Batman in the 1960s Issue 50: March/April 1968

 

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

Novick

Detective Comics #373

"Mr. Freeze's Chilling Deathtrap!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Chic Stone & Sid Greene

Bruce Wayne and his ward, Dick Grayson, race to the hospital in an ambulance with Aunt Harriet. She's got something wrong with her but don't ask what, cuz the info is not forthcoming. All we know is that she'll die unless the surgeon uses cryosurgery on the much-loved Harriet. In the middle of the procedure, the "cannula" ("a tube which feeds liquid nitrogen into its diseased target") suddenly ceases to work. Bruce and Dick are crestfallen when they hear the news. Where the heck can they get another tool that shoots a freezing solution?

Meanwhile, not so coincidentally across town, Mister Zero Freeze is pulling a caper using his very own Cryo-Gun, a bazooka that fires a spray of pure ice, when the gizmo suddenly conks out. "No problem," says the newly christened rogue, he'll use the heat modulator on his blaster instead. The villain is now the proud owner of the most celebrated masterpiece of cold weather, "Winter Wonderland." He and his boys head back to their HQ.

While brainstorming what they'll do if the incredibly irreplaceable Harriet succumbs to her mystery malady, Bruce and Dick look out the window and notice the Bat-Signal! Bruce calls Gordon at the golf course and the Commish spills the beans on Freeze's art theft. Suddenly, the light bulb goes on over Bruce's head and he knows just where to get a freezing tool. Through devious and clever trickery, he fools Freeze into showing up at a warehouse, where fisticuffs immediately break out.

Batman manages to grab Freeze's Cryothermal Gun and lobs it to Robin, who hoofs it out of the building and heads for the hospital. Batman and Freeze engage in a little tit-for-tat as each gets the better of the other for a couple pages before Bats lays the cuffs on and hands the hoods to Gordo. Later, at the hospital, Harriet has made an incredible recovery thanks to the Cryo-Gun, but both Bruce and Dick do double takes when it appears that their beloved boarder has aged a few decades and gained a bit of weight.

More influence from the TV show which, ironically, had just gotten the axe and was televising its final episodes.. Hilariously, Robin even remarks on the fact that Mr. Freeze sounds like "a campy name invented for a villain in a television program!" Suddenly, a not-so-popular baddie is elevated to All-Time Rogue status. My memory is really bad, but I remember when Harriet was introduced I thought she looked awfully young and, if not hot, mighty cougar-ish. Now she's a dumpy old matron. Poor woman. Which reminds me: when does she disappear from the titles? The story itself is fluff (what the heck is G. Fox trying to say when he unloads "The crown prince of chillblains?"), but at least the art is better. The work here by Chic and Sid (who could have been a famous TV comedy duo) falls right smack dab between the high of Carmine and the basement of Shelly.-Peter

Jack-This issue really feels like we're on the right track. The art by Stone and Greene is a step up from that of Moldoff and Giella, and it reminded me in spots of the cartoony style that would later be used for the Super-Friends. There are no hoods in fedoras and suits; instead, we get one of my favorite TV villains. There's even a bit of depth to the storytelling, with Aunt Harriet in danger and the need to rescue her with one of Mr. Freeze's weapons. The backup story with Elongated Man has a cameo by the Dynamic Duo and the villain is another TV favorite, the Riddler! All in all, this was an enjoyable comic, made even more so by the house ads for a Supergirl giant that I recall as one of the first comics I ever saw, along with teasers for two new Ditko titles.

Adams

Batman #200

"The Man Who Radiated Fear!"

Story by Mike Friedrich

Art by Chic Stone & Joe Giella

When the Scarecrow confronts Batman, the villain is paralyzed by fear! What's going on? It's a test--one of the Scarecrow's gang is dressed as Batman in order to try out a new pill that causes the person who takes it to radiate fear. A few nights later, the Scarecrow and his gang wait for the Dynamic Duo to respond to a jewelry store robbery. The Scarecrow's new fear pill works like a charm, causing Batman and Robin to collapse from fright and allowing the crooks to get away.

Batman and Robin return to the Batcave, still shaking, and tell Alfred that they might as well hang up their capes and cowls. Alfred helpfully reminds them in detail of their respective origin stories and they snap out of their funk and head to the gym for a workout.

In the nights that follow, the Dynamic Duo happen upon the Joker, Killer Moth, and the Penguin, all separately, and arrest them. Each bad guy has some colored straws on his person that represent clues from the Scarecrow. Batman and Robin intercept him and his gang at a fur store and a battle follows but, once again, the good guys are defeated by fear. They awaken to find themselves tied to chairs with guns pointed at them; the slightest movement will cause the guns to go off. This proves not to be much trouble for our heroes to escape, and soon they have caught the Scarecrow once again.

Fan-turned-pro Mike Friedrich wrote this, which appears to have been his first pro sale. Since it's the 200th issue, he finds a rather awkward way to work in a retelling of the origin stories, but the tale as a whole is thin. The strangest part is the way Batman and Robin happen across three villains and those villains have straws on their persons that are clues to the Scarecrow's plans. The art is definitely a step up from Moldoff's pages, but having Adams draw the cover makes me salivate for his debut on the inside pages.-Jack

Peter-Friedrich had already sold a couple of scripts to DC, but neither would see the light of a newsstand until post-Batman #200. For an early stab at writing, it's not bad, certainly no worse than a Gardner Fox script. But it's also meandering and rudderless and never explains the biggest mystery: how the heck Scarecrow got that straw into Joker's hair. The art certainly proves the point that the proper inker means a lot. Whereas Chic's art in 'tec #373 was impressive when aided by the inking of Sid Greene, it's two steps back with Joe Giella finishing. My favorite bit in this issue has to be the interview Friedrich conducted with Biljo White, one of the founding members of 1960s comic fandom and editor/publisher of Batmania. Nice touch naming one of Scarecrow's goons after Biljo. Funny how these anniversary issues didn't have the impact they would have decades later. No lenticular covers, extra pages, or high cover price. It's just another monthly.

Novick

Detective Comics #374

"Hunt for a Robin-Killer!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Gil Kane & Sid Greene

The Lemon Brothers are knocking over yet another warehouse when the Caped Crusaders arrive to put the "squeeze on them" (as Robert Plant might say). Batman sends Robin to the back of the building but then remembers that the rear has been barricaded. The Dark Knight puts the KO on the Bros and then goes to check on his little buddy, only to find him dead, beaten to death in an alley. Yep, definitely dead.

While on his Bat-cell phone making funeral arrangements, the "World's Greatest Detective" notices signs of life from the pre-teen titan, lifts him in his arms, and hoofs it to the local hospital. Exiting the building, he swears to find the party responsible for Robin's near-death experience and to make him pay.

Based on clues acquired at the scene (garment fibers, footprints, etc,), Batman puts together a mental picture of Robin's attacker and heads off to search every inch of Gotham. Three minutes later, Batman finds who appears to be the guilty party at a bar called O'Malley's, reading the want ads and enjoying a Pina Colada, and he goes nuclear on the guy. After beating the man to a bloody pulp, our hero drags him to Gordo's office, where the Commish exclaims that this man, a prizefighter named Jim Condors, couldn't possibly be the man who beat the Boy Wonder in the alley. Gordo was with Condors at the exact moment the attack took place! Condors vows to sue Gotham's Avenger!

Disgraced, Batman heads back to the Batcave to look through old files. On a hunch, he searches through some of Robin's old cases and discovers that his partner once busted Jim Condors's twin brother, Ed. With some sly trickery, he tricks Jim into confessing to the beating of Robin (as revenge for his brother's incarceration). Batman and Condors trade right crosses and left upper cuts until Bats gets the drop and kayos the teen beater. Weeks later, Robin is up and out of his hospital bed as if he had never even died!

For the most part, I love the Gil Kane art, with the possible exception of Batman's facial features (which, I guess, is a major "except") and that hellacious full-page pin-up on page 13 (reprinted here). The pose and action are both dynamic, but I assume the Dark Knight might be at the chiropractor the next day after twisting his anatomy in impossible directions. Still, there's a heck of a lot more style and energy here than in so many of the other 1960s strips. The script is lame as usual; it's amazing, for instance that the "World's Greatest Detective" can pull minute fibers from a wall and yet pronounce his partner "dead" from twenty feet away.-Peter

Jack-We all knew from page one that Robin was not going to die, so the real appeal of this story lies in Gil Kane's art. His panels and pages are so dynamic that it's fun to read and see what positions he'll have the characters contort themselves into next. There are a lot of people flying upside down and backwards, but it's entertaining. He still needs practice on faces, though--in the last panel, Batman and Robin look goofy.

Adams

The Brave and the Bold #76

"Doom, What is Thy Shape?"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Mike Sekowsky & Jack Abel

"The Man Called '50-50'!"

Story by David Vern

Art by Jim Mooney

(Reprinted from Star Spangled Comics #128, May 1952)

When a sports car pulls up to a bank's drive-through window, the driver's mirror turns into a long, malleable arm and reaches in to grab a satchel of loot! Batman is alerted and chases the car, but he is befuddled when it disappears and only a deli delivery van is in the area. This is the work of a costumed villain who calls himself the Molder and who helpfully explains to the reader that the car was made of plastic with a memory; it began as a truck, was remolded into a sports car, and then regained its original truck form from memory. The Molder crows about the Age of Plastic and predicts that the material will revolutionize crime.

He next creates a group of Plastoids, human-like forms who rob the passengers on a subway train. Again, Batman is alerted and he flies into the subway on his Bat-Copter, only to have the Molder engulf him in a gushing mass of plastic that cements him right in the path of the onrushing train! Fortunately, Plastic Man has also been tracking the Molder and uses a stretchy arm to stop the subway cars from crushing the Caped Crusader. Plas explains to Bats that the villain was a plastics research scientist who went berserk after a lab accident.

Plastic Man chases the Molder but is zapped by a ray emanating from his helmet that breaks the stretchable sleuth into five pieces. Batman flies up in his Whirly-Bat and doesn't fare much better. He reassembles Plastic Man while the Molder heads back to an abandoned warehouse, where he completes his latest deadly invention. He soon appears outside of Gotham City Hall and begins to cover it in plastic. Plastic Man puts his body in the way of the stream of plastic shooting from the Molder's big gun, but this only causes our hero's molecules to begin to replicate endlessly.

As Plastic Man's body send out tentacles that threaten to destroy every building in Gotham City, Batman confronts the Molder, only to find himself drowning in plastic. Commissioner Gordon enlists police to blast away at Plastic Man's expanding form, causing Plas's head and shoulders to shear off and bounce into the Molder's lab, where he drinks memory plastic solution. The Plastoids attack and his head and shoulders bounce back into contact with the rest of his body, which shrinks back to its normal shape and size. Batman manages to escape suffocation and finds the Molder atop a building, where a good left hook knocks the bad guy off the edge. Plastic Man's giant hand catches him before he goes splat on the pavement and Plas explains to Bats that the memory solution that he drank allowed his body to recall its prior state and return to it.

The Molder is one of those villains who comes out of nowhere, seems to have powers that are unlimited and unstoppable, and then suddenly is beaten by a good punch thrown by Batman. The story breezes by quickly with nary a mention of the Boy Wonder. Fortunately, this issue also features a reprint from 1952 of a Robin solo story, where he outwits a crook knows as "50-50" Finley, whose face and clothes are equally divided between light and shadow. He claims to give everyone an even chance to beat him, but Robin  finds that the bad guy always stacks the odds in his own favor. I like the early-'50s Mooney art.-Jack

Peter- Most of the art for the Plastic Man story is strictly amateur hour, in particular the "human" faces, but the script has a goofy, non-stop energy to it that's infectious and the panels with Plasty pasted all over the city are genius. In the best sense, "Doom, What is Thy Shape?" feels like an improv, with Haney one-upping himself as the script progresses. To me, it's the most entertaining B+B story yet. The Molder is as generic a villain as they come; the costume immediately brought to mind Spider-Man's nemesis, Hobgoblin. The back-up, an old Robin solo yarn, is fun but "Fifty-fifty" Finley is strictly low-rent Two-Face.

Next Week...
Wally!

Batman in the 1960s Issue 44: March/April 1967

 

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

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #361

"The Dynamic Duo's Double-Deathtrap!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

That wily old double death-trap concocter, Eivol Ekdal, has been paroled after six weeks of hard labor (we last saw Ekdal during the tumultuous action of 'tec #346) and is about to build the perfect trap in which to kill his arch-enemies, Batman and Robin. Of course, this being Eivol Ekdal, he sells the contraption to someone who has the cash and the nerve to use it.

While bargaining with the underworld thug who wishes to be rid of the Caped Crusaders, the relative calm is interrupted by the entrance of "The Berlin Butcher," a stinkin' Commie who's there to hire Ekdal to identify the inventor of the ingenious furniture that is allowing Russians to slip out under the Iron Curtain. Ekdal tells the Butcher to come back after he's done with the mobster and bring a hundred thousand in cash.

Ekdal returns his attention to his latest customer and demonstrates his newest trap, an invisible cage that activates once Robin steps on it. The cage then generates heat and the only way to open the trap is by cracking the code on the dial outside the box. That's where (ostensibly) the Dark Knight comes in. Once Batman cracks the combination on the dial, the entire gizmo will explode, killing both heroes! "You're a genius, Eivol," enthuses the underworld goon.

This wouldn't be a Batman comic without a Batman so we check in on events at Wayne Manor. Dick (Robin) Grayson is whining that he can't remember all the phone numbers for the multitude of elementary school friends he has and Bruce (Batman) Wayne teaches him a top secret way of connecting letters to numbers (a la a phone dial) and creating words. Mary Mamalook's number translates to Eatfood and a new top secret communication tool is created by the partners. Now, whenever Robin is in dire need of assistance, he need only take the time to assign letters to numbers (and vice versa), get the message to his boss, and hope Batman has the time to decipher that code before Robin is dropped into a vat of boiling oil.

Proud of themselves, the Duo hit the streets for some patrol time. Suddenly, the Bat-Seismokon (a device never heard of before and probably never heard of again) alerts the boys to an explosion in Gotham. Heading to the scene, they discover the Fortune Importing Company being heisted and go into action, unaware that Eivol Ekdal's dastardly device has been installed in the middle of the floor. Robin gives chase to a couple of crooks but Batman (oddly enough) has trouble putting down a simple goon. The Teenage Turbine breaks off to aid and is immediately trapped in the invisible box. "Help, Batman, I'm trapped in an invisible box and it's heating up!" screams the frightened lad.

Annoyed that he has to help the kid, Batman suddenly musters up enough strength to deliver a knockout punch to his heretofore unbeatable foe and heads to the box. Keenly spying the dial, the Batman spins until he hears the tumblers fall into place. Just in time, he realizes the numbers so far have spelled out E-K-D-A and thanks Jesus the kid annoyed him this morning with that crap about phone numbers. "Gotta split, kid, but you can get out of that unbreakable box if you try hard enough!" Robin gives a couple of solid kicks and, sure enough, the box falls apart. That Ekdal sure knows how to build 'em.

Outside, Batman makes sure his old chum hasn't got any hard feelings just as the Bat-phone rings inside the Batmobile. It's the Commish. He's got a live one down at the office that the boys have to meet. Upon arrival, they are introduced to Thea Albrecht, a Russian freedom fighter arrested for assaulting a man that evening. During interrogation, Thea gives up that the man she was holding at pistol point was none other than Yuri Melikov--The Berlin Butcher!!! Batman assures Thea that no one in Gordon's office will let on that they have a Russian insurgent in custody and heads out to nab Ekdal and the Butcher.

At that moment, Ekdal is meeting with the Butcher and examining photos of furniture. Ignoring the obvious shoddy craftsmanship, Ekdal declares the builder to be Adolph Brauner and collects his hundred grand. Before the Butcher exits, Ekdal shows him his newest invention, a special hand grenade he's going to sell to Tony Stark for a million bucks. After exiting the room, Melikov instructs his goons to kill Ekdal, get back his cash, and grab the grenade for future use. 

The Caped Crusaders burst into the room just a moment after Ekdal goes to Double-Death Trap Inventor Heaven and engage in fisticuffs with the Berlin Baboons. Melikov pulls the pin on his grenade and realizes too late that the joke's on him. Ekdal created an explosive that kills its master. Kaboom! Batman and Robin make short work of the Commie Criminals and head back to Gordon's, where they say goodbye to Thea. Weeks later, Dick Grayson reads a headline about more refugees escaping Germany and thanks God he lives in a country that welcomes the poor and downtrodden.

For the most part, this is as solid as these things come. Ekdal isn't much of a villain (the guy can't even build a trap that stays together under stress delivered by teenage toes) but then we don't have to worry about him ever again. The "invisible box" is not all that far-fetched but what is head-scratching is how the dial remains unseen. I wonder if the powers-that-be at DC saw that Stan was making millions off Commies over at Marvel and decided to dip their toes in that water. I don't recall seeing much in the way of Red-baiting in the Batman comics thus far. And hey, give points to horndog Bruce, who let Thea slip out of the country before getting a date or two. Who says a billionaire playboy can't put foreign affairs over playtime?-Peter

Jack-I was also surprised to see Batman get involved with Iron Curtain skullduggery. The art by Infantino and Greene is unusually shaky this time around, but Greene's solo work on the Elongated Man backup story is even worse. The influence of the Batman TV show continues to be felt with "Holy this" and "Holy that" every few pages.

Infantino/Giella

Batman #190

"The Penguin Takes a Flyer--Into the Future!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

Though most in Gotham City are wilting in a heat wave, the Penguin has embraced futuristic gadgets and keeps his gang of goons cool in air-conditioned uniforms! He feeds them a gourmet meal in pill form (shades of Willy Wonka!) and, that night, his gang is robbing gold from a safe when Batman and Robin burst in! The Penguin claims to have invented a gravity beam that keeps our heroes' boots pinned to the floor, but Batman figures out that it's just a big magnet and he and Robin slip out of their boots and do some damage to the goons.

The gang quickly recover due to their futuristic pill meal and air-conditioned suits; they are protected from Batman and Robin's blows by another invention that the Penguin calls Fist-Fender-Off. Batman realizes that jets of air are being expelled from the crooks' suits just before punches land and he and Robin work around this invention as well. Seeing his gang on the ropes, the Penguin takes to the skies in his flying umbrella and returns to his subterranean nest. Next come his Robber-Robotrellas, which are radio-guided and feature laser beams. These futuristic gizmos allow the Penguin to rob a jewelry store by remote control.

The Penguin gloats over his success and chats with his Robot-Penguin. A week later, he tries again with his Robotrellas, only to have them intercepted by Bat-rellas, a new invention by the Caped Crusader. The Robotrellas don't just rob, though--they attack with weapons such as a mace and a sword! Soon, the Dynamic Duo are captured in a big net and flown to the Penguin's nest, where the Wicked Waddler briefly gloats before Batman and Robin escape. To their amazement, the Penguin flies into the air! They throw furniture at him and he explodes, having really been the Robot-Penguin. Never fear, though--outside, Alfred has captured the real Penguin, who sits on the ground next to the Batmobile, defeated. The Penguin returns to a jail cell but is optimistic about his chances for escape when he meets his cellmate, whose name is Brolly!

I know Peter will agree with this issue's Letters to the Batcave writer Marcy Slyh, of Lansdale, PA, who asks, "What is Batman now? He is little more than a joke, a bumbling caped clown." Certainly, the influence of the TV show is felt in the recent stories, but as the editor replies, "you wanna argue with sales figures of a million-plus per issue?" The cover to Batman 190 by Infantino and Giella is excellent and, while I thought the story a bit silly (okay, more than a bit), I was surprised that Alfred saved the day at the end. I'm a big fan of the Penguin, so I can live with a bit of goofiness.-Jack

Peter-I know it's not my imagination (Jack's comments back me up)... the Moldoff/Giella team gets worse every issue. There's no dynamic, no style, nothing resembling talent. Given a pencil and some paper, I could come up with better even if I were a quadruple amputee. Fox's script is no better, relying on microwaved plots, illogical gizmos, and dopey dialogue. The '66 era is in full swing. The Penguin's duplicate "robot chef" again makes me snicker that these evil geniuses could become billionaires (and Presidential advisors, I guess) just by applying their skill in a legal manner. But I guess if you look like Cobblepot, normal life would be boring.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #362

"The Night Batman Destroyed Gotham City!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

A mere three weeks after being found guilty on charges of attempted murder, extortion, kidnapping, and jaywalking, the Riddler is paroled and already on to his next scheme. His victims, as usual, are Batman and Robin but this time E. Nigma is using a variation on his old riddle M.O.

Every riddle the dastardly felon uses can be read two ways as Batman soon learns to his dismay. When Riddler drops the clue: "What has four legs, smokes a pipe--but cannot walk, see or talk?" the Dynamic Duo immediately come up with the Gotham Stove Insurance Company and head to the building. But when they get there--no Riddler. Just then, a patrol car speeds up and informs our heroes that the Grill Manufacturing Corporation has been pilfered. Of course! A grill has four legs as well!

The next night, after breaking up yet another robbery at the Gotham City Coliseum, the boys hop back in the Batmobile and Robin sits on a tack. Using the World's Greatest Detective brain God gifted him, Batman pulls out the Bat-Magnifier from the U-Haul trailer attached to the back of the vehicle and examines the tack. He finds the following riddle: "What word of five letters has only one when two letters are taken away?" Robin scratches his pre-teen scalp, mumbles all the possible combinations, and exclaims "Stone! The P.J. Stone Brokerage Outfit!" Batman commends his junior partner but then comments that these riddles are so easy even a dunce can solve them. Ignoring the obvious slight, Robin exclaims, "Gosh, you're right, Batman! The Riddler is using clues to throw us off track but if we come up with a smaller version of the answer we first come up with then perhaps we'll arrive at the correct guess!" 

Delighted that they've come up with an odd but spot-on assumption, the Duo head for the Pebble Beach Fun House, since a pebble is smaller than a stone (just in case you nodded off). Sure enough, they arrive mid-heist and engage in a bloody battle with Riddler's "Enigmen." Riddler gets away with half a million in cash but, later, Batman explains to Robin that the greenbacks were phony. Nigma couldn't care less about the counterfeits and, instead, crafts a clue out of the paper, sending the puzzle to Gordon's office. "What city can always feed its people" reads the banner. "Little Gotham City!" pipes up the Boy Wonder. The heroes head out the door and Gordon returns to... whatever it is he does. The boys put the kibosh on Riddler's grand scheme, defuse a bomb, and deliver the villain into the custody of Gotham's fine judicial system. Once again, Batman and Robin have taken a psychotic city-threatener off the streets. At least for a few weeks.

No need for me to double down on my belief that Moldoff and Fox are spiraling. "The Night Batman Destroyed Gotham City!" has a striking cover and that's it; this is dreary, boring rot I wouldn't recommend to a five-year-old (clearly the target audience). I'm never clear what the grand scheme is for these rogues. They're fresh out of the pokey and dreaming up new plots sure to land them right back in. If there's a goal to be reached, it's never shared with the audience.

In the opening scene, Robin is supervising the Wayne Foundation slot-car race for underprivileged children and little Angelo is the winner, but if you look closely, Robin has his hand on the race track at the time the checkered flag is thrown. Perhaps a bit of favoritism? Even funnier is when Robin hands Angelo his certificate of merit and it turns out to be a riddle. Angelo is miffed and looks ready to cold cock his idol!

There are an awful lot of strange companies in Gotham that keep a boatload of cash on hand. The Pebble Beach Fun House probably has handfuls of one dollar bills but the Stove Insurance Company?  Have we heard of Little Gotham before? This is, ostensibly, the poor side of town never visited by the Caped Crusaders until now.-Peter

Jack-What's really puzzling me is why the Riddler isn't on the cover! Instead we get a great-looking but inaccurate rendering of the mess that ends the story, where Batman essentially does a belly flop on a model of Gotham City and somehow defuses a bomb that was so sensitive that it would go off if it sensed his body heat. Of course, the Caped Crusader took a pill to lower his body heat! Where's Mr. Freeze when you need him? I love the crossword puzzle costumes on the Enigmen. Where do the Rogues find these big dopes willing to wear these outfits? Oh, and did you see that Batman used the expression "Rock 'em Sock 'em"? How's that for product placement?

Infantino/Giella

The Brave and the Bold #70

"Cancelled: 2 Super-Heroes!"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Johnny Craig & Chuck Cuidera

Balthazar T. Balthazar fancies himself the world's greatest collector and he has his sights set on a new goal of collecting the secret identities of super heroes, starting with Batman. His super-computer tells him that Batman is Bruce Wayne, so he sets out to prove it by hiring Nick Cathcart, czar of Gotham City crime, to help.

The first step is to lure Batman to Bruce Wayne's doctor's office at night, where a full-body x-ray is taken without the Dark Knight realizing it. When Balthazar steals an x-ray of Bruce Wayne and compares the two, he is well on his way to proving his theory. Next, a blind street beggar gives Batman a coin that is really a tracking device. After a busy night of rushing around Gotham fighting crime, Batman returns home to Stately Wayne Manor, giving Balthazar yet more evidence.

Quickly figuring out the coin's real purpose, Batman zips over to the Astorbilt Hotel, where Carter and Shierra Hall (a/k/a Hawkman and Hawkgirl) are staying. Batman gives Hawkman the coin, causing Balthazar to suspect that Batman's real secret identity is Carter Hall! Balthazar becomes confused when he sees Hawkman spring into action during a theft at Gotham Museum where Carter Hall was present--could Hall be both heroes?

Balthazar sets up a robbery at Gotham Helio-Port so he can watch and learn. Hawkman and Batman both show up and Balthazar shoots them with darts coated with truth serum. He asks them who they really are and Batman responds that he's Carter Hall, while Hawkman answers that he's Bruce Wayne! The heroes grow angry with each other for revealing each other's secret identities, which leads to a brief battle that ends with both being unmasked outside Balthazar's presence. It turns out that the duo switched identities as a precaution before responding to the crime at the helio-port.

Certain that he knows who's who, Balthazar puts models of Batman and Hawkman in his trophy room, but when Cathcart comes calling, gun in hand, demanding that the collector reveal the identities, Balthazar balks, announcing that the information would be worthless if anyone but he knew it. When Batman and Hawkman show up, Hawkman is knocked out, so Balthazar yanks off his mask to reveal the face of a green alien! Hawkman snaps out of it and reveals that he's really Krog of the planet Mynos! Batman and Hawkman capture Cathcart and Balthazar; Hawkman flies Cathcart to jail, while Batman drives Balthazar in the Batmobile. Sneak that he is, Balthazar looks in the Bat-Glove Compartment and finds a newspaper clipping with a photo of Carter Hall, who (the article says) is really ex-con Carl Morgan.

Balthazar is convinced that Hall is Batman and Wayne is Hawkman so, when he is locked up in the slammer, he gloats about his knowledge of the super-heroes' secret identities and refuses to share it with his cellmate, Cathcart.

I enjoyed all of the twists and turns of "Cancelled: 2 Super-Heroes," though it makes me wonder how the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, et al., couldn't pull some of these simple stunts to reveal Batman's true identity. If a third-rate baddie like Balthazar can shoot Batman and Hawkman with darts coated with truth serum, how hard could it be? I enjoyed the art by Johnny Craig and Chuck Cuidera; it's a little bit wacky and reminded me in spots of earlier Craig work, while in others it reminded me of the work of Alex Toth on Batman a few years later.-Jack

Peter-I'm a big fan of Johnny Craig's art for Warren in the 60s but, at times, the Craig/Cuidera art rivals the awfulness of Moldoff/Giella. The strip is rescued by the excitement, energy, and imagination found in Haney's script, qualities seldom found in the regular titles. If I have a nit to pick (other than the cruddy art) it would be the paucity of Hawkman, one of my favorite DC characters. There's not much in the way of a team-up here.

Next Week...
The Boys Once Again 
Thank Odin For
Steve Ditko!!!

Batman in the 1980s Issue 43: July 1983

 

The Dark Knight in the 1980s
by Jack Seabrook &
Peter Enfantino

Aparo

The Brave and the Bold #200

"Smell of Brimstone, Stench of Death!"

Story by Mike W. Barr

Art by Dave Gibbons & Gary Martin

Nicholas Lucien grew up on Earth-One as a respectable businessman, but on Earth-Two he grew up as a villain! In 1955, on Earth-Two, Lucien is a very mature-looking 22-year-old who seeks to rule the underworld of Gotham City. Defeated once before by Batman and Robin, Lucien (known as Brimstone) sends Batman a taunting clue and attempts to rob the gate receipts at an archery competition at Gotham Arena. After an appearance by the Dynamic Duo, Brimstone and his gang escape but fail to make off with the loot.

Brimstone's next crime involves robbing the payroll at the Gotham Municipal Waste Disposal plant; again, Batman and Robin make an appearance and again Brimstone and his gang get away empty-handed. Finally, Brimstone lures the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder to the Gotham Bait Co., where he captures them and returns to his hideout. Robin is forced to watch, powerless, as Batman is trapped at the bottom of a pit that begins to fill with hot lava! Fortunately, Batman escapes and he and Robin march Brimstone off to jail.

Fast forward to 1983, where Lucien has been in a coma and in jail since hitting his head fighting Batman decades before. A doctor's injection brings back the villain's consciousness, but he finds himself trapped in an aged, atrophied body. Lucien concentrates hard and...

In 1983, the bombings of three houses of worship in Gotham City lead to riots and looting amid demands to catch the bomber. Batman follows a clue to the Lucien Chemical Co., where he fights off street toughs and meets a villain who calls himself Brimstone and who refers to having met Batman in the past, though Batman has no memory of this meeting. Batman tracks down Brimstone and stops him from setting off a bomb that would have killed three civic leaders and led to more violence in the streets. After being knocked unconscious, Lucien's mind is free of the evil influence of the other Brimstone, who is once again paralyzed but alive in his decrepit body.

Peter: This is a bit of a cheat since there's no real team-up, is there? But, heck, this is a lot of fun anyway and the art is fabulous; I love that Gibbons drew in the 1950s style in the first half and in the contemporary style in the second. The script is a bit complicated, but I appreciate what Barr was trying to accomplish. I was completely lost when we got to the "Batman Dead!" headline. Was this a ruse on the part of the Joker to get Brimstone riled up? Despite some really boring installments (Karate Kid, take a bow), I think I may just miss Brave and the Bold. It had a wonky, go-for-it attitude missing from the other two regular Bat-titles.

Jack: I've always enjoyed Earth-Two stories and I was happy to see this story have roots in both worlds. I really liked the first half of the story, which is a loving tribute to Batman comics of the 1950s, including retro art and plenty of corny quips and perilous cliffhangers. The second half of the story, set in the 1980s, was less successful. Still, as Peter notes, I'll miss The Brave and the Bold, especially for stories like this one that we don't see in the other Bat-comics.

As for the headline about Batman being dead, remember that Batman was dead on Earth-Two. That's why Brimstone got so riled up and took over his counterpart on Earth-One--he wanted to go after Batman and that was the only way to do it.

"Introducing: Batman and the Outsiders"

Story by Mike W. Barr

Art by Jim Aparo

A terrorist named Miklos is being held in chains at Gotham General Hospital, but his devoted followers will do anything to set him free! When one attacks the hospital, he encounters a new heroine named Halo, who is aided by the sudden appearance of Metamorpho. In another part of the hospital, Miklos's followers try to take hostages but must reckon with another new heroine named Katana; Black Lighting pitches in to help her. Outside the building, Batman realizes that something is wrong and summons this new team of heroes, calling them the Outsiders. A terrorist gets close to Miklos and sets off a bomb, alerting the last member of the team, Geo-Force, to the danger inside the building. Happily, Metamorpho protected everyone, and Batman tells Commissioner Gordon that he has joined a new super-team.

Peter: Reading this dreary, meandering mess, it occurs to me that I owe a debt of gratitude to Jack for agreeing to skip Batman and the Outsiders on this journey. I read the first couple issues back in the day when I was buying up all the monthly Bat-titles and I remember it being as sleep-inducing as JSA and JLA (the latter being a title I really liked in the late 90s but couldn't stand up to that point). There's no real reason for the powers-that-be to introduce another Bat-title (especially one populated by a bunch of sixth-tier heroes) other than to put an "Issue One" out there for collectors. Evidently, the comic-buying public agreed with me, since Batman and the Outsiders lasted only 32 issues.

Jack: I agree that this debut of the Outsiders is a bit stiff, but the team survives to this day. Just today, I was reading their latest exploits in the most recent issue of Batman:Urban Legends. I've discovered, to my surprise, that new DC comics can be excellent! I read some other Outsiders a year or two ago in the big Wal-Mart 100-pagers and they were great.

Hannigan & Giordano

Batman #361

"The Most Successful Species!"

Story by Doug Moench

Art by Don Newton & Pablo Marcos

Man-Bat has flown off with Jason Bard in his claws and Batman vows to find and rescue his new ward. The Dark Knight visits Man-Bat's wife Francine for help while Man-Bat explains to Jason why bats are "The Most Successful Species!" Now that he has taken Jason to replace the daughter he thinks is dead, Man-Bat plans to inject the boy with bat-serum and turn him into a boy-bat.

Man-Bat flies to the Batcave to get some serum from real bats, while Batman hatches a plan with the help of Vicki Vale. Just as Man-Bat is about to inject serum into Jason, he sees his wife and daughter in the nearby shadows, asking him to leave Jason alone. Batman manages to fight off Man-Bat with a little help from Jason and ends up injecting antidote into the creature, who turns back into Kirk Langstrom.

Bruce Wayne and Jason Bard plan to take in a movie and Commissioner Gordon is disgusted to learn that his new assistant is Harvey Bullock, a bad cop whom he suspended ten years ago.

Peter: I've always had as fond a spot in my heart for Man-Bat as I have for Marvel's Morbius. In fact, I love supernatural characters. Only problem is, based on "The Most Successful Species!" and the last several times the "villain" has been featured in a Bat-adventure, Man-Bat comes off as nothing but a clone of the Lizard. Isn't there anything original these writers could do with one of their most uniquely-designed critters? I like the fact that M-B got a little bit crazy and decided adopting Jason as his own was a great idea (we all know he would have sent the moppet back to Wayne Manor after just a few days), but the whole thing ends on a cliche. A pity.

Jack: There is a sameness to the recent Man-Bat stories, isn't there? He never seems particularly villainous and we know how it's going to end. I was puzzled at Batman's big plan to distract Man-Bat. If I understand it right, he took photos of Francine Langstrom and her daughter, then had Vicki Vale create life-sized cardboard cutouts that Batman placed in the shadows to trick Man-Bat into thinking his wife and child were there. Not only that, but Batman recorded Francine's voice and played it on a loop. He did all of this while Jason was on the verge of getting an injection that would have turned him into a bat. Wouldn't it have been better to grab Francine and the little tyke and head to the museum basement right away? It takes time to make those blow-ups!

Colan & Giordano

Detective Comics #528

"Requiem for Skulls"

Story by Doug Moench

Art by Gene Colan &Klaus Janson

Police are still searching the docks for any sign of the Savage Skull, who seemingly disappeared into the harbor last month. To make matters worse, the mayor has rehired eternal screw-up cop Harvey Bullock to take charge of the case and keep Gordon in line. A stray cop comes across the Skull below the pier and is murdered; Batman soon comes across the corpse and his suspicions are confirmed: the Savage Skull lives!

Meanwhile, Gordon's nerves are frayed and when he discovers the next morning that Harvey Bullock was notified about the dead cop before him, he hits the roof and takes his frustration and exhaustion out on his best friend and ally, the Dark Knight. Batman tells Gordon to take a chill pill and insists he's on the Commish's side. He knows Bullock is a bad cop and they need to team up to bring the goon down. But first they need to find the Skull!

Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor, Jason Todd gets a visit from a creepy clown he once knew at the circus. Stay tuned for more developments on that front. Bullock acts on a hunch and tracks the Skull to an abandoned boxing gym where Jack Crane used to hang out before he became the Savage Skull. Sure enough, the three-quarters-insane Crane is sitting at ringside, dressed in his boxing shorts. Quite a sight. Bullock tells the Skull he has to take him in and the villain's response is predictable. As the Skull's knife begins its descent, James Gordon busts in and saves Bullock, leaving himself open for assault. 

Batman enters none too soon and Crane challenges him to a boxing match. Being a good sport, Bats agrees and the two go toe-to-toe before the Caped Crusader lays the Skull out on the mat. As the count reaches ten and the bell sounds, Bullock thanks Gordon for saving his life and admits he thinks the Commish is an okay dude. Next day, at the press conference, Harvey takes credit for the collar and accuses Gordon of meddling. Bullock announces that Gordon should be fired.

Peter: Though there's really not much meat on the bone this time out, "Requiem for Skulls" does its job and entertains. The Skull becomes almost an afterthought here, with the Harvey Bullock situation taking center stage. The boxing scene is ludicrous. I can't help but wonder what would happen if Batman laid a right cross directly into the Skull's face. The guy's got no eyelids. How do those eyeballs stay in their sockets? He's got no lips, so those teeth would be scattered to the four corners of the ring!

I always liked Klaus Janson as Frank Miller's inker (and off-topic nostalgia note--Miller's Ronin series is hyped in this issue's letter column), but he does Gentleman Gene no favors here. It's all got an almost unfinished look to it, doesn't it? It's not awful, though; just a bit off. These Bat-books still have a powerhouse of talent in the art bullpen. It's odd that the Skull story line, begun in Batman, concludes in 'tec a month later.

Jack: Funny, I think Janson is Colan's best inker. He makes the pages look just like 1970s-era Tomb of Dracula. We all knew the Savage Skull was alive when he fell in the water; I'm glad he returned before I forgot about him. The new subplots look promising, both Harvey Bullock and the creepy clown, Waldo.

"Getting Up II: Poisoned Art"

Story by Joey Cavalieri

Art by Paris Cullins & Pablo Marcos

The Green Arrow has been blasted out of a thirty-story window by a strong, propulsive aerosol can created by a super-tagger with the moniker of Ozone. Using the thinking part of his brain, Ollie utilizes the spray can to blast himself back up to that thirtieth-story window. When he re-enters the building, he finds Ozone being manhandled by a gun-toting creep. Ollie uses his arrows to free the kid, but Ozone escapes out the window and our hero turns his attention to the overcoat-clad gunman. 

The man explains to Ollie that he's been sent by a government agency called Z.Z.Z to retrieve a canister that Ozone unwittingly stole. The can contains a deadly toxin that could kill the kid and infect the entire city. Rather than call the FBI, Ollie keeps the info close to the vest and goes back to work, joshing with the office tech kid (who seems to be wearing the world's most abysmal scarf). Ollie gets the bright idea to stage an Ozone gallery showing to bring the goofy felon out of hiding. The ruse works, but Ozone gets the better of the Arrow (and several gallery guests) by spraying their feet with a super-glue formula. The kid steals all of their wallets and thanks his fans for showing up.

Peter: I'm not sure where this arc is going, but so far it's filled to the brim with (enjoyable) poppycock. How could an aerosol spray can have enough power for its spray to reach the street and send Ollie back up to the top of the building? Yeah, I know, it's a comic book. Ollie's nonchalance about Ozone carrying around a disease that could kill thousands is, frankly, baffling. Guy barely breaks a sweat! The arc concludes next issue and Cavalieri will have to pack a boatload of expository into that eight pages, but if it's as goofy as this installment, it might be fun.

Jack: I thought the art was better this time out, but the story is still strictly from hunger and the villain is awful. Green Arrow could be such a cool character, but not here. And how does he think anyone doesn't recognize him with that pointy blond beard?

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD--THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE 1980s

We read 43 issues of The Brave and the Bold, from #158 (January 1980) through #200 (July 1983). These are the best stories from those issues!

Peter:

1- "The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne" (197)

2- "The Crystal Armageddon" (159)

3- "One of Us is Not One of Us" (173)

4- "Smell of Brimstone, Stench of Death" (200)

5- "Interlude on Earth-Two" (182)

Jack:

1-"Interlude on Earth-Two"

2-"The Batman's Last Christmas!" (184)

3-"Whatever Happened to What's'ername?" (187)

4-"Those Who Live By the Sword...!"(193)

5-"The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne!"

Next Week...
Jack and Peter will try their darndest
to understand the demons of Jeremiah Cold!

Batman in the 1980s Issue 42: June 1983

 

The Dark Knight in the 1980s
by Jack Seabrook &
Peter Enfantino

Hannigan/Giordano

Batman #360

"When Slays the Savage Skull..."

Story by Doug Moench

Art by Don Newton, Pablo Marcos & Ron Randall

Two Gotham City policeman have been brutally murdered by a madman with a knife! A third narrowly escapes the same fate when a car appears out of nowhere and the attacker runs off. Batman's training session with new sidekick Jason Todd is interrupted by a call from Commissioner Gordon, who asks the Caped Crusader to join him in interviewing the wounded policeman at the hospital.

Batman begins making the rounds of beat cops and gets a lead involving retired Officer Jack Crane; in the meantime, another policeman is savagely murdered by a maniac who refers to himself as the Skull. A visit to Crane's apartment results in Batman solving the mystery--Crane is a nut who (helpfully) scrawled "The Savage Skull Will Slay" on his own wall, right above photos of the dead cops and future victim Jim Gordon!

The Skull suddenly appears and he and Batman fight to a draw; the Dark Knight rushes to Commissioner Gordon's home and learns that Crane was a bad cop who was seriously injured in a fire after he shot an unarmed teenager. Later kicked off of the police force, Crane was bitter and now is engaged in blazing a trail of vengeance. Suddenly, the Savage Skull bursts through Gordon's window only to find Batman, whose punch knocks him right back out of the same window. The Skull runs for blocks until he is cornered at the docks, where Batman knocks him into the water. His head hits a piling on the way down and he disappears under the water, failing to surface.

Peter: Pretty dreary stuff. The origin of the Savage Skull is one of the oldest in comic books. Disfigured, the villain stalks the night searching for those who did him wrong. The art is adequate; nothing earth-shattering but it gets the message across. As does the new Bat-writer. Any hope that Doug Moench had shed his pretentious ways is shattered by such baloney-stuffed meanderings as: The night is hardly friend to everyone and, too, of those who do take succor within its dark mantle, few share the essence or intent of the Batman or a ruefully idiotic thought fleetingly intrudes--about missed lunch and lost calories. The Book of Adjectives always by his side, Doug Moench settles in for a long stretch scripting the Bat-titles. Heaven help us all!

Jack: I thought it was terrific! The murder that opens the story grabbed me with its dynamic art, and having Jason Todd as Batman's new ward is a huge development--the first such in over 40 years! Newton does a nice job of hiding the killer's face and showing a bit more with each attack until the reveal of the Skull's actual appearance is shocking. I thought this was an excellent debut for Moench, who tells an exciting story with a conclusion that leaves open the possibility that the Savage Skull may return.

Gene Day

Detective Comics #527

"Avatars of Vengeance"

Story by Doug Moench

Art by Dan Day & Pablo Marcos

Proving once again that he's the most absent-minded alter-ego of a super-villain, Dr. Kirk Langstrom forgets to take his antidote pill and the stress transforms him into Man-Bat! Langstrom skreeks into the night, searching for the man who made his life a living hell... Batman!

Meanwhile, that handsome billionaire playboy/masked vigilante is having a conversation with his best friend, Commissioner Gordon, who "cough cough" has seen better days. There's something just not right about the Dark Knight's old chum, but he chalks it up to that ol' debbil, exhaustion, and heads home to Wayne Manor...

...Where Robin wanna-be Jason Todd is chewing the furniture out of boredom. When Bruce shows up, Jason asks his new mentor if they can go to the picture show to brighten up their lives. Wayne happily agrees to cancel his "hot date" with Vicki (she'll be just fine, Bruce) and have a boy's night out with the precocious toddler.

Across town, Gordon is in a meeting with Mayor Hill, who is insisting they come up with a Savage Skull body or there will be hell to pay in regard to Gordon's future with the force. He also hints at an assistant to help Gordon along in his day-to-day chores. Gordon swoons, almost passes out, but chalks it up to exhaustion.

Having scoured the town and found no Batman, Man-Bat arrives at the last location he fought the Caped Crusader: Wayne Manor! The creature of the night flies through the caves and arrives at the secret passageway (which, as we recall from last issue, isn't all that hard to find) and attacks Alfred. The Batman arrives just in time and the battle moves into the Batcave, where Alfred and Jason watch the two bats scuffle. 

When Man-Bat ascertains that this scrawny little kid means something to the Dark Knight, he grabs the little pest and flies out of the cave, promising Batman the kid is as good as dead. With heretofore unbridled rage, Bats swears to the world that the kid gloves are off, no more Mr. Nice Guy, he's going to kill the Man-Bat!

Peter: Has there ever been a cooler villain misused in comics? We're literally talking giant vampire bat who follows the same routine every nine months or so:

1/Langstrom is either unable or unwilling to take his medicine.

2/He becomes the leathery-winged giant flying mammal.

3/He robs a bank or threatens an heiress and Batman fights him for an issue or two.

4/Batman takes pity on the big guy or Langstrom's wife shows up with the kid to remind the creature he's still human.

5/Langstrom swears he'll take his meds from here on out.

I'll give Doug credit for wanting to take all the cool stuff out of the toybox once he got the assignment, but I hope he does something more interesting with the rest of the Gallery (and a whole lot of them will be showing up in the next three years or so that Moench will be calling the shots). Obviously, Doug is hinting that the Commish will be taking some extended sick leave in the near future. Actually, he's not hinting; every panel Gordon occupies is loaded with warning signs, and it's astounding that the "world's greatest detective" just shrugs his shoulders.

I may be in the minority in saying that the art is not very good. It is, in fact, darn right amateurish in spots. Dan Day doesn't seem to be able to make his faces look like anything but bad sketches and the layout (though some fans might think it's unique) is annoying. Too many small panels

Eagle-eyed funny book fans will spot a poster of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, on Jason Todd's bedroom wall. Master of Kung Fu was a Marvel title made famous by Moench and Dan Day's brother, Gene. Doug had written the Shang-Chi title for years, right up until he jumped ship for DC a handful of months before this 'tec hit the stands. Sadly, Gene passed away at the too-young age of 31 in 1982, shortly before Moench's tenure ended.

Jack: If I turned into a bat every time I forgot to take my pills, you can be sure I'd set some sort of alarm to prevent that from happening. Here, Langstrom has been working so hard that Man-Bat just slipped his mind. Oops! I thought the cover was great (and now that you've explained that Gene Day drew MOKF, I think I see a Paul Gualacy influence) and was disappointed by the interiors by Dan Day. I agree with you that the faces and figures are not very good; the layouts are better but nothing we haven't seen before. Too many subplots in a sixteen-page story has me worried that Moench will fall victim to the Curse of Conway. 

"Getting Up"

Story by Joey Cavalieri

Art by Paris Cullins & Pablo Marcos

Ozone is a costumed "tagger" who's become extremely upset that a big corporation has stolen his "urban art." He breaks into the offices of Male Man magazine to steal it back but encounters Green Arrow. He tosses the bowman a special can of whizzbang that blows our hero right out of the 30th-floor window!

Peter: I was more intrigued by the idea of Male Man magazine than any of the low-rent shenanigans taking up seven precious pages that could have been given over to video game and Twinkies ads. Officially joining the Hall of Fame of Stupid Villains is Ozone, a victim of the times. Yes, tagging had just become a "thing" and, of course, comic book writers are hip to new "things." The art is certainly better this time around, if that's any consolation.

Jack: Blecch! This story has all of the hallmarks of what I did not like about comics in the 1980s. The story is terrible and the art is only a bit better. This back-up series started out well but plummeted quickly.

Aparo

The Brave and the Bold #199

"The Body-Napping of Jim Corrigan!"

Story by Mike W. Barr

Art by Ross Andru & Rick Hoberg

Jim Corrigan chats with a woman named Kalindra as the train they are riding on hurtles along. Suddenly, the brakes are applied, but not soon enough to avoid certain death from traversing a damaged bridge high above a river! The Spectre leaves Corrigan's body and holds up the bridge, saving everyone aboard the train, but when the spirit tries to return to its host body, it finds Corrigan is gone!

After searching the train and finding no trace of Corrigan, the Spectre flies to Gotham City to enlist the aid of Batman, the best detective he knows. The Dark Knight accompanies the Spectre back to the scene of the crime and finds traces of Corrigan's body being dragged to a highway; the Spectre is able to follow the car tracks to a spooky mansion, where Kalinda has used Corrigan's body to provide corporeal form for the spirt of her long-dead lover, Stephos. They had been cursed two centuries before by her husband for falling in love; as a result, she is immortal and he is trapped in the spirit world.

Once Batman and the Spectre have located Stephos in Corrigan's body, the Spectre challenges him to a duel that he can't refuse after Batman knocks his body unconscious with the Batarang. The Spectre then battles Stephos on the astral plane and, though Stephos transforms himself into a big, scary monster, the Spectre makes quick work of him and finishes off both him and Kalindra. Batman is shocked that the Spectre killed them, but the Spectre demonstrates that he has, instead, allowed them to be together as spirits at last.

Peter: I'd have liked to be a fly on the wall for the planning of that train wreck ("OK, I know this all hinges on a whole lot of coincidences and what-ifs, but let's give it a shot!) and there are a few other head-scratchers (the Spectre seems to be all-seeing and all-knowing, but he has to rely on Batman to help him track down his earthly body?), but the Spectre is one of my favorite DC characters. He's unearthly and macabre and you just don't know what to expect from the guy. The story's not bad, but Ross Andru's art is a see-saw. His mugs' mugs always look alike (Vanton immediately reminded me of such Amazing Spider-Man villains as the Grizzly), but he does know how to liven up the place now and then with a beautiful female figure. 

Jack: How cool is the Spectre? He can go from human-sized to giant-sized in the wink of an eye! The setup, with Corrigan abducted from a moving train, is intriguing, and the rest of the story is a lot of fun, more a Spectre story with special guest star Batman than a true team-up. It moves very quickly for a 23-pager and inker Rick Hoberg effectively smooths out some of the more unappealing visual tendencies of Andru.

Beam us up!

Next Week...
Is this the beginning of
The Bronze Age of Warren?