Issue cover. Verify the exact issue, printing, and cover before buying.
DC · Golden Age · 1943
Batman #16
DC · 1943
Noted for: Alfred Pennyworth
KEY ISSUEShop this issue
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Before you buy
Verify the issue and printing, check the grader certification, review restoration notes, and compare recent sold examples in the same grade.
The Batman #16 in context
Why collectors care
The first appearance of Alfred Pennyworth, cover-dated April-May 1943, by writer Don Cameron and artist Bob Kane. Alfred became the emotional center of the Batman mythos and one of the most adapted supporting characters in comics.
How to identify it
Batman #16, April-May 1943. In his debut Alfred discovers the Batcave by accident during a fight with a burglar -- he is not yet the long-serving butler of later continuity, and his original appearance differs notably from the familiar version.
Common mistakes
Buyers expecting the thin, moustached Alfred of later stories. His original design was quite different, which sometimes causes doubt about whether a copy is the right issue.
Grade considerations
A wartime Golden Age book with brittle paper and a small high-grade population. Restoration status and page quality drive value.
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