I'm back again with the second installment of my take on the Top 10 wacky, strange, and weird Batman covers.  Cover Story will be an ongoing blog focusing on the best, greatest and strangest comic cover art.  One of the main reasons I enjoy comics so much is the cover art.  Cover art is impactful and can make an issue a key.  So, let's look at #5-7 weirdest Batman covers.  

With that intro, let's dive in!  If you missed it, be sure to check out Part 1 for #8-10.  

#7: First Appearance of the...Bat Tank!!   (Detective 236)

You've got to love the Bat Tank!!  Zack Snyder even rolled out the Bat Tank in the 2021 Justice League trailer--so he likes it.  It showed up in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  So it's been around on the scene for a while.  

Batman has used the Bat Tank at times to quell riots in Gotham, and for smashing villain's vehicles to pancakes (Okay, I made up that last one up, but I like the idea).  

On this cover, the Bat Tank makes it's first appearance on the cover of this issue!  What's there not to like about the Bat Tank?  But there are questions.

But what about all that smoke?  Obviously, Batman is going to need to get that emission system looked at and soon.  Then there's that ginormous loudspeaker.  What's the range on that puppy?  And what do the neighbors think when at 2am that loudspeaker is broadcasting very loudly: "Calling Batman--Emergency."  That might get just a tad annoying over time.  The noise pollution!!  Call the EPA!  Bring back the Bat Signal!

The Bat-Tank issue has a recent sale for a 7.0 graded copy of $660 and a healthy +118% trend.   

#6: Batman?  No, it's Bat-Baby?? (Batman 147)

There's Ace the Bat Hound, no Bat Cat (though I do think it has possibilities), and no Bat Teenager, but there is a Bat-Baby!!  

This cover depicts Batman's transformation into a...husky four-year-old!  His cape is as big as he is!  What a snappy costume!  He's using a kite string to go after some bad guys!  He swings down toward a scientist/lab tech guy who looks like he is trying to adjust his glasses because he can't believe what he is seeing.  But he is seeing what he is seeing and we are seeing it too, front and center on this cover by Sheldon Moldoff from 1962.

 How did the scientist use that machine to turn Batman into a baby?  Why does Bat-Baby's face look a lot like the face of the Batman Creature on the cover of Batman #162?  (Check it out!).  And why, why, why did this seem like a good plot idea?

No established FMV on this issue, but a recent sale of a graded 8.5 went for $165 with a -11% trend.  There's not much love for Bat-Baby right now.   

#5: Ace the Bat-Hound cracks the case! (Batman #97)

It's one closely guarded secret.  The true identities of Batman and Robin.  The fact is that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson have never been found out by the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin, Professor Pyg, or Calendar Man.  None of them could figure who Batman or Robin was.  The problem?  They just needed Ace to figure it out for them by seeing a picture, biting the picture, and then showing it around while holding it in his mouth.  

Ace the Bat-Hound first appeared in Batman #92.   On that cover, Ace had a totally black mask.  On this cover, Ace has been upgraded to a blue/black mask.  Probably to help better conceal his true identity.  

The Ace on the case issue has a FMV of $3300 in a 9.2. One sold in September of 2020 for $3480. Not bad!

Don't miss Cover Story: Top 10 Weird Batman Covers--Part 3!  Coming soon!

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