Batman in the 1960s Issue 43: January/February 1967

 

The Caped Crusader in the 1960s
by Jack Seabrook
& Peter Enfantino

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #359

"The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

Barbara Gordon sews up a fabulous costume for the Policeman's Masquerade Ball and then hops in her convertible to get to the gig. En route she happens upon the Moth-men attempting to kidnap sexy playboy bachelor millionaire Bruce Wayne. She takes advantage of her Judo expertise and launches into the fray while Bruce slinks away to look for a convenient place to change into his work clothes.

Transformation complete, Wayne emerges from the woods as Batman (though no one questions the coincidence) just as Babs (who has announced to the world that she is to be known as... Batgirl!) is trapped in a cage of silk. Batman kicks the Moth-men in the rear and they fly away, leaving the Dark Knight to unravel his sexy new ally. When prompted, Batgirl refuses to divulge her secret identity and the two part friends.

The next day, Babs is back in the stacks of Gotham Library (her day job) and the excitement of the battle the night before is tugging at her... insides. Meanwhile, Bruce and Dick are having a lavish breakfast of flapjacks, egg whites, toast, and extra-caffeinated coffee while discussing the letter Wayne got from Mothman. Seems that Bruce Wayne will be roughed up in the near future unless he pays one hundred grand. The note gives Bruce an idea and he and Dick suit up and visit nine other millionaires in the area. All nine have received the letter and already paid. Bruce Wayne does not negotiate with terrorists!

Alfred is instructed to deliver a "F**k You" letter to Mothy and then settles down for a lengthy hibernation at Wayne Manor, hoping Mothman will take the bait. After a few days, Babs gets itchy, missing action, and decides this is a perfect time to deliver that rare first edition of Bay Psalm Book (which, we are told by Gardner, sold in 1947 for $150,000!) to Bruce Wayne. She arrives just in time to see Mothman murder Bruce!

Babs performs a quick change into her fight gear and throws back the door, confronting Moth and his henchmen. A grand kerfuffle ensues and, in the shadows, Batman and Robin watch the girl fight with a passion. When Mothy delivers a knock-out punch and he and his crew exit the Manor, Batgirl awakens to find the Dynamic Duo standing over her. The boys explain that they planted a life-like replica of Bruce Wayne to convince Mothman he'd killed the real deal. Batgirl begins to cry like a girl, thinking she's fumbled the ball. Robin tells her to cheer up as he's planted a tracer on the Mothmobile (just in case a gigantic four-wheeled moth managed to slip under the radar) and now he and Bats are going to make tracks. Batgirl pleads her case to accompany them but they tell her this is a man's job (ignoring the fact that Robin is twelve years old) and she should get back to washing the Bat-dishes.

Furious about the rebuff, Babs heads out anyway. And good that she does as, once they've followed Mothman to his Lepidopteral Lair, the Dynamic Dunderheads fall into a Moth-trap and face a sure death. Batgirl helps them to escape and locate the hiding Killer Moth (Moth had somehow gotten some of Babs's perfume on his costume and she "scented" him down) and deliver the whole bunch to police. When she asks Bats if he's glad she followed along, he tells her he could have gotten himself and Robin out of their jam but that she's easy on the eye. He'll let her know if they ever need help again. Babs Gordon goes back to the library, awaiting the call.

Peter: It took six years but we finally got a "landmark" issue. All involved elevated their game to deliver one of the better adventures of the 1960s. Sure, the plot is microwaved but the fun is in the details. Batgirl being Gordon's daughter is brilliant and, twenty years on, delivers one of the biggest gut punches ever in funny book history. Legend is that Bat-editor Julius Schwartz was tasked to deliver a female counterpart to Batman in the comics that could later be utilized in the TV show. That incarnation (in the form of actress Yvonne Craig) is easily the most familiar and became, along with Diana Rigg's Emma Peel, the number one fantasy of teen boys in the late 1960s. The comic book version was less successful and meandered along for decades before being brutally incapacitated in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and then rebooted in the 1990s for No Man's Land. We covered Batgirl's so-so solo gigs when we tackled Batman in the 1970s.

That presto change-o panel leads me to believe that Babs Gordon gave a lot of serious thought to this Batgirl gig, perhaps more than she was letting on in her thought balloons. I only have one question about the efficient and lean construction of the suit: when she reverses her handbag to form her utility belt, does she simply dump her compress, lipstick, eye shadow, nail polish, eye liner, and other misc. chick necessities into a nearby bush and go back for them later or does the make-up bric-a-brac transform as well into weapons?

I like nicknames just like the next guy but Dominoed Dare-Doll just doesn't roll off the tongue like "Caped Crusader." How about The Dark Dame or, in keeping with 1960s societal ignorance, The Dynamic Dishwasher? It's hard to believe that sexism was so ingrained in the culture that Batman and Robin would dismiss the new heroine so cruelly. The Big Guy doesn't even admit she was all that useful in their rescue, explaining that he already had an escape route mapped out in his head when she stumbled in. Babs will return very soon.

Jack: Yes, it's a landmark issue, but I thought the writing and art seemed rushed in spots, like Fox and co. had to get this on the stands quickly. I like the layout of the big panel you reproduced where Batgirl gets dressed; it's in line with other examples of Infantino's inventive page designs. The overall character design is great and I love her motorcycle, but I don't love the way Batman and Robin condescend to Batgirl. I must admit that it wasn't till I was an adult that I realized the TV Batgirl was wearing a wig! I never made the connection between Yvonne Craig's short haircut and Batgirl's flowing locks.

Infantino/Giella

The Brave and the Bold #69

"War of the Cosmic Avenger"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Win Mortimer

The citizens of Gotham City are shocked to see that Batman is being held captive in a "weird metallic bat figurine." Police tools are not sufficient to free him, so Batman summons Green Lantern, who uses a beam from his power ring to release Batman from the trap. Minutes later, Green Lantern is flying home when he encounters Batman in his Whirlybat, flying home from upstate and knowing nothing about the metallic trap. The heroes assume that the fake Batman was created by the Time Commander in order to steal energy from the power ring.

Elsewhere, the Time Commander uses the stolen energy to summon a humanoid named Cosmo from the farthest reaches of outer space, but when Cosmo arrives, he's none too happy and attacks the Time Commander, who flees to a temporary time plane. Cosmo goes on a rampage and Batman and Green Lantern discover that the creature is searching for Dr. Carruthers, his creator, who is dead. The heroes find Dr. Carruthers, who is not dead, but is rather in a nursing home, having lost his memory. They return to the place where Cosmo is wreaking havoc and bring Dr. Carruthers. The Time Commander suddenly appears and grabs a "molecular reagent" from the scientist before it can be used to destroy Cosmo. Surprisingly, the old man decks the Time Commander with one punch!

It turns out that Batman was disguised as Carruthers. Once the real doctor shows up, he tosses a chemical at Cosmo and the creature disappears. Carruthers admits that the appearance of Batman and Green Lantern shocked him back to reality and he sent Cosmo back to limbo. Carruthers laments having to destroy his creation twice and hopes that someday the time will come for humanoids to live among us.

Peter: Right off the bat, I'm thinking, "with all the team-ups Batman has been a part of, he tells the Commish the only man who can help him now is the Green Lantern? What about Superman or Wonder Woman or Hawkman or even Robin? Well, ok, never mind Robin, I get it." Brilliant way to throw a seasoned veteran like myself off guard! I liked this sci-fi-heavy installment but the whole Cosmo thing threw me. Time Commander blathers on about the creature as if it's been around the DC Uni for years, but quick research tells me this was his one-and-done. Mortimer's art is not bad, but Cosmo comes off a bit sketchy and hurried. 

Jack: The story is titled "War of the Cosmic Avenger" and I guess that refers to Cosmo's rampage in and around Gotham. I also enjoyed this issue and thought it was fast-moving and pretty well drawn--somewhere between Moldoff and Infantino in quality. I flipped through the Time Commander's prior appearance in Brave and Bold #59 and saw no sign of Cosmo.

Infantino/Giella

Batman #189

"Fright of the Scarecrow!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

As Dick Grayson is teaching boys how to climb a jungle gym in a Gotham City park, he happens to see a submarine approach along the river. The Scarecrow emerges! Bruce Wayne and Alfred the butler arrive in an ice cream truck to dispense treats to the boys, and Dick and Bruce quickly change into their Batman and Robin costumes in order to confront the Scarecrow, who is supervising two goons as they dig up bags of stolen loot that he had buried in the park.

Moldoff

From the nearby sub, a chemical spray causes the Dynamic Duo to be gripped with fear of falling, allowing the Scarecrow to escape with the bags of cash. After the spray wears off, they see clues written on the ground by the villain that read "Park Ark Mark." It's back to the Batcave, where some time with the Bat Computer reveals that Ark refers to a replica of Noah's Ark made for a movie and recently bought by Raymond Archer, whose testimony helped send the Scarecrow to jail. Rushing to the ark, Batman and Robin encounter the Scarecrow once again, but he is waiting for them and uses black light vibrations to strike them blind. He locks them in a room and vamooses, but soon the door to the room opens to admit a panther and a cheetah! Though our heroes can't see, they manage to out-fight the big cats and escape.

They figure out the last clue, which refers to Jeremy Fall, a rich friend of Bruce Wayne's who keeps lots of cash on hand to give to charity. Batman and Robin race to his home and find the Scarecrow and his goons menacing the man; some quick fisticuffs end the menace.

From World's Finest #3

Peter: Only in Gotham would you hire Dick Grayson to be playground instructor for kids that are older than he. Only at DC would you assign the world's safest art team to provide graphics for a yarn starring one of the most macabre DC villains. Imagine "Fright of the Scarecrow!" laid out in four colors by Steve Ditko or even Carmine with an exceptional inker. What we get instead of horrific atmosphere is panels that elicit chuckles. You could have the most literate word balloons in funny book history, but they're for naught when surrounded by this stick-figure pap. What a waste. Still, there's that wonderful opening sequence; if you squint, you can see Doc Wertham on the playground bench taking notes.

Jack: Peter refers (I think) to the three-page summary of the Scarecrow's origin from World's Finest #3 (fall 1941), in which the Scarecrow starts out as a psychology professor who turns to a life of crime so he can have the respect of his colleagues and enough money to buy all the books he wants! Yes, this great villain is motivated by a love of buying books. I went back and read the original story and the recap follows it very closely. The original features striking Bob Kane art that is much more atmospheric than what we get from Moldoff.

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #360

"The Case of the Abbreviated Batman!"
Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

In court, listening to Batman on the witness stand putting him at the scene of the crime, Gunshy (pronounced Gun Shy) Barton watches the stenographer and muses that his criminal career would have been a success if only he'd learned an "abbreviated language" known only to Barton and his hoods. A new criminal is born!

Behind bars, Gunshy throws himself into "speed-writing" and quickly learns how to apply that to spoken words. Paroled thanks to "good behavior" (now we know how Riddler and Penguin do it!), Barton exits Gotham Pen not a rehabilitated but a rebooted criminal. He quickly assembles a band of nattily-dressed dimwits who somehow take to Gunshy's lessons in abbreviated talk. He hangs unrelated letters on his wall and teaches the dopes what they mean; HCB equals Here Comes Batman, etc. 

The Gunshy Gang then commits a series of brilliantly abbreviated heists until Batman and Robin interrupt their break-in of a medieval castle full of expensive junk. Immediately labeling them "The Alaphabet [sic]-Talking Gang," the Dynamic Duo use their fists to abbreviate the fight but the gang gets the better of them T.A.T.A (time and time again), eventually knocking the boys out and rolling them up in carpets, with an eye to delivering two dead bodies to Commissioner Gordon.

But our heroes prove to be hard to kill and they escape, engaging once again in fisticuffs with the "Alaphabet[sic]-Talking Gang" at their hide-out. Discovering that the WCD (World's Greatest Detective) has learned how to drown out his letter calls, Gunshy puts into operation a particularly deadly form of communication: SLA (Special Light Arrangement)! From a hidden room, Gunshy operates a panel that lights up certain letters of the alphabet in order to relay his messages to his boys. (No, I'm serious!) When Batman finds the switch to turn off the SLA, Gunshy turns to yet another method: a "cream-puff gun" which splats a letter on the ceiling. Batman, realizing at about the same time as his readers that this battle has waged about ten pages longer than it should have, whips out his own "cream-puff melter gun" and puts the kibosh on Gunshy's plans. Exhausted, Gunshy surrenders and GISOA (Gotham is saved once again).

Peter: Speaking frankly, I thought "The Case of the Abbreviated Batman" was a POS and I didn't LOL once. The only inspiration I derived is that I'm leaning toward abbreviating this entire review. Seriously, when the entire creative team takes the issue off and delivers such vapid, uninspired dross, why bother dissecting it? I'm sure I've probably labeled one of the previous 300 yarns we've binged "Worst Batman Story of the 1960s," but this is up there with the most dreadful. Especially coming on the heels of a big win the issue before.

I understand the gimmick is to deliver the message to your muscle faster and in code, but why talk code when there's no one else around? I would have deemed this parody, what with the sequence of Gunshy's elevating methods of relating abbreviations to his dummies and his sudden epiphany in court, but the whole thing seems so serious. Wouldn't you, as a hardened criminal, at some point abandon the subterfuge and just yell out the damn directions? I was waiting for the guy to stand on the sidelines with an etch-a-sketch when his cream-puff gun didn't work. ATOJCL (A tale only Jack could love!).

Jack: EICSI (even I couldn't stand it)! This is dreck. Moldoff and Giella phoned in the art and the story was so bad that I kept looking at the bottom right of each page to see how many more I had to read. Having a character say something in code requires each thing he says to be translated, thus using up more panels for a minimal story. It reminds me of the Go-Go Gophers--one of them would say something in gibberish and the other would translate it. At least they were well-drawn and funny!

Jack and Peter both agree a reassessment 
of the career of B'wana Beast should be
their next project!

Next Week...
More Ditko!

The Hitchcock Project-The Safe Place by Michael Hogan [3.36]

by Jack Seabrook

"The Safe Place" is based on a short story called "The Unsuspected," by Jay Wilson, which was first published in the February 8, 1958 issue of The Saturday Evening Post.

The story concerns Mr. Piper, a 55-year-old bachelor who works as a senior bank teller at the New Amsterdam Trust Company. An affable man, Piper has a regular customer named George Manetti, who makes a living playing poker. Every Friday afternoon, Manetti withdraws between $5,000 and $15,000; every Monday morning, he deposits an amount that is often more than he withdrew. Over time, Piper begins to grow jealous of his younger customer and imagines killing the man in order to take his money and supplement his pension when he retires.

"The Unsuspected" was
first published here

Piper, who owns a small pistol, watches the people come and go at Manetti's apartment house, deciding that the murder he plans to commit carries few risks. He will keep the money in a safe deposit box and not spend it until after he retires. In order to solve the problem of what to do with the money between Friday evening, when he will kill Manetti and take his cash, and Monday morning, when the bank opens and he can put it in a safe deposit box, Piper decides that the safest place to put it is in his cash drawer at the bank, where it will go unnoticed among the other bills.

Two weeks later, Manetti withdraws $25,000 and, that evening at six o'clock, Piper rings his bell, claiming that he thinks he overpaid Manetti earlier that afternoon. Welcomed into his customer's apartment, Piper shoots Manetti twice and the sound of the gunshots is drowned out by the loud noise from western TV programs his neighbors are watching. Piper wears gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and, when he gets back to his own apartment, he calms his nerves with a drink. Manetti's death is reported in Sunday's paper and on Monday morning Piper hides the money he stole in his cash drawer at the bank.

Robert H. Harris as Piper

Detective Sergeant Henderson arrives and Piper is summoned to the office of Farnsworth, the bank's branch manager. Piper is interrogated and his boss defends him; the detective leaves, but Farnsworth is upset at the anticipated negative publicity and its effect on his chance at a promotion. Piper admits that Manetti's behavior made him slightly suspicious but, when the teller stands up for himself, Farnsworth fires him on the spot and orders another teller to clean out his drawer!

The reader realizes that, after the story ends, the stolen money will be discovered and this will lead to Piper's arrest for murder. "The Unsuspected" is an entertaining story where a haughty man ends up too clever for his own good.

The author, Jay Wilson, is credited with dozens of short stories in the FictionMags Index between 1937 and 1959. They appeared in both general fiction and pulp magazines, but this is the only one to be adapted for the screen.

Joanne Linville as Millie

"The Unsuspected" was adapted for Alfred Hitchcock Presents by Michael Hogan, in his only teleplay for the Hitchcock TV series. It was retitled "The Safe Place" and aired on CBS on Sunday, June 8, 1958. Hogan (1893-1977) was an English film actor from 1927 to 1935 who then became a film writer from 1935 to 1956. He had a couple of small acting roles on TV in the 1950s and wrote two TV shows; "The Safe Place" was his last credit. Hogan is best known as one of four credited writers on Hitchcock's film, Rebecca (1940). Patrick McGilligan writes that Hogan was known as an actor on a popular British radio series and that he and his wife were social friends with the Hitchcocks. He adds that Hogan worked with Philip MacDonald on a first draft of Rebecca.

"The Safe Place" expands the short story by adding new characters and situations, but the additions only serve to dilute the tale's effect. The show begins by introducing Henry Farnsworth, the brusque, no-nonsense branch manager of the bank, who doesn't respond to Piper's attempt at humor when they discuss a new account. Piper, who has no first name in the story, has been christened George, and he approaches a young clerk named Millie Manners to remind her that they have a date for lunch. Victor Mannet enters; his name has been changed for TV from the more ethnic George Manetti in the story. The scene between him and Piper is essentially the same as the one in the short story.

Phillip Pine as Manett

At noon, Piper's lunch date is threatened when Farnsworth gives Millie a stack of bonds to put in the vault. In order to keep their date, Piper grabs them from her and locks them in his cash drawer, which he calls as "'safe as Fort Knox'"--this early example of Piper putting something in the drawer familiarizes the viewer with the "safe place" of the show's title. A new scene follows, where George and Millie share lunch at a restaurant and discuss their age difference. Millie admits that she has heard from other women at the bank that Piper is eager to date them but is too old to be looking for a wife, unlike the younger men she might choose to date. Another new character is introduced in this scene when George's younger brother Fred enters the restaurant; he is tall, handsome, and charming, all characteristics that George lacks.

Jerry Paris as Fred

George is next seen at home in the evening, dressed in a robe and holding a brandy snifter. He fancies himself an eligible bachelor, despite his physical appearance as a stocky, balding, middle-aged man. A phone call with a woman named Barbara is interrupted by the arrival of Fred, who remarks on George's frequent dates. Fred reminds George that the older brother will soon retire and won't have the resources to maintain his lifestyle. Fred tries to talk his older brother into joining him in investing in a company that is in trouble, suggesting that George needs to begin planning for retirement. Admitting that purchasing fifty percent of the business would cost $10,000, Fred intimates that George could embezzle the money from the bank. Although he quickly dismisses the suggestion, George begins to muse that he might have succeeded in a life of crime. This leads him to think of Mannet and to consider robbing him and putting his money in a place where it would be safe for a few days. After Fred leaves, George ponders the idea.

Wendell Holmes as Farnsworth

Back at the bank, Mannet enters and withdraws $15,000; at home that evening, George telephones Fred to ask about the investment they had discussed, revealing that he is expecting a windfall. George soon arrives at Mannet's apartment and, when Victor takes out his money to count it, George pulls a gun and shoots him before taking the cash and leaving. On Monday morning, George hides the stolen money in his cash drawer before Martinson, another teller, remarks on George's cheerful mood and asks if he came into a fortune. George approaches Millie's desk, claiming that he has something important to ask her, but he is interrupted and summoned to Farnsworth's office.

George is briefly interrogated by Sgt. Henderson and Farnsworth states that Piper has "'been with the bank  for more than 30 years,'" suggesting that he is above reproach. The sergeant leaves and the subsequent exchange between George and the manager is similar to that in the short story. When Farnsworth tells Martinson to tally up the money in George's drawer, the music swells and George looks horrified as the screen fades to black. Piper has learned too late that neither his drawer nor the bank are quite the safe places he thought they were.

Robert Karnes as
Sgt. Henderson

When Michael Hogan adapted "The Unsuspected" for TV as "The Safe Place," he decided to expand the story by adding new characters and scenes, but the additions do not improve the tale. Casting is the biggest problem with this show. As George Piper, Robert H. Harris is not believable as a middle-aged man who has a series of young women that he seduces and disappoints. Jerry Paris is not believable as his brother; the two men could not look less alike and seem to be acting in different shows. Joanne Linville is somewhat pathetic as Millie, a dull young woman lured into dating an older man who offers her next to nothing. Fortunately, the supporting cast are all well-chosen, especially Phillip Pine as the slightly shady poker player, Victor Manett. Wendell Holmes is perfect as Farnsworth, the bank manager, and Robert Karnes makes the most of his brief scene as Sgt. Henderson. The show would probably work better with another actor playing Fred, with more scenes with Mannet, and with fewer scenes with Millie.

"The Safe Place" is directed by James Neilson (1909-1979), who had directed thirty-three episodes of Janet Dean, Registered Nurse in the 1954-1955 television season; that show's producer was Joan Harrison, who was also the producer of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and who probably brought Neilson along with her to her new assignment. This was the last of twelve episodes he would direct for the Hitchcock series, including "On the Nose." Neilson worked mostly in television from 1953 to 1973 and also made movies in the late 1950s and the 1960s, often for Disney.

Joel Mondeaux as
Martinson

Robert H. Harris (1911-1981) was born Robert Hurwitz and was only 47 years old when he played George Piper, a bank employee of more than 30 years who is nearing retirement. He began in Yiddish Theater and moved on to roles on Broadway before embarking on a screen career that lasted from 1948 to 1978. His special brand of creepiness can be seen in nine episodes of the Hitchcock show, including "The Dangerous People," and he was also on Thriller.

Joanne Linville (1928-2021) makes her only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show. She studied under Stella Adler and later taught at her academy; she appeared mostly on TV from 1956 to 2016, including guest starring roles on The Twilight Zone and Star Trek.

In smaller roles:

• Phillip Pine (1920-2006); although this was his only appearance on the Hitchcock show, he was seen in many films and TV shows from 1945 to 1990, including The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Star Trek. He also acted on Broadway from 1943 to 1954.
• Jerry Paris (1925-1986) was a busy character actor who is today better known as a director of TV sitcoms. He studied at the Actors Studio and served in the Navy in WWII before acting in films from 1949 to 1986 and on TV from 1951 to 1983. He had a recurring role on The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966, but his name is more familiar from his career as a director, which lasted from 1964 to 1986. He made two appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents; the other was "Whodunit."
• Wendell Holmes (1914-1962) started out in radio in the 1930s and had a screen career mostly on television from 1955 to 1962. He appeared on The Twilight Zone and in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including "The Twelve Hour Caper," which premiered 11 days after his death.
• Robert Karnes (1917-1979) had many small roles, often as a law enforcement officer, in a screen career that lasted from 1946 to 1980. He appeared in eight episodes of the Hitchcock show, including "Escape to Sonoita," and he was also on The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery and The Night Stalker.
• Joel Mondeaux (1920-2001) plays Martinson, who is promoted to head teller at the end of the show; he had a short screen career from 1956 to 1964 and this was his only role on the Hitchcock show.

Read "The Unsuspected" online here or watch "The Safe Place" online here. Order the DVD here. Read the GenreSnaps review of this episode here.

Sources:

The FICTIONMAGS Index, www.philsp.com/homeville/fmi/0start.htm.

Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. OTR Pub, 2001.

IMDb, www.imdb.com.

McGilligan, Patrick. Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. ReganBooks, 2003. 229, 235.

"The Safe Place." Alfred Hitchcock Presents, season 3, episode 36, CBS, 8 June 1958.

Stephensen-Payne, Phil. Galactic Central, www.philsp.com.

Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org.

Wilson, Jay. "The Unsuspected." Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Stay Awake By, Random House, 1971, 453-466.

Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The West Warlock Time Capsule" here!

In two weeks: "How to Get Rid of Your Wife," starring Bob Newhart!

Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 132: Atlas/Marvel Science Fiction & Horror Comics!

 

The Marvel/Atlas 
Horror Comics

Part 117

August 1956 Part IV

by Peter Enfantino

and Jack Seabrook

Uncanny Tales #46

Cover by Carl Burgos

"The Uninvited!" (a: Gray Morrow) ★★

"The Sinister One" (a: Joe Certa) ★1/2

"The Traveling Companion" (a: Ed Winiarski) ★

"The Green Man" (a: Howard O'Donnell) ★

"She Never Returned!" (a: John Tartaglione) ★★

"The Day the Earth Froze" (a: Mike Sekowsky) ★★

From his "abandoned house on the edge of town," brilliant sociopath Albert Manning uses his inter-dimensional change-O machine (which seems to be handed down from title to title) to jump back and forth from our world to one that is loaded with gold and rubies. Smelling riches beyond his wildest desires, Manning sets out to bring the booty back with him but, while he's in Dimension X, his house is torn down and he can't get back. Oh, and the locals want to string him up for all his pilfering! 

"The Uninvited!" stars yet another one of those eggheads who builds a machine that could make him a zillionaire, but he sets his sights lower. The highlight is the early work by Gray Morrow. You can just tell there's something special about to break out. Luckily, we have sixteen more Morrow stories to salivate over in the next couple of years.

Small time fighter Rod Mason is approached by Barko, a manager who believes he can transform Rod into the champion of the world, but it's going to take time. Barko trains Mason, holding him in an almost hypnotic grip, and allows the fighter nothing else in life. Mason finally gets that crack at the #1 belt, but by that time he's so burned out (and newfound love in the form of sexy Alice doesn't hurt) that he takes a dive. The end. What's a straight boxing yarn doing in the pages of Uncanny Tales? Who knows? Perhaps in an early draft of "The Sinister One," Barko was a Martian. As it is, the hypnosis angle is not emphasized at all. 

While scouring the world for juicy uranium mines, Thomas Drake befriends John Simms, a man with the same hobby and vocation. But what's really odd is that whenever Simms and Drake positively identify a rich mine, the uranium goes flat, leaving it void of all of its nutritional value. Without its radiation, the world's governments cannot build nuclear bombs. So it's no surprise when Simms reveals that he's a friend of humanity from outer space, here to put an end to war. With Simms's hopeful message still ringing in their ears, the higher-ups decide to end nuclear testing. "The Traveling Companion" certainly has a hopeful message, but it's delivered in the usual clunky Atlas style, decked out in the usual drab Winiarski pencils.

Lou has always coveted that cool black pearl earring worn by his buddy Ray, but there is only one more like it in the whole wide world. Ray tells Lou that the other one is located in an undersea cave in the Pacific, but the cave is guarded by a giant octopus. Lou convinces Ray to accompany him on an expedition to the cave (Lou has been prodded on by a small green man who pops up now and then on his shoulder and gives him advice) and they find that elusive second black pearl.

The octopus proves to be a greater match than either had guessed and Ray is trapped; Lou leaves him there, happy as a pig in a sty that he'll now be the only man on Earth who possesses a black pearl earring.

Guilt gets the better of Lou in the end and he wishes upon the pearl that he'd give anything to have his best pal back. The pearl disappears and Ray shows up at his door, without any knowledge of the peril his best friend put him in. "The Green Man" of the title is, of course, jealousy, and let this story be a lesson to all you who favor gems over chums. In the pre-code version, Ray would have shown up at Lou's door missing a few body parts and eager for vengeance. Our loss.

"She Never Returned!" is a cute three-pager about a couple who meet and fall in love while swimming at a beach. Laura has a secret she's afraid to share with Josef (she's a mermaid!), but Josef has a whale of a secret himself. Nice, sharp graphics courtesy of John Tartaglione.

Professors Royo and Gola discover an amazing amount of life living in a dust particle when viewed through a microscope. Meanwhile, Earth begins slipping back into the ice age, the sun disappearing for hours on end. With apocalypse staring them right in the face, the scientists take advice from a nice old lady who suggests that they heat up the Earth with "atomic furnaces." The suggestion wins the Golden Wonka ticket and Earth is saved. But what we earthlings don't know is that we are all on that particle of dust belonging to alien Professors Royo and Gola. There's nothing original or surprising about the script for "The Day the Earth Froze," but there are a few funny bits that allow it to be entertaining. One of them would have to be the gigantic magnet built to draw the Earth towards the Sun. Neat trick, that. This was Mike Sekowsky's last job for the Atlas SF/horror titles.-Peter

World of Mystery #2

Cover by Bill Everett

"Where's Everything Going?" (a: Paul Reinman) ★★

"The Secret of Cabin 13!" (a: Howard O'Donnell) ★

"The Imperfect Crime!" (a: Bob McCarthy) ★

"Dilemma!" (a: Ted Galindo) ★★1/2

"Herbert!" (a: Tony Mortellaro) ★

"The Man from Nowhere!" (a: John Romita) ★1/2

Professor Alfred Marlow has a theory he wants to test... he's convinced that "gravity was developed to compensate for something else that had once linked the Earth and the moon!" Marlow becomes obsessed with finding the physical link that once joined the two big rocks and he's sure it's somewhere on Earth. Sure enough, with the help of a special viewer, the egghead finds the structure hidden in the Grand Canyon and hauls it into space. 

Unfortunately, with the link in place, gravity ceases to exist on Earth and all objects begin to float to the heavens. Despite his elation at having found a holy grail, Marlowe puts his pride aside and breaks the link, re-establishing gravity on Earth. "Where's Everything Going?" is either brilliant or balderdash and since I flunked science, I'll be neutral and call it mildly entertaining and more than a bit confusing.

Four escaped cons discover "The Secret of Cabin 13!" What's the secret? Well, it seems like they can't leave. Every time they hit the road, it leads them right back to the same lodge. Turns out, they're back in prison because, as the warden explains, "no man can escape from himself!" Yeesh. Dull script and lifeless artwork. In "The Imperfect Crime," yet another goofy, quasi-brilliant sorta-scientist invents a gizmo that stops time and every person on the planet in their tracks and his immediate thought is that he needs to rob a bank in order to fatten his savings. Not sure why. It fascinates me that these Atlas scientists always work on fancy machines that serve a singular purpose (freeze oceans, transform wheat into gold, give Yoko a singing voice) without any kind of motive. They're just doing it either for monetary gain or for the advancement of mankind. I was more interested in whether everyone's heart kept beating.

Kid Marks has a "Dilemma!" He's a boxer but he's tired of abiding by the rules and wishes he were a gladiator in ancient Rome so he could... well, let loose. In the best Atlas tradition, Marks takes a nap while reading There Were No Pansies in Ancient Rome and awakens... you guessed it, right outside the Colosseum wearing a toga. People on the streets hail him as "the mightiest gladiator" and ask if he's nervous about taking on Gracus the Great. "Bah!" sneers Marks, "Gracus Schmacus!" But when he gets into the ring to face his mightiest opponent, Marks gets a big surprise.

Yep, the gimmick has been used almost as many times as the commie dictator who's actually a Martian, but I have to give "Dilemma!" a little more credit than the rest of the dream world fantasies, since at the finish we don't even know if this is a dream! No explanation is given for the sudden leap centuries back other than "Marks really wants to be a gladiator!" and in the past he stays. There's a not-so-clever twist in the final panel that's also seen plenty of mileage, but the fact that Marks has a crisis of faith in the middle of a fight to the death is special. Also special is the work of Ted Galindo, whose work falls into that Williamson/Krenkel category if you squint every couple of panels. Galindo would only contribute 14 times to the Atlas post-codes. 

"Herbert!" is a three-pager about a badly drawn kid named Jeff who befriends an imaginary playmate. Mom and Dad worry about their precocious son and decide that moving to a new house will cure his ills. On moving day, Herbert stands on his porch while his mom comforts him and reminds him there really is no Jeff. I often laud the Atlas yarns that leave a lot to the imagination, but nonsense like this just annoys me.

Scorned by beautiful Gilda and informed that she only loves Frank, Arthur decides it's a good time to test the Inter-Dimensional Portal Intruder he's just finished, so he invites Frank over and sends him... somewhere else. You don't really need to know how "The Man from Nowhere!" journeys from there as all the fun ends when you get to the panel where you find out this dope is so smart he's built a dimensional transporter. It's all downhill from there.-Peter

World of Suspense #3

Cover by Carl Burgos

"The Man Who Couldn't Be Touched!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) ★★1/2

(r: Weird Wonder Tales #14)

"The Captive Brain!" (a: Ed Winiarski) ★1/2

"Fight for Life!" (a: Manny Stallman) ★1/2

(r: Giant-Size Chillers #2)

"The Spy" (a: Bill Walton) ★1/2

(r: Monsters on the Prowl #29)

"When the Sun Fell Down!" (a: Harry Lazarus) ★★

"The Green Man!" (a: Al Williamson & Roy Krenkel (?))

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #38) ★★1/2

A brilliant mathematician named Abel Harris figures out that atomic war is coming soon and invents a force field that will protect anyone inside it, but his fellow scientists call him selfish and refuse to participate. The war comes and Harris retreats inside his dome; after twenty years alone, he wonders what it looks like outside. To his surprise, when the force field dissolves, he sees that a beautiful, futuristic city has been built! He leaves the dome and learns that a new serum was discovered three months after war broke out. It lets people live for 1000 years and the war was ended because life became too precious to waste. Harris begs for a dose of the serum but is told that it doesn't work on anyone over thirty!

Despite the climax that comes out of left field and seems about a decade early ("Don't trust anyone over thirty" wasn't uttered till 1964), "The Man Who Couldn't Be Touched!" is an intriguing story with above-average art by Forgione and Abel. Page two is especially nice, with a panel where Harris walks in front of the giant word "ALONE" and, a few panels later, a skeleton with sword and shield represents "WAR"; I've reproduced it here.

After Ralph Whipple bumps his head in the shower, he can suddenly see into the future. He wants to use his new talent for good but his boss, Arnold Brill, wants to make a killing in the stock market. After Ralph gives Brill a bad tip, the boss socks Ralph in the jaw and his power is gone.

Ed Winiarski's art on "The Captive Brain!" looks like what we'd see in a strip in the back of a comic in the 1940s and Wessler's script is by the numbers, as usual. If I never read another story where someone hits their head and gets a power that goes away when they hit their head again, I'll be satisfied.

Joey and Ed may be brothers, but Ed captains the Sarah Sue, the ship they jointly own, and he lords it over his brother. A storm comes up and everyone must abandon ship as passengers and crew "Fight for Life!" The passengers in the lifeboat look on with disgust as Ed appears to selfishly take the sole life preserver from his brother, but when the storm clears and all are safe it turns out that Ed knocked Joey down, put the life preserver on him, and threw him over the side to save him. Fortunately, both survived, and Joey owes his life to his brother.

As I read this story, I expected it to go in a direction like "The Cold Equations" or Lord Jim; I never expected a happy ending where the brothers reconcile! The odd climax is pure, post-code Atlas, but it was such a surprise that I liked it. I did not like Manny Stallman's hideous art, however.

Carg is an alien sent to Earth to scout the planet as a possible new home for his race of blue creatures. He assumes human form and learns how to act like an Earthman--get into an argument and then relax with a cigarette. Back on the asteroid where his race lives in exile, Carg prepares to deliver the news of how easy it will be to take over Earth. He relaxes, lights a cigarette, and the methane gas in the atmosphere erupts in an explosion.

Three pages seem long for "The Spy," a dreadful story with dreadful art by Bill Walton.

The Great Milo is a hypnotist who amazes crowds with his ability to create mass illusions, such as making his audience think they're all upside down. Unfortunately, Milo is also a crook, and he's arrested, tried, and sentenced to Devil's Island. In the penal colony, his fellow prisoners request that Milo use his talent to hoodwink the guards so that the prisoners can escape. Milo hypnotizes the guards into thinking that the sun is falling on them and the prisoners hop on a raft and escape to sea.

But wait! The moment "When the Sun Fell Down!" doesn't turn out to be such a boon when the prisoners are taken up into a spaceship run by aliens wearing silly pink outfits. Milo quickly hypnotizes them and makes them deposit the humans back on Devil's Island. Little did the convicts know that the aliens had planned to take them to their wonderful planet, where everyone is free and happy!

Forget the dopey story, whose twists and turns have all of the hallmarks of another Wessler debacle. Instead focus on the sharp art by Harry Lazarus, which makes these four pages more enjoyable than they have any right to be.

Who is "The Green Man!" who replaced Lewis, the first man to successfully pilot a rocket ship to the moon and back? The man with blond hair and green skin insists that he is Lewis and answers every question asked of him, but how can the green skin be explained, especially since he insists that there is no life on the moon? Major Anders is determined to solve the mystery, so he blasts off for the moon. He arrives, finds no life, and heads back, only to look in a mirror and see that his skin has turned green! He hides when he gets back to Earth, but all is well: Lewis's skin is back to normal and he explains that the green color disappears after 24 hours.

The script is nonsense and, if we gave separate stars for script and art, this tale would rate a one. However, the art is four stars all the way, with Al Williamson producing four gorgeous pages that could fit in an EC SF comic...if the story made any sense.-Jack

Next Week...
At Long Last...
She's Here!

Batman in the 1960s Issue 42: November/December 1966

 

The Caped Crusader in the 1960s
by Jack Seabrook
& Peter Enfantino

Anderson

Batman #186

"The Joker's Original Robberies!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

There's a new member of the Joker's gang and his name is Gagsworth A. Gagsworthy, nicknamed Gaggy, a dwarf who is a refugee from a circus and whose new job is to keep the boss laughing. Every time Gaggy  makes the Joker guffaw, the Clown Prince of Crime comes up with a new idea for mayhem. "The Joker's Original Robberies!" include robbing an exhibition of original models of famous inventions from the Salon of Spectacles. Though the Dynamic Duo make the scene, the Joker and his gang escape.

Batman and Robin realize that the Joker's next target will be the original city hall of Gotham City. When the Joker uses a helicopter to airlift the building to a secret location, Batman and Robin hang on from below and burst through the door, quickly mopping up the gang and ensuring that Joker and Gaggy share a jail cell.

We are in full Batman TV show mode now and DC is making sure that they sell as many Batman comics as possible. Not only is Murphy Anderson drawing the covers, but the house ads include the latest issue of Jerry Lewis comics, featuring a guest appearance by Batman and Robin! The lead story in this issue is dreadful and Gaggy is an awful sidekick. He tries to make himself the equivalent of the Boy Wonder, but it doesn't work, and the art by Moldoff is worse than usual.

Batman receives an emergency call from Commissioner Gordon, who says that he is in Resort City, hiding out from Fred Purley, a jewel thief he locked up 40 years ago who has just been released. On his way out of the courtroom, Purley issued "Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat!" to the then-rookie cop and now Batman's pal is afraid the crook will keep his old promise. What Batman doesn't know is that the call really came from Purley, who does a spot-on impression of Gordon's voice and who is holding the Commish hostage.

After racing to Resort City in the Bat-copter, the Caped Crusader barely escapes being blown up by a hidden bomb when he opens the door to what he thinks is Gordon's hotel room. Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Robin is out patrolling in the Batmobile when he happens upon Purley and two goons robbing a jewelry store. Robin is doing well against the goons when he's distracted by Purley's Gordon vocal impression; as a result, he's knocked out and left on the pavement. When the Dynamic Duo reunite at Police HQ, Batman quickly figures out what's going on and they take the Bat-copter to Flame Island, where Gordon has absent-mindedly scraped a Bat-signal in the black paint covering a window in the tower of the building where he's being held. Biff! Pow! Scratch one jewel thief and rescue one commissioner.

Unlike the first story in this issue, which was extra disappointing because it wasted the Joker, this one is just plain dull and features yet another run of the mill gangster. With all of the attention on Batman at this point, you'd think DC could do better, but I guess they could slap his picture on just about anything and it would sell during the heyday of Bat-mania.-Jack

Peter-In "Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat," the Boy Wonder's inane one-liners had me screaming out "Robin! Stop!" at the same time as Purley! The hippy-cat lingo the kid keeps spouting reminds me we're almost into that Rebellious Robin phase we encountered in the early '70s. Old men writing dialogue for teenagers ("Wonder why Batman sliced air for Resort City?") never worked and probably never will. Hilarious that Purley got a life sentence for a diamond heist and Penguin and Joker are paroled before they're even arrested for multiple slayings. The Joker tale adds fuel to my argument that the 1960s Batman writers had no idea how to pen interesting tales centered on a madman. Take a look around at what DC Comics was selling in their funny books at the time and you can see there was no room for a genuine psychopath among yarns about super dogs and Kid Flashes.

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #357

"Bruce Wayne Unmasks Batman!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella

Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are the guests on the William B. Williams TV debate show when they are blind-sided by the appearance of... Batman and Robin! The quartet engage in a feisty debate on criminal rehabilitation, bad childhoods, and the number of jewelry stores located in Gotham, with the masked invitees unaware of the secret identities belonging to the gentlemen across from them. 

Watching from home are two members of the Frankie Fargo gang, Boo-Boo and Beefy. Boo-Boo gets the ingenious idea of going down to the studio and kidnapping the Dynamic Duo to impress boss Frankie. They grab a conveniently-placed container of sleeping gas and exit through the apartment door. Later, they pump the studio full of gas and dump the faux crime-fighters in the back of their getaway car. In a secluded wood, they unmask the Caped Crusaders to reveal a pair of college kids. Without ID, they can't place the kids, so they stash the comatose "heroes" and head off to find Frankie Fargo.

Meanwhile, back at the studio, William Williams explains to Bruce and Dick that the Batman and Robin idea was all his; the men behind the masks are a pair of university students who spend their idle time at parties imitating their idols. Bruce and Robin head to the university to look for clues and happen upon Frankie and his gang just as the mobsters are about to rub out the underwear-clad figures whom they believe to be Batman and Robin.

When the real deal emerge from the Batmobile, Frankie is, to be frank, a bit pissed, and he opens up on the Dynamic Duo. It doesn't take much, however, for the Dark Knight and the Teenage Torpedo to take the gang down and deliver them to the authorities (Gordon is on a much-needed vacation). At the studio the next evening, Bruce and Robin are introduced to Tom Wiley and Stewart Hall, the two frat boys who were nabbed, and Wayne congratulates Tom on his mockery of Gotham's Greatest Detective while Dick chuckles in the foreground.

This is another one of those "high-concept" ideas that works much better on the cover than it does on the inside. Much like other plots of this ilk ("Alfred is... The Penguin!" "Robin Shops at the Supermarket!"), a single image (cover) is a fun snapshot that doesn't necessarily translate into 14 pages of action and brilliant storytelling. I was hoping the addition of John Broome to the skimpy writing staff would elicit new ideas, but nope, it's still the same old sophomoric crap.-Peter

Jack-I think you're being generous. The cover is nicely drawn but hardly memorable, and the story inside is terrible. William B. Williams was a real radio personality in NYC for decades but I can't imagine that a kid who would plunk down 12 cents for this issue would care one whit about William B. The script is so bad that even Infantino and Giella's art is uninspired. And who names villains Beefy and Boo Boo? Infantino must have been feeling overwhelmed, because he doesn't draw this issue's Elongated Man story, which has the dubious distinction of using the wrong color for the hero's costume from start to finish.

Various

Batman #187

"Batman's First Case"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #265, March 1959)

"The Phantom Eye of Gotham City"

Story by John Broome (?)

Art by Bob Kane & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #192, February 1953)

"The Last Days of Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #125, August 1959)

"Gotham's Cleverest Criminal"

Story by Al Schwartz

Art by Jack Burnley & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman Sunday strips 10/28-12/9/45)

"Peril at Playland Isle"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #264, February 1959)

"The Batman of Tomorrow!"

Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #216, February 1955)

"The Ballad of Batman"
Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #95, October 1955)

Peter-I love the constant rearranging of the mythos through the decades. Every so often we discover that a/Batman's first case wasn't really the first case; b/ there are umpteen people in Bruce Wayne's past that he's just lost touch with but reconnects with when a new villain arrives in town; and c/ Bruce Wayne had a myriad of inspirations for his alter ego. Most of these oldies have something that makes me smile, but if I have to pick a favorite it would be the dopiest of the six (I don't count the Sunday strips), "The Last Days of Batman," wherein the main plot is kicked off by the Dark Knight's need to travel back in time to the 17th Century. To save the world? To save Gotham? To save Robin? How about to save a kitten? Nope, it's to clear up a misunderstanding about museum curator John Kirk and an obscure painting. Thank goodness Gotham has its own time machine inventor! Gotta hand it to that Bill Finger; he could make masterpieces out of a sow's ear.

Jack-I don't think I've read this 80-page giant before, but it's an unusually strong collection. I loved the Sunday strips and now will have to go out and find a book of them so I can read them all. Art and story are great! Also great is the fact that we get three stories in a row penciled by Dick Sprang. My favorite of these is "Peril at Playland Isle," which makes fine use of an amusement park setting. "The Ballad of Batman" is a hokey tale that came out around the height of the Davy Crockett craze. 

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #358

"The Circle of Terror!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

While out on patrol, Batman and Robin stumble upon the latest in a long line of 15th-tier Rogue villains--the Spellbinder! Exiting from the broken window of an antique store (definitely not the safest way to break into a business), Spellbinder and his two nattily-dressed henchmen dive into battle with the Dynamic Duo but the fisticuffs come to a screeching halt when Spellbinder unveils his secret power--hypnotism.

While doing cartwheels, the baddie envelops Batman with a mesmerizing pattern and our hero becomes... clock-eyed!!! Yes, clock-eyed. Suddenly, the Dark Knight believes he's facing the huge clock on the Lifetime Publications building in Gotham. Mobsters emerge from the timepiece and Batman gives wing, landing on the minute hand and delivering off-balance left hooks that seem to leave the criminals unfazed. Batman loses his footing and falls hundreds of feet to his death.

Or so it would seem, but just before he splatters all over the pavement, he awakens and finds a very worried Robin, informing his boss that the bad guys got away. Bats heads to the office of a police doctor, who tells him that the Spellbinder's trick seems to work on the Caped Crusader's inner fears and that it's very common for a frightened dreamer to die in his sleep (1960s medical research at its finest). Batman had better be well-prepared the next time he runs into the Spellbinder.

Ignoring this sage medical advice, Batman grabs Robin and hits the streets running, searching high and low for Spellbinder. He finds the dazzler in an alley (!), mapping out his next heist with his two bozos. Obviously expecting a different outcome, Batman is amazed when the Spellbinder hypnotizes him again and makes him believe he's landing a helicopter atop a speeding train to fight robbers. Unfortunately, the battle does not go our hero's way and he takes a topple from the locomotive into a body of water far below, waking up just before a whirlpool sucks him under. Again, Robin is there to roll his eyes and admonish his mentor for being foolhardy. "Next time," swears the World's Greatest Detective, "I'll be ready for him!"

Later that night, skyrockets in the sky lead the Dynamic Duo to a nearby deserted street, where the Spellbinder and his fiendish employees await. A well-hidden rocket blows up in Batman's face and becomes a pinwheel, once more hypnotizing him and sending him into an eerie dream state. Now, Batman is convinced he's in an amusement park fighting sideshow acts. But third time's the charm as Gotham's defender figures a way to foil the Spellbinder's trick and he delivers that solid left cross to the chin of his arch-enemy. Gotham's jail cells will be full again for at least a couple of months.

I gotta say that John Broome at least changes up the formula this time a bit. Batman is defeated twice before he gets a handle on the spinning trick; usually, there's one defeat and then Bats goes in swinging the second time. You can tell I'm so bored by this by-the-numbers era that I'll grab onto anything of interest. Like Batman's micro-sized crime book he keeps in his utility belt. Really, how much info could be kept in a journal the size of a folded business card? Or how about the questionable science of a helicopter blade that moves so slowly that it offers no harm to someone unlucky enough to get hit in the head by it? Gotham Villain Uniform Company must be running out of ideas; Spellbinder's get-up looks like pieces left over from three or four other 15th-tier rogues.-Peter

Jack-Is this the first op-art villain we've seen? He's described that way in the story and his costume features some go-go checks, so he has to be at DC! At the end of the story, Bruce, Dick, Alfred, and Aunt Harriet take in an op-art exhibit at a museum. Suffice it to say that Sheldon Moldoff's exhibits of op art on the museum wall do not inspire me to search for more. According to Wikipedia, the term op art was coined in '64, so DC is on the cutting edge. Sort of. Just like last issue, Infantino doesn't draw the Elongated Man backup story; this time, it's Sid Greene. From the looks of this one sample, I like him better as an inker over someone else's pencils.

Infantino/Giella

Batman #188

"The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman!"

Story by Robert Kanigher

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Sid Greene

Gazing at a giant eraser on display in a shop window (and ignoring the scantily-clad beauty who is giving him the eye), Bruce Wayne recalls a college classmate named Lenny Fiasco who made so many mistakes that he was always erasing the blackboard. The Dynamic Duo are soon summoned to the Riverside Bank, where Batman can find no evidence of any clue as to who robbed the vault. When he and Robin happen upon a toy store robbery in progress, they find an ad for the Eraser, who promises to remove every clue from a crime scene.

Batman and Robin disguise themselves as an organ grinder and his human monkey; when the organ grinder pretends to rob a safe in a jewelry shop, the Eraser suddenly turns up and reveals himself to be Lenny Fiasco, who quickly identifies Bruce Wayne in disguise due to the particular smell his shaving lotion gives off. Lenny still holds a grudge against Bruce for dating a certain girl in college and he knocks his old rival out by means of gas from one of his pointy, pencil-like shoes. Bruce manages to escape death by freezing (don't ask) before he changes into his Bat-suit and is joined by Robin. The duo make short work of the Eraser and his fellow goons and Lennie ends up in jail.

Bob Kanigher has been writing the most entertaining Bat-tales of late, and "The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman!" is nutty fun. The villain is a hoot, with a mask that resembles a pencil eraser and shoes that look like sharp pencil points. Women throw themselves at Bruce throughout the story, to Dick's chagrin, and there's even a brief attempt to kill Bruce Wayne by placing him in a non-melting ice sculpture.

Less fun is to be had in John Broome's "The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City!" It's not ideal to be on Squire Magazine's list of the ten best-dressed men in Gotham City, since three of the men have died in tragic accidents in the last week! The fourth name on the list is Bruce Wayne, who barely escapes death when his car loses control. Batman figures that the fifth name on the list is next, but when he and Robin visit Hampden Dennis, the rich realtor is not concerned.

The Dynamic Duo trail Dennis to a seedy part of the city, where the realtor and his beefy chauffeur engage in fisticuffs with the crime fighters. At Police HQ, Commissioner Gordon explains that Dennis was the secret king of the numbers racket, but when Batman and Robin return to Dennis's mansion they discover that the real killer is Matt Whitson, publisher of Squire, who betrayed his country during the last war. A man named Davis blackmailed him and Dennis killed him. The deaths of the best-dressed men were an attempt to cover up the initial murder.

Broome's story is overly complicated and poorly illustrated by Moldoff and Greene, whose inks are particularly heavy this time. The only brief moments of excitement occur near the end, when Robin and Batman both face danger from the magazine publisher at his mansion before they unmask him.-Jack

Peter-I'd like to think the Human Eraser was created as an answer to the camp that was being shown two nights a week on ABC. I love that--"Holy Coincidence!"--Bruce Wayne is just relating the story of Lennie Fiasco (with a surname like that, how could you fail?) to Dick when he gets word that a living eraser is wiping out all traces of criminal activity. What are the odds? And what are the odds a guy would run around with a giant eraser on top of his head? Owing also to the big hit show, we see our first wall walk and a "Zap! Pow!" nod as well. The best thing in this issue is Batman's lengthy expository detailing Matt Whitson's history in "Best-Dressed...". Deeming Whitson a "coward" for divulging government secrets while a POW, however, hasn't aged well.

Sekowsky/Giella/Anderson

The Brave and the Bold #68

"Alias the Bat-Hulk"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Mike Sekowsky & Mike Esposito

While patrolling Gotham City in the Batmobile, Batman is surprised when the Riddler appears on his dashboard closed circuit TV screen with a riddle that leads the Caped Crusader to the Diamond Exchange. The Riddler is robbing the store and gets away after distracting Batman with a phony diamond that emits gas. Batman next encounters the Penguin, who flies over Gotham using an umbrella; he is located at the museum stealing a rare bird, but like the Riddler, he escapes.

In the Batmobile again, Batman sees that his gear shift knob has been replaced by a talking Joker head! Batman is knocked out by gas and the car crashes; when he awakens, he transforms into the Bat-Hulk, a giant figure who lumbers through the streets of Gotham and can melt anything he touches. After wandering into a park, Bat-Hulk changes back into Batman and thinks of someone who can help him. Batman visits Stagg Mansion, where Metamorpho and his crew hang out, and Stagg, the scientist, runs tests that reveal what's wrong with Batman. Unfortunately, he has no cure, so Batman asks Metamorpho to control him when he transforms into Bat-Hulk.

That happens right away, but Metamorpho can't control Bat-Hulk, who escapes. Meanwhile, the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler are toasting their success when Bat-Hulk bursts into their hideout to announce that he plans a super crime wave with them as helpers. Bat-Hulk quickly reverts to Batman but, as the trio advance on him, he changes back into Bat-Hulk. The crime wave begins and the inevitable showdown with Metamorpho ends when a bolt of lightning changes Bat-Hulk back into Batman for good.

I've never been a fan of Mike Sekowsky's pencils, and Mike Esposito's heavy black inks emphasize everything I don't like about this style. Unfortunately, Sekowsky drew Justice League of America for years, making the series hard to enjoy. This story is clearly influenced by the TV show and the movie (which gets a full page ad in this issue) and, while I've always liked the three villains, they are wasted here. I can't imagine that Marvel's Hulk was very popular or well-known at this point, being half of the Tales to Astonish lineup, so perhaps Bob Haney was just having a bit of fun with "Alias the Bat-Hulk."-Jack

Peter-Pretty awful stuff, from the hip-lingo script by Haney ("Stop abusing that crazy, mixed-up TV antenna!") to the barely-professional art (the work reminds me of the truly dreadful stuff Tony Tallarico pumped out for Warren in the late 1960s). The plot is hard to follow (the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler spray Bats with something and he gets porky), as is the logic behind stealing the name off of one of the biggest characters in your number one competitor's barn. I assume (there's that word again) that Bob Haney was practicing a bit of parody but, unfortunately, there's nothing funny going on. I have no history with Metamorpho, so any powers he possesses and supporting characters he interacts with are lost on me. Give me a good old-fashioned Batman/Deadman team-up over this junk any day. The villainous trio team up, doubtless, because of the TV show's popularity and to remind any reader out there that a movie is being released as well. Which begs the question: where the heck is funny book Catwoman?

BATMANIA!

Imagine scanning a newsstand in September or October 1966, just as the first full season of TV's Batman premiered! In addition to all of the comics discussed above, DC released these, all of which featured the Caped Crusader prominently on the cover:

Next Week...
Jack Finally Snaps and Questions
Whether Reading So Much Bad Science Fiction
is Healthy for a Man His Age!