An unlikely comic book team-up proved that Batman isn’t the World’s Greatest Detective, or literature’s smartest sleuth. When Bill Finger characterized the Dark Knight as a detective, he was inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work, modeling Batman’s investigative skills off of Sherlock Holmes. Eventually, the Caped Crusader crossed paths with Holmes in his old age.
Since Batman’s debut in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, he has been solving mysteries alongside the Gotham City Police Department. With the support of Commissioner Gordon, he has proven himself as a capable detective. However, his title of “World’s Greatest Detective” has been called into question multiple times, as the DC Universe is home to a wide variety of self-proclaimed detectives. From Detective Chimp to Martian Manhunter’s alter ego, John Jones, DC Comics has many heroes who are largely defined by their investigative skills. Inevitably, Batman has had his fair share of competition, and was once revealed to not be the publisher’s best detective.
Batman was outdone by Sherlock Holmes himself in Detective Comics #572 (1987), written by Mike W. Barr with art by Alan Davis, Terry Beatty, Carmine Infantino, and E.R Cruz. The issue also featured Slam Bradley, who appeared in the premiere issue of the title. Detective Comics #572 commemorated 50 years of Detective Comics, prompting the crossover tribute, which also included another detective superhero, Elongated Man. As Batman and Robin partnered with him, they tracked down the great grandson of Sherlock’s iconic arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. When the adventure concluded, an old man wearing a deerstalker hat with a pipe in his mouth approached the Dark Knight, revealing himself to be Sherlock Holmes. While Batman and his friends were investigating the case, Sherlock had been helping things move along, secretly assisting the team. "I sent a telegram to your Commissioner Gordon, knowing you would involve yourself and sent a message to your hotel- your disguise is not difficult for one of my powers to fathom.”
The dynamic posed by Batman and Sherlock resembles the partnership in Batman: The Animated Series between the Caped Crusader and the Gray Ghost, who was Bruce’s childhood hero. In the comics, Sherlock seems to have played a similar role in Bruce’s life, as he studied to become the World’s Greatest Detective. The meta twist that he had been an actual person in history retroactively means that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work was nonfiction in the DC Universe.
Joining a select group of other characters, Sherlock also proved himself capable of figuring out Batman’s secret identity, sending a message to the hotel where he had stayed. Similar to Tim Drake and the Riddler, Sherlock managed to solve Gotham City’s greatest mystery. Unlike Tim or Riddler's discovery, Bruce didn't seem unnerved by the famous detective's admission that he knew his real name. Instead, Batman naturally accepted that Sherlock Holmes would be able to figure out his alter ego, respecting the world's true greatest detective.