THE BATMAN ROOFTOP COVER HOMAGE TOUR

Back in 1966, right when Batman fever was exploding thanks to the TV show, DC put out a series of six promotional pin-ups. The rooftop shot of Batman and Robin, penciled by the legendary Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson, is hands-down one of the most iconic images of the Dynamic Duo ever.

They featured the cool new chest emblem he’d just started wearing in the comics a couple of years earlier (the one created basically for trademark reasons), and they tilted the whole scene at that dynamic slanted angle that everybody fell in love with on the TV series. There they are, like the ultimate protectors of Gotham, ready to take on anything the night throws at them.

This image went everywhere.  It popped up on record covers, book covers, and yeah… even a 1973 puzzle-in-a-can that your Tour Director spent way too many childhood afternoons hunched over on the kitchen table trying to finish again and again!

And because it’s such a classic, comic artists have been paying homage to it on covers for decades. That’s exactly what we’re gonna geek out over on this tour... checking out all those awesome tribute covers and seeing how creators have riffed on this perfect Batman & Robin moment.

This tour will be presented in no particular order.


1) 
Robin / Spoiler Special #1 (August 2008)
DC Comics
Cover Artists:  Rafael Albuquerque and Cris Peter

2) 
Action Comics Weekly #618 (September 1988)
DC Comics
Cover Artist: John Bogdanove

3)
Captain Action Comics #1 (October 2008 - variant)
Moonstone Books
Cover Artist: Marat Mychaels (unconfirmed)

4)
Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo (January 2023)
DC Comics (Black Label)
Cover Artists: John McCrea and Mike Spicer

5)
Detective Comics: Futures End #1 (November 2014)
DC Comics
Cover Artists:  Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson

6)
Robin / Argent: Double-Shot #1 (February 1998)
DC Comics
Cover Artists:  Greg Land and Jose Marzan Jr.

7)
Wizard: The Comics Magazine #168 (October 2005)
Wizard Press
Cover Artists:  Jim Lee and Scott Williams

8) 
Captain Atom #33 (September 1989)
DC Comics
Cover Artist: Pat Broderick

9)
Judge Dredd #16 (February 2014)
IDW Publishing
Cover Artist:  Brendon McCarthy

10)
Batman and Robin Adventures #18 (July 1996)
DC Comics
Cover Artists: Rick Burchett

11)
Manhunter (vol. 3) #12 (September 2005)
DC Comics
Cover Artists: Jesus Saiz and Jose Villarrubia

12) 
Simpsons Comics #31 (June 1997)
Bongo Comics Group
Cover Artists: Bill Morrison and Nathan Kane

13)
Supergirl (vol. 5) #6 (April 2006)
DC Comics
Cover Artists: Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund, and Aspen Studios

Because this iconic Infantino rooftop pose has inspired so many... from pro cover artists to passionate fans... we’re closing out this leg of the tour with two special non-cover pieces that I just couldn’t resist including.

First up is a gorgeous commission by the legendary John Byrne featuring the Earth-Two Batman and Robin. As your Tour Director, I’m a sucker for any Earth-Two Robin content, and this one just feels right at home in the lineup.

The second fan piece is this fantastic commission that reimagines the famous pose in the style of the first Batman movie serial (1943), starring Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. It’s a loving nod to the very earliest live-action Batman adventures.

There you have it, true believers... a full tour through the many wonderful homages to Carmine Infantino’s classic 1966 Batman & Robin rooftop pin-up, complete with a couple of extra fan-commission “treats” I just couldn’t leave out.

Did I miss any favorites? Absolutely possible, drop your suggestions in the comments! I’m always happy to update the tour or save them for the next edition.
|I hope you enjoyed this Bat-mania stroll as much as I did. The Dynamic Duo’s capes are still billowing strongly after all these decades, and that’s the real magic.

Stick around, Gothamites… there are plenty more trips through the pages of comic book history coming your way soon.

Until next time — keep it dynamic!

Batman and all related characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.