Batman in the 1960s Issue 52: July/August 1968

 

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

Infantino/Adams

Batman #203

"The 1,000 Secrets of the Batcave!"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Jim Mooney & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #48, September 1948)

"The Birth of Batplane II!"

Story by David Vern

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #61, November 1950)

"The Secret of Batman's Utility Belt!"

Story Uncredited

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #185, July 1952)

"The 100 Batarangs of Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #244, June 1957)

"Secret of the Batmobile"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #98, March 1956)

"The Flying Bat-Cave!"

Story Uncredited

Art by Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #186, August 1952)

Peter-One of the rare DC comic books I had as a kid (most of them were the "Giants" as, even as a pre-teen, I hated the contemporary "Jimmy Olsen: Werewolf" nonsense) and I remember with fondness cutting out the "Secrets of the Batcave" spread and hanging it up on my bedroom wall not far from the Famous Monsters of Filmland covers and Creedence 45s. As usual, this bunch is full of kinetic energy and bursting at the seams with goofiness. I would say, though, that, aside from that aforementioned spread, these stories don't dwell much on the fabulous secrets found within the Cave. I enjoyed them despite the bait-and-switch.

Jack-My favorite was "The 1,000 Secrets of the Batcave!," which features a villain named Brando and which reveals that Bruce Wayne lives in a modest suburban house! The two stories pencilled by Dick Sprang are not bad, but the Moldoff entries are snoozers. Like you, I remember this comic from early childhood!

Novick

Detective Comics #377

"The Riddler's Prison-Puzzle Problem!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Frank Springer & Sid Greene

Batman is summoned to the Gotham Library, where he finds a book waiting for him. The pretty librarian informs the Caped Crusader that her office did not send for him, but the book has magically appeared on her desk. Sensing a deadly trap, the World's Greatest Detective uses a yardstick to detonate the book. Luckily, the pretty librarian was snapping a photo of her hero when the book exploded. The instant photo reveals a cryptic message: "Why is a diamond like a stew?" Yep, the Riddler is out on bail again!

The clue leads our heroes to the estate of Mr. Morland, collector of gold coins, and the boys interrupt the Riddler in the middle of his heist. Fisticuffs ensue, but Batman and Robin are triumphant and E. Nigma is hauled off to the 23rd Precinct building where he is booked for fifteen different crimes and thrown in a cell. Like clockwork, the Riddler's bail arrives five minutes later and he is released but, before heading out the door to freedom after his long nightmare of incarceration, he gives the Batman a cryptic message about his cell.

Using his computer-like brain, Batman has himself arrested and thrown into the cell once used by Nigma (instead of, I don't know, just checking the cell out after the Rogue leaves). Batman had noticed one of the question marks on Riddler's costume was missing, so he checks the cell for invisible writing. Sure enough, a message is written on the mirror--"Why is a room filled only with married people like an empty room?" That clue leads the Dynamic Duo to the Museum of India, which is displaying the priceless "Bachelor Diamond," and the boys again arrive mid-heist. A whale of a brawl kicks up but, once again, law and order reign supreme and the Riddler is slapped in cuffs. The villain sits in a cell, awaiting his obligatory release in four issues.

Unlike most adventures, the Riddler doesn't seem to have a goal this time out. It's just rob, puzzle, rob, puzzle, rob. What's with the new-look Riddler? This version looks nothing like the guy we've become so familiar with. He's demented, with scraggly hair. Perhaps Frank Springer took inspiration from the TV show, when John Astin took over for Frank Gorshin? While this event is hardly as disastrous as that TV debacle, the villain's new look is quite startling. I will say, though that, Astin look aside,  the Springer/Greene art is not bad at all. The fight scenes have choreography and dynamics that we never saw in the Shelly/Giella age. Hilarious, in our opening scene, that Batman suspects the book at the library is booby-trapped but doesn't think to ask the pretty librarian to step outside while he checks it out.-Peter

Jack-It's a decent Riddler story; better than some, worse than others. I agree that the art is a notch above Moldoff's work; in some spots, it resembles Infantino's style, while in others, it features the dynamic poses of Kane. The Novick cover is a classic and bodes well for the new artist who will soon take over the interior art too.

Brown/Esposito

The Brave and the Bold #78

"In the Coils of Copperhead!"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Bob Brown & Mike Esposito

After Batman barely escapes being run over by an armored truck driven by crooks, a king and queen visiting Gotham City are shocked when a beggar steals the queen's tiara and reveals himself to be the Copperhead, a villain dressed like a snake who escapes by slithering up the side of a building, using suction cups on his fingertips. Batman gives chase but Copperhead escapes, which really bums out the Dark Knight.

No worries, though, since two days later Wonder Woman and Batgirl begin leaving smoke messages in the sky expressing their love for Batman! The gals fight over who is more devoted to Batman and Copperhead watches the TV news and wonders if it's all a trick. Batgirl and Wonder Woman try so hard to win Batman's love with gifts and displays of affection that he doesn't notice when a hoodlum tries to commit a robbery.

Thinking that Batman is too distracted by the hotties, Copperhead attempts to steal the priceless Casque of Montezuma, only to have Batman reveal that the whole lovefest was a ruse. Copperhead gets away again and this time the gals seem to have really fallen for Bat Guy. He's so bothered by smooches that Copperhead makes off with the Casque. Batman gives chase, only to learn that WW and BG have hidden messages revealing their secret identities for him to find. Copperhead learns of this by means of a listening device and is about to discover that WW is Diana Prince and BG is Babs Gordon when Wonder Woman intervenes.

She follows the reptilian rascal to his cave, where he knocks her out with gas. Batgirl follows and takes a kick to the head. Finally, Batman locates Copperhead's hideout and beats the living daylights out of the baddie, but not before one of Copperhead's fangs manages to inject deadly poison into the Bat bod. Fortunately, Batgirl brought along some anti-venom serum and saves the day. Copperhead is captured, the Casque is recovered, and Batman tells Wonder Woman and Batgirl, "Don't call me, I'll call you!"

First of all, Bob Brown's cover is a knockout and it looks like he and Mike Esposito put a bit more care into it than they did on the interior art, which is a bit scratchy in spots. The whole idea of Batgirl and Wonder Woman fighting over Batman is silly, and Copperhead is a wacky villain. None of this bothered me at age five, however, and I vividly recall reading this comic on the sidewalk in front of my grandmother's house in Texas. It's the first comic I remember reading.-Jack

Peter-I'd love to see the uncut version of Bob Haney's "Copperhead" script, wherein we get to view Bats as he convinces Wonder Woman and Batgirl that a large-scale public display of affection is the only thing that might work ("the toughest, most baffling foe I ever faced!"--Bruce Wayne mutters while having a lapse of reason). "No, seriously, you two laying smooches on me and generally doing things that might be construed as a public hazard will be the only way to lure this devious, treacherous rogue out of hiding!" Almost as hilarious is Gordo claiming that Batman is letting down the citizens of Gotham by not slapping the cuffs on the dopily-dressed, Grade-D villain: "If you don't catch him by the time I'm on the 18th hole, we're done!"

Say this: Bob Haney's script is no more coherent nor logical than Frank Robbins's stack of papers that became "Batman! Drop Dead... Twice!" in 'tec #378, but it's a whole lot more fun and Bob doesn't pepper his dialogue with "groovy"s or "far out"s. That's gotta be worth something, no? Fun extra: just in case none of the target eight-year-old readers know what a copperhead is, the editors provide a full-page guide to the world of serpents. Perhaps the powers that be should have noticed and provided a glossary of hippie terms over in 'tec.

Novick

Batman #204

"Operation: Blindfold!"

Story by Frank Robbins

Art by Irv Novick & Joe Giella

It's midnight in Gotham City and a blind man is chased down by a car and shot to death in an alley. With his dying breath, he scratches a message with his cane on a wall" "Commissioner Gordon...they found out I'm Batman!" The killers report to their boss, who is named Schemer, that Batman is dead. They then call the police, and soon Commissioner Gordon is at the scene.

The next step in Schemer's plan is to station blind men along the possible route of a truck carrying gold bullion. In the alley, Gordon and the cops try to figure out if the dead man is really Batman. At the waterfront, the real Batman happens to be in disguise as a blind man in order to uncover a ring of smugglers. Just as he seems to be surrounded, Robin arrives and the Dynamic Duo wrap up the bad guys before placing a call to police headquarters and hearing that Batman has been reported dead.

Batman and Robin race to meet Commissioner Gordon, but he arrests the Caped Crusader, convinced that he's a fake. Robin escapes! Riding in the back of a police car with Gordon, Batman discovers that the dead blind man in the alley had a radio receiver and a radio transmitter, and he uses them to listen in to a conversation between the schemer and his goons concerning "Operation: Blindfold!" The crooks see the truck carrying gold pass by and try to stop it, but Robin gets involved to try to prevent the hijacking. The police car carrying Batman nearly crashes into the truck carrying gold; Batman is ejected and seems to be at the mercy of one of Schemer's blind crooks. As Robin rides on the back of the truck carrying the gold and Schemer plans to rob it when it reaches the bank, Batman faces death!

This is the first issue of Batman or Detective to feature credits for someone other than Bob Kane! Think of that! For a while now, the editor in the letters column has admitted at times that other writers were involved, and any reader with a pair of eyes could see when Carmine Infantino was doing the pencils, but up till now the facade that Bob Kane was the creative mind behind these stories has been continuing unabated since 1939. Almost 30 years! This issue is credited to writer Frank Robbins, penciller Irv Novick, and inker Joe Giella, and it's about time. The story is a bit scattered, but it's also exciting and the art is Novick at the top of his game. The narrative doesn't feel padded, even at 23 pages, unlike so many stories that feature page after page of fighting. And it's continued, to boot! I think this may be the real transition to the Batman of the 1970s that we've been waiting for.-Jack

Peter-Hard to believe this turkey was advertised as "a daringly different Batman" when it's the same ol', same ol', desperate attention-grabber. Batman dies. Robin dies. Batman quits crime-fighting. Robin quits crime-fighting. Whoever believes this rot? How did DC get away with ripping off Marvel's the Owl (->) for their reboot of the Schemer in this issue? I mean, the guy's even got an owl! Is this parody, homage, or lack of imagination?

Novick

Detective Comics #378

"Batman! Drop Dead... Twice!"

Story by Frank Robbins

Art by Bob Brown & Joe Giella

Well, he's gone and done it again! Robin has thrown a hissy and quit the team, obviously upset that a reporter didn't write about all the nifty moves he put on the Riddler the month before. While watching an interview with Yoko Ono, the Boy Wonder decides that the Duo should be billed as Robin and Batman from here on out and, when Bruce challenges the idea, Dick is out the door, baby.

Meanwhile, running parallel is the story of Chino, the ward of a local mobster, who similarly wants more credit for the amount of mayhem done in Gotham. When his boss, Salvo, tries to put the kid in line, Chino cold cocks him and trucks out the door.

Dick and Chino meet at a local dumpy hotel, where they pool their resources, rent a room, and become quick palsies, baby! That is, until Chino's piece falls out of his suitcase and Dick becomes alarmed. A bit of a tussle occurs and Chino grabs the gun, pointing it right at Dick. Grayson wisely plays it ice cool and Chino reveals what's on his mind: he's going to dress Dick up like Robin, dangle him as bait until Batman shows up, and then off the Dark Knight to impress Salvo. Ironic, no? Cuz Dick is really Robin! And vice versa!

Meanwhile, on the other side of this groovy yet convoluted yapper, Salvo dresses up one of his goons as Robin to... well, essentially do the same thing as Chino. Holy coincidence, Batman! It's about this time that Bruce Wayne decides he's done a bad deed watching Dick walk out the door. After all, whiny teens should be coddled and given everything they want, right? The groovy thing to do is to go out and apologize to the kid and beg him to come home, so that's just what the big feller proposes be done (and Alfred doesn't help one bit, putting all the blame on the boss's shoulders).

Chino grabs the suited-up Dick and hangs him high above the concrete streets, knowing that Bats will get the word somehow. At the same time, Salvo has staked out his Faux-Robin on a rooftop and we see Bats swing in for the rescue. Alas, the World's Greatest Detective doesn't notice the sniper atop a nearby roof and gets one right in the back. But hang on, all you flower children: next panel, we see Batman ride up in his funky Bat-ride at the docks where his ex-partner is hanging. As he exits the vehicle, Chino takes aim and... TO BE CONTINUED

How many times in a two-year span will we see Robin lie on the floor and throw a tantrum? I searched my thesaurus for a stronger word for convoluted and all I could come up with is "stupid." That about sums up this dopey script by Far-Out Frank Robbins, a guy Jack and I "loved to death" (sarcasm) during our investigation of 1970s Dark Knight literature and who was, at this time, fifty-two years old and, therefore, not the best guy to be writing dialogue best reserved for a Buffalo Springfield single. I've no doubt worn out my welcome whining about Gardner Fox's complex and/or inane plots and dialogue but, truly, Robbins takes the cake with this abomination ("Throbbin' palpitation, Alfred!"). It's no wonder the new kid on the block, "Nefarious" Neal Adams, took a look at this crap, remembered what an iconic character this was once upon a time, and said, "Hold my beer!" Alas, that won't come our way for a bit. Till then, we're stuck with this pap. We've still got about sixteen months left in the '60s (God help us), but "Drop Dead... Twice!" is a shoo-in for Worst Story of the Decade.-Peter

Jack-Hang on, daddy-o--I dug this story the most! I got a kick out of the hood dressing up as Robin and I thought the art and storytelling were much more entertaining than what we've been getting from Fox and Moldoff. I don't like Brown's pencils as much as I do Novick's, but they're still a great leap forward from what they replaced. I like the continued stories, which is probably a sign of Marvel's influence, and I enjoy the groovy lingo.

Next Week...
More Fabulous Doodlings from
Gentleman Gene!

Batman in the 1960s Issue 49: January/February 1968

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

Various Artists

Batman #198

"The Origin of the Batman!"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Bob Kane & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #47, July 1948)

"The Jungle Cat-Queen!"

Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #211, September 1954)

"The Web of the Spinner"

(Reprinted from Batman #129, February 1960)

"The Man of 1,000 Umbrellas"

Story by Al Schwartz

Art by Jack Burnley & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from the Batman Sunday Syndicate Strip, February 10-March 10, 1946)

"The Crimes of Batman!"

Story by David Vern

Art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from World's Finest Comics #61, December 1952)

"The Menace of False Face"

Story Uncredited

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #113, February 1958)

"The Bandit of the Bells!"

Story Uncredited

Art by Bob Kane & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #55, November 1949)

Another 80-page giant packed with reprints means another chance to read one of the Sunday Comics series from the 1940s, and this one is a hoot. While the actual pages don't carry a title, this issue's table of contents calls it "The Man of 1,000 Umbrellas," so we'll use that. The Penguin's aunt visits Gotham and he enlists the aid of the Dynamic Duo to keep up the facade that he's an upstanding citizen. The sight of her attacking some hoods with an umbrella is great!

Next best is the Catwoman story, beautifully drawn by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. It's from 1954, so right around the time the Comics Code came into being and, while it's hardly risque, there are still pulp elements to be found. "The Origin of Batman!" is one of a number of retellings of that seminal event, and Bob Kane's art here and on two other stories shows an attractive yet primitive style that reminds me a bit of Gould and Eisner, but without the same level of skill. The rest of the stories are forgettable.-Jack

Peter-I always look forward to these King-Size Batbusters more than the regular fare. The scripts are either overly complicated or very simple, but they're Hemingway compared to the fluff Fox pounds out. In any case, we don't come to these 80-pagers for the words but for the graphics. The 1940s-early 1950s work has a vibrant color and almost noir-ish atmosphere to it that is unbeatable. Just have a look at the panels of Selina in "The Jungle Cat-Queen!" and tell me she ain't a dame to share a drink with. Just one night and she'll be talking you into murdering her rich hubby! Batman and Robin in Tarzan get-ups (plus face masks) is a hoot! In comparison to Dick Sprang's expert penciling, Bob Kane's art (if it really is Kane) in "The Crimes of Batman!" is simplistic and amateurish. Not quite as simplistic as Shelly, but close. 

For trivia buffs, "The Jungle Cat-Queen!" would be Catwoman's last appearance until she was rebooted in the Silver Age and "The Menace of False Face" was the one and only appearance by a rogue who would get a second life thanks to the '66 show. FF would go back into obscurity once the TV fad collapsed.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #371

"Batgirl's Costume Cut-Ups!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Gil Kane & Sid Greene

Batgirl is hot on the trail of the latest heist Simpletons to terrorize Gotham, the Sports Spoilers, a group of numbskulls who use sporting gear as weapons for their robberies. Babs is about to put the kibosh on the gang when a passing bicycle snags her headpiece, tilting it askew. Fearing it might have mussed her make-up, the Dominoed Daredoll grabs at her mask and thus allows the Sports Swindlers to say "Aloha!"

Batman and Robin arrive, alas not in time, but try their best to console the crestfallen Costumed Countess. She accepts their kind words and hops on her Bat-Bike, motoring off into the night. The next night, the Caped Crusaders follow a tip that brings them to the Gotham River Sawmill and yet another offbeat heist by the Sports Simpletons. Before you ask how much value logs bring in the criminal underworld, let me just point out that the Sawmill also features a metal shop where gold ingots are kept to fashion all those Gotham bowling trophies.

The boys are in the process of rounding up the Sports Clowns when a shriek ripples its way through the evening breeze. The Duo, distracted by the feminine squawk, fall off their logs and into the dangerous current. Luckily, the shrieker turns out to be none other than Babs Gordon, a/k/a Batgirl, come to the Boys' rescue. Alas, as she's about to engage in fisticuffs with one of the Sporties, mud is splashed upon her mask and it's deja vu all over again! Batgirl grabs at her utility purse (Louis Vuitton, natch) and whips out a wet wipe to clean her mucky mask.

For the second time that week, Batgirl's vanity has allowed hardened, albeit imbecilic, criminals to walk away scot-free and necessitates more hand holding from the Dynamic Duo. Babs vows to herself that she'll never allow her good looks to interfere with her side job ever again. A few days later, Dick and Bruce are way under cover, dressed as beatniks (well, at least what Gardner Fox and Gil Kane deem beatniks), when they pick up a clue that the Sporting Sillies will be taking down a festival known as The Royal Happening. 

Sure enough, that night at the Happening, the Gang demand that all festivalgoers pony up their valuables. Batman and Robin arrive just as the last wallet is tossed in the bag and engage in some feisty uppercuts. Suddenly, from out of the shadows, Batgirl jumps into the action. Well, she tries to, until she squeals and admits she's had a run in her tights. All criminal eyes turn to search for skin and Batman and Robin deliver the KOs. The Sportsters are sent right to jail and Batman admits there might just be some advantages to feminine vanity. Batgirl winks at us and admits she tore her uniform on purpose cuz it was the easiest way to get attention from thugs. She then wonders if, since Bats and Robin never even glanced her way, maybe Professor Wertham was on to something.

Quasi feminist that I am, I must take umbrage with Gardner Fox's obvious commentary that the only good superheroine is one with firm breasts, hot gams, and a great ass. How else to take a story where Batgirl, who previously seemed free of "vanity," is suddenly mortified by a tainted cowl and issues "Eeek"s when confronted by a battle? Is this Gardner's pushback against the rising feminism of the late 1960s? Absolutely detestable! (wink wink)

This pre-teen funny book devourer would have laughed and smiled frequently throughout "Batgirl's Costume Cut-Ups!" because it's so ridiculous. Batman and Robin coddling the poor girl only adds to the camp atmosphere that invaded these titles by 1967. The art by Kane, aside from a few... ummm... interesting anatomy twistings, is absolutely first-class, maybe even better than Carmine.-Peter

Jack-I think it's the best art we've seen on a Batman story in the 1960s. I love Kane's page layouts, faces, and character poses. I was expecting Batgirl's sudden attack of crippling vanity to be due to the knock on the head she received early in the story, but no such luck. She's just a typical girl. Am I wrong, or was Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on the TV show less prone to such things?

Infantino/Anderson

Batman #199

"Peril of the Poison Rings!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"Seven Steps to Save Face!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"Operation 'Escape'!"

Story Uncredited

Art by Jim Mooney

(Reprinted from Star Spangled Comics #124, January 1952)

A quartet of clever crooks pose as TV  repairmen in order to rob a millionaire's home, but the Dynamic Duo intercept them and capture three of the four varlets. Crook number four is Rembrandt Dickens, a comic book artist who draws Batman magazine, among other things, and who depicts the failed robbery in the latest issue.

Dickens has devised a poisonous ink that he put into three rings; he gives them to his cohorts with instructions to scratch Batman and Robin during a fistfight, since the poison will cause death within hours. As the burglars rob the House of Clay (valuable clay pots?), they are interrupted by Batman and Robin and, during the melee, Batman's face is scratched by one of the poisoned rings. The crook helpfully tells Batman that he'll be dead in two hours. The Dark Knight recalls seeing the hoods pictured in the latest issue of Batman, so he races from newsstand to newsstand, seeking a copy in hopes that it will hold clues to the "Peril of the Poison Rings!"

Robin finds a copy (probably marked up 500% at a comic shop) and Batman finds a clue that leads him to the studio of Rembrandt Dickens. He quickly dispatches with the artist, finds the chemical formula for the poisoned ink in a file, and rushes to a doctor, who whips up an antidote just in the nick of time.

Once again, a great cover by Infantino and Anderson leads to a letdown of a story by Fox, Moldoff, and Giella. I think I used to visit that same newsstand when I was a kid. I looked up photos of Sheldon Moldoff online to see if Rembrandt Dickens was a self-portrait, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

A gang of thieves are robbing the Southley Art Gallery when Batman and Robin arrive and start using a combination of judo throws and old-fashioned punches to foil the crime! Robin is knocked out cold during the melee and Batman takes him back to the Batcave, only to discover that he's really a circus midget who looks just like the Boy Wonder! Robin pulls off Batman's mask and announces that he is Bruce Wayne; he adds that the rest of his gang are listening through a radio in his belt. The gang planned to knock Robin out and replace him so that they could learn Batman's secret identity.

Batman drives toward the Batcave's exit and uses a Vulcan nerve pinch (or the equivalent) to knock out the faux Robin. The Caped Crusader then embarks on a program of "Seven Steps to Save Face!" He puts the fake Robin back where he found him, finds and beats up the other gang members, and frees the real Robin. He convinces the fake Robin that he dreamed that Batman was Bruce Wayne and it turns out that anti-bugging devices in the Batcave blocked the crook's radio transmission.

Sometimes it seems like all that Batman and his enemies are concerned with is maintaining or revealing his secret identity. It gets tiresome. What made me laugh in this story was the revelation that the person hired to impersonate Robin also had a job as a circus midget!

In addition to the 13-page lead story and the 10-page backup, this issue includes a 6-page reprint of a solo Robin story from near the end of his run in Star Spangled Comics. "Operation: 'Escape'!" finds the Boy Wonder giving a lecture to a crowd of policemen and asking them to figure out how he escaped from a seemingly impossible trap using a few common pieces of sports equipment. Jim Mooney's art is professional but the story is over quickly.-Jack

Peter-Full-throated laughs emitted from this here Bat-reader when the "World's Greatest Detective" recalled seeing the "Peril of the Poison Rings!" bandits in the latest Batman comic book. Was Shelly Moldoff illustrating that one too, since 100% of his felons all look and dress alike? Perhaps when the Caped Crusader phoned the DC office for Rembrandt Dickens's address, he told Julie that the editor needed a better artist and that's why Moldoff is out the door after this issue. Similarly, the "Seven Steps..." story leads off with Batman telling the faux Boy Wonder that he's not the real Robin. Coulda fooled me. 

Adams

Detective Comics #372

"The Fearsome Foot-Fighters!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

In a posh apartment in the best part of Gotham, a rich couple are preparing for an extraordinary evening out at the Karonian Festival when Mabel opens the wall safe and finds her jewelry has been stolen! And the thief has left an IOU!

Next day, at Commissioner Gordon's office, the top cop admits he's befuddled by the rash of IOU heists around town. He's put in hours of work on the case but still can't crack it. With a heavy sigh (knowing that Gordon had been spotted golfing at Mar-a-Lago that week), Batman accepts the Commish's challenge to solve the crimes while he attends to more pressing issues. Examining the IOU, Batman deduces that the writing on the notes matches the font he saw on a menu at the Royal Karonian Restaurant. Time to investigate!

He gives recent flame Andrea a call and the pair head to the restaurant. On the way, Andrea berates the billionaire playboy about disappearing in the middle of dessert: "If you ever up and leave me again in the middle of an evening--I'll never go out with you again!! But never!" Perhaps thinking, "If only!," Bruce smiles and drives on. They arrive, are seated, and Bruce examines the menu. Precisely the same writing as that on the IOUs! The couple eat their meal while Andrea hints that Marberry's is having a half-off sale on mink stoles, and then they hit the tiles. 

Suddenly, a fight breaks out in front of the restaurant; two acrobats (we know they're acrobats because Bruce tells us so!) are beating on a cowering man. Bruce hails a cab, tosses the furious Andrea in the back seat, and tells the driver to hit the gas. Unafraid that some passerby might notice that the handsome billionaire can really kick ass, he jumps in, making quick work of the jiu-jitsu, karate-chopping, kung-fu mofos. The victim makes his getaway.

When the assailants awaken, they explain to Bruce that they are Savate* fighters and they were here to apprehend Marne Zoldin, a former despot from Karonia and Bruce has botched the operation. Feeling like a heel, the "World's Greatest Detective" apologizes and then feels bad all day that he helped let the bad guy get away. That night, he calls up the ever-patient Andrea and asks for forgiveness. Could she accompany Bruce to the Karonian Festival for some cool acrobatic displays? 

Andrea agrees but berates the billionaire playboy on the way to the Fest: "If you ever up and leave me again in the middle of an evening--I'll never go out with you again!! But never!" Perhaps thinking, "If only!," Bruce smiles and drives on. They arrive at the arena and are seated. The show starts and, soon after, an acrobat tumbles away from the action and nearly puts the KO on an astonished Bruce Wayne. Suspecting something foul, the "World's Greatest Detective" knows he has to follow up on this. Exiting the building, Bruce hails a cab and tosses a fiery red Andrea in the back and tells the driver to floor it.

He then heads to the back of the building, where he witnesses the acrobats making a sneaky, quiet exit to their creaky old jalopy. Bruce hops in his sports car and tails the Kardashians to their hideout, where he changes into his fighting clothes. Just as he zips up his fly, the acrobats tumble out of their lair and pile into the station wagon, speeding down the country lane. The Dark Knight enters the house and finds a beaten Marne Zoldin, who explains to his rescuer that he was leader of the opposition forces back in Karskadonia and has come to America to raise funds for the Democratic movement back in his country. Batman snickers, says "Yeah, good luck with that" and watches helplessly as the man passes out from his beating. Just as he lapses into unconsciousness, Marne whispers "Gabort!"

The Caped Crusader takes Zoldin to a nearby hospital and then speeds his way to the hotel the man was staying at, feeling in his bones that this is where he'll find the gang of sadistic tumblers. Sure enough! Like a Marx Brothers movie, all 26 of the acrobats come spilling out of the elevator as Bats hits the lobby. After a terrific battle, Batman emerges triumphant. Later, in Gordo's office, Batman learns that Zoldin never recovered from his injuries and his widow has arrived to claim the body. As she departs the office, she vows to carry on her dead husband's work. Batman wishes her the best and tells her if she breaks the law, he'll be there to bring her down. 

Just another in a long line of disposable, no-risk, no-effort adventures, "The Fearsome Foot-Fighters!" is dismal, mind-numbing pablum. Hilarious that the heretofore unheard of Karonia is all over Gotham, including a five-star restaurant! Other than for comic relief, why does Bruce continue to invite this Andrea (a chick we've never met before and probably will never meet again) to these functions when he's there to investigate clues and knows there's a 100% chance he's going to have to change clothes and take on bad guys?

The only plus to this mess is the fact that we don't have to sit through Robin one-liners. You can only grimace while moving your eyes over Shelly's art; by the final panels, Bruce has aged enough to pass for Ward Cleaver. The good news is that this is Moldoff's final month of Batman chores. Though we've dogged the guy for his poor work, I have to admit that learning why his stint ended (he and some other artists and writers asked DC for health benefits and were basically fired for their request) puts yet another foul taste in my mouth for these comic companies. As far as artist chores go, we'll have a carousel of pencilers until Bob Brown establishes residency in a few months. Can't wait to see what we're in for there!-Peter

*Google it

Jack-What a shame it is that Neal Adams just drew the cover and not the story inside! The cover makes this look like an exciting, martial arts battle, while Moldoff and Giella put on a clown show for fourteen endless pages. Looking at Moldoff's bio online, I respect his Golden Age work, but by the 1960s, his attempt to imitate Bob Kane's style had ossified and he added very little to the stories.

Adams

The Brave and the Bold #75

"Batman and The Spectre"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito

Bill Loo, the unofficial mayor of Gotham City's Chinatown, welcomes in the Year of the Bat with none other than the Caped Crusader! Bill's son, Danny, takes part in the New Year festivities by playing the electric guitar as swingers dance and enjoy the party. In a nearby alley, a caped figure identifies himself as Shahn-Zi, the River God, and restores his ancient powers by pouring water from the Yellow River over the Wheel of Ming.

A quarter mile away, a giant figure of Shahn-Zi appears and spreads his massive cloak over Chinatown, creating an impenetrable, see-through wall that no one can penetrate. Bill Loo explains that Shahn-Zi is evil incarnate and has "'fantastic powers of the occult.'" Batman is trapped inside the wall, but on the outside, "famed detective" Jim Corrigan is visiting Gotham City to observe its police methods and shares Commissioner Gordon's frustration at the new wall. Corrigan ducks into an alley and summons the Spectre, who is able to pass through the wall and enter Chinatown.

Shahn-Zi explains to Bill Loo that his thousand years of life have passed and now he has chosen Bill's son, Danny, to be his successor. If Bill doesn't agree, the people of Chinatown will be trapped forever inside the wall. Batman promises to help. The Spectre confronts Shahn-Zi and barely escapes with his life, with a little help from Batman. Meanwhile, Bill Loo has resigned himself to giving Danny to the River God, but Batman and the Spectre intervene and confront Shahn-Zi in the underground sewers. The duo manage to defeat the River God and Danny is saved. The wall disappears and the New Year's celebration resumes.

That cover is suitable for framing, isn't it? I always thought that the Spectre was a cool character, so I'm glad to see him join forces with Batman in this issue. The art by Andru and Esposito is above average and the twenty-four-page story flies by quickly.-Jack

Peter-I continue to be less than enthused about Bob Haney's dialogue in these B&B fist-fests; in particular, the "cool cat" lingo that comes out of Danny's mouth is oh so annoying ("Crazzee, man! Wonder what his gig is?"). Having said that, this is an exciting enough adventure and the Spectre is always welcome. The Andru/Esposito art is solid; it's obvious that as long as they don't have to depict unmasked faces, they're on solid ground. For as menacing a menace as Shahn-Zi is, he sure gets defeated fairly easily.

Next Week...
Jack Davis Leads a Stellar Group of Artists...
Now, Can We Get Some Stellar Scripts?

Batman in the 1960s Issue 42: November/December 1966

 

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

Anderson

Batman #186

"The Joker's Original Robberies!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

There's a new member of the Joker's gang and his name is Gagsworth A. Gagsworthy, nicknamed Gaggy, a dwarf who is a refugee from a circus and whose new job is to keep the boss laughing. Every time Gaggy  makes the Joker guffaw, the Clown Prince of Crime comes up with a new idea for mayhem. "The Joker's Original Robberies!" include robbing an exhibition of original models of famous inventions from the Salon of Spectacles. Though the Dynamic Duo make the scene, the Joker and his gang escape.

Batman and Robin realize that the Joker's next target will be the original city hall of Gotham City. When the Joker uses a helicopter to airlift the building to a secret location, Batman and Robin hang on from below and burst through the door, quickly mopping up the gang and ensuring that Joker and Gaggy share a jail cell.

We are in full Batman TV show mode now and DC is making sure that they sell as many Batman comics as possible. Not only is Murphy Anderson drawing the covers, but the house ads include the latest issue of Jerry Lewis comics, featuring a guest appearance by Batman and Robin! The lead story in this issue is dreadful and Gaggy is an awful sidekick. He tries to make himself the equivalent of the Boy Wonder, but it doesn't work, and the art by Moldoff is worse than usual.

Batman receives an emergency call from Commissioner Gordon, who says that he is in Resort City, hiding out from Fred Purley, a jewel thief he locked up 40 years ago who has just been released. On his way out of the courtroom, Purley issued "Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat!" to the then-rookie cop and now Batman's pal is afraid the crook will keep his old promise. What Batman doesn't know is that the call really came from Purley, who does a spot-on impression of Gordon's voice and who is holding the Commish hostage.

After racing to Resort City in the Bat-copter, the Caped Crusader barely escapes being blown up by a hidden bomb when he opens the door to what he thinks is Gordon's hotel room. Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Robin is out patrolling in the Batmobile when he happens upon Purley and two goons robbing a jewelry store. Robin is doing well against the goons when he's distracted by Purley's Gordon vocal impression; as a result, he's knocked out and left on the pavement. When the Dynamic Duo reunite at Police HQ, Batman quickly figures out what's going on and they take the Bat-copter to Flame Island, where Gordon has absent-mindedly scraped a Bat-signal in the black paint covering a window in the tower of the building where he's being held. Biff! Pow! Scratch one jewel thief and rescue one commissioner.

Unlike the first story in this issue, which was extra disappointing because it wasted the Joker, this one is just plain dull and features yet another run of the mill gangster. With all of the attention on Batman at this point, you'd think DC could do better, but I guess they could slap his picture on just about anything and it would sell during the heyday of Bat-mania.-Jack

Peter-In "Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat," the Boy Wonder's inane one-liners had me screaming out "Robin! Stop!" at the same time as Purley! The hippy-cat lingo the kid keeps spouting reminds me we're almost into that Rebellious Robin phase we encountered in the early '70s. Old men writing dialogue for teenagers ("Wonder why Batman sliced air for Resort City?") never worked and probably never will. Hilarious that Purley got a life sentence for a diamond heist and Penguin and Joker are paroled before they're even arrested for multiple slayings. The Joker tale adds fuel to my argument that the 1960s Batman writers had no idea how to pen interesting tales centered on a madman. Take a look around at what DC Comics was selling in their funny books at the time and you can see there was no room for a genuine psychopath among yarns about super dogs and Kid Flashes.

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #357

"Bruce Wayne Unmasks Batman!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella

Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are the guests on the William B. Williams TV debate show when they are blind-sided by the appearance of... Batman and Robin! The quartet engage in a feisty debate on criminal rehabilitation, bad childhoods, and the number of jewelry stores located in Gotham, with the masked invitees unaware of the secret identities belonging to the gentlemen across from them. 

Watching from home are two members of the Frankie Fargo gang, Boo-Boo and Beefy. Boo-Boo gets the ingenious idea of going down to the studio and kidnapping the Dynamic Duo to impress boss Frankie. They grab a conveniently-placed container of sleeping gas and exit through the apartment door. Later, they pump the studio full of gas and dump the faux crime-fighters in the back of their getaway car. In a secluded wood, they unmask the Caped Crusaders to reveal a pair of college kids. Without ID, they can't place the kids, so they stash the comatose "heroes" and head off to find Frankie Fargo.

Meanwhile, back at the studio, William Williams explains to Bruce and Dick that the Batman and Robin idea was all his; the men behind the masks are a pair of university students who spend their idle time at parties imitating their idols. Bruce and Robin head to the university to look for clues and happen upon Frankie and his gang just as the mobsters are about to rub out the underwear-clad figures whom they believe to be Batman and Robin.

When the real deal emerge from the Batmobile, Frankie is, to be frank, a bit pissed, and he opens up on the Dynamic Duo. It doesn't take much, however, for the Dark Knight and the Teenage Torpedo to take the gang down and deliver them to the authorities (Gordon is on a much-needed vacation). At the studio the next evening, Bruce and Robin are introduced to Tom Wiley and Stewart Hall, the two frat boys who were nabbed, and Wayne congratulates Tom on his mockery of Gotham's Greatest Detective while Dick chuckles in the foreground.

This is another one of those "high-concept" ideas that works much better on the cover than it does on the inside. Much like other plots of this ilk ("Alfred is... The Penguin!" "Robin Shops at the Supermarket!"), a single image (cover) is a fun snapshot that doesn't necessarily translate into 14 pages of action and brilliant storytelling. I was hoping the addition of John Broome to the skimpy writing staff would elicit new ideas, but nope, it's still the same old sophomoric crap.-Peter

Jack-I think you're being generous. The cover is nicely drawn but hardly memorable, and the story inside is terrible. William B. Williams was a real radio personality in NYC for decades but I can't imagine that a kid who would plunk down 12 cents for this issue would care one whit about William B. The script is so bad that even Infantino and Giella's art is uninspired. And who names villains Beefy and Boo Boo? Infantino must have been feeling overwhelmed, because he doesn't draw this issue's Elongated Man story, which has the dubious distinction of using the wrong color for the hero's costume from start to finish.

Various

Batman #187

"Batman's First Case"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #265, March 1959)

"The Phantom Eye of Gotham City"

Story by John Broome (?)

Art by Bob Kane & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #192, February 1953)

"The Last Days of Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #125, August 1959)

"Gotham's Cleverest Criminal"

Story by Al Schwartz

Art by Jack Burnley & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman Sunday strips 10/28-12/9/45)

"Peril at Playland Isle"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #264, February 1959)

"The Batman of Tomorrow!"

Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #216, February 1955)

"The Ballad of Batman"
Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #95, October 1955)

Peter-I love the constant rearranging of the mythos through the decades. Every so often we discover that a/Batman's first case wasn't really the first case; b/ there are umpteen people in Bruce Wayne's past that he's just lost touch with but reconnects with when a new villain arrives in town; and c/ Bruce Wayne had a myriad of inspirations for his alter ego. Most of these oldies have something that makes me smile, but if I have to pick a favorite it would be the dopiest of the six (I don't count the Sunday strips), "The Last Days of Batman," wherein the main plot is kicked off by the Dark Knight's need to travel back in time to the 17th Century. To save the world? To save Gotham? To save Robin? How about to save a kitten? Nope, it's to clear up a misunderstanding about museum curator John Kirk and an obscure painting. Thank goodness Gotham has its own time machine inventor! Gotta hand it to that Bill Finger; he could make masterpieces out of a sow's ear.

Jack-I don't think I've read this 80-page giant before, but it's an unusually strong collection. I loved the Sunday strips and now will have to go out and find a book of them so I can read them all. Art and story are great! Also great is the fact that we get three stories in a row penciled by Dick Sprang. My favorite of these is "Peril at Playland Isle," which makes fine use of an amusement park setting. "The Ballad of Batman" is a hokey tale that came out around the height of the Davy Crockett craze. 

Infantino/Giella

Detective Comics #358

"The Circle of Terror!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

While out on patrol, Batman and Robin stumble upon the latest in a long line of 15th-tier Rogue villains--the Spellbinder! Exiting from the broken window of an antique store (definitely not the safest way to break into a business), Spellbinder and his two nattily-dressed henchmen dive into battle with the Dynamic Duo but the fisticuffs come to a screeching halt when Spellbinder unveils his secret power--hypnotism.

While doing cartwheels, the baddie envelops Batman with a mesmerizing pattern and our hero becomes... clock-eyed!!! Yes, clock-eyed. Suddenly, the Dark Knight believes he's facing the huge clock on the Lifetime Publications building in Gotham. Mobsters emerge from the timepiece and Batman gives wing, landing on the minute hand and delivering off-balance left hooks that seem to leave the criminals unfazed. Batman loses his footing and falls hundreds of feet to his death.

Or so it would seem, but just before he splatters all over the pavement, he awakens and finds a very worried Robin, informing his boss that the bad guys got away. Bats heads to the office of a police doctor, who tells him that the Spellbinder's trick seems to work on the Caped Crusader's inner fears and that it's very common for a frightened dreamer to die in his sleep (1960s medical research at its finest). Batman had better be well-prepared the next time he runs into the Spellbinder.

Ignoring this sage medical advice, Batman grabs Robin and hits the streets running, searching high and low for Spellbinder. He finds the dazzler in an alley (!), mapping out his next heist with his two bozos. Obviously expecting a different outcome, Batman is amazed when the Spellbinder hypnotizes him again and makes him believe he's landing a helicopter atop a speeding train to fight robbers. Unfortunately, the battle does not go our hero's way and he takes a topple from the locomotive into a body of water far below, waking up just before a whirlpool sucks him under. Again, Robin is there to roll his eyes and admonish his mentor for being foolhardy. "Next time," swears the World's Greatest Detective, "I'll be ready for him!"

Later that night, skyrockets in the sky lead the Dynamic Duo to a nearby deserted street, where the Spellbinder and his fiendish employees await. A well-hidden rocket blows up in Batman's face and becomes a pinwheel, once more hypnotizing him and sending him into an eerie dream state. Now, Batman is convinced he's in an amusement park fighting sideshow acts. But third time's the charm as Gotham's defender figures a way to foil the Spellbinder's trick and he delivers that solid left cross to the chin of his arch-enemy. Gotham's jail cells will be full again for at least a couple of months.

I gotta say that John Broome at least changes up the formula this time a bit. Batman is defeated twice before he gets a handle on the spinning trick; usually, there's one defeat and then Bats goes in swinging the second time. You can tell I'm so bored by this by-the-numbers era that I'll grab onto anything of interest. Like Batman's micro-sized crime book he keeps in his utility belt. Really, how much info could be kept in a journal the size of a folded business card? Or how about the questionable science of a helicopter blade that moves so slowly that it offers no harm to someone unlucky enough to get hit in the head by it? Gotham Villain Uniform Company must be running out of ideas; Spellbinder's get-up looks like pieces left over from three or four other 15th-tier rogues.-Peter

Jack-Is this the first op-art villain we've seen? He's described that way in the story and his costume features some go-go checks, so he has to be at DC! At the end of the story, Bruce, Dick, Alfred, and Aunt Harriet take in an op-art exhibit at a museum. Suffice it to say that Sheldon Moldoff's exhibits of op art on the museum wall do not inspire me to search for more. According to Wikipedia, the term op art was coined in '64, so DC is on the cutting edge. Sort of. Just like last issue, Infantino doesn't draw the Elongated Man backup story; this time, it's Sid Greene. From the looks of this one sample, I like him better as an inker over someone else's pencils.

Infantino/Giella

Batman #188

"The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman!"

Story by Robert Kanigher

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

"The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City!"

Story by John Broome

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Sid Greene

Gazing at a giant eraser on display in a shop window (and ignoring the scantily-clad beauty who is giving him the eye), Bruce Wayne recalls a college classmate named Lenny Fiasco who made so many mistakes that he was always erasing the blackboard. The Dynamic Duo are soon summoned to the Riverside Bank, where Batman can find no evidence of any clue as to who robbed the vault. When he and Robin happen upon a toy store robbery in progress, they find an ad for the Eraser, who promises to remove every clue from a crime scene.

Batman and Robin disguise themselves as an organ grinder and his human monkey; when the organ grinder pretends to rob a safe in a jewelry shop, the Eraser suddenly turns up and reveals himself to be Lenny Fiasco, who quickly identifies Bruce Wayne in disguise due to the particular smell his shaving lotion gives off. Lenny still holds a grudge against Bruce for dating a certain girl in college and he knocks his old rival out by means of gas from one of his pointy, pencil-like shoes. Bruce manages to escape death by freezing (don't ask) before he changes into his Bat-suit and is joined by Robin. The duo make short work of the Eraser and his fellow goons and Lennie ends up in jail.

Bob Kanigher has been writing the most entertaining Bat-tales of late, and "The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman!" is nutty fun. The villain is a hoot, with a mask that resembles a pencil eraser and shoes that look like sharp pencil points. Women throw themselves at Bruce throughout the story, to Dick's chagrin, and there's even a brief attempt to kill Bruce Wayne by placing him in a non-melting ice sculpture.

Less fun is to be had in John Broome's "The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City!" It's not ideal to be on Squire Magazine's list of the ten best-dressed men in Gotham City, since three of the men have died in tragic accidents in the last week! The fourth name on the list is Bruce Wayne, who barely escapes death when his car loses control. Batman figures that the fifth name on the list is next, but when he and Robin visit Hampden Dennis, the rich realtor is not concerned.

The Dynamic Duo trail Dennis to a seedy part of the city, where the realtor and his beefy chauffeur engage in fisticuffs with the crime fighters. At Police HQ, Commissioner Gordon explains that Dennis was the secret king of the numbers racket, but when Batman and Robin return to Dennis's mansion they discover that the real killer is Matt Whitson, publisher of Squire, who betrayed his country during the last war. A man named Davis blackmailed him and Dennis killed him. The deaths of the best-dressed men were an attempt to cover up the initial murder.

Broome's story is overly complicated and poorly illustrated by Moldoff and Greene, whose inks are particularly heavy this time. The only brief moments of excitement occur near the end, when Robin and Batman both face danger from the magazine publisher at his mansion before they unmask him.-Jack

Peter-I'd like to think the Human Eraser was created as an answer to the camp that was being shown two nights a week on ABC. I love that--"Holy Coincidence!"--Bruce Wayne is just relating the story of Lennie Fiasco (with a surname like that, how could you fail?) to Dick when he gets word that a living eraser is wiping out all traces of criminal activity. What are the odds? And what are the odds a guy would run around with a giant eraser on top of his head? Owing also to the big hit show, we see our first wall walk and a "Zap! Pow!" nod as well. The best thing in this issue is Batman's lengthy expository detailing Matt Whitson's history in "Best-Dressed...". Deeming Whitson a "coward" for divulging government secrets while a POW, however, hasn't aged well.

Sekowsky/Giella/Anderson

The Brave and the Bold #68

"Alias the Bat-Hulk"

Story by Bob Haney

Art by Mike Sekowsky & Mike Esposito

While patrolling Gotham City in the Batmobile, Batman is surprised when the Riddler appears on his dashboard closed circuit TV screen with a riddle that leads the Caped Crusader to the Diamond Exchange. The Riddler is robbing the store and gets away after distracting Batman with a phony diamond that emits gas. Batman next encounters the Penguin, who flies over Gotham using an umbrella; he is located at the museum stealing a rare bird, but like the Riddler, he escapes.

In the Batmobile again, Batman sees that his gear shift knob has been replaced by a talking Joker head! Batman is knocked out by gas and the car crashes; when he awakens, he transforms into the Bat-Hulk, a giant figure who lumbers through the streets of Gotham and can melt anything he touches. After wandering into a park, Bat-Hulk changes back into Batman and thinks of someone who can help him. Batman visits Stagg Mansion, where Metamorpho and his crew hang out, and Stagg, the scientist, runs tests that reveal what's wrong with Batman. Unfortunately, he has no cure, so Batman asks Metamorpho to control him when he transforms into Bat-Hulk.

That happens right away, but Metamorpho can't control Bat-Hulk, who escapes. Meanwhile, the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler are toasting their success when Bat-Hulk bursts into their hideout to announce that he plans a super crime wave with them as helpers. Bat-Hulk quickly reverts to Batman but, as the trio advance on him, he changes back into Bat-Hulk. The crime wave begins and the inevitable showdown with Metamorpho ends when a bolt of lightning changes Bat-Hulk back into Batman for good.

I've never been a fan of Mike Sekowsky's pencils, and Mike Esposito's heavy black inks emphasize everything I don't like about this style. Unfortunately, Sekowsky drew Justice League of America for years, making the series hard to enjoy. This story is clearly influenced by the TV show and the movie (which gets a full page ad in this issue) and, while I've always liked the three villains, they are wasted here. I can't imagine that Marvel's Hulk was very popular or well-known at this point, being half of the Tales to Astonish lineup, so perhaps Bob Haney was just having a bit of fun with "Alias the Bat-Hulk."-Jack

Peter-Pretty awful stuff, from the hip-lingo script by Haney ("Stop abusing that crazy, mixed-up TV antenna!") to the barely-professional art (the work reminds me of the truly dreadful stuff Tony Tallarico pumped out for Warren in the late 1960s). The plot is hard to follow (the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler spray Bats with something and he gets porky), as is the logic behind stealing the name off of one of the biggest characters in your number one competitor's barn. I assume (there's that word again) that Bob Haney was practicing a bit of parody but, unfortunately, there's nothing funny going on. I have no history with Metamorpho, so any powers he possesses and supporting characters he interacts with are lost on me. Give me a good old-fashioned Batman/Deadman team-up over this junk any day. The villainous trio team up, doubtless, because of the TV show's popularity and to remind any reader out there that a movie is being released as well. Which begs the question: where the heck is funny book Catwoman?

BATMANIA!

Imagine scanning a newsstand in September or October 1966, just as the first full season of TV's Batman premiered! In addition to all of the comics discussed above, DC released these, all of which featured the Caped Crusader prominently on the cover:

Next Week...
Jack Finally Snaps and Questions
Whether Reading So Much Bad Science Fiction
is Healthy for a Man His Age!