Star-Spangled DC War Stories! Part 1: June 1959

by Corporals Seabrook & Enfantino

Grandenetti

Our Army at War 83

"The Rock and the Wall!"
Story by Bob Kanigher
Art by Joe Kubert

"Flying Baby Sitter!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"The D-Day Sun!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Mort Drucker

PE: Though this is obviously not the first issue of Our Army At War, our study of DC war comics begins here at OAAW #83 because of the landmark story, "The Rock and The Wall," the first chapter in the ongoing saga of Sergeant Rock of Easy Company. Rock had actually appeared in stories in the two previous issues but only as background and mouthing an occasional grunt. The stories, which introduced Easy Company as well, were written by Bob Haney and illustrated by Ross Andru and Mort Drucker, whereas most of the Rock stories from here on out would be written by Robert Kanigher. In addition, a "prototype" of Rock (simply called "The Rock") appeared in a story in OAAW #68 (March 1958). It's hard to imagine Rock not drawn by Joe Kubert, with that three-day stubble and generally unkempt, un-military look. He's the Average Joe in everything but deeds. In this initial installment, we're introduced to not only The Rock but "The Wall," a new recruit who's a touch too arrogant but manages to back up that arrogance with action. In your typical comic book story, a mouthy character is introduced seemingly only to be set up for the inevitable fall. Not here, though, as "The Wall" continues to amaze the soldiers around him even while acting the smart-aleck. His continual prods at the Sarge ("So that's the Rock, huh? He don't look so tough!") are met with belligerence but the two begrudgingly acknowledge each other's prowess in the explosive climax. I'm not sure we'll ever see "The Wall" as a character in this strip again but I'm hoping to be introduced to the other men of Easy Co. before too long.

Jack: "The Rock and the Wall" is an excellent story with art by Joe Kubert in which Sgt. Rock shows why he's a revered leader of men. "The D-Day Sun!" has nice art and a standard story about the preparations in the minutes and hours before D-Day.

PE: Our Army at War doesn't have the maddening history of Star-Spangled War Stories or G.I. Combat. Its first issue (numbered 1) was published by DC in August 1952 and featured Robert Kanigher's first DC war story, "Dig Your Foxhole Deep," with art by Irv Novick and Bernard Sachs.

"The Rock and the Wall!"

Kubert

G.I. Combat 73

"Window War!"

Story by Robert Kanigher

Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"Floating Pilot!"

Story by Hank Chapman

Art by Russ Heath

"The Big Fist!"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Bob Forgione and Jack Abel

PE: G.I. Combat was first published by Quality Comics (43 issues from October 1952 through December 1956). The transition from Quality to DC must have been a smooth one as DC's first issue, #44, came out the following month (January 1957).

Jack: In "Window War!" a young G.I. learns how windows of different kinds can be dangerous in wartime.

PE: "Floating Pilot" details the terrors experienced by a pilot forced to ditch his Corsair in the sea. Our hero must deal with a PT boat, sharks, and a particularly ornery MIG fighter armed only with emergency gear. Knowing that airmen had to deal with these possibilities every time they gassed up and hit the skies makes the yarn that much more harrowing. What kind of man is able to face this kind of pressure and close that cockpit time and again? I've a feeling I'll be asking that question over and over during our tenure. When I began researching the DC war titles, one artist's name kept surfacing: Russ Heath. I was familiar with the work Heath did, later in his career, for Warren (his "Process of Elimination," written by Bruce Jones, in Creepy #83 is a wild and unpredictable apocalypse tale) so I'm looking forward to delving into a different aspect of the artist's oeuvre.

"Window War!"

Grandenetti

Our Fighting Forces 46

"Gunner's Choice!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Jerry Grandenetti

"Frogman Out of Water!"
Story by Hank Chapman
Art by Russ Heath

"Battle Funnel!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

PE: The first issue of Our Fighting Forces was dated October-November 1952.

Jack: "Gunner's Choice!" is a Gunner and Sarge story that shows what happens when Gunner wants to land an easy assignment. "Battle Funnel!" concerns a very narrow area that two soldiers have to open so the rest of the army can get through.

PE: "Gunner and Sarge" (and Pooch), created by Robert Kanigher and Jerry Grandenetti, debuted in the previous issue of OFF and would continue until #94 (August 1965). In that time, Jerry Grandenetti penciled all but the final ten stories (when Jack Abel would relieve him) and Robert Kanigher would write 49 of the 50 adventures. Every G&S installment was featured on the cover of its issue (and keep your eyes peeled for some of the most incredible Joe Kubert contributions during that run). Years later, the military pair would help form The Losers, a team that would headline OFF from #123 (February 1970) through its final issue, #181 (October 1978).

"Battle Funnel!"

Kubert

Star Spangled War Stories 82

"Ground Flier!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito

"The Next Man!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Russ Heath

"Trench Trap!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jack Abel

PE: SSWS actually began life in August 1952 with an issue numbered 131, taking over the numbering from Star-Spangled Comics. There were two subsequent issues (132 and 133) before DC re-numbered the series, not with #1 or #4 but #3!

Jack: "The Next Man!" is a good story with strong art. It was my favorite of the month. Nazis think U.S. soldiers are being killed one by one as they come through a minefield, a barbed wire fence, mortar fire and a machine gun. It turns out to have been the work of a single intrepid soldier.

PE: Sometimes these 8-pagers can read more like tutorials than entertainment. Sure, war is hell and shouldn't be taken lightly but you could say the same about crime and the four colors had a blast with that genre in the 1950s. "The Next Man" falls victim to the "tutorial" in that the meaning of the title is what we're meant to be learning about and the title is drummed into our heads no less than 16 times in 34 panels. I get it. The art is stunning though.  Equally stunning, to me, is the stark, gritty artwork on "Ground Flier" by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Andru would become my favorite Spider-Man artist in the 1970s with a much different style of art. We'll be re-examining that era of Amazing Spider-Man in a few months over at Marvel University and I'm wondering if Andru's art will hold up for me. Andru and Esposito were inseparable during the DC war era but Ross was assisted by a gaggle of inkers on Spidey. He was responsible for several noteworthy comic creations: he co-created Metal Men; with Robert Kanigher, he reinvented Wonder Woman; and, perhaps most importantly as far as this blog is concerned, he co-created "The War That Time Forgot" (upcoming in SSWS). The duo contributed to all five of the main titles we'll be covering in this blog and their names are sure to come up time after time.

"The Next Man!"

Kubert

All-American Men of War 70

"Pigeon Without Wings!"
Story by Robert Kanigher
Art by Irv Novick

"Tin Pot Listening Post!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jerry Grandenetti

"No Salute for a G.I.!"
Story by Bob Haney
Art by Jack Abel

PE: Like SSWS, this title has a complicated beginning. DC published two issues, #127 (August-September 1952) and #128 (October-November 1952) and then decided to renumber (a la SSWS) incorrectly. Thus the third issue of AAMOW is numbered 2. Still with me? If you're wondering where the first 126 issues went to, that's easy. It was titled All-American Western from 1948-1952 and previously it was known as All-American Comics, most famous for the debut of the Golden Age Green Lantern in #16 (July 1940). See, that was easy!

Jack: "Pigeon Without Wings!" tells of a poor parachutist who keeps landing on roofs of one sort or another. "No Salute for a G.I." follows a lowly soldier who has to salute everyone else but never gets salutes of his own--until he becomes a hero.

PE: "Pigeon" begins harrowingly enough -- with the nightmares of an impending parachute jump -- but its length becomes its undoing. The paratrooper, on his first jump, ends up landing on a rooftop (a la Red Buttons in The Longest Day) but makes the most out of his unwitting blunder. On his second jump, he lands on a tank and, again, turns misfortune into achievement. Ending the story after two mistakes (rather than adding on with an ensuing two) might have prevented it from becoming something Jerry Lewis would have filmed. The fact that this poor guy keeps landing in the wrong place elicits giggles rather than shivers. Nice art by Irv Novick.

"Pigeon Without Wings!"

Jack: Each of these five comics included a letters page called "Combat Corner." Unlike letters pages in Marvel and DC comics starting in the mid-60s, these letters were not about the stories in the comics themselves. Instead, they were questions and answers from readers about war-related topics.

PE: I wonder if some of these letters were cooked up by editor Bob Kanigher. Perhaps I'm just seeing extra men on the grassy knoll and the average reader age was a bit higher with the DC war titles because a lot of these missives sound like they weren't written by little Johnny Krackcorn in the third grade.

Jack: I thought it was interesting that the vast majority of the stories had to do with World War Two. I saw one about World War One and none about any prior wars or the Korean War. I assume this will change in the years that follow.

All credits are from the Grand Comics Database. Most of the stories are uncredited in the comics.

Coming Next Week!

The Hitchcock Project: Henry Slesar Part Two--"Night of the Execution" [3.13]

by Jack Seabrook

"Night of the Execution" was broadcast on December 29, 1957, during the third season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was an adaptation of Henry Slesar's short story, "The Day of the Execution," which had been published earlier that year in the June 1957 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

As the story begins, young prosecuting attorney Warren Selvey can barely contain his glee at receiving his first murder conviction. He races home to his wife, Doreen, deflecting any expressions of sympathy for the convicted man, Murray Rodman. On the day that the prisoner is to be executed, Selvey is approached by a "stooped, gray-haired man with [a] grease-spotted hat." The man, Phil Arlington, tells Selvey that he killed Rodman's wife and was out of town during the trial. On his return, he became consumed with guilt that another man had been sentenced to die unjustly.

Selvey is shaken and tells Arlington that he must have "dreamed the whole thing." That night, as the time of the execution draws near, Selvey is jumpy and short with his wife. Arlington telephones him, unable to forget his crime. Selvey tells the tramp to come to his apartment (near 86th Street in New York City). Doreen retires to the bedroom, miffed that her husband is working so late.

Arlington arrives and Selvey plies him with liquor until midnight, when Arlington tries to telephone the police with his confession. Selvey attacks him and strangles him, only to see Doreen watching from the bedroom doorway. Later, Selvey's rival, assistant D..A. Vance, is puzzled, asking Selvey why he "would want to kill a harmless old guy like that." Vance explains that he knows Arlington, who had a habit of "confessing to murders" What he can't understand is why Warren killed him!

The producers of Alfred Hitchcock Presents must have been impressed with Slesar's story, because they bought it and filmed it quickly. The teleplay is by Bernard C. Schoenfeld, and he took significant liberties with the source, expanding it and changing the focus. The televised version begins as Warren's father-in-law Sidney, whose business relationship to Warren is never made clear (he is a former judge who seems to be the equivalent of a party boss now), tells Warren that he needs to be passionate in front of the jury in order to secure a conviction. Warren has to break his string of losses so that he can ensure his political future. Unlike the Warren of the short story, whose ambition is never in question, the Warren of the TV show is uncertain, commenting that his rival Vance will use any cheap trick to make a jury laugh or cry. Sidney attacks Warren on two fronts, arguing that his professional ambition and his marriage to Doreen both depend upon a conviction.

Warren is a gentle man who has to be prodded into action, but when pushed he can rise to the occasion; we see him presenting his closing summation to the jury, as he demands the death penalty. As the jury deliberates, we see Vance chatting with reporters, certain that Warren has lost again. He is facile with the members of the press and possesses an easy familiarity that Warren lacks.

At home, Doreen is much different than her counterpart in the short story. Here, she is cold, calculating, and anxious for a victory that will help Warren's career and support her expensive taste in clothes and jewelry. When she visits Warren at the bar where he awaits the verdict, she wears a fur stole and is clearly the dominant partner in the marriage. "Someday your name's gonna be important in this state," she tells Warren, but it is clear that this means more to her than it does to him.

Russell Collins as Ed Barnes

The tramp, who is renamed Ed Barnes in the TV show, first approaches Warren in the bar before the verdict has been rendered, but he is unable to speak his piece before Warren rushes back to the courtroom. After the verdict, Warren relaxes at home with Doreen, who is already thinking about the governor's mansion. Barnes arrives and interrupts their romantic moment. He confesses to the murder in front of Warren and Doreen, implicating her in the cover-up. Warren cross-examines Barnes, trying to discredit his story, then threatens to turn the old man in to the police.The Warren Selvey of the TV show is a complex character, well-played by Pat Hingle. Is he kind or is he weak? One thing is certain: he is easily manipulated by his wife and her father. As the tramp, Russell Collins again plays the role he has played before (see "The Night the World Ended"): that of a drunk whose best days are behind him. He looks the part, with his red nose, rumpled clothes, and grizzled, unshaven face, though his blue eyes are bright and shine with conviction when he insists that he killed Mrs. Rodman.

The pressure mounts on Warren when his father-in-law telephones even as he is interrogating Barnes. Sidney tells him that "the boys all think you should run for US. representative." Sidney is a one-dimensional character, as is Doreen, unlike the compassionate wife in Slesar's original story. Warren, however, is morally complex, arguing with Doreen that he cannot let Rodman go to the electric chair now that Barnes has confessed. Doreen's reply is chilling: "it's Rodman or us." Warren then puts on another performance, this time manipulating Barnes into withdrawing his confession and fleeing.

Georgann Johnson as Doreen Selvey

On the night of the execution, Doreen appears in a dress that, she tells Warren, "cost you a fortune," and is ready to go to the governor's dinner, but Warren cannot stop thinking about Rodman and the injustice that may be imminent. Ironically, Rodman probably is guilty and Doreen is right--Warren succeeded in getting a conviction of a man who deserved it. Yet Warren's doubt and compassion are all part of the weakness that has kept him from succeeding.

As the heavy, metal clock on an end table ticks closer to midnight, Barnes bursts into Selvey's apartment. Warren is a wreck and has obviously been drinking. Barnes rushes to the telephone and Selvey pushes him away. Barnes grabs the clock to hit Selvey but Selvey pulls it away from him and hits Barnes with it. Just then, Doreen and her father enter. Sidney examines Barnes and announces that the old man is dead. Surprisingly, Sidney knows "Old Barnes," remarking that "when I was on the bench he was always confessing to murder. He'd study the evidence and then claim he did it." Doreen asks Warren why he did it and the clock strikes twelve, marking the time of Rodman's execution and tolling a death knell for Doreen's ambition and Warren's life and career. Their triumph is hollow after all.

Warren Selvey did not remain true to himself. In trying to remake himself in the image desired by his wife and father-in-law, he lost his moral compass and acted in a way that sealed his doom.

Vinton Hayworth as Sidney

"Night of the Execution" was directed by Justus Addis (1917-1979), with little flair and no notable camera angles or shots. Addis worked in television from 1953 and directed ten episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents; this was his last. In his private life, he was the lifetime companion of Hayden Rorke, who played Dr. Bellows on I Dream of Jeannie. Addis worked almost exclusively in television, from 1953-1968. He also directed three episodes of The Twilight Zone. His only feature film was The Cry Baby Killer (1958) for producer Roger Corman; this film was notable for being Jack Nicholson's first role onscreen.

Bernard C. Schoenfeld (1907-1980), who adapted the story for television, does an interesting job expanding and refocusing the story, making Warren the tragic hero and adding complexity to his character. Henry Slesar was later quoted as saying that he thought the teleplay improved upon his story by deepening the characterizations of the minor characters; I would add that Schoenfeld made the main character more intriguing as well. Schoenfeld wrote 16 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including "The Night the World Ended," as well as an episode of The Twilight Zone. He wrote for television from 1952-1975, and earlier in his career he wrote the film adaptation of Cornell Woolrich's Phantom Lady (1944) and co-wrote another noir film, The Dark Corner (1946).

Pat Hingle as Warren Selvey

Playing Warren Selvey was Pat Hingle (1924-2009), making his only appearance on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He also appeared once on The Twilight Zone and played Commissioner Gordon in Batman (1989) and its three sequels. He worked extensively in episodic television from 1951 on, appearing in films later in his career.

Georgann Johnson (1926- ) played Doreen. She started on television in 1952 and can be seen in three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Like Hingle, she appeared in episodic television a great deal until 2007 and had a recurring role on Mr. Peepers (1952-1953).

Once again playing an aging drunk, Russell Collins (1897-1965) is impressive in one of his nine appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He was also memorable in the "Kick the Can" episode of The Twilight Zone and he was seen in one episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and an episode of The Outer Limits. He was in movies from 1935-1965 and on TV starting in 1948.

Frank Marlowe as the judge

Another familiar face was that of Vinton Hayworth (1906-1970) as Sidney, Warren's father-in-law. He began in movies in 1934, was in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, played a bit part in Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942), and had a recurring role as General Schaeffer on I Dream of Jeannie, where he surely ran into Justus Addis from time to time. Vinton Hayworth's niece was the 1940s pinup/movie star Rita Hayworth.

Finally, Frank Marlowe (1904-1964) has a small role as the judge. He was in movies from 1931-1961, appeared twice on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and had small parts in Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942), Notorious (1946), and North By Northwest (1959), as well as being seen in The Dark Corner (1946--co-written by Bernard C. Schoenfeld) and The Screaming Mimi (1958), adapted from the Fredric Brown novel.

"Night of the Execution" can be viewed online here and is also available on DVD.

In two weeks: "On the Nose," based on Henry Slesar's story, "Something Short of Murder."

Sources:

"Galactic Central." Galactic Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. Churchville, MD: OTR Pub., 2001. Print.

IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

"Night of the Execution." Alfred Hitchcock Presents. CBS. 29 Dec. 1957. Television.

Slesar, Henry. "The Day of the Execution." 1957. Clean Crimes and Neat Murders. New York: Avon, 1960. 153-60. Print.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

Star-Spangled War Comics!: An introduction

by Corporals Jack Seabrook 
& Peter Enfantino

Our Fighting Forces #1

The Korean War was half a dozen years in the past but you'd not have known that staring at a comics spinner in 1959. War is Hell but war was also profitable if you were a comic book publisher in the 1950s. Literally dozens of titles popped up on the already cluttered newsstands attempting to take a chunk of Little Johnny's allowance. The major publishers were involved: Charlton (Battlefield Action, Submarine Attack, War at Sea, and the four "Fightin" titles: Fightin' Air Force, Fightin' Marines, Fightin' Navy, and Fightin' Army among others); Atlas (Battlefield, Battlefront, Battle Ground, Battle Action, etc.); and of course, most famously, EC (Two-Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat). The publisher renowned for Superman and Batman got into the act in August of 1952 when it retitled one of its superhero books (Star-Spangled Comics, which had been showcasing the adventures of Dr. Thirteen, Tomahawk, and Robin, the Boy Wonder) Star-Spangled War Comics and introduced a second title, Our Army At War. The following month the company again confused rack-spinners looking hungrily for All-American Western #127, only to be turned away in sadness when the realization sunk in that AAW was now All-American Men of War! October saw the release of Our Fighting Forces #1, and the final piece in what DC War scholars dubbed "The Big Five," G. I. Combat, debuted under the DC logo in January 1957. This last title may have been the most confounding for collectors as the first 43 issues were published by Quality Comics. When that company went belly-up in '56, National (DC) acquired the rights to many of the titles and characters published by Quality, including G.I. Combat (as well as the quasi-war title Blackhawk and Jack Cole's Plastic Man), which didn't even miss a month of publication between publishers. Beginning next week (with June 1959) we'll take a look at the best stories that were published in each month's output of "The Big Five."

Star Spangled #3 - First issue

Our Army at War #1

Those of you who followed our "Batman in the 1970s" series will be a little shaken by the change in format. Since there are a lot of issues involved here (and they're all anthology titles), we don't have the time or space to cover every story, so we'll mostly discuss those that are outstanding in each issue. There's still going to be a lot of meat on these bones, though, don't worry. With respected writers such as Robert Kanigher and Bob Haney, along with artists as varied as Jerry Grandenetti, Ross Andru, Alex Toth, Russ Heath, and Joe Kubert, how can we go wrong? In addition to Rock and the Easy Company, we'll thrill to the adventures of The Unknown Soldier, The Losers, Enemy Ace, The Haunted Tank, Lt. Hunter and his Hellcats, and the kitsch classic, The War That Time Forgot (with an assist on the latter from John Scoleri).

GI Combat #44 - First DC issue

Jack: This is all new for me. I never read war comics growing up in the late '60s and '70s, except for the Unknown Soldier series in Star-Spangled War Stories. I am really looking forward to learning more about these comics!

PE: Neither of us are all that learned about the wars in the background of these dramas so don't be surprised that we're focusing instead on the characterization and plot lines rather than whether a Panzer II was the right defensive weapon to be used in Ardennes or the calibers of different handguns. We'll concentrate instead on the outstanding writing and jaw-dropping art. We'd also like to hear your views on the DC war titles. Stick around and let us know how we're doing.

John Scoleri: Though I'll remain a conscientious objector for much of what is covered here, I begged Peter to let me in on the War That Time Forgot stories. I can't be the only one whose green army men regularly went to battle with plastic dinosaurs, can I?

NEXT WEEK: JUNE 1959

All American Men at War #1

Batman in the 1970s Part 67: The 1979 Wrap-Up and a Fond Look Back at the 1970s!

by Jack Seabrook

& Peter Enfantino

1979 Wrap-up

In 1979, twelve monthly issues of Batman and six bi-monthly issues of Detective Comics were published.

Detective was 68 pages for a dollar, with no ads until the last issue of the year. Issue #483, with a May cover date, celebrated the 40th anniversary of Batman's first appearance. Editorial chores were shared by Paul Levitz, Al Milgrom and Julius Schwartz. Covers were by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano, Rich Buckler and Giordano, Jose Garcia-Lopez, Giordano alone (2) or Jim Starlin.

Batman Family had been canceled at the end of 1978 and became part of Detective with the first issue in 1979. This meant that each issue of Detective began with a lead story featuring Batman and then included various characters in backup stories.

The Batman lead stories ranged from 16 to 20 pages. Scripts were by Denny O'Neil (5) or Jim Starlin. Art was by Don Newton and Dan Adkins (4), Marshall Rogers, or Jim Starlin and Craig Russell. Guests included the Bronze Tiger, Kathy Kane, the League of Assassins, Maxie Zeus, Ras al Ghul, and Talia.

The backup stories featured a number of characters. Robin appeared six times, in stories ranging from 10 to 12 pages. Stories were by Bob Rozakis (3), Jack Harris (2) or Paul Kupperberg. Art was by Kurt Schaffenberger (4), inked by David Hunt (2), Jack Abel or Frank Chiaramonte; Juan Ortiz and Hunt; or Newton and Adkins. The only guest of note was the Scarecrow.

Batgirl also appeared six times, in stories 8 to 12 pages long, written by Harris (3) or Rozakis (3) and drawn by Don Heck (5) with inks by John Celardo, Frank Chiaramonte, Vince Colletta or Bob Smith; or Bob Oksner and Vince Colletta. The only guest worth mentioning was Killer Moth.

Batman appeared in two backup stories, 8 and 16 pages long, with scripts by O'Neil or Starlin and art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin or Starlin and Craig Russell.

The unlikely team of Man-Bat and Jason Bard appeared twice, written by Rozakis and drawn by Don Newton, with inks by Hunt or McLaughlin.

The Demon was seen four times, in stories of 9 to 15 pages, all written by Len Wein and drawn by Mike Golden and Giordano or by Steve Ditko (3).

The Human Target appeared in three stories of 8 or 9 pages each, written by Wein and drawn by Howard Chaykin and Giordano or by Giordano alone (2).

Finally, Bat-Mite appeared in one 6-page story, written by Rozakis and drawn by Golden and Bob Smith.

The letters column was edited by Mike Barr, Levitz or Rozakis and was called Batcave (5) or Batmail Family.

Batman was less complicated. Each issue was 36 pages for 40 cents and it came out monthly. Editors were Schwartz, through the issue cover-dated March (ending a 15-year run on the title), and then Levitz for the rest of the year. Covers were by Jose Garcia-Lopez (4), Jim Aparo (3), Giordano (2), Andru,  Kubert, or Walt Simonson and Giordano.

Each issue featured a single Batman story; ten were 17 pages long, one was 18 and one was a whopping 23 pages. Writers were Wein (11) or Steve Englehart. Artists were Irv Novick and McLaughlin (7), John Calnan and Giordano (2), Calnan and McLaughlin, Novick and Giordano, or Simonson and Giordano

The letters column was Bat Signals, edited by Rozakis or Levitz. Other editorial filler included the Daily Planet Page and the DC Feature page with DC Profile.

This year's Batman run abounded with guests: Batgirl, Blockbuster, Boss Thorne, Calendar Man, Crazy-Quilt, Dr. Phosphorus, Firebug, the Gentleman Ghost, Killer Moth, Kite-Man, Selina Kyle, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, Robin,  and Two-Face.

Elsewhere in the DC Universe in 1979, Batman appeared in 12 issues of The Brave and the Bold (covers by Aparo); 12 issues of Justice League of America (covers by Andru, Buckler, Dillin, Garcia-Lopez or Giordano); 12 issues of Super-Friends (covers by Ramona Fradon or Schaffenberger); 6 issues of World's Finest (covers by Neal Adams and Giordano, Aparo or Buckler and Giordano). He also appeared in one shots: Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest (cover attributed to Wally Fax, which sounds fake to me) and DC Special Series (cover by Andru).


THE BEST (AND WORST) OF 1979

Peter's Picks:

Best Script: "A Caper a Day Keeps the Batman at Bay!" by Len Wein (Batman 312, June 1979)
Best Art: "Ticket to Tragedy" by Marshall Rogers (Detective Comics 481, January 1979)
Best All-Around Story: "A Caper a Day Keeps the Batman at Bay!"

Worst Script: "Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas!" by Len Wein (Batman 309)
Worst Art: "Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas!" by John Calnan and Frank McLaughlin
Worst All-Around Story: "Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas!"



Jack's picks:

Best Script: "Dr. Phosphorus is Back!" by Steve Englehart (Batman 311, May 1979)
Best Art: "Ticket to Tragedy" by Marshall Rogers (Detective 481, January 1979)
Best All-Around Story: "There'll Be a Cold Time in the Old Town Tonight!" by Len Wein, John Calnan and Dick Giordano (Batman 308, February 1979)

Worst Script: "The Galileo Solution" by Denny O'Neil (Detective 484, July 1979)
Worst Art: "The Galileo Solution" by John Calnan and Frank McLaughlin
Worst All-Around Story: "The Galileo Solution"







The 1970s: A Few Last Words

In our 66-week journey through the 1970s, we managed to read 195 comic books (101 Batman, 92 Detective, and 2 specials) and kept our sanity... well, kinda.

THE TOP BATMAN STORIES OF THE 1970s

Peter's Picks

 1 The Joker's Five-Way Revenge (Batman 251, September 1973) O'Neil/Adams

 2 The Sign of the Joker (Detective 476, April 1978) Englehart/Rogers/Austin

 3 The Laughing Fish (Detective 475, February 1978) Englehart/Rogers/Austin

 4 Night of the Stalker (Detective 439, March 1974) Englehart/Almendolas/Giordano

 5 The Lazarus Pit (Batman 243, August 1972) O'Neil/Adams

 6 There Is No Hope in Crime Alley (Detective 457, March 1976) O'Neil/Giordano

 7 The Dead Yet Live (Detective 471, August 1977) Englehart/Rogers/Austin

 8 A Vow From the Grave (Detective 410, April 1971) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano

 9 The Last Batman Story (Batman 300, June 1978) Reed/Simonson/Giordano

10 Batman's Greatest Failure (Batman 265, July 1975) Fleisher/Buckler/Wrightson

Best Writer: Steve Englehart

Best Artist: Neal Adams

Best Back-Up: Manhunter (Goodwin/Simonson)

Jack's picks

1 Red Water Crimson Death (The Brave and the Bold 93, January 1971) O'Neil/Adams
2 The House That Haunted Batman! (Detective 408, February 1971) Wein/Wolfman/Adams/Giordano
3 The Lazarus Pit! (Batman 243, August 1972) O'Neil/Adams

4 Daughter of the Demon (Batman 232, June 1971) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano

5 The Demon Lives Again! (Batman 244, September 1972) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano

6 The Joker's Five-Way Revenge! (Batman 251, September 1973) O'Neil/Adams

7 The Secret of the Waiting Graves (Detective 395, January 1970) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano

8 A Vow From the Grave (Detective 410, April 1971) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano
9 Ghost of the Killer Skies! (Detective 404, October 1970) O'Neil/Adams/Giordano
10 The Dead Yet Live! (Detective 471, August 1977) Englehart/Rogers/Austin
11 I Am the Batman! (Detective 472, September 1977) Englehart/Rogers/Austin
12 The Laughing Fish (Detective 475, February 1978) Englehart/Rogers/Austin
13 Sign of the Joker! (Detective 476, April 1978) Englehart/Rogers/Austin

14 There is No Hope in Crime Alley (Detective 457, March 1976) O'Neil/Giordano

15 Gotterdamerung (Detective 443, November 1974) Goodwin/Simonson
16 A Monster Walks Wayne Manor (Detective 438, January 1974) Goodwin/Aparo
17 Night of the Stalker (Detective 439, March 1974) Englehart/Amendolas/Giordano
18 Judgment Day (Detective 441, July 1974) Goodwin/Chaykin
19 Batman's Greatest Failure! (Batman 265, July 1975) Fleisher/Buckler/Wrightson

Best Writer: Steve Englehart
Best Artist: Neal Adams
Best Back-Up: Manhunter


THE CIRCULATION FIGURES

Batman
1970 293,897
1979 166,640

Detective Comics
1970 209,630
1979   79,872











Year-By-Year Highlights

1970-71:

*great covers by Neal Adams
*Gil Kane drawing Batgirl backup stories
*first appearance of Man-Bat
*all-reprint Batman giant-size issues for 25 cents

1972-74:

*100-page super-spectaculars
*Manhunter backup series
*Steve Englehart begins writing Batman stories
*$1.00 classic reprints in Limited Collector's Edition and Famous First Edition treasuries
*Archie Goodwin as editor of Detective

1975-76:

*5-issue "Bat-Murderer" arc
*begin to see new artists like Mike Grell and Ernie Chua

"Enfantino said what about Frank Robbins?"

*The Joker, Batman Family and Man-Bat debut

1977-79

*Englehart/Rogers/Austin run in Detective
*Len Wein takes over writing Batman
*Don Newton's art
*Dollar Detectives


So, what happens next? Well, we've got a couple of things planned concurrently that should take up a couple years' time. Hope you haven't planned anything for our foreseeable future, every Monday starting next week.

The Hitchcock Project: Henry Slesar Part One-"Heart of Gold" [3.4]

by Jack Seabrook

Henry Slesar (1927-2002) was one of the most prolific contributors to the Hitchcock TV series. His first story to be aired, "Heart of Gold," was broadcast near the start of season three of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on October 27, 1957, and was adapted by James P. Cavanagh from Slesar's short story "M Is For the Many," which had been published in the March 1957 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

"M Is For the Many" begins as Jackie Smith, twenty years old but seeming older, rings the bell for the Collins apartment at a brownstone. He is invited up by Ralph Collins, brother of Allie, whom Jackie met in prison. Ralph knows that Jackie has just been paroled after three years spent in jail for being the driver of the getaway car in an armed robbery. Jackie meets Ma Collins, "a short, stout woman with curly white hair," who welcomes him, admitting that Allie had written to her from prison about him. Jackie is looking for a place to live and is surprised when Ma offers to let him stay in Allie's room.

Mildred Dunnock as Ma Collins

With Ralph's help, Jackie finds a job and soon settles in at the Collins home, where Ma treats him like a son. When he gets a raise, he offers to pay rent, but Ma refuses to accept it, telling him that he's giving her "something more precious than money." One day, Jackie arrives home early from work and overhears Mrs. Collins defending him to a nosy neighbor. Realizing that his presence is a burden on the kindly old woman, he packs his bags and leaves a note of thanks. Ma catches him before he leaves and begs him not to go. Ralph angrily tells Jackie that it's time to start talking "about the money you got stashed away."

Jackie denies knowledge of the location of the stolen loot and Ralph begins to beat him. In the struggle that follows, Jackie accidentally kills Ralph after having threatened to kill the old woman. Jackie later tells his parole officer that he's looking forward to seeing his friends in jail--"one in particular."

"M Is For the Many" is a tough little crime story with a twist, though it's left vague whether Ma's kindness to Jackie was sincere. When Ralph is killed and she weeps, "my boy, my boy," Jackie wonders who she meant: Ralph or Jackie. The story's title is from the old song, "Mother," the first line of which is "M is for the many things she gave me." Ma Collins appears to be a saintly maternal figure, but the behavior of her sons makes the reader question her motives.

Nehemiah Persoff as Ralph Collins

James P. Cavanagh adapted the story for television as "Heart of Gold" and made significant changes. Darryl Hickman plays Jackie, Mildred Dunnock plays Ma, and Nehemiah Persoff plays Ralph. The acting by all three is outstanding, as is the work by director Robert Stevens and director of photography Lionel Lindon.

The show begins in shadow, as Jackie searches for the Collins buzzer in a dark foyer. He ascends the staircase amidst noir camera setups and lighting, as the banister casts ominous shadows on the wall. Ma wears a cheap bathrobe and the kitchen of her apartment is sparse and run down; everything in it looks old, cheap, or second-hand. There is no air conditioning in the building and Jackie and Ralph's faces are bathed in sweat, even after darkness has fallen outside.

The shadowy stairs serve as Jackie's
introduction to the Collins home.

Yet to Jackie, the Collins apartment is appealing because it represents home. In Slesar's story, Jackie is a one-dimensional character. In "Heart of Gold," his character is more subtle. When Ma mentions that she has "a little nest egg," we see Jackie's face light up, suggesting that he is considering robbing the old woman. Later, in a scene added for TV, Jackie is working at a garage and is left alone there after hours. He examines the cash box and looks like he is thinking of pocketing some of the money when his parole office, played by Edward Binns, suddenly appears. Jackie is sullen and resents being monitored. The character of the parole officer is new to the teleplay. He suggests that Jackie knows where the money is hidden and tells the young man that the insurance company has been asking about it.

There is then a nicely filmed sequence in the garage at night, as the camera slowly tracks toward Jackie, who sits alone in the office, talking on the phone. We think this is just an evocative shot until the point of view changes and we see that the moving camera represented the viewpoint of two thugs who confront Jackie about the hidden cash. After one of the thugs hits Jackie, we get another nicely lit shot on the staircase, as Jackie crawls up the stairs, bathed in shadows. Even as Ma tends to his wounds, he lies to her and we see his eyes shift to one side; he hides the fact that people are looking for the hidden money, suggesting that he actually does know where it is.

Ralph's foot on the chair shows who is in control

In a very subtle bit of set decoration, a plaque on Ma's kitchen wall appears to feature the poem, "Mother," from which the title of Slesar's story was taken. The TV show is well-paced, with scenes often fading to black. The final scene is powerful, as Ralph confronts Jackie in his darkened bedroom. Persoff plays Ralph as someone whose explosive temper always lurks just below the surface. The scene between Ralph and Jackie gets increasingly violent, highlighted by a bit of business where Jackie sits in a rocking chair and Ralph puts his foot on the armrest, rocking it to and fro before kicking it over with Jackie still in it.

The show's conclusion is much more effective than that of the story. Jackie grabs a kitchen knife to defend himself against Ralph and ends up stabbing the bully. Ma comes home and happens upon the scene; she looks at Jackie in horror, yet he still insists on addressing her as Ma, pleading: "I'll take his place!" Ma is stricken and blurts out the truth to the young man: "All we wanted was the money! That's why I was nice to you!" This straightforward ending is more satisfying than the story's vague conclusion, mainly because the show had built up Ma as a saintly woman and Jackie as a shifty young man. To see the tables turned is a real surprise. The show alternates between shadowy noir lighting and drab scenes of poverty in the Collins apartment; Stevens and Lindon's work serves to increase the setting's darkness and despair. "Heart of Gold" is unusual among the episodes we've studied so far in that the script, direction, and acting deepen and improve upon the short story on which it is based.

Cheryl Callaway as the little girl
who finds Jackie crawling up the stairs

Darryl Hickman (1931- ), who plays Jackie, was a child star, appearing in movies beginning in 1938 and on TV beginning in 1950. He was in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and The Tingler (1959) and he appeared on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1959-1960 with his brother Dwayne, the star of the show. "Heart of Gold" was his only appearance on the Hitchcock series. He now teaches acting and has a website.

Mildred Dunnock (1901-1991), who plays Ma, was a veteran of stage, movies and TV. She was on Alfred Hitchcock Presents three times and on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour once. She also appeared in the episode, "None Are So Blind."

Nehemiah Persoff (1919- ), who plays Ralph, was also a veteran of movies and TV, appearing in Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956) and Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959). His only other appearance on the Hitchcock series was in "The Cure." He also has a website.

Edward Binns as the parole officer

Edward Binns (1916-1990), who plays the parole officer, is a very familiar character actor. An Actor's Studio alumnus, he appeared in Lang's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956), 12 Angry Men (1957), and Hitchcock's North By Northwest (1959). While this was his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV series, he also was seen on The Twilight Zone and Thriller.

Appearing very briefly as the thug who beats up Jackie is Len Lesser (1922-2011), whose face is quite familiar because of his recurring role on Seinfeld as Uncle Leo.

James P. Cavanagh (1922-1971), who adapted "M Is For the Many" for TV, wrote fifteen episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including "None Are So Blind" and "Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?"

Len Lesser as the thug

Robert Stevens (1920-1989) directed 49 episodes of the Hitchcock series and was one of the people most responsible for the show's look. He won an Emmy for his work on "The Glass Eye."

Lionel Lindon (1905-1971), the director of photography, was known as the fastest cinematographer in Hollywood. He worked on 42 episodes of the Hitchcock series and won an Academy Award for Around the World in 80 Days (1956).

"Heart of Gold" is available on DVD and can be viewed online.

In two weeks: "Night of the Execution."

Sources:

Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. Churchville, MD: OTR Pub., 2001. Print.

"Heart of Gold." Alfred Hitchcock Presents. CBS. 27 Oct. 1957. Television.

IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.

Slesar, Henry. "M Is For the Many." Clean Crimes and Neat Murders. New York: Avon, 1960. 92-102. Print.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.

Batman in the 1970s Part 66: November and December 1979

by Peter Enfantino

& Jack Seabrook

Batman 317 (November 1979)

"The 1,001 Clue Caper or Why Did The Riddler Cross the Road?"
Story by Len Wein
Art by Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin

The Riddler teases the Dynamic Duo with a book of 1001 riddles and hijacks a seemingly worthless truck filled with chickens. While Robin looks for clues to the Riddler's next caper, the Riddler uses his chicken truck to steal a supply of guns hidden in a load of old magazines. Bruce Wayne reconciles with Selina Kyle before doing a quick change into his Batsuit and cornering the Riddler at the Gotham docks, foiling yet another plan. Meanwhile, Lucius Fox has his first meeting with Gregorian Falstaff.

Jack: Falstaff is true to his name, having apparently left the other two members of the Warriors Three behind (in Marvel's Thor) and moved to Gotham City in order to consume mass quantities of food and drink while rivaling Bruce Wayne for richest man in town. This issue is another Len Wein special, where a lukewarm story involving a supervillain is the basis for a few subplots to inch along. The Novick art is pretty sharp this time around and the Riddler is no more annoying than usual.

PE: Len Wein continues to ease DC into a Marvel-style of writing, taking several issues to sneak in hints as to what's going on in Lucius's private life. The dispatch of the central villain a few pages before the finale and a last panel reveal are another of the Marvel trademarks on display here. If there's one thing I've learned from reading thousands of comic books in the last two years it's that drumsticks = morbidly obese villains. This is a perfectly average 1979 DC comic book story. It's not horrible and it's not particularly good. It's a flatline; unmemorable in both script and art.


Detective Comics 486 (November 1979)

"Murder by Thunderbolt"

Story by Denny O'Neil

Art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins

While crime figure Maxie Zeus lounges in Arkham (ostensibly, with a drumstick), pretenders to his throne attempt to seize control of his operations. That doesn't sit well with the present-day God and he lashes out, destroying his enemies with a bang. Batman finds himself in the unenviable position of protecting bad guys he'd sooner put behind bars.

PE: Like a middle finger to Jack and me as we exit the 1970s (and the parameters of this blog), Denny O'Neil denies us the satisfaction of a conclusion to the Bronze Tiger saga from last issue. Instead, we're given a lukewarm continuation of the Maxie Zeus storyline left off in #484. What kind of thinking goes on here? Run two different multi-part tales at the same time? Bonkers. There had to be an easier way to gain access to the pier than allowing the thugs to blow up his precious Batmobile but I'm sure the Caped Crusader has several more models back at the Cave. There won't even be a disclaimer next issue, I suspect. The gorgeous art is wasted on a confusing and disposable plot. Very slyly and quietly, DC dumps 10 pages of story in this month's "dollar comic" titles by bringing back ads. Judging by the quality of back-up stories we've had to slog through (for the most part) I'd say it's a pretty darn good deal. On the letters page, editor Paul Levitz explains why DC is ripping off the kids: "After holding the "value" (italics mine) line on Dollar Comics for two and a half years (almost a record in these inflationary times), we've had to bow to cost pressures and trim our page count," but neglects to give me a reason why we don't get a conclusion to the Bronze Tiger storyline. Harrumph.

Jack: I forgot all about the Bronze Tiger in the space of time between reading issues, so the change in storyline did not bother me. I focused instead on what you correctly call the gorgeous art. There is a great panel in Arkham Asylum where we see the Joker in his prison outfit on the edge of the frame. The scene in the laundromat is Eisneresque and other places seem to show a Joe Staton influence. The opening scene, where the skeleton falls from the plane, reminded me of the "cheat" cover and story from Batman 219 (February 1970).

PE: Though this is the last Detective we'll ever discuss, the title continued to be published until the dimwits that run the company proclaimed that the entire line of DC titles should be rebooted and 'tec was cancelled in October 2011. The following month saw Detective Comics Vol. 2 Number 1. 'Tec's first volume run of 881 issues stands as the second longest-running American comic in history (Action Comics saw 904 issues before a similar "cleansing").  The Dollar Comic line stumbled its way into the 1980s but 'tec was reduced in size with #496 (November 1984).

"The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea Contract!"
Story by Len Wein
Art by Dick Giordano

Christopher Chance is hired by a deep sea scavenger to find out who tried to kill him while he was on a dive.

PE: If I had to point to one aspect of 'tec I'll miss discussing, it's the rare back-up that actually confounds expectations and both stimulates and entertains. Len's Human Target stories are simple narratives but they are crammed with wonderful character development and little surprises that keep you guessing. I'm going to be reading the further adventures of The Human Target but gladly skipping the rest of the ink splatters and drivel that waste the back pages of 'tec. I'm not a weapons expert but would a .357 Magnum really fire under water? And how long does it take for a body to be picked clean to its white skeleton if stashed in a box at the bottom of the sea? Surely more than a month. If I had a Great White heading for me, mouth wide open, I doubt I'd be enjoying a mental rerun of the day's events (in fact, Chris manages the unenviable task of another man's flashback within his flashback!). Fabulous Giordano art on display here.

Jack: This is the best Human Target story to date. The whole thing reminds me of one of those random backup stories we saw in the 100-page issues back in the mid-'70s. Giordano's art is really striking. His layouts don't rival those of Adams, but his technical skill is outstanding.

"Crime Calls Killer Moth!"
Story by Jack C. Harris
Art by Don Heck and Joe Giella

Double duty time: Congresswomanpersonwhatever Babs Gordon attempts to help a boy whose father was murdered and Batgirl's hands are full with Killer Moth.

PE: It may be the narcolepsy that vexes me while I read many of these back-ups but I didn't realize that Killer Moth actually had a gimmick. I thought he was just another colorful, badly-drawn, skimpily-scripted sixth-tier Batman villain but there's an interesting hook to the character: he's hired to rescue bad guys in a pinch. How the thugs contact him is anyone's guess. Do they have the time to call Moth as the cops are closing in? Is he always in costume just a block or two away? More research is needed, I fear.

Jack: Moths don't strike fear into my heart. Is Killer Moth really the Batman of the crime world, as one caption says? He drives the Mothmobile, so I guess he must be. With a fond wave of the hand, we say farewell to Don Heck and his decades of mediocre art.

PE: Batgirl's career post-December 1979  mirrors that of her sometime-partner Robin. The character continued to meander through guest roles in various titles before being famously retired by a paralyzing gunshot delivered by The Joker in Alan Moores's seminal The Killing Joke (1988). Babs is confined to a wheelchair but becomes a computer and multi-media expert known as Oracle, an assistant to other superheroines such as Black Canary. In a radically different form, the Batgirl moniker was passed on to a martial arts-trained teenager in 2000 in Batgirl, a well-written series that would last 73 issues, and then rebooted yet again in 2010. In 2011, with the advent of "The New 52," a gimmick that effectively ignored quite a lot of history of the previous 70 years of DC "continuity," Barbara Gordon once again donned her cowl. Evidence that, in comics, everything old can become old again.

"The Hospitable Hostage!"
Story by Bob Rozakis
Art by George Tuska and Bob Smith

On his way up to his boss's penthouse suite, Alfred the Butler/Chauffeur/Scientist/GP/detective is forced to give the grand tour to a band of thugs who want to ransack the billionaire playboy's love nest. There, Alfred must think fast lest his boss come home after his nightly rounds and give away the big secret.

PE: This could be the only strip that gives Robin a run for the Worst Back-Up prize. Thankfully, we didn't have to set the shutter speed on our brains too many times during the 1970s as Alfred's solo career was represented in 'tec mostly by Golden Age reprints (don't tell Jack but I didn't really read those things). How is it that Alfred Pennyworth never got his own title? George Tuska continues the annoying habit, on full display over at Marvel University, of drawing humans who look like apes. A definite plus if you're on staff at a comics company that loves gorillas.

Jack: Just when I thought Don Heck was bad, along comes toothy George Tuska, providing appropriately low-level pictures to go with another sub-par "story" by Bob Rozakis. There's really nothing good to say about this one other than that it was only seven pages long.

"Fear Times Four"
Story by Jack C. Harris
Art by Kurt Schaffenberger & Jack Abel

Robin must face the fear-producing powers of The Scarecrow, who's terrorizing the rich beneficiaries of Hudson University.

PE: Why is the head of security of HU, Chief MacDonald, the only "law enforcement officer" involved in the investigation of the harassment of three very rich men? MacDonald even tells the trio at one point that he's basically a cop for hire and has no police powers. Why would The Scarecrow target only HU beneficiaries? Why would Paul Levitz continue to populate such a "serious and dark title" like 'tec with such juvenile pap as this series? Awful... awful... awful.

Jack: My expectations were low when I saw that this was drawn by Schaffenberger, but it was actually better than the two stories that preceded it. Why does Kurt's Robin look about 12 years old when he's supposed to be in college?

PE: Robin would achieve new heights of success in the 1980s, chiefly due to the success of George Perez's run on The New Teen Titans. After that, the saga of Robin gets a little too complicated for a couple paragraphs. During the Titans run, Dick Grayson retires his cowl but stitches up another costume, that of Nightwing. Robin was later rebooted (and killed) and rebooted again in the form of several upstanding teenagers. The character was awarded several different titles through the years, the most successful of which lasted 185 issues from November 1993 through April 2009.


Batman 318 (December 1979)

"My City Burns at Both Ends -- It Will Not Last the Night!"
Story by Len Wein
Art by Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin

Batman saves a little girl from a burning apartment building before chasing the colorfully costumed man who started the fire and who calls himself Firebug. Bruce has another date with Selina, who longingly eyes  some Egyptian Cat-God artifacts. Firebug turns out to be Joey Rigger, a young man and former Army demolitions expert whose father, mother and sister died in accidents in poorly maintained buildings. He has vowed to burn those buildings down in revenge. Lucius Fox turns down Falstaff's job offer as Batman confronts Firebug, who is about to burn down the Gotham State Building. The Dark Knight barely averts tragedy, but trouble is brewing in the cemetery, where the Gentleman Ghost makes a return visit!

Bruce and Selina party down!

Jack: Our last Bat story of the 1970s is a bit of a flashback to earlier days, when Denny O'Neil was writing socially-conscious stories like this. The character of Firebug is interesting and it's a shame he dies at the end. 1979 was on the early side to have a Vietnam veteran using his Napalm skills to create mayhem, especially in a DC comic. Wein is hitting his stride juggling a few subplots and Novick's art once again is about as good as it ever gets. While the December 1979 Batman is not one of my top comics of the decade, and certainly not as good as where we started way back in January 1970, it's still pretty good and a long way from the depths of the Reed/Calnan days.

PE: I couldn't disagree more, Jack. It's a cliched story, one we've seen countless times before (and very recently, over at Marvel University) and Firebug's costume is laughable. It's a comic book, I know, but I question not only the notion that a man could shoot napalm from his wrists but also that our hero could fashion a costume that could be so completely fireproof that it would protect him from said napalm. That trampoline-style jump from the roof of a burning building (with a child in his arms) made me roll my eyes as well. I'm just sorry that we're exiting our survey of the 1970s on a valley like this and issue 317 rather than a peak like the one-two punch of the Dr. Phosphorus and Calendar Man stories back in 311 and 312. I should add that, though we're officially done with our survey of Batman, don't be surprised to see me check in with specials now and then as I slog my way through the 1980s Batman and 'tecs on my "own time." As I recall there were some very special stories to come.

From Batman 318's Daily Planet page

Set your sights on this site in two weeks