Batman in the 1960s Issue 48: November/December 1967

 

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

Infantino/Anderson

Batman #196

"The Psychic Super-Sleuth!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"The Purloined Parchment Puzzle"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

Batman and Robin are summoned to the site of a jewelry store robbery, only to meet Hungarian psychic sleuth Petru Dubrov, who uses his mental powers to lead the Dynamic Duo to the home of some reformed jewel thieves who claim that they've been playing cards all night. "The Psychic Super-Sleuth!" finds the stolen jewels in a tool chest and the men claim that they were set up; a quick fistfight with Batman and Robin doesn't end well for the hoods.

The next evening, Batman and Robin see a suspicious milk truck outside a mansion whose owners are away on vacation. A pair of masked crooks, dressed as mods, run out of the back of the truck and manage to escape, despite taking a few hits from the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Petru Dubrov holds a button torn from the jacket of one of the mods and leads Batman and Robin to a pool room, where three mods claim no knowledge of the theft. Dubrov finds the stolen loot in the trunk of their car, but Batman realizes they were not the thieves, since none was missing a button from his jacket. Dubrov is a fake!

Batman tracks the real Dubrov to a barn outside of Gotham City and fights a muscleman, who tosses the Dark Knight to the floor; he is saved by quick action by the Boy Wonder, who was given a telepathic warning about Batman's fall by the real Dubrov, who was trapped in a wooden crate in the barn. He leads the Dynamic Duo to intercept the real mods and, after they've been caught, he admits to Robin that it wasn't all ESP--he overheard the crooks discussing their destination!

I think we're getting near the end of Moldoff's exceedingly long run on the Batman comics, and none too soon! The art is the usual mix of awkward poses and dull page layouts that we've come to associate with Sheldon. The story is a throwaway; Dubrov is not a particularly interesting character. The best thing about this one is the appearance of the mods, who aren't particularly mod but who do serve as an example of DC's often cringe-worthy and late depiction of trends among the young and hip.

A pretrial hearing at Gotham City Courthouse examines "The Purloined Parchment Puzzle," where a rare, Ancient Roman document was stolen from a seemingly locked room. Batman is the star witness and he explains how security guard named Frost pulled off the theft.

It's odd that the entire story is told in flashback through snippets of court testimony, but that doesn't make it interesting. My favorite panel shows Batman relaxing on the witness stand, with one leg crossed over the other.-Jack

Peter- Neither one of these is a classic but I found both to be entertaining (albeit "Parchment" is a bit text-heavy). That might be just me dying for some good Batman comics rather than a reflection of their true quality. The Moldoff art just seems to run together. I wouldn't be surprised if, by 1967, the guy wasn't even reading the scripts. All the heavies are dressed the same and the Caped Crusaders continually strike the same poses. Were there any good DC comics at this time?

Kane/Anderson

Detective Comics #369

"Batgirl Breaks Up the Dynamic Duo!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

While assisting Batgirl in taking down some thugs in a remote swamp, Batman manages to come down with a bad dose of "swamp fever" but only Batgirl recognizes the symptoms. Assuming (correctly) that the Dark Knight is not one for resting during illness, Babs begins to shadow Batman and Robin while they are out on their patrols.

Thanks to her new "Multi-Color Light Tracer Beam," Batgirl can even anticipate where a heist will go down before the Caped Crusaders do and takes care of business before the Big Guy can arrive and endanger himself. Realizing that Bats won't slow down no matter what, our heroine takes a left turn and offers Robin a place on her Batbike as her new sidekick!

Batman's first side-effects of "swamp fewer," it seems, are hurt feelings, and he watches in awe and pain as Robin heads off into the sunset with Batgirl. At every robbery, the crestfallen hero arrives too late. That is, until he gets smart and changes his patrol route the next night. Batman attempts to halt a warehouse heist but collapses in mid-punch. Luckily, Batgirl and Robin arrive just in time to save him and put the cuffs on the thugs.

A few days later, Commissioner Gordon and daughter Babs visit Bruce Wayne at his hospital bed. Gordon hands over some Chinese oranges and wishes him the best. As his friends leave his room, Bruce wonders out loud to Dick Grayson if perhaps the Gordons know he's really Gotham's Guardian since Chinese oranges are "beneficial in helping one recuperate from 'swamp fever'!" Meanwhile, across town, Catwoman dons her claws and prepares to battle Batgirl for the affection of Batman!

The hokum continues. I'm no doctor, but I do believe the best course of action here might have been to alert "The World's Greatest Detective" that he may have a debilitating virus, whether it's assumed that he'll be stubborn or not. And how about the quick incubation period for Gotham "swamp fever" (leptospirosis usually takes one to two weeks after infection to show effects according to... um, my medical training)? Bats comes down with it literally minutes after he arrives at the scene! 

I'd love for Babs to explain in greater detail that incredible Multi-Color Lava Lamp Crime Detector she's affixed to her Moped. Its colors detect crime? Seems a pretty good tool to share with your crime-fighting colleagues, no? Bruce and Dick seem pretty calm in the final panels considering that, all evidence considered, Gordo and Babs have to have put two and two together (hmmmm... Batman and Bruce Wayne are stricken with "swamp fever" at exactly the same time?!) by now; after all, they're not idiots. The highlight of the story, of course, is the Catwoman tease. Other than Golden Age reprints, this will be our first look at one of Batman's most popular Rogues.-Peter

Jack-That dynamite cover by Kane and Anderson made the interior art by Infantino and Greene seem a little bit mannered to me. There are more than the usual shots of bodies leaning back or faces tilted to one side, all Infantino hallmarks. I didn't really understand why Batgirl thought she had to hide Batman's diagnosis of swamp fever from him. The highlight for me was the last page, where we see Catwoman in prison in a preview of the next issue of Batman.

Andru/Esposito

The Brave and the Bold #74

"Rampant Run the Robots!"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito

A quiet night in Gotham City is shattered by a string of robot robberies! Could it have something to do with the First International Robot Exposition, where robots from all over the world, including the Metal Man, have gathered? Batman stops by and Doc Magnus introduces the Caped Crusader to Dr. Daedalus, who wonders aloud if crime-fighting robots will ever replace Batman. In his efforts to combat the sudden, robot crime wave, Batman crashes the Batmobile into a robot roadblock and passes out.

He awakens to find the Metal Men leaning over him. Batman, the Metal Men, Doc Magnus, and Commissioner Gordon meet with Dr. Daedalus, who explains that someone messed with all of the robots except the Metal Men and Icarus, Daedalus's robot. The good robots are deputized to help and everyone fans out to try to figure out what's going on. After a few odd incidents, Batman accuses Doc Magnus and the Metal Men of being part of the crime wave. They are locked away and Batman continues battling robot mayhem.

Eventually, the Dark Knight realizes that the Metal Men are not crooks after all. For their part, the Metal Men have little trouble busting out of their prison once Doc Magnus begins to suffer from lack of oxygen. They defeat some rogue robots and rush off right before Batman arrives to reconcile. He meets Icarus, immediately realizes that he's lying, and secretly follows the robot to discover that all of the stolen loot has been stashed in the City Hall basement, right under Commissioner Gordon's office! Of course, Dr. Daedalus was behind the whole thing, and the Metal Men arrive in the nick of time to help Batman end the menace of the rampaging robots.

On page two of the story, Batman is killing time, patrolling Gotham City on a slow night and swinging from rooftop to rooftop, when he spins around a flagpole and remarks, "Here's one I did before anybody, including a certain web-spinning Peter-come-lately!" It's a cute reference to Spider-Man, whose popularity by 1967 must have been making the DC crew sit up and take notice. The rest of the story is simple, and I had no doubt from the first time Dr. Daedalus was introduced that he was behind the robot rampage. The art by Andru and Esposito isn't as annoying as it would later become.-Jack

Peter-I like the Metal Men; their title was goofy fun for quite a while during the 1960s. The concept was so out there that you could readily accept the inanities; I'm not sure Batman meshes with that goofiness. There was a phrase we coined way back during the Marvel University blog days, the MARMIS™, a convoluted situation lazy writers would use (usually while scripting Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One) wherein one superhero believes another superhero has perpetrated a crime, even though said hero knows the other hero is not a villain. Obviously, as evidenced by "Rampant Run the Robots!," DC writers actually created the trope. None of the dialogue Bob Haney has written here for the Dark Knight sounds like words that would come out of the brooding hero ("So let's go where the action is, Brucey boy!") although the swipe at Spider-Man is fun. This is just a hectic, frazzled mess.

Infantino/Esposito

Batman #197

"Catwoman Sets Her Claws for Batman!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Frank Springer & Sid Greene

There's a new crime fighter patrolling the streets of Gotham City by night in her Kitty Car--Catwoman! She foils an attempt to rob the payroll at Gotham Winery by the Parker Brothers, using her cat-o'-nine-tails to knock them out. Catwoman encounters Batman and Robin, who are also patrolling and who wonder what she's up to. The next night, the Dynamic Duo attempt to stop a robbery at a silk handkerchief factory; when the musclebound thugs begin to get the upper hand, Catwoman appears and helps to overcome them.

Catwoman tells Batman that she's a better catch than Batgirl and it becomes apparent that "Catwoman Sets Her Claws for Batman!" in a romantic way. The next day, Barbara Gordon is passing the time in the library and thinking about Catwoman's strange turn from criminal to crimefighter. Figuring out the location of a crime in progress, Barbara puts on her Batgirl costume and rushes to the scene on her Batbike, only to find that Catwoman is already there. The two women battle the evil doers, but Batgirl is knocked for a loop while Catwoman prevails. At Police Headquarters, Batgirl is forced to admit to Batman that she blew it.

Soon, Selina Kyle (Catwoman) is autographing her new book for her adoring fans and turning down an invitation from Bruce Wayne to attend a charity dinner, unaware of his other self. Catwoman continues to fight crime, hoping that it will attract Batman. Finally, she confronts him and asks him to propose to her, but he declines. The next night, Batman and Robin, Batgirl, and Catwoman all arrive at a rare coin shop where crooks are trying to make off with the goods. During the melee, Catwoman knocks out Batman while crooks handle Batgirl and Robin. Batgirl realizes that all of the crooks that Catwoman has defeated were really working for her and Catwoman takes the Caped Crusader to her catacombs, where she unmasks him, only to find that he painted a mask on his face!

Catwoman discovers the same thing when she unmasks Robin and Batgirl. When Batman refuses to propose to her, she resumes her life of crime and robs five wealthy people as they play cards at a private club. Back at the Catacombs, she thinks that she has the trio of heroes under control until Batgirl surprises her by knocking her out. In the end, Batgirl tells Catwoman that she is not romantically interested in Batman, something Catwoman has a hard time believing.

Frank Springer's art is a hair better than Sheldon Moldoff's, but not nearly as good as Carmine Infantino's. The story is absurd and is yet another in the line of tales involving Batgirl that demonstrate how different things were for women in the 1960s. I presume Catwoman returned due to her frequent appearances on the TV show, but Julie Newmar was way better than this lovesick feline. At least the cover is a knockout.-Jack

Peter- Absurd it might be, silly as well, but this was the most fun I'd had reading a Batman comic in months. I'm glad to see Catwoman back; the continual carousel of Joker/Penguin/Riddler was getting tired. We need more villains! Hopefully, this hero version of Selina won't last long. One more thing I'd politely disagree with Jack on is the art. Springer's work here is energetic, resembling the 1950s style we've come to appreciate in the reprints.

Infantino/Adams

Detective Comics #370

"The Nemesis from Batman's Boyhood!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

While fighting the Blitzkrieg Bandit, a new nemesis plaguing Gotham, Batman realizes the villain is, in fact, Bart Lambert, a kid who used to pick on pre-teen Bruce Wayne. Lambert would terrorize the poor little rich kid (who evidently went to public school for some reason) until little Brucie wised up and hit the gym, putting on several pounds of muscle. The problem is, by the time Wayne had bulked up, Lambert had already left school.

But now, he's back, and grown-up Bruce/Batman seems just as terrified of Lambert/Blitzy as ever before. The two tangle on a couple of occasions and both times Batman can't seem to land a killing blow. How can this hurdle be overcome?

After looting Wayne Manor, stealing a priceless painting by Borot, and beating the crap out of Batman in his own driveway, Lambert is frightened away by the headlights of an oncoming car. That would be Alfred and Aunt Harriet returning from the picture show. Alfred hustles Harriet away before she can see the cloaked pile of beaten flesh in the drive. Robin, having been told to stay out of the fight, disobeys orders and hops in the Batmobile to chase Lambert.

Alfred revives his boss and lets him know that Robin has been calling for him on the com. Batman answers and receives a disturbing message: Robin has been shot and left for dead by Lambert! Bats grabs the 'copter and takes to the skies to rescue his youthful ward. He arrives at the scene, takes no pulse, and decides that, yep, Robin is dead!

His heart full of vengeance, Batman heads into a nearby house, searching for his old tormentor. Sure enough, Lambert is hiding out there and ready to give the big guy another whuppin'. But, no, Robin's "death" has ramped up the Dark Knight's temper and he beats the living crap out of Lambert. Later, while standing triumphant over the bleeding, broken carcass of the bully he never beat, Batman is astonished to see Robin emerge from the shadows, clearly not dead. The kid's been taking psych class at Gotham Elementary and knew his idol needed a bit of motivation in order to put Lambert in his rear-view forever. "This kid!," Batman sighs, as he watches the vultures descend upon Bart's corpse.

Well, that's the ending I'd have preferred. At least that image might have provided a bit of surprise to this tepid "adventure." Every couple of years, we're invited to witness yet another "lost episode" from Bruce Wayne's past. Here, we discover that maybe it wasn't Pop's death that got little Bruce to train, but a big bully at school! 

I really have to question how Lambert got back up after Batman threw him head-first into a tree. Most human beings don't get up from that kind of trauma. This guy really must have been a Super-Bully! The biggest laugh of the year has to go to Batman, coming across the "dead body" of Robin and deciding that checking for vitals would be a waste of time. He needs to pound Lambert right now! "World's Greatest Detective!"-Peter

Jack-It's embarrassing that Batman, who has battled every sort of crook, can't bring himself to knock out the bully who pummeled him when he was a boy without some psychological trickery by the Boy Wonder. How about that cover, though? It's hard to see much evidence of Infantino's pencils--maybe in Robin's face?

Next Week...
Can Anyone Survive the
Onslaught of The Insects??!!

Batman in the 1960s Issue 47: September/October 1967

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

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #367

"Where There's a Will--There's a Slay!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

The Rajah Ruby is hurled through a Wayne Manor window and Alfred and Dick are rudely awoken. They meet downstairs and muse about the case of the Round-Robin Murders, a mission that has yet to be concluded. Robin hypothesizes that the Ruby was tossed through the window to lure Bruce Wayne into picking it up and returning it to his super-secret wall safe. It must be booby-trapped!

Sure enough, after the pair grab a medieval Viking shield (dating back to the 5th Century) as protection, they detonate the safe and head down to the Batcave to see if Master Bruce is deep in thought. The Batmobile is gone, so Dick surmises correctly that his boss must be out looking for Fred Tinney, who has been missing since last issue. As he's rummaging around Batman's work station desk, doubtless looking for clues, Dick finds the last will and testament the Dark Knight penned in the closing panels of #366.

Outraged that Bruce left him only $10.66, Dick is about to call a lawyer when Al remarks that it might be a clue as to what's going on since Batman's thought process was altered by gas last issue and he can't reveal anything about the case. Between the two masterminds, the faux will is deciphered and the name "Hastings" comes through loud and clear. Turning to the Bat-Crime-Files computer, they quickly print up a pic of "Doc" Hastings. "This has got to be the guy who forced Bruce to leave me only ten bucks in his will!"

Al explains that Master Bruce will be giving a lecture on taking advantage of third world countries to a room full of billionaires at the Wayne Foundation and that might be a good place to share notes. Dick agrees and tells Al to gas up the Bat-copter. Robin arrives at the Wayne Foundation building and catches a glimpse of Hastings, disguised as an electrician (though I would have guessed hair dresser since Hastings seems to be clutching a blow dryer) through an upper floor window and crashes through.

A terrific battle ensues but (as usual) Robin is bested and lays near death, the victim of a terrible electric shock. Hastings rigs up a death trap for Batman and then sends a communication to Bruce in the meeting room that if he wants to save Robin's life, he'd best get to the control room, pronto. Bruce makes his apologies and exits stage left. When he arrives, he notes that Robin is stiff and wearing blush (or something like that) and deduces he's the victim of electrical mayhem. Bruce resuscitates his partner and then discovers a grenade hidden under the boy. Dastardly!

Explosive device safely in hand, Batman announces he's going to visit Gotham Electric Company to trace any huge amounts of electricity used. In that way, they can discover Hastings's secret hideout. After receiving a lecture on how the Caped Crusader could save money on LED lights and better insulation in the Batcave, the gorgeous blonde employee dives into the company records and submerges with Hastings's address. 

Bats immediately heads over to the address (it's the place lit up like Frankenstein's castle) and enters into fisticuffs with the mad genius criminal mastermind. After falling into a couple of dangerous but easily-outmaneuvered death traps, Batman delivers the knockout punch with a Batarang and delivers Hastings to the pokey. Later, at the Batcave, our hero sorts through the pile of educational material received from the electric company and begins the arduous task of weatherizing the Batcave.

It's a stroke of genius on the part of "The World's Greatest Detective" to visit the electric company to trace the customer using an inordinate amount of electricity. Think about it. So many of Batman's most dangerous adventures could have been wrapped up much earlier if he'd called the Department of Motor Vehicles to get the address on the Jokermobile's registration. Or what if he'd called Safeway to find out who was getting a large amount of cold cuts and beer delivered to their hideout? Bats need never leave his Batcave to apprehend the most vile of villains! I could see it now: Batman 80-Page Special, The Most Thrilling Batman Library Card Investigations! Couldn't the Batcave be tracked in the same manner? 

How is it the Caped Crusaders crash through windows and never get sliced up? Robin's costume includes bare legs. This kid should be a human jigsaw but shows no signs of scarring. I'm not sure this case really needed two issues to tell. There's barely anything there. What happened to Fred Tinney? Dick makes a big deal about Batman heading out to find Tinney, but he never shows up until the final panel. And how could Carmine Infantino be in any way responsible for the slapdash graphics in this issue (including Dick with a full head of Wayne Newton's hair)? Deadline doom, I say. The superhero stuff looks okay, but Bruce and Dick are unrecognizable. Paul Seydor, author of one of the best film studies of all time, Peckinpah: The Western Films, confesses he's fallen hard for Batgirl!-Peter

Jack-I noticed the little Batman head on the top left of the cover, which was surely added to make it clear who starred in this comic book even when it was behind others on a newsstand. The head first appeared last issue, but without a circle, and it would last four more issues before disappearing. I wonder if any kid cut up the cover to see if the puzzle pieces fit? The only mystery inside the comic is why Infantino and Greene's art looks so rough, both on the lead Batman story and on the backup Elongated Man story. I peeked ahead and Infantino's time on the book will soon come to an end. I didn't think the climax to this two-parter was very interesting, though I did wonder how this random villain could hold his own so well in a fistfight with the Caped Crusader.

Infantino/Anderson

Batman #195

"The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff, Joe Giella, & Jack Abel

A thief named Ned Creegan sneaks into Old Man Logan's lab, looking to steal valuable jewels used in experiments. After knocking out the scientist, Creegan enters a radiation chamber and steals jewels embedded in a light panel on the ceiling, ignoring a trio of animals in the chamber. The thief runs to see Charley the Fence, but before the jewels change hands, Batman and Robin appear, and a battle ensues.

Suddenly, Ned Creegan turns into a glowing skeleton, and his touch is charged with electricity! He knocks out the Dynamic Duo and returns to Logan's lab, where the scientist explains that the radiation in the chamber turned Creegan into a living skeleton. Logan has been working on a cure for radiation poisoning that he can sell to the highest bidder, so he gives Creegan a white pill that temporarily returns him to human form. The thief must take another white pill every so often, and every second he's a skeleton means one day less in his life! Logan also gives Creegan purple pills that will turn him back into a skeleton at will.

At the Batcave, Batman and Robin quickly figure out what happened and charge their gloves with static electricity, certain that Creegar has either a positive or a negative charge that will react to the gloved hands. Like any Gotham City crook, Logan can only think of how he can profit from his radiation poisoning, so he enters a bank to rob it. When a guard interrupts him, Creegan swallows a pill and becomes "The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man!" After leaving the bank, he goes to rob a museum, where the Dynamic Duo catch up with him. Another battle follows and, due to the charged gloves, Creegar is knocked down.

He explains his situation to Batman and the trio visit Dr. Logan, who unleashes the trio of skeletal animals on Batman and Robin. After winning another fight, Batman insists that Logan whip up more white pills to help Creegar. In the end, Logan and Creegar are sentenced to twenty years in prison, and Batman remarks that Logan will continue his experiments, not only to help Creegar but also to benefit the good old U.S.A.

This full-length story is unusually interesting, and the art is more dynamic than we're used to from Moldoff and Giella; perhaps the addition of Abel on some inks helped. The business with the radiation and the electric charges is complicated but not ridiculous, and Creegar's plight held my interest. Will he be back in a future issue?-Jack

Peter- Poor Jack is as starved for quality as I am, so he sees something in this mess I can't ascertain. The only spark-spangle of brilliance comes from the animal skeleton battle. My loudest chuckle rose from the panels when Dr. Logan is explaining to Spank-Sparkler how his pill will aid mankind and save millions of lives and then punctuates his lecture (accompanied by violin soundtrack) with "and it'll make me a billionaire!" How does the Stark-Strangler breathe or see without lungs or eyeballs? Yeah, I should relax and just enjoy a few minutes of brainless fun, but these details keep me awake at night. I love that there's an informant on the street named Billy Blabbermouth. Do you think he comes from a long line of Blabbermouths? The Gotham phone book: Billy Blabbermouth... Eddie Explosivesexpert... Robert Safecracker... There's a missive from future comics writer Tony Isabella (now known as "Jenny Blake") on the "Letters to the Batcave" page, wherein he derides some of the cliches used in a previous adventure. Of course, within a decade, Tony would be perfecting those cliches in his own scripting.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #368

"7 Wonder Crimes of Gotham City!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

Madison Gotham Square Garden. A tightly-contested match between the hometown Giants and the Quebec Rebels is interrupted by a puck that explodes and emits a paralyzing gas (yes, that tiny puck holds enough gas to paralyze the entire arena instantly!). Hoods emerge from the shadows and steal every wallet from every pocket of every slumbering attendee and then make their escape, leaving behind only a huge ballon in the shape of Gotham's founder, Father Knickerbocker.

Batman and Robin arrive to investigate after the arena is emptied but the only clue they find is the huge "7" on the back of the balloon. Eliminating the fact that Gary Aldcorn wore the "7" on his jersey for two seasons with the Gotham Giants, Batman exclaims that he is baffled. Next night, Bruce and Dick are enjoying an evening of no crime by visiting the "Gotham City: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" exhibit at the Architectural Fair. Dick is amazed by the built-to-scale replica of Wayne Manor (housed within one room!) and the pair head in, voicing their pleasure at the marvel. While inside the exhibit, the lights suddenly increase in brightness and the pair are rendered almost blind.

Sensing another crime in motion, the boys reach within their bulging utility belts and don sunglasses treated with shoe polish, enabling them to see through the glare. They are shocked to witness thugs attempting to steal the Modiglianis (don't ask) gifted to Bruce from his father and loaned to the exhibit. The boys put quick work to the amateur hoods and then Batman attempts to question them as to their origins. The thugs lawyer up and remind Batman that this is 1967 America, where every citizen enjoys the right of defense and a fair, impartial trial.

The next night, while on patrol, Batman and Robin are startled by the appearance of a huge Batman balloon straddling Gotham Harbor. A blackout ensues. Using their keen detective brains, the boys quickly sense something amiss when hoods shoot out the Batmobile headlights and the area is engulfed in darkness. Reaching into their utility belts, the pair don night goggles and head into the night, where they come across a group of felons... standing around doing nothing. Knowing full well that nattily-dressed men with infra-red glasses are always up to no good, the Caped Crusaders engage in fisticuffs. As Batman stands over the corpses of the defeated criminals, he sighs and admits they are no closer to understanding the motive behind these amazing crimes.

Back at the Batcave, while doodling on the chalk board, Batman suddenly arrives at the "common denominator"--all three crimes are metaphors for the seven wonders of the world. No, really! With that in mind, Batman remembers that the world's biggest diamond, the Juggernaut, will be on display at the Temple of Artemis the following day. Robin correctly chimes in that Artemis is the Greek word for Diana, whose temple is another of the seven wonders! Next day, the Dynamic Duo arrive at the Temple to thwart an attempt to steal the diamond and Batman corrals the evil mastermind (who shall go nameless for some reason). The crook boasts that someday (likely in three weeks) he will be paroled and continue his crime spree. 

We can only hope for a continuation of this, one of the most dazzling adventures ever put down in four colors. Those utility belts continue to grow, this time spitting out a tin of shoe polish and several pairs of special eyewear. Before long, the pair will be lugging around "utility duffle bags."

I'll never understand why these "criminal masterminds" feel the need to tip their hand in some mysterious way. Can you see the (curiously unnamed) "mastermind" sitting around a table (eating cold cuts and drinking beer delivered from Safeway), drawing up his master plan for seven heists involving the seven wonders and then punctuating it with "and all the while, we'll be laying out clues for the "World's Greatest Detective" to catch us. At what point does one of the nattily-dressed hoods interrupt and ask why they can't just steal stuff without getting caught?

It would be easy and lazy to suggest that the TV show caused the "dumbing-down" of the two titles we're seeing during this era, since the Batman adventures were inane to begin with, so perhaps "dumb" comes in tiers. It's sad that, as Jack notes below, Neal is on his way and we can't wait. Drudging through these moronic scripts and childish stick figures is depressing. Is it asking too much for some spark of enthusiasm and originality? I can't remember the last time I read a Bat-story that stayed with me more than five minutes.-Peter

Jack-Though I thought the Batman and Robin story was below average, even for Moldoff, I was excited by the Elongated Man story, which was a team-up with the Atom and which featured some very nice art by Gil Kane. Next issue's Elongated Man story will be drawn by Neal Adams, and I can't wait till he starts working on Batman!

Next Week...
More Glorious Wally!

Batman in the 1960s Issue 46: July/August 1967

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

Various

Batman #193

"Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride!"

Story by David Vern

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #56, January 1950)

"The Armored Batman"

Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Stan Kaye

(Reprinted from Batman #111, October 1957)

"His Majesty, King Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #96, December 1955)

"Holy Smoke"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Jack Burnley & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from the Sunday strips, 1/7/45-2/18/45)

"Batman and the Vikings!" 

Story Uncredited

Art by Bob Kane and Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #52, May 1949)

"Mayor Bruce Wayne!" 

Story by David Vern

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #179, January 1952)

"The Flying Batman"

Story by David Vern

Art by Bob Kane & Stan Kaye

(Reprinted from Batman #82, March 1954)

Definitely pre-code!

Jack-A mixed bag this time out, with the highlights being the two stories penciled by Dick Sprang: "Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride!" from late 1949 and "Mayor Bruce Wayne!" from about two years later. Both feature clever, funny scripts by David Vern, especially "Bat-Hombre," where the Caped Crusader travels to Latin America to train a local hero to be Bat-Hombre and defeat a notorious criminal. Sprang's panel and page designs are always fun to look at and he is equally good at action and comedy.

The Sunday newspaper serial this time out has art that recalls the interior art in pulp magazines of the '40s, though Bill Finger's story isn't terribly interesting. The rest of the tales either have Bob Kane's primitive art or Sheldon Moldoff's imitation of Kane's work--"The Flying Batman" from 1954 is credited to Kane in the GCD but I think it may well be Moldoff.

Peter- The best thing about these 1940s and 1950s adventures is that Batman is usually put into some goofy situations (as opposed, you say, to fighting three-eyed Martians in Gotham Square) and there are some beauts here--the mustachioed Bat-Amigo or the full-armor-wearing Dark Knight (good trick swinging through the air in that get-up) are, to say the least, unique. The art, even the stuff delivered by Moldy, easily tops the work we're being subjected to in the 1960s titles. The revelation here is "Holy Smoke," which blew my doors wide open in art if not in prose. The syndicate pages have a style, choreography, and excitement to them (see left) that's completely missing in contemporary comics. My favorite sequence in this issue would have to be in "Batman and the Vikings," where Dick and Bruce, as if in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, discuss Bruce's look-alike Viking ancestor, capped off by that "This is the disgraced coward who..." reveal. Best chuckle I've had in years.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #365

"The House the Joker Built!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

The Joker unfurls his most dastardly and evil plot in Bat-history: undercutting Bat-Merchandise at Gracey's Department Store. No, seriously... I'm not pulling your leg... read on if you dare. Selling his Joker Tees at five for ninety-nine cents sends the burgeoning Bat-Marketplace into a spin. Who wants Bat-Tees at a buck a pop when you can wear the Master of Mirth across your chest for a fifth of the price?

Gracey's manager shoos off the Joker, but the damage is done and soon after we find the Dynamic Duo in Gordon's office (he's wearing one of the cheap Joker Tees by the way--no fool him) pondering the villain's ploy. It takes them four panels to come up with nothing (World's Greatest Detective, my foot) and the Caped Crusaders hit the streets to patrol.

That's where they see a Joker-Signal lighting up the skies. Proving that (despite what the critics say) he is the World's Greatest Detective, Batman surmises that the signal is either being sent from the Joker or to the Joker! The boys follow the signal to the Gotham Rare Metals Factory, where they interrupt a heist being perpetrated by Joker and some nattily-dressed goons. Our heroes engage in fisticuffs but are thrown off their game when Joker ejects an exploding button onto Batman's head. He then gasses them and escapes.

The next morning, Bruce and Dick discuss their botched attempt at catching their arch-enemy (forgetting that they always let him escape once or twice before slapping the cuffs on) and the conversation naturally turns once again to the cut-rate Joker clothing. Bruce slaps himself in the head and declares that their insane adversary must have a retail clothing outlet hidden somewhere. "Holy Men's Wearhouse, Batman, you're right!," exclaims Dick and the pair head out to grill one of their tipsters.

The rat informs Bats that the Joker is hiding his gear in the basement of the Old Gotham Hotel. The boys arrive just in time for the two for one Joker boxer shorts sale. They once again engage in fisticuffs but are blindsided by the Clown Prince of Crime's paper snakes, which wrap themselves around the heroes. Joker hoofs it into the next room, where we discover an elaborate TV camera and stage, including a huge Joker head. Turns out the insane trickster is running his own cable company, with mobsters paying big bucks to watch the Caped Crusaders get beaten up. The boys finally get loose from their snake entrapment and head into the Joker head for a battle royale. They emerge victorious and criminals around Gotham file a class action lawsuit against Joker, claiming bait and switch. 

Just when you thought the Batman scripts had brushed the bottom of the barrel, John Broome says "Hold my beer!" If not for the fact that Broome's script writing had never contained wit or irony, I would say this was the scribe's subtle way of poking his finger into the side of the Bat-merchandise armada that had swept the nation by Summer of '67. Nope, this is just a dumb plot with some truly rank art. If we still ranked our Best and Worst of the Year, this would be a shoo-in for top dog. The sooner we get through this camp phase, the better.-Peter

Jack-Wow! That cover! And then the disappointment of opening up to see that Moldoff drew yet another average Joker tale. The Joker's branded merchandise reminded me of a certain current U.S. president who slaps his face on everything and sells it at inflated prices. At least Joker T-shirts are cheap! The idea of a Joker TV show broadcast to crooks is a good one but the execution was lacking.

Batman #194

"The Blockbuster Goes Bat-Mad!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Chic Stone (?) Sheldon Moldoff (?) & Joe Giella

"The Problem of the Proxy Paintings!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

Who is the new employee at the Wayne Foundation? Why it's Mark "Blockbuster" Desmond, who's been cuddly as a kitten ever since a fistfight with Solomon Grundy knocked all the hate out of him. He takes some of his salary and goes to the toy section of a department store to buy a present for Dr. Sloane, a new member of the foundation's staff, but when the big guy sees a standee of Batman, "The Blockbuster Goes Bat-Mad!" and tears it to bits. He calms down when a pair of friendly policemen show up.

At Police HQ, a Wayne Foundation scientist questions BB and makes the mistake of mentioning Batman, with predictable results. BB bursts through a brick wall and goes looking for his enemy! Batman and Robin find him back in the toy department, where Batman tries to calm Blockbuster by taking off his mask, recalling that BB likes Bruce Wayne, who pulled him out of quicksand years ago. The move fails and fisticuffs follow. After knocking out both Batman and Robin, Blockbuster makes his way back to the quicksand bog, where he grows angry that Bruce Wayne/Batman isn't there to save him again. He manages to pull himself out. Batman rushes to the island and finds BB, who grabs his enemy and throws him in the quicksand. Batman emerges wearing a Solomon Grundy mask and Blockbuster pulls him out of the muck. Batman then throws BB into the quicksand and saves him again, thus associating Batman with happy times and curing BB's mental problem.

Once again, a stunning cover gives way to a terrible story. The GCD posits that either Moldoff or Chic Stone did the pencils and I'll admit they look a bit different than the usual Moldy panels. The character of Blockbuster is so silly and one-note that the stories generate little interest. The whole premise is a bit of pop psychology, and the sight of Batman bobbing up out of the quicksand wearing a Solomon Grundy mask is one I'd rather forget.

During a friendly bridge game at the home of armchair detective Martin Tellman, art expert Haverford Mimms tells Tellman that the paintings on his walls that he thinks are copies are really valuable originals! Only the Mystery Analysts can solve "The Problem of the Proxy Paintings!" Batman heads over to Tellman's house to examine the paintings and surprises a trio of crooks who are stealing them. Reginald Stonefellow admits that he secretly bought the originals for his friend Martin and replaced the copies without telling him; this was a secret reward for Tellman's having saved the life of Stonefellow's son over a decade before. But how did the crooks find out about the paintings?

Batman figures out that the owner of the Gotham Curio Shop noticed that the copies were sold to him right after the originals had been purchased, and he put two and two together. Batman disguises himself and two of the Analysts as the three crooks; they meet the curio shop owner in a park at midnight, ostensibly to give him the stolen paintings. The owner knows right away that these are not the crooks, however, and only some quick thinking by Batman prevents them all from being shot. In the end, Tellman donates the paintings to the Gotham City Museum of Art.

The best thing about this story is that Blockbuster is nowhere to be seen. The Mystery Analysts series is puzzling because it never seems to feature any particular analysis by anyone but Batman. The other members of the club are all stereotypes, including the annoying Kaye Daye, a mystery novelist who dresses like it's about 1948. Come to think of it, much of Moldoff's work looks stuck in an earlier decade. It sure doesn't look like 1967 America.-Jack

Peter- It could be argued that most of the 1960s Batman adventures follow a rote pattern, but the "Blockbuster" series never strays from its inane course: Blockbuster returns to beat Bats to death but, by strip's end, is converted to Bat-lover again. Why bother? To add the dismal graphics is like adding pigeon droppings to a plate of bat guano. The highlight, for me, is Batman emerging from the quicksand (not very efficient quicksand at that) with a note-perfect Grundy mask. Not much better is the second story, which at least has a mystery to hang its hat on. A bonus is that the exposition-heavy word balloons cover up most of the Moldoff/Giella scribbles. I would say you've reached a nadir when alien invasions and talking gorillas seem like good ideas right now.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #366

"The Round-Robin Death Threats"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

Bruce Wayne receives an eerie letter in the mail; once he reads the contents, the missive bursts into flames. When Alfred queries his boss as to the thrust of said correspondence, Bruce can only mumble like an idiot. What sort of dastardly device has been implanted in the brain of the alter ego of the guy whose name is splashed across the cover of this here funny book?

A few panels later, we discover that the letter ordered Bruce (as Batman) to visit Commissioner Gordon at his plush Gotham condo and instruct him to turn on his short-wave radio at exactly nine o'clock. Batman (rightly) suspects that there might be something sinister afoot so he purposely heads out to find some criminals to beat on in order to miss the 9 PM deadline. 

Our hero stumbles into a heist and engages in slow-motion fisticuffs, but some inside deadly force takes over and escalates the battle. Like the Flash, Batman delivers blow after blow at lightning speed and then hops in the Batmobile to get to Gordon's for his 9 PM mission. He makes it just in time and orders Gordon to crank up the old short-wave and tune the dial to 1207. Gordon scoffs but ultimately heads for the box, where he...

Suddenly, we are thrust one hour into the past! Dick Grayson finishes his Introduction to Math assignment and is looking for trouble when Alfred, who didn't want to disturb the tyke, details the strange events that had just occurred (the burning letter, Bruce heading out the door with a glazed look in his eyes, etc.) and opines that perhaps they should investigate. Dick uses some tricks that his boss once taught him and reassembles the smoldering letter. "Holy zombie, Alfred! This might be the most dangerous mission I've ever been assigned!," exclaims the hyper toddler, as he bolts for the Batcave.

From there, he pilots the Bat-copter and arrives at Gordon's apartment just in time to intervene in the short-wave operation. A well-aimed Batarang triggers a concealed dart, which flies harmlessly from the machine. Batman has a lick and determines the weapon is treated with a rare poison. Just then, Gordon gets a glazed look in his eyes and begins mumbling like an idiot. "Where have I seen this behavior before?," queries the World's Greatest Detective. With no time to answer his own mystifying question, Batman grabs Robin and they both tail Gordon to a "shabby tenement house" (not in the neighborhood of Wayne Manor) owned by John Kobler. 

Gordon knocks on the door and then walks away. Using his brilliant brain, Batman surmises something dangerous in the action and breaks the door down before Kobler can answer. Sure enough, the shabby tenement doorknob is wired to deliver deadly electrical shocks. Had Kobler opened the door, he'd have been fried! As Batman is questioning Kobler, the man suddenly gets a glazed look in his eyes and mumbles like an idiot. "Hmmmm," says our hero as he scratches his chin. Kobler reaches for his phone; Robin allows the dazed man to dial but not to complete his call. Once Batman calls his connection down at Gotham Pac-Bell and traces the number, he discovers that it belongs to famed sports writer Fred Tinney!

The Dynamic Duo hop in the Batmobile and head to Tinney's "plush apartment" (evidently, sportswriting paid well in 1967), where Batman grabs the man's phone and dumps it in the bathtub. He deduces (somehow) that a deadly "intense sound-wave" would emanate from the device once it was answered, killing all within earshot. Suddenly, Tinney gets a glazed look in his eyes and starts mumbling like an idiot... Suspecting they've seen these symptoms before, Batman and Robin hop in their ride and follow the zombie-like figure of Tinney as he makes his way down the street.

Tinney suddenly ducks into a jewelry shop and finds a heist a-happenin. The Caped Crusaders put the KO on the criminals but discover that Tinney has disappeared. Where could his destination be? Back at Wayne Manor, Batman thought balloons that he's sure that Tinney will find himself drawn to the estate; the Dark Knight is positive that the next target is his alter ego, Bruce Wayne! Unable to alert Dick Grayson (due to the gas he inhaled that controls all his emotions... or something like that), Batman turns to us, the loyal reader, to share what he suspects is going on.

Years before, Batman arrested scientist-turned-criminal "Doc" Hastings for a robbery at Gotham Laboratories. The witnesses to the theft were Commissioner Gordon, Fred Tinney, John Kobler, and Bruce Wayne. Now, after serving seven years of hard labor in the dungeons of Gotham Prison, Hastings is out and seeking revenge. Unable to tell Robin exactly what's going on, Batman pens a last will and testament, leaving a clue for Robin should Hastings somehow get the better of the Caped Crusader. 

TO BE CONTINUED!

A two-parter was extremely rare in 1960s DC so "The Round-Robin Death Threats" gets a little more of my attention than the usual Bat-adventure. Of course, the fact that Carmine is at the helm of the graphics also adds a star to my rating (although Infantino has a bad habit of aping Andru/Esposito in those "bulging eyes" panels). So, how's the plot? It's okay, nothing special, but when compared with the previous issue's dross, it's elevated into near-Miller/Englehart territory. It is nice to see the Batman (and Robin, who almost steals the spotlight from the boss with his burnt letter trick) employ detective skills to rustle up clues. I love how Alfred waits until Dick is done with his homework to alert the kid that Bruce may be in mortal danger. Priorities!-Peter

Jack-Easily the best new story of the month, "The Round-Robin Death Threats" has dynamic art by Infantino and Greene, a grabber of a cover, and a cliffhanger ending! I'm sure we've had continued stories in the Batman comics before, but off the top of my head I can't recall the last one. The Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder work well in tandem here, making me wonder how Fox's scripts can be so hit or miss.

Next Week...
Wally Wood (briefly)
Visits the Atlas SF/Horror Titles!