1966 Topps Batman Black Bat isn’t just the first sets of Batman trading cards, but it remains one of the most iconic. Taking the vibe of the 1966 television series and giving it a pulp art twist, it’s colorful, high quality and a little bit weird (something that would get more noticeable in future installments).
1966 Topps Batman Black Bat Checklist Details
A total of 55 cards make up the set. Each has a painted image by Norman Sauders, a master of pulp artwork who worked on many 1960s Topps trading card sets including Mars Attacks, Wacky Packages, Ugly Stickers and Civil War News. Bob Powell also worked on the set, providing the penciling.
Rather than the comics, cards draw from the designs and characters found on the 1966 television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The 1966 Topps Batman Black Bat checklist is structured as such that it tells several simple stories, each revolving around a different villain. Following a couple of cards introducing the two lead heroes, the story of the set shapes up as follows:
- #3-13 – Batman vs. The Joker
- #14-24 – Batman vs. The Penguin
- #25-35 – Batman vs. The Catwoman
- #36-46 – Batman vs. The Riddler
The final nine cards highlight some additional villains and dangers Batman and Robin face, although each acts as a standalone card.
Why It’s Called Batman Black Bat
1966 Topps Batman Black Bat gets its name for the color of the icon on the front of the card where the caption is. Blue Bat and Red Bat followed shortly after. Each is different with their own images and story, although the general layout is the same.
Fronts have a white border to go with the action-packed paintings. Besides the over-the-top situations, some of the pieces further capture the spirit of the campy TV show with overt action sounds like “POW!” and “BOOM!” to add some further emphasis. The namesake black bat sits in the bottom corner with the card’s caption.
Backs are orange with an illustration of Batman running on the right. Write-ups generally tell one piece of the longer story. The final section of the set stands on its own. To help guide collectors, the longer story cards have additional numbering to show where they are within that subset.
The Enduring Popularity of 1966 Topps Batman Black Bat Trading Cards
The most valuable card in the set is the first one. While this is fairly normal for most vintage sets, the reasoning here is a little different. Yes, there’s the usual wear and tear that comes with most #1 cards as they’re often the ones to sit atop stacks bound together by rubber bands, bearing the brunt of the damage caused by handling. But for the 1966 Topps Batman Black Bat #1 The Batman, it’s more important for being the first mainstream trading card of the super hero, period. Think of it like a Batman rookie card.
As the popularity of the set has grown, so too has the price on this particular card. Values can vary greatly depending on the condition, but even copies in fairly rough shape can go for $50 or more. Top-condition cards that have been professionally graded have sold for thousands of dollars.
Card #1 isn’t the only one to get a premium. Introductory cards of Robin (#2) and the four featured villains also sell for more than other cards in the set.
A sign of the Bat-mania that was sweeping North America at the time, 1966 Topps Batman Black Bat is one of five total sets Topps did with the super hero that year alone. It’s one of three to take the pulp art approach. The other two, Bat Laffs and Riddler Back, focus on the characters’ live action counterparts.
1966 Topps Batman Black Bat Checklist
Click on the links to shop for cards on eBay or to check current market values.
Set size: 55 cards
Cards per pack: 5-Cent – 5
Packs per box: 5-Cent – 24
Shop for 1966 Topps Batman Black Bat boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
55 cards.
Buy on eBay:
1 The Batman
2 Robin – Boy Wonder
3 The Bat Signal
4 Midnight Conference
5 Roof Top Vigil
6 Chloroform Victim
7 Grim Realization
8 Into the Batmobile
9 Face of the Joker
10 Crime Czar
11 Poison Pellet
12 Batman Strikes
13 The Joker In Jail
14 Nightly Patrol
15 Batman In Action
16 The Penguin’s Trap
17 Spikes of Death
18 Robin In Action
19 Fiery Encounter
20 Robin to the Rescue
21 Narrow Escape
22 Double-Cross
23 Umbrella Duel
24 Penguin Captured
25 The Cat Woman
26 Queen of Crime
27 Sinister Smile
28 Let’s Go
29 Robin Is Kidnapped
30 Fighting Back
31 Threat of the Cat Woman
32 Bat-a-Rang Bulls-Eye
33 The Enemies Clash
34 Deadly Claws
35 Cat Woman Defeated
36 The Riddler
37 A Trap for Batman
38 Robin Rescued
39 To the Batcave
40 Following the Clue
41 Time for a Rescue
42 Robin In Peril
43 The Bat-Gasmask
44 Flying Fists
45 Trap for the Riddler
46 The Batarang
47 Deadly Robot
48 Monstrous Illusion
49 Decoy
50 Beastly Encounter
51 Flaming Welcome
52 Winged Giant
53 Race Against Death
54 Whirlpool
55 Hidden Loot
