Memorial Day weekend is finally upon us! It’s time to relax and say hello to summer, so why don’t we get things started with a virtual pub crawl? You don’t have to change out of your sweatpants, you don’t have to pay inflated rideshare prices and you don’t even have to drink. However, you do get to read some awesome comics! So, get ready for a fun night out that will include some hunky bartenders, a few demons from hell and a chimp that may actually have the most brilliant mind in the DCU (at least, when he’s sober). Intrigued? Then let’s get started…
We’ll begin in Metropolis. We know the Hob’s Bay neighborhood may seem a bit sketch, but you’re going to love our first stop.
1st Stop: Ace O’Clubs
Proprietor: Bibbo Bibbowski, Superman’s number one fan!
Location: Hobs Bay, Metropolis
First Appearance: Adventures of Superman #428
Awesome Menu Item: If you’re curious, 1998’s Superman: Secret Files and Origins #1 published the entire menu, which contained some interesting Superman-related items like the Last Suds of Krypton beverage.
Bar Trivia: If you want to start a bar brawl in seconds, say something negative about Superman and watch how fast Bibbo introduces you to his fists.
Admittedly, the Ace O’Clubs is a bit dirty, so make sure you wash your hands before you leave. And now, for our next stop…
2nd Stop: Noonan’s
Bartender: In Hitman #29, patrons were introduced to Baytor, a demon who once ran the underworld and now tends bar at Noonan’s.
Location: Gotham City
First Appearance: 1993’s The Demon Annual #2
Warning: Their new owner has a thing for kites. If you stop in for a drink, be prepared to hear a lot about them. Seriously, you aren’t prepared for the amount of kite talk you will hear.
Bar Trivia: Sometimes a crook needs a place to feel at home, so hitman Sean Noonan opened up a bar where like-minded criminals can gather without having to worry about Batman or the GCPD.
If Noonan’s is a bit too “dive bar” for your taste, let’s take our rideshare across town to something a bit more upscale.
3rd Stop: The Iceberg Lounge
Proprietor: Oswald Cobblepot, the crime boss famously known as the Penguin.
Location: Gotham City
First Appearance: Detective Comics #683
Entertainment: In addition to serving food and drinks and offering a high-class spot to rub elbows with Gotham’s elite, the Iceberg Lounge was recently upgraded and added a casino. Liquor, gambling and criminals, what could possibly go wrong?
Bar Trivia: The club has a large aquarium with penguins, seals and other arctic-aquatic life.
It’s getting a bit chilly here, so let’s head across the bay to Blüdhaven.
4th Stop: Hogan’s Alley
Bartender: If you were lucky enough to visit Hogan’s Alley during the late 1990’s, then you would’ve had the pleasure of being served by their friendly (and unbelievably fit) bartender Dick Grayson.
Location: Blüdhaven
First Appearance: 1996’s Nightwing #4
Awesome Menu Item: Nothing fancy! Hank Hogan, the bar’s owner, says all his customers want are beer and shots. If you want craft cocktails, head back to the Iceberg Lounge.
Bar Trivia: Hank Hogan was a former police officer, so his bar became a hangout for Blüdhaven’s finest. The cop patrons don’t care about any of the violations and city ordinances the establishment breaks, including letting a young boy work the kitchen.
Now that we’ve visited a cop bar, let’s try a superhero bar!
5th Stop: Warriors
Proprietor: Guy Gardner. Maybe you’ve heard of him. He’s kind of a big deal. Former Green Lantern and role model to millions.
Location: Manhattan, with other franchise locations in Coast City and the planet Oa.
First Appearance: Guy Gardner: Warrior #25
Awesome Menu Item: Guy is really proud of the Gardner Salad and Guy’s Fries, which he claims are the best in Manhattan. Guy is known to exaggerate, so take his word with a grain of salt. (Though you don’t need to add salt to the fries. They’ve got plenty.)
Bar Trivia: If you’re a superhero nut, then you’ll love this place. The bar is decorated with authentic superhero memorabilia, including a deactivated Manhunter robot.
Since we’re already in New York, let’s swing on over to Long Island and check out another superhero-owned bar!
6th Stop: Gabriel’s Horn
Proprietor: Mal Duncan, the Teen Titan known as Herald.
Location: A cozy little district in Long Island, New York.
First Appearance: 1977’s Teen Titans #47
Entertainment: Roy Harper’s rock group Great Frog served as the official house band.
Bar Trivia: Bruce Wayne financed Gabriel’s Horn, which was also used as the Teen Titan’s secret headquarters. We’re not sure why Batman thought letting a group of teenagers open their own bar was a responsible decision (let alone a good financial investment), but he’s got money to blow on any liability payments.
What? New York not wild enough for you? Okay, for you real partiers out there (you know who you are) we have one last stop…
7th and Final Stop: Oblivion Bar
Proprietor: Nightmaster use to run the bar, until Detective Chimp took things over in 2018’s Justice League Dark #1. It’s probably the only bar in the DC Universe run by a chimpanzee, which might be against a few health codes.
Location: An interdimensional plane between universes. No, you haven’t had too much to drink, that’s really where it is.
First Appearance: Day of Vengeance #1
Awesome Menu Item: Players of the DC Universe Online MMORPG can get a closer look at the menu, which includes baby back ribs and pea soup. We haven’t tried the food, though. We’re just here to watch a chimpanzee mix drinks.
Bar Trivia: The Oblivion Bar’s dimensional entrances can be only accessed by a being with magical powers, which means that things get very interesting inside.
Just think, we started off swapping stories about Superman and now we’re in an interdimensional pub owned by an ape. And this is still only the fourth strangest pub crawl we’ve ever had! Remember to always drink responsibly, and if you can’t go out and party this weekend, enjoy some great comics in your local shop or on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE!
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
