Back when I was about 8 I used to walk across the local park and visit the local newsagent.
I used to buy sweets of course with my 5 pence but one day I looked down and noticed the comics in front of the sweets stand. I was familiar with Batman, I loved the show with Adam West (no relation) and my eyes were drawn to a comic all about Batman himself.
I'd grown up with Dandy but that had always been delivered so I hadn't really been aware of superhero comics.
I left the sweets behind and ran home with this..
I read it and was hooked and this is how I've seen Batman ever since.
They say your favourite Dr Who is usually the one you see first, for me this is
the Batman costume.
The cover and story have stuck in my mind ever since.
My Mum gave my box of comics away to a cousin (without checking with me first) and so I lost this many many years ago.
I always promised myself that if I ever came across it then I would buy it, and also those of the other comics that I remember (not Batman as I tended to just buy what was on offer and it was never sequential).
Last week I spotted this cover on a Facebook posting from
LuckyTargetcComics.com and followed up on it.
It's now mine again.
As I turn the pages I remember, very accurately, the story and images. Frank Robbins told a tale that stuck with me for more years that I care to count and artists Irv Novick and Dick Giordano captured a look that defines, for me, Batman.
I'm gong to sit down now and devour this cover to cover.
I think I'll probably enjoy it as much now as the 8 year old me did all those years ago.
