is-- "Kill!"
    Batman
  5. 4. The Case of the Chemical Syndicate
    Batman
  6. 5. Girls, Gorillas, and a whole ton of trouble!
    Angel and the Ape
  7. 6. At last! He's the official Green Lantern of Earth...
    Green Lantern
  8. 7. Flashback!
    Flash
  9. 8. The Case of the Chemical Syndicate
    Batman
  10. 9. To wage his war on crime, he'd go to any lengths...
    Batman
  11. 10. [advertisements]
  12. 11. 3 Musketeers Adventure! No. 2 in a Series
This issue was modified by
  • Katie
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Mike Nielsen