| Colorist | Marshall Rogers, Adrienne Roy |
| Cover Artist | Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez |
| Editor | Roy Thomas, Robert Greenberger, Mike W. Barr |
| Executive Editor | Dick Giordano |
| Inker | Terry Austin, Dick Giordano |
| Letterer | Carrie Spiegle, Duncan Andrews |
| Penciler | Marshall Rogers, Dick Giordano |
| Writer | Roy Thomas, Mike W. Barr |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Published in | New York, New York |
| Pages | 48 |
| Characters | Batman (Bruce Wayne)(Earth-Two) (Origin), Halo (Gabrielle Doe)(New Earth) (Origin), Supporting Characters:, The Outsiders (Flashback) |
| Story Location | New Jersey; Gotham City, New York; New York City, Missouri;Arlington, Markovia (Flashback only) |
| Links | https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Secret_Origins_Vol_2_6 |
| Notes | Non barcode variant: "How will the Dark Knight end?" instead.
Notes:
"The Golden Age Batman" was reprinted in Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, Volume 2 and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight - Marshall Rogers.
This issue begins the two origin-story format that would remain somewhat consistent throughout the run of this series, with some exceptions here and there.
The "Golden Age Batman" references several important stories in early Batman history. This is an attempt by writer Roy Thomas to reconcile stories by several different creators into a cohesive history. In the letters column, Roy Thomas writes a lengthy explanation of the things he was trying to accomplish and the source material he used.
The murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne is a retelling of Batman's origin in Detective Comics #33. This retelling also uses Batman #47 and Detective Comics #190 as inspiration.
Bruce Wayne's legal guardian is a man called "Uncle Philip." This character had only appeared in Earth-One continuity prior to this story.[1][2] Who's Who confirms that the Earth-Two version of "Uncle Philip" is named Philip Wayne.[3]
The "Slugsy" arrest retells events previously seen in Detective Comics #265, an obscure story that details Batman's first caper.
The Apex Chemical murders are a retelling of Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics #27, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate." The original story shows that Gordon and the crooks have already heard of Batman, so Batman must be an established figure by this time.
Julie Madison was introduced having already been Bruce Wayne's fiancee in Detective Comics #31. In Detective Comics #40 she is shown to become an actress. Roy Thomas needed to flesh out their relationship and explain their engagement. He used this relationship as a tool to explain why Bruce Wayne would develop a costume instead of fighting crime through the legal system. Roy Thomas considers the romance between Bruce and Julie to be his greatest creative contribution to this story.
This story retcons the oath that Bruce Wayne swears in honor of his parents. The original version of the story contained no reference to a deity, but this version has Bruce asking God to help him keep his promise.
"The Golden Age Batman" was intended to be the definite version of the origin of the Batman of the recently-destroyed Earth-Two. |
