Comic Book Questions Answered – where I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).

Reader Rodrigo M. wanted to know which superhero had a glider cape first, Moon Knight or Batman?

When Moon Knight debuted in 1975's Werewolf By Night #32 (by Doug Moench and Don Perlin), he was very much not yet a defined character. Not only the fact that he was basically a villain in that first issue, but also his cape wasn't yet a real cape...

However, he also didn't really GLIDE in the issue, either. He just rode on the rope ladder of his helicopter...

When Moench and Perlin gave Moon Knight his first solo story in Marvel Spotlight #28, though (after Moon Knight was redeemed and was clearly a hero now), he now glided...

When he showed up in Defenders (by David Kraft, Keith Giffen and Mike Royer), he not only glided...

but it sure looks like he's just flat out FLYING in this panel, right?

Soon, Moon Knight got a more traditional cape when he got his own solo feature in the Hulk magazine (by Moench and Gene Colan). This pointedly had a glider function included in its design...

Moon Knight famously used his glider cape in many stories after this point.

So, how does this stack up against the Dark Knight? Batman used a lot of gliders early in his comic book career and he had a number of special Batman costumes, including one that was a glider. However, one of the earliest examples of Batman using his normal cape as a glider occurred in The Brave and the Bold #64 (by Bob Haney and Win Mortimer)...

That was almost a decade before Moon Knight debuted.

So Batman take the prize in the Moon Knight/Batman glide cape competition!

Thanks for the question, Rodrigo!

If anyone else has a question about comics, feel free to drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!