(P) Raising Kane: "A Clue...Seven-Foot Tall!" and "Downfall of a Goliath!" by Robbins, Kane, and Anderson

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Here's a double dose of Gil Kane greatness for ya! Not only do we get a classic Frank Robbins-penned Batgirl mystery, but we get the first appearance of Jason Bard, and awesome inks by Murphy Anderson! If that doesn't make ya wanna polish your "Have a Nice Day" button, I dunno what will! From Detective Comics #'s 392-393 (July-August 1969) here's a Tuesday Two-fer featuring "A Clue...Seven-Foot Tall!" and "Downfall of a Goliath!"

Bring on the Back-Ups: "Case of the Dead-On Target!" by Frank Robbins

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Here's a cool tale you may have forgotten featuring minor Batman Family member Jason Bard. "Case of the Dead-On Target!" from Detective Comics #435 (March 1973) is probably Ol' Groove's favorite Bard featurette 'cause it's not only written by co-creator Frank Robbins but also drawn by Robbins in that funky modernized Golden Age style that remains controversial to this day. Check it out!

Countdown to Halloween! Mining for Gold(en): "Private Eye Man-Bat"

Greetings my ghoulish Groove-ophiles! While it can't be said that The Batman's sometimes enemy/sometimes ally Man-Bat ever set the comicbook world on fire, DC was able to produce some fun comics featuring Kirk Langstrom's furry-fanged alter-ego. The best of 'em were drawn, natch, by our man of the hour, Michael Golden. This moody masterpiece written by Bob Rozakis with inks by Joe Rubenstein is from Batman Family #20 (July 1978). Are you ready for "Private Eye Man-Bat"?

Cheap Detectives Week: Tim Trench and Jason Bard--the Back-Up Men

Tim Trench! Jason Bard! Not exactly names that stir up action, intrigue, or adventure, are they? Not even names that you might remember--but Ol' Groove does! These private investigators really only have one thing in common: they spent a few issues backing up the Batman in Detective Comics during the Groovy Age.

Tim Trench first appeared as a throwaway character in Wonder Woman #180 (October, 1968). Created by Denny O'Neil and Mike Sekowsky, Trench started out as a white haired, slightly-past-middle age, tough-guy foil for de-powered Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, and her mentor Ching. Evidently he had some cosmetic surgery, got a genii, or something because by the time he got his chance to solo-star in Detective Comics #s 460-461 (March-April, 1976) his hair turned brown and he was looking much younger. Check out "The Cold-Fire Caper" by Denny O'Neil, Pablo Marcos, and Al Milgrom from Detective Comics #460:



Jason Bard also appeared as a supporting cast member in a super-heroine strip. He made his first appearance in a Batgirl story in Detective Comics #392 (July, 1969) by Frank Robbins and Gil Kane. Bard's main shtick was that he had been injured in Viet Nam, forcing him to walk with a cane. He was a mainstay in the Batgirl strip, even becoming something of a love interest for Barbara Gordon (Batgirl's true identity, duh!). When it was decided that "Babs" would retire as Batgirl, editor Julius Schwartz decided that Bard could fill Batgirl's space in the back of Detective Comics. Where Trench's strip only lasted for two issues, Bard's series ran in odd numbered issues of Detective Comics from issue #425-435 (March, 1972-March, 1973). Here's a look at Bard's first solo-strip, "Open-and-Shut Case" by Frank Robbins and Don Heck from Detective #425. Can you dig it?