Simply the Best: Batman #194

Every long-lived comic book hero occasionally needs a "tune-up", and Batman was no exception. Following bizarre and ill-advised attempts to adapt Batman to the wacky sci-fi environment of the late 50's and early 60's, DC Comics finally realized they'd run too far afield of the character's core concepts. Their response was assigning editor Julius Schwartz to helm the "New Look" Batman, who made his debut in Detective Comics #327 (1964).

Instead of the dated, cartoony look of the Bob Kane/Dick Sprang era, designer and illustrator Carmine Infantino introduced a clean, streamlined look much more suited to the times. The stories, while still a bit on the goofy side, brought Batman and Robin back to a more recognizable environment.

The souped-up interiors naturally inspired a number of exciting experimental covers, once again the responsibilty of Carmine Infantino (DC's premiere cover artist of the 1960's). One of my favorite Batman covers of this era is Batman #194 (1967), for obvious reasons:

On crowded newstands, the last thing a comic book publisher wanted to do was to alter a title's logo beyond recognition (as it is here), but my guess is that the popularity of the Batman TV series allowed for a bit more visual experimentation on DC's part. After all, with Batman so popular and so recognized by the general public, his image on the top of this cover design was as recognizeable (perhaps moreso) than the standard logo itself.

Sure, Hulk rip-off Blockbuster didn't enjoy the same sort of marquee villain status as the Joker or Two-Face, but with that vengeful Batman pose, crumbling stone logo and blazing red background, he didn't have to. This was simply a "Must Read Comic" to anyone who saw this cover...always the first and most important criteria for comics' greatest covers.