The new logo that will appear on the cover of Detective Comics beginning with Issue #1062 takes its vibes right from an ’80s Stephen King paperback.
The new logo of Detective Comics, which will grace the magazine that gave DC its name starting with Detective Comics #1062, took inspiration from an unlikely source — the master of written horror, Stephen King.
Typography designer Darran Robinson, who was also responsible for Action Comics’ recent logo overhaul, pointed out the similarities between his design for Detective Comics and the font used for Stephen King’s name on the original paperback edition of the author’s 1987 novel Misery. “We both were inspired by something much older,” Robinson posted on Twitter in response to a comment asking if the Detective Comics logo was inspired by Stranger Things — a show that has been openly vocal about its ’80s horror influences, including the work of Stephen King.
The font used for both Misery and Stranger Things is specifically named ITC Benguiat, after its creator Ed Benguiat. Benguiat was a legendary type designer who created over 800 typefaces and left his mark on everything from the original Planet of the Apes film to a touched-up version of The New York Times logo.
Released in 1977, ITC Benguiat was not only prominently displayed on the vast majority of King’s book covers throughout the ’80s, but it was also utilized for the main titles in two Star Trek films — 1994’s Star Trek Generations and ’96’s Star Trek: First Contact. More recently, the font made an appearance for the logo of the critically-acclaimed Square Enix game Nier: Automata.
Stranger Things uses a customized version of ITC Benguiat with slight differences around the edges of specific letters, and Robinson’s Detective Comics logo appears to have followed suit. The full trade dress for Detective Comics #1062 also features a red border around the cover art and a noticeably gothic vibe. These connections to traditional horror media are especially appropriate for Detective Comics‘ upcoming story arc, which is entitled “Gotham Nocturne” and features Batman contending with an eerie demonic invasion in his city.
Detective Comics #1062 goes on sale July 26, with a main story written by Ram V (The Swamp Thing, These Savage Shores) and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire, Prodigy). Simon Spurrier (Legion of X, Suicide Squad: Blaze) and Dani (Arkham City: The Order of the World, Coffin Bound) will pen and illustrate backup stories accompanying V and Albuquerque’s run.
Source: Twitter
Jeremy Blum is an Associate News Writer at CBR. A longtime fan of comic books ever since he was three years old (back when he could only look at the pictures and imagine what was happening in the word balloons), Jeremy has worked as a journalist in both the US and Hong Kong. He also writes about video and tabletop games. Follow him on Twitter @blummer102 or @PixelGrotto, and check out his gaming blog.
