The
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
character
Ace the Bat-Hound was the canine crime-fighting partner of
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
and
RobinRobin is the name of fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped...
in
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
of the 1950s and 1960s. Ace debuted in
Batman #92 (cover-dated July 1955). Ace's creation was inspired by the success of
KryptoKrypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics...
's debut in
Adventure ComicsAdventure Comics is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983. It ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman and Batman...
#210 (July 1955), and by
German Shepherd DogThe German Shepherd Dog , is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog, whose origins date to 1899. As part of the Herding group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep...
s from detective films and serials, such as
Rin Tin TinRin Tin Tin was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio, and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin Tin (often billed as Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1920s and 1930s) was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in...
and
Ace the Wonder DogAce the Wonder Dog was a German Shepherd that acted in several films and film serials from 1938 to 1946. His first appearance was in the 1938 Lew Landers film...
. He was created by writer
Bill FingerWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the...
and artist
Sheldon MoldoffSheldon "Shelly" Moldoff is an American comic book artist best known for co-creating such DC Comics characters as Hawkgirl and Poison Ivy, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman...
.
Ace was a
German Shepherd DogThe German Shepherd Dog , is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog, whose origins date to 1899. As part of the Herding group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep...
originally owned by an engraver named John Wilker.
The
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
character
Ace the Bat-Hound was the canine crime-fighting partner of
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
and
RobinRobin is the name of fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped...
in
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
of the 1950s and 1960s. Ace debuted in
Batman #92 (cover-dated July 1955). Ace's creation was inspired by the success of
KryptoKrypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics...
's debut in
Adventure ComicsAdventure Comics is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983. It ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman and Batman...
#210 (July 1955), and by
German Shepherd DogThe German Shepherd Dog , is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog, whose origins date to 1899. As part of the Herding group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep...
s from detective films and serials, such as
Rin Tin TinRin Tin Tin was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio, and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin Tin (often billed as Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1920s and 1930s) was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in...
and
Ace the Wonder DogAce the Wonder Dog was a German Shepherd that acted in several films and film serials from 1938 to 1946. His first appearance was in the 1938 Lew Landers film...
. He was created by writer
Bill FingerWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the...
and artist
Sheldon MoldoffSheldon "Shelly" Moldoff is an American comic book artist best known for co-creating such DC Comics characters as Hawkgirl and Poison Ivy, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on the superhero Batman...
.
Pre-CrisisCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity...
Ace was a
German Shepherd DogThe German Shepherd Dog , is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog, whose origins date to 1899. As part of the Herding group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep...
originally owned by an engraver named John Wilker. He was found by
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
and
RobinRobin may refer to:*Robin , a common given name.-Birds:* members of the genus Erithacus, which includes the original robin of Britain and Europe: the European Robin...
after his master was kidnapped by a gang of counterfeiters. Batman used Ace to try to locate Wilker. Because he had already placed a large number of "lost dog" announcements for Ace in his civilian identity of Bruce Wayne, he was concerned that anyone recognizing Ace (who had a prominent star-shaped marking on his forehead) might make the connection between Bruce Wayne and Batman. To forestall that problem, he hastily improvised a hood-like mask for the dog that incorporated the bat emblem as a
dog tagA dog tag, pet ID tag, or pet tag is a small flat tag worn on pets' collars or harnesses.Humane societies and rescue organizations recommend that dogs and cats wear these tags, which contain information to enable someone encountering a stray animal to contact the owner.Some people object to pet id...
dangling from Ace's collar. Ace was subsequently christened "The Bat-Hound" by a criminal he helped Batman to apprehend.
Wilker later took a new job that made it difficult for him to take care of Ace, so he left the dog to Bruce Wayne. Wilker was never aware that Ace was the Bat-Hound or that Bruce Wayne was Batman.
Ace disappeared from the
Batman comics after
Julius SchwartzJulius "Julie" Schwartz was a Jewish comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
took over as editor in 1964, and made only very occasional comic book appearances in the years afterward.
Post-Crisis
A modern-day version of Ace was reintroduced in
Batman #462 (June 1991), although he has been rarely seen in recent years. This version was originally a
guide dogGuide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or vision impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs. The human half of the guide dog team does the directing,...
belonging to a blind
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
named Black Wolf, who called him "Dog". The dog assisted Batman in fighting criminals from Black Wolf's tribe. Following Black Wolf's death, Batman adopted the dog, naming him Ace.
He didn't wear a mask, nor was he referred to as Bat-Hound, and has the appearance of a
beagleThe Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
-
pugThe Pug is a small breed of dog with a wrinkly, short muzzled face, and curled tail. The word "pug" may have come from the Old English pugg or "puge", which were affectionate terms for a playful little devil or monkey. Pug puppies are often called puglets...
crossbreed (which exists in the real world as a
puggleA puggle is a dog hybrid, resulting from the mating of a female beagle with a male pug. Puggles are crossbreeds.-History:Puggles originated in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, where dog breeder Wallace Havens experimented with various crossbreeds in the 1980s...
) with a bat-shaped dark patch on his flank. The dog at times helped Batman on cases and is depicted to be very affectionate towards his owner and vice versa, but disappeared after the events of the
No Man's Land storyline in the late 1990s.
A traditional Ace was seen in
Final CrisisFinal Crisis is a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2008 and written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and Doug Mahnke later provided art for the series...
: Superman Beyond. He is in limbo with other forgotten characters.
Other versions of Ace the Bat-Hound
In
Mark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.- Birth and early career :Waid was...
and
Alex RossNelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson...
'
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Alex Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
miniseries, Ace is portrayed as the giant winged steed of the
Fourth World The Fourth World is the popular name given to a metaseries of interconnecting comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. Originally intended to form a finite epic story, the books were canceled for unknown reasons...
Batwoman. Ace is also mentioned in
Howard ChaykinHoward Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
's Batman/Houdini crossover. During a seance attended by Bruce Wayne and mystic debunker
Harry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer...
, Ace was referred to as Bruce Wayne's childhood pet. In the
FrankensteinFrankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, generally known simply as Frankenstein, is a novel written by Mary Shelley. Shelley started writing when she was 18 and the novel was published when she was 21. The first edition was published anonymously in London in . Shelley's name appears on the second...
pastiche
Castle of the BatBatman Castle of the Bat is a DC Comics Elseworlds special published in 1994. Written by Jack C. Harris with art by Bo Hampton as the artist and Tracy Hampton-Munsey as the letterer.In 1819 a troubled Bruce Wayne revives his father from the dead...
, Dr Bruce Wayne tests his theories by creating a literal Bat-Hound: a dog with some of the attributes of a bat.
Pre-Crisis,
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
's Batman-like identity of
NightwingNightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
included a
KandorKandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac...
ian counterpart to the Bat-Hound, a telepathic dog named "Nighthound".
Television
- In the late 1990s animated series Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond, also known as Batman of the Future, is an American animated television series created by The WB Television Network in collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation as a continuation of the Batman legacy. It began airing on January 10, 1999, and ended its run on December18,...
, an aged Bruce Wayne had a pet/guard dog named Ace (vocal effects done by Frank WelkerFranklin W. "Frank" Welker is a veteran American actor, who specializes in voice acting. He is responsible for a broad spectrum of character voices and other vocal effects that have appeared over the last 40 years in American television and motion pictures.Welker is listed as number one on the...
), a Great DaneGreat Dane, Apollo, Danish Gallant, Deutsche Dogge, Boarhound, Grand Danois or German Mastiff is a breed of domestic dog known for its giant size. The breed is commonly referred to as the "Apollo of all breeds." The Great Dane is one of the world's tallest dog breeds, with only the Irish Wolfhound...
mix. He made his first appearance the series premiere episode "Rebirth," as a fiercely loyal pet to his master. Later, on episode "Ace in the Hole," revealed that Ace, as a puppy, was bought from a pet store by Ronnie Boxer, the leader of an illegal dog-fighting ring. Ace escaped this abusive, violent life. He soon found Bruce, a fellow tormented soul, at Crime Alley during the anniversary of his parents' murders. After Ace was injured by a Jokerz member during an attempt to save Bruce from the thug, Bruce took Ace to a veterinary emergency hospital. Since there was no one to claim Ace and both the elder man and the dog desire companionship, Bruce took him in as his owner. At first Ace did not like young Terry McGinnisTerrence "Terry" McGinnis is a fictional superhero and the main protagonist of the animated television series Batman Beyond, in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne as the protector of Gotham City...
, Wayne's assistant and protegee. After he and Terry were able to help each other on several missions, including stopping Boxer's attempt to use synthetic growth hormones to turn his dogs into monsters, Terry earned Ace's affection and loyalty. In Terry's opinion, this was one of the small rewards being Batman had brought him. Ace then went on to play a role in defeating the resurrected Joker in Batman Beyond: Return of the JokerBatman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a direct-to-video animated film featuring the comic book superhero Batman and his archenemy, the Joker...
. In the climax of the movie, he attacked the Joker and damaged the controls for the Joker's new satellite weapon system. In this series, it is suggested that Ace might be named after the Ace from an incarnation of the Royal Flush GangThe Royal Flush Gang or RFG are fictional characters in DC Comics. They first appeared in Justice League of America #43 in March 1966 under the leadership of Professor Amos Fortune.-History:...
.
- In the 2005 Cartoon Network animated series Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog is an American animated television series produced by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, based on the DC Comics character Krypto...
, starring KryptoKrypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics...
, (SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
's childhood dog), Ace the Bat-Hound (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeil is an Australian-born Canadian voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) makes occasional appearances and is once again a crimefighting ally of Batman -- although the Dark KnightThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
himself has not appeared on the show. In this series, Ace, much like Batman, is equipped with various gadgets and equipment as an aid in his crimefighting efforts. In one episode, he met the Dog Star Patrol and helped them find their missing member Hot Dog. His enemies include The JokerThe Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics and appearing as the archenemy of Batman. Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in Batman #1 ....
's hyenas Bud and LouBud and Lou are fictional characters, the pet hyenas of The Joker on the cartoon series Krypto the Superdog, which the Joker himself never appeared in...
, The PenguinThe Penguin is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent archenemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his specialized...
's trained birds (Artie the Puffin, Griff the Vulture, Waddles the Penguin), and CatwomanCatwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. The supervillainess was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's second cousin by marriage, Ruth Steel ....
's pet cat Isis (who flirts with Ace much like Catwoman flirts with Batman). Ace has a BatwomanBatwoman is a fictional character and female counterpart to the superhero Batman, created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media. Batwoman made her first comic book appearance in Detective Comics #233...
-style glider he uses for more speed. He considers himself to be Batman's partner, rather than his pet.
- In the new The Batman
The Batman is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids WB...
animated series Alfred PennyworthAlfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson...
remarks, upon BatgirlBatgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman. Originally created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff, the first incarnation of the character, the "Bat-Girl" Betty Kane, debuted in...
's introduction, "Perhaps I should equip the Batcave with a doggie door, should Bat-Hound decide to join the gang." A similar remark appears in Batman: Mystery of the BatwomanBatman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a direct-to-video animated film based on the animated series The New Batman Adventures. It was released in the U.S. in October 2003 and Britain in January 2004....
, though in this case it is made by Harvey BullockThis article is about the DC Comics character. For the real life TV-movie writer, please see Harvey Bullock .Harvey Bullock is a fictional character from DC Comics' Batman titles.- Character history :...
. It is quickly followed up by Tim DrakeTimothy "Tim" Jackson Wayne is a fictional character, a comic book superhero from the DC Comics universe. As the third Robin in the Batman comics, he served as Batman's sidekick, and a superhero in his own right...
commenting that a dog could help the duo "sniff out cluesScooby-Doo is a long-running American animated series produced for Saturday morning television in several different versions from 1969 to the present. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, CBS executive Fred...
."
- Ace the Bat-Hound appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics "team-up" series The Brave and the Bold...
episode "Legends of the Dark Mite" with his vocal effects done by Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. Best known for his voice-work on SpongeBob SquarePants, Phineas and Ferb, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ben 10, American Dad!, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Halo and Gears of War.-Life and career:Baker was born in Indiana and grew up in Greeley, Colorado...
. He helps Batman fight Catman and an endangered tiger he unleashes on Batman. Ace manages to corner Catman up a tree, and Batman rewards him with a bat shaped treat after getting him to heel. Ace is later seen in the main plot of the episode, as a guise Bat-MiteBat-Mite is a character appearing in stories published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an Imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Appearing as a small childlike man in an ill-fitting costume, Bat-Mite possesses what appears to be near-infinite magical power, but in reality is highly...
created. When Batman see two Aces, he knows something is wrong. At the end, Batman touches Ace's collar to see if he is a fake, but he's the real thing.
External links
Modern day Ace biography at the Unofficial Guide to the DCU.