DC Collectible Comics (DC3) has launched a second Golden Age comic for limited digital ownership at ntf.dcuniverse.com. This week, the NFT is Detective Comics #38, which is significant for being Robin’s first appearance.
Detective Comics #38 came out in March 1940, and a copy, depending on how good it is, can cost anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000. (a facsimile edition published in 2020 is already doubling its cover price). When you buy an NFT share of this digital asset, you will own a unique piece of this very rare comic.
Batman made his initial appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Not even a year into the Dark Knight’s stories, the people who made them could tell that something was missing. Bill Finger imagined Batman/Bruce Wayne as a mix of the swashbuckler actor Douglas Fairbanks and Sherlock Holmes. He also knew that his Holmes needed a Watson to help him say what he was thinking.
Co-creator Bob Kane intended to add a youngster as a companion to increase the title’s relatability, and it was series inker/letterer Jerry Robinson who provided the name and appearance of the character, based on N.C. Wyeth’s illustrations of Robin Hood.
Dick Grayson bursts through a large paper drum associated with circus performers as the headline reads, “The sensational character find of 1940: Robin the Boy Wonder” on the cover of Detective Comics #38. The comic book industry is not known for downplaying events, and Detective Comics #38 doesn’t disappoint. Bill Finger gave Robin a terrible origin tale rivaling Batman’s, leaving him an orphan before Bruce Wayne adopts him and instructs him to combat crime and seek justice for the deaths of his parents.
The quick popularity of Robin’s arrival contributed to the avalanche of sales that led to the release of a separate Batman comic barely one month later. It also established a tradition of young sidekicks and superheroes that became iconic with the Golden Age. Over the years, the concept of a young, energetic, and naive sidekick has fallen out of favor, but while the figure playing the position has changed, Robin’s role as Batman’s sidekick has lasted because, as Bill Finger and Bob Kane recognized, his presence strengthened Bruce Wayne’s character.
It’s always fascinating to learn about the origins of characters who have persisted for so long, especially in this case, when they are interwoven with other tales like as The Crimson Avenger and Speed Saunders to provide historical context. Digital comics are becoming more prevalent, and the DC3 NFT Golden Age editions provide a link between the digital age and the historically significant original physical object.
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