Batman in the 1960s Issue 57: May/June 1969

  

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

Novick

Detective Comics #387

"The Cry of Night is--'Sudden Death!'"

Story by Mike Friedrich

Art by Bob Brown & Joe Giella

"The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Bob Kane

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #27, May 1939)

A noted atomic chemist has been murdered and his son found at the scene of the crime. Commissioner Gordon is convinced that the egghead's son, Mel Lambert, is the killer. The fact that Lambert can't keep from quoting Donovan lyrics and wears clothes any hippie in good standing would walk a mile from helps the Commish form his opinion. As far as he's concerned, young Lambert will fry in the electric chair while Gordo tees off at Gotham Resort. 

Luckily, cooler heads arrive in the form of Gotham's Guardian, Batman, and the Boy Wonder. The Dark Knight hears Gordon out, turns to Lambert for his side, then does some quick CSI work on the murder weapon. According to his keen eye and the World's Greatest Detective Brain™, Lambert is no more the killer than Gordon himself. The psychedelic scapegoat says "Sayonara, suckers!" and grabs a hunk of the highway while Bats and Robin head back to the Batcave.

There, Robin chastises his mentor for letting the rude, anarchistic beatnik loose and swears he's "our man" (this despite clear evidence that Dick Grayson can talk just as funny sometimes as Lambert). The boys head out to interview the dead man's colleagues. First up is Professor Crane, who doubles down on the theory that the younger Lambert is the killer and offers, as evidence, an argument the two Lamberts had in the lab just a few days before. Lambert Jr. was concerned that his old man's new invention would be used as a weapon by the warmongers running the U.S. military. Now, Crane demands protection. Bats promises around-the-clock surveillance and the Duo head out.

    

As they leave the building, shots ring out and they race back into Crane's lab, only to find the Egghead leaking blood from multiple gunshot wounds. A figure races for the window (one who looks a heck of a lot like a certain hippy suspect) and manages to get away. Meanwhile, across town, Professor Paul Rogers knocks at the door of his colleague, Professor Stryker, and is granted admittance. Once in, he is conked on the head by a mysterious hippie-looking figure in the shadows! When Rogers comes to, he's greeted by a gun barrel aimed right at his head and held by a mysterious, long-haired freak with a mask hiding half his face. Professor Stryker emerges from the shadows just as the Dynamic Duo burst through the weak front door.

Robin heads for "Lambert," berating him and his generation's music, lack of moral values, and ignorance of personal hygiene, while knocking him out. Batman pulls aside the mask to reveal... a complete stranger with really long hair and hippie clothes! Just then, Rogers hears an ominous sound behind him and turns to find Stryker holding the gun on him. Batman takes advantage of Stryker's ignorance of sneaky superheroes and delivers a left-handed karate chop to the villain's gun hand. Once apprehended, Stryker admits to having Lambert and Crane murdered by his employee, Paul Kantner, in order to claim all the credit for the team's super top-secret new invention. The next day, Robin realizes he can't judge a book by its cover and Mel Lambert muses that maybe Batman isn't such a drag after all. But doesn't he work for the man. A trip!

Right off the bat, I gotta say me and Detective Comics #387 go way back. I think I still have the original (now coverless) copy my seven-year-old self bought at Rexall's in Santa Clara, CA. I loved this funny book and must have read it fifty times that year. Now? Well, it's quite dated in a Mike Friedrich dialogue sort of way, yet it still races along at an entertaining clip and the graphics (if you squint just the right way) aren't all that bad, either. The idea was to update the very first Batman mystery (which appeared in Detective Comics #27 and appears as a backup in this issue) for the hep young cats of 1969. Only problem is, 98% of the target audience didn't wear love beads or smoke reefer. 

The plot doesn't make much sense, nor does bothering to dress the killer as a double for Lambert. To what end? If the guy does his job right, there are no witnesses. That half-mask is for us, the Blunderin' Boy Wonder, and the Commish, who inexplicably takes his leave of absence fairly early. It's a whodunnit with a whole lot of red herrings. Still, I'll take "The Cry of Night is--Sudden Death!" over most of the other late '60s 'tec strips. As for the (edited) reprinting of the original strip, I found it to be charming in a primitive way. Of course, I have to wonder if, even at this early date, Bob Kane actually drew this or had the kid who mowed his lawn whip it up.-Peter

Jack-That cover brings back memories, doesn't it? I saw the GCD comment that the backup story was redrawn, but when I compared the original to this version they looked the same to me, except for some lettering right at the start. It was a thrill for any young comics fan to be able to read the first Batman story, since reprints weren't widely available in 1969. As for the first story, I knew we were in trouble when Batman made reference to Janis Joplin. The art looks phoned in.

Novick

Batman #211

"Batman's Big Blow-Off!

Story by Frank Robbins

Art by Irv Novick & Joe Giella

A new, weekly Gotham City newspaper called It's Your Bag publishes a shocking story that claims the secret of identity of Batman is one of four people, including Bruce Wayne! The paper promises to identify which one is the Caped Crusader in next week's issue. In order to protect the other three innocent bystanders from becoming underworld targets, Bruce tells Dick Grayson that he'll announce his secret identity before the week is up. It might even be for the best since he won't have to hide anymore.

Two nights later, Batman pulls his mask off on TV to reveal himself to be the reclusive Howard Hayes, richest man in the world! Underworld figures agree to leave Batman alone till they can figure out how to handle the new situation, while Hayes jealously watches the adulation Batman receives. The world's richest man decides to eliminate Batman and take over his role, happily anticipating being the idol of everyone. Hayes spends a few days brushing up on his martial arts before being flown in his private jet to Gotham City, where he sets up a meeting at the airport with Batman.

Elon Musk in 1969

Hayes ambushes the Dark Knight and, after a fight, knocks him unconscious and loads him on the jet. Hayes parachutes out, dressed as Batman, and leaves the real Batman on the jet, which will run out of fuel in an hour and crash in the ocean. Fortunately, Robin and Alfred are following in the Bat-Copter and rescue Batman at the last minute. Batman returns to Gotham City and exposes Hayes as a fraud, leaving everyone to believe that his real secret identity remains unknown.

"Batman's Big Blow-Off!" is yet another story that revolves around the possibility of revealing Batman's secret identity. His decision to tell everyone that he's the richest man on Earth makes little sense and the decision by Hayes to kill Batman just so people will like him makes less. It seems like criminals are not having much trouble walloping Batman of late. Hayes trains with a martial arts master (a large, bald, Asian man who spouts the usual Frank Robbins Asian dialogue--"Aiee! Master Hayes--you too fast!") for a few days and is suddenly able to defeat Batman in a fight. I think the Caped Crusader may have been laying off the gym time and perhaps starting to resemble the flabby TV Batman.-Jack

Peter-Another Bat-Adventure that makes no sense whatsoever, the script for "Batman's Big Blow-Off!" is nothing short of stupid. How is it in character for Batman to debate (with Dick) the merits of the public knowing his alter ego ("After all, Dick, I don't get the accolades that Batman gets!")? I've never read such drivel. How is it in character for Batman to put someone else's life in danger by masquerading as Howard Hughes Hayes without even checking with the fellow billionaire first? I've never read such nonsense. Why does the editor of It's Your Bag look like he just stepped off the cover of Sgt. Pepper? I've never seen such faux-hippie silliness. Why would an otherwise-respectable reclusive billionaire (who craves privacy) decide to chuck it all and defeat the Batman because he's not getting enough attention? I've never... never mind, it's Frank Robbins.

Novick

The Brave and the Bold #83

"Punish Not My Evil Son"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Neal Adams

Someone is stealing oil from the Zenith Oil Corp. and its board chairman, Bruce Wayne, promises to find out what's going on. That night, as Batman, he and Robin visit the refinery. Batman follows a suspicious character through a secret hatchway and is caught in an on-rushing torrent of oil that dumps him in the tank of a large vessel in the harbor. A crook brains Batman with a wrench and he falls into the water, where he is rescued by Robin in the Bat-Copter.

Back at Wayne Manor, a bratty teen named Lance Bruner is driving Alfred crazy. Bruce and Dick return to read a letter that says Lance was the son of Bruce Wayne's father's closest friend and, since Lance's father recently died in an accident, Lance is now Bruce's ward. In the days that follow, Batman continues to investigate the missing oil while Lance demonstrates that he's a creep by stealing cash from the house funds, painting graffiti on a policeman's motorcycle, and getting into a fender bender with one of Bruce's sports cars. Dick covers for Lance by pretending that he's responsible for the misdeeds. At a meeting of the Teen Titans, Robin tells the others about Lance and they all agree to "swing with him...like any regular teenagers" in hopes that this will help straighten him out.

They take the troubled teen to "a flipped-out, rock-and-rolling little den called 'The Glass Onion,'" but he doesn't dig the scene and proclaims it's "strictly from cubesville, baby!" Later that evening, Bruce receives a note saying that Lance has been kidnapped and demanding $50,000 for his return. Bruce promptly delivers a valise with $50K and Lance is back in no time. The next day, Kid Flash sees Lance heading into a bank and, that evening, Bruce confronts him about the $25K deposit he made. Lance claims it's a legacy from his father, but Bruce demands proof, while the Teen Titans argue about whether Lance can be trusted. A man from the state correctional department arrives to tell Bruce that Lance has a history of juvenile delinquency, but Lance blames his late father and begs Bruce to help him go straight.

Bruce agrees to give the lad a chance, while the Titans, listening through an air duct in the basement, argue about whether he deserves one. Lance seems to clean up his act and Batman returns to investigating the missing oil with help from the Teen Titans. While Batman and Robin are off fighting crime, Lance discovers the secret entrance to the Batcave and vows to make Bruce and Dick pay for humiliating him. The next day, the young criminal visits the private yacht of Grantland Stark, having correctly identified him as the man behind the missing oil. Lance demands $100K for the secret identities of the Dynamic Duo and gives him information that lets him capture the Bat-Submarine when it begins poking around the spot where the oil is being stored.

With help from the Teen Titans, Batman rounds up Stark and his goons, but not before Stark shoots Robin point blank. Batman holds the dying young hero and pulls off his mask to reveal that he's Lance, who took Robin's place to help out and try to make up for his misdeeds. Lance dies in Batman's arms and a bust of the young man is erected in his memory outside Wayne Manor.

A mighty quick turnaround for Lance, right? "Punish Not My Evil Son" is pretentious but, once again, the art by Neal Adams makes it more bearable than it should be. The Teen Titans don't play much of a role in the story, other than hanging out in the basement of Wayne Manor, taking Lance to a disco, and helping out in the final battle with crooks who shouldn't require so many super-heroes to be defeated. One question--why does an issue drawn by Neal Adams have a cover by Irv Novick?-Jack

Peter-I mentioned it last time out but I'll bring it up again: I haven't a clue who any of these Super-Tykes are! Wonder Doll!? Fersure! Bob Haney once again winks at his audience and lets them know he's a hep cat, reading White Album lyrics while relaxing with a glass of Boones Strawberry Hill and the latest Lawrence Welk on the tube. Haney's ding-dong-daddy-o dialogue is a stomach-churner ("Strictly from Cubesville, baby! And, frankly, I dig chicks with more zing too!"), but his script, for the most part, is a page-turner. That finale is a cop-out clunker though.

Novick

Detective Comics #388

"Public Luna-tic Number One!"
Story by John Broome

Art by Bob Brown & Joe Giella

"Surprise! This'll Kill You!"

Story by Frank Robbins

Art by Gil Kane & Murphy Anderson

A wave of crimes committed during the full moon signals the arrival of a new criminal, a villain the press has dubbed Public Luna-Tic Number One! But is there such a criminal? Batman and Robin suspect that their Number One Lunatic Rogue, the Joker, is behind this series of heists. As they are patrolling Gotham one night, they notice a light on in the Gotham Planetarium and investigate. Guess who's hauling away the building's expensive equipment? None other than the Clown Prince of Crime himself, the Joker. After stopping to congratulate each other for seeing through the "new menace" facade, the boys engage in some fisticuffs with the Joker's henchmen. Unfortunately, the Menace of Mirth makes his getaway and the Duo are left with empty hands.

The next day, Bruce Wayne (who seems to have time to be at every public ceremony in Gotham despite his long hours of crime fighting) is at the lab of Dr. Doomer (no, not the guy from Latveria) for a super-secret demonstration of the egghead's new invention. This is an important day for Doomer since the military brass are present and the previous 325 demonstrations all failed. "But this one, I just got a real good feeling about!," exclaims the mad scientist. Obviously, Wayne Enterprises is funding the loon's research, thus the presence of the millionaire playboy.

Doomer places his mysterious black box in front of his small audience and instructs them to (literally) fasten their seat belts. The professor mouths some arcane nonsense about Cthulhu Fhtagn and flips the switch. The four seated men are thrilled and amazed by... a lack of anything special. Nothing happens. Zip. Nada. The men in suits rise from their seats, grumble about wasted time, and head for Gotham Golf Resort, where the Commish awaits them at the first hole. The ever-patient Bruce Wayne approaches the small gizmo on the table and discovers a wire attached inside its chassis. Doomer suddenly shouts out, "This ain't my box!" as Bruce pulls the wire (obviously not worried about, y'know, booby traps and stuff), launching a never-ending stream of the Joker's laugh. "I'd recognize that laugh anywhere!," exclaims the World's Greatest Detective™! 

The next night, at Gotham Central Station, the Joker and his men use Doomer's machine to make the occupants of the building float. The security guards are as helpless as children; when they fire their weapons, the recoil sends them further upwards. Miles away, the Dynamic Duo receive the call and head for the station, where they once again engage in a life-threatening battle with the Joker's thugs, but this time gravity is working against them. The Joker is too clever for our heroes and the Duo are overpowered and knocked unconscious. 

When they awaken, they are understandably amazed to find themselves standing in the Sea of Tranquility on the moon. The hovering face of the Joker informs them that they have been transported and will become the moon's first fatalities. Further, the archenemy of justice reveals that the entire series of lunar-themed crimes were done to set the Joker up as the first villain on the moon. Of course, Batman sees right through the charade and instructs the Boy Wonder to follow him, no matter what. They head into the oncoming Dark Side of the Moon and enter the Joker's sound stage. They were never on the moon! A particularly peeved Batman and Robin wipe the faux lunar landscape with the bad guys, slap the cuffs on, and drop their burden off at police headquarters where, doubtless, the scoundrels will spend the night before being released in the morning for good behavior. The Dynamic Duo deliver the filched anti-gravity device back to Dr. Doomer and deliver some sage advice to the professor: "Give it a test run next time before inviting the brass for tea!"

I would proclaim "Public Luna-tic Number One!" just about the most inane adventure we've read on this journey, but then I suddenly remember a multitude of talking gorillas and inter-dimensional aliens and think better of the label. But, seriously, why would the Joker bother committing these crimes under the cloak of anonymity? And what's the grand design of stealing this incredible invention? Was the gizmo to play a part in a series of candy shop robberies, with the proprietors floating to the ceiling and therefore unable to stop the pilfering of their cash register? Why go to all the trouble of creating a sound stage that resembles the surface of the moon when you could just put a bullet into the brain of your number one adversary while he lies comatose on the station floor? It's the kind of camp, dopey plot the TV Joker would roll out. Maybe that's the point.

Bored, Barbara Gordon heads for the address given in a want ad searching for "a friendly red-haired girl to  share apartment rent-free..." When she gets there, the owner of the apartment answers the door dressed as Batgirl. What are the chances? Darlene Davison explains that she's an airline stewardess and has won a major award from her company. She's expected to attend a prestigious costume ball that evening but it coincides with her great granddad's birthday party. The old man is a priority, so she needs a doppelgänger to fill in at the ball. Momentarily forgetting that a stunt double could not possibly pass for the real thing when that double knows nothing about the real McCoy other than a name, Babs happily agrees.

Davison explains that an escort is on his way to pick up Batgirl and then heads out the door. Moments later, Batman comes knocking and, after realizing he's the most obvious date for Batgirl, Babs opens the door and is surprised when the faux hero pulls a gun and takes a shot at her. While tussling with "Batman," Babs susses out that Darlene is into some bad business, so she plays dead and then follows the costumed villain to the ball. There, she's amazed to find dupes of the Flash, Superman, and Green Lantern huddled together with the Bogus Bats. Eavesdropping, Babs overhears the quartet explain that Darlene is smuggling gems from foreign countries for an underworld organization. Obviously, the stewardess was setting Babs up to take a bullet. Our favorite heroine heads into battle with the four fiends but is quickly overcome and reaches for her utility bag, only to realize she's got Darlene's purse! To be continued!

Frank Robbins's script for "Surprise! This'll Kill You!" is, as usual, straight-up bonkers, and makes no sense. Let's forget the villainy aspect of Darlene's plot to fool her employees for one moment; how could Babs ever pull the wool over anyone's eyes at the ball if she knows nothing about Darlene? Can you imagine the Flash sidling up and whispering in Babs's ear, "How about another roll in the hay like last night, Darlene?!" As usual though, the words take a back seat to the art, which doesn't disappoint. The Kane/Anderson Batgirl could almost be labeled GGA if not for that little symbol on the cover. Check out the cheese tease when Darlene doffs her outfit and gives the eight-year-old target audience something to think about.-Peter

Jack-Detective #388 went on sale at the end of April 1969 and Apollo 11 landed on the moon less than three months later, so kids across America were primed for this story. Too bad John Broome's return as writer after some time off is a dud. At least Bob Brown draws the Joker better than Sheldon Moldoff ever did. This issue's letters column features missives from Tony Isabella and Don McGregor, who would soon show up as writers for Marvel. The Batgirl story is silly, sure, but who cares when you have the Kane/Anderson art to ogle? By the way, the cover price goes up to 15 cents with this issue, which includes the usual half-page explanation about inflation.

Novick & Giordano(?)

Batman #212

"Baffling Deaths of the Crime-Czar!"

Story by Frank Robbins

Art by Bob Brown & Joe Giella

Why aren't Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson at a dinner honoring Dr. Jennings, an eminent research surgeon? It's because they're masquerading as waiters at a welcome home dinner being held for underworld kingpin, L'il Studs, and they are concerned that one of his colleagues wants to rub him out. Their suspicions are correct, since a crook named Quirk hired three assassins--the Silencer, the Dart, and Big Jolt--to wipe out Studs. Thinking all is well, Bruce leaves Dick in charge for a while and heads to the hospital, where he happens to see two orderlies entering a room they shouldn't.

One quick costume change later, Batman bursts in and interrupts the men, who are trying to steal radioactive isotopes! In what's becoming a worrisome pattern, they knock Batman out cold and lay him down on a table, where they plan to fry him with radiation from an x-ray scanner. Meanwhile, at the crooks' banquet, Dick interrupts Big Jolt as he booby-traps a cake. Dick knocks out Big Jolt but lets the cake be wheeled in, unaware that when it is cut it will send 20,000 volts up the arm of L'il Studs. Just as Batman escapes his predicament, L'il Studs cuts the cake and appears to get fried. At the same moment, the Silencer shoots him with a bullet and the Dart shoots him with guess what.

Batman's battle with the men in the radiology department caused the power at both dinners to go out for a short while, and Dr. Jennings explains that L'il Studs, his patient, died of natural causes! It seems that Jennings implanted a remote-controlled pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat, and when the power went out, it failed, and he had a massive heart attack. That means that he wasn't killed by a bullet, a dart, or 20,000 volts! When Quirk hears the news, he tells the three assassins that he won't pay them. Instead of getting mad, the trio decide to rub out Batman for ruining their plans. Batman quickly deduces that Quirk must have been behind the attempted hit and heads for the crook's home, unaware that the trio of hitmen have rigged a deadly trap. 

The Silencer, the Dart, and Big Jolt await the arrival of the Batmobile and Batman is shocked by an electrical current, but he and Robin manage to escape death by any of the three deadly weapons. They beat up the trio of assassins and prevent Quirk from being electrocuted--Batman wants him to stand trial for attempted murder.

"Baffling Deaths of the Crime-Czar!" is a bit confusing, a bit silly, and a bit fun. Novick is hardly in his serious artist mode here, especially in the way he draws Big Jolt, who resembles Jimmy Durante. I didn't understand how knocking out the power at the hospital also knocked out the power at the crooks' banquet, and it seems coincidental that Dr. Jennings and his patient would both be honored at dinners at the same time in different places. Still, the sheer nuttiness of Robbins's script and the jumping back and forth between locations made the story fun to read.-Jack

Peter-A few unintended bits of hilarity this time out to go with the usual inanity. Famous last words delivered by dish-drying Dick: "Don't worry, Batman, go to your other appointment. I'm on watch and nothing gets by me!" I'm sure we've heard those words before, just before the guano hits the fan. Even funnier: Dick not remembering that electrocution is Big Jolt's M.O. despite a "D'Oh!" moniker. Having these super-secret underworld assassins answer to their favorite weapon is genius. It's also a lot less stress for the scripter.

Next Week...
Surely, 1957 Must Have Been a
Better Year Than 1956?