BATMAN Micro-Reviews: Strange Apparitions

I’m a bad comics fan because I’ve never read this before:

The Englehart/Rogers BATMAN run, perhaps the first time any run was referred to as “definitive.”  (Peter Sanderson believes he coined the idea that this was THE Batman.)

Enjoying it in its proper context is almost impossible today, since the material has been mined so often in the comics, movies, & cartoons.

It’s also significant for being one of the first runs on a comic written as an homage to the previous years.

Even before Byrne’s FF, Englehart was writing BATMAN as a tribute to BATMAN.

(Okay; technically he was writing DETECTIVE COMICS, not BATMAN, but you get the point.)

DETECTIVE COMICS #469-470, Englehart opens with Walt Simonson on the Dr. Phosphorus story.

Outside of his visual, Phosphorus has nothing going for him. Not surprised he’s never developed into a major villain.

Not only is his motivation lame, but he pulls a “THIS isn’t how I’ll defeat you, Batman!” and just exits his first fight for no reason.

Then spends the next issue trying to find Batman -- you just let him go, dum-dum!

Englehart is also trapped in ‘70s narration, to the point that he’s referring to the reader as “amigo.”

Nothing really “definitive” yet, but these are nice-looking comics.  Walt Simonson inked by Al Milgrom of all people!

DETECTIVE #471-472 - And now Englehart is hitting the nostalgia notes, reviving Hugo Strange from 1940s.

Not that anyone reading in 1977 was around for BATMAN #1, but some form of legend had to surround those issues.

Interesting that these issues indicate that the Golden Age BATMAN stories are still canon. I guess DC had the sliding timescale, too?

Strange’s plot seemed to inspire at least 2 episodes of the ‘90s cartoon. But they wisely ignored Strange’s army of hideous giants.

Strange is an extremely unfocused villain in this arc; he’s a master of disguise AND a mad scientist AND an extortionist…AND he has a deep respect for his foe, Batman, AND he has a bit of an identity crisis.

Just pick one, Steve!

DETECTIVE #473 - Perhaps the first post-modern Penguin story.

The story assumes you already know the Penguin will steal a jewel-encrusted penguin statue, then plays with your expectations.

Not hard to see the influence Rogers had on McFarlane’s style. Rogers was doing dramatic, implausible capes back in the ‘70s.

Rogers is also far more detail-obsessed than other artists of this era. Perez isn’t quite Perez yet, but Rogers arrived fully formed.

DETECTIVE #474 - Deadshot returns after a few decades away.

Perhaps the modern equivalent of someone reviving Knight & Fogg in a Spider-Man comic.

I don’t think DC got any more continuity thick than this in the ‘70s --

--Englehart tries to rationalize Bruce Wayne’s various public personas, sneaks in references to Alfred’s days as an amateur detective…

…shouts out Mort Weisinger & Dick Sprang…and tries to reconcile Robin’s TEEN TITANS continuity.

All while reviving a goofy villain from the past and giving him a gritty makeover for these dark, modern times.

DETECTIVE #475 - The Laughing Fish issue.

Also, I’m going to assume, the first story to state the Joker “needs” Batman.

And perhaps the first time Joker callously kills one of his henchmen?

Much of the Joker’s dialogue here was used almost verbatim on the ‘90s cartoon adaptation.

You can also see elements of ’89 BATMAN here (Englehart wrote early treatments for the movie).

Vicki Vale is essentially Silver St. Cloud in the movie; plus, we have villains giving out money to the public…The Joker developing a toxin that only works in combinations & breaking into live TV…later falling to his death…Gotham as a seedier NY…

DETECTIVE #476 - The big finale.

It’s amusing to see elements from the ‘60s that remain in the books……Chief O’Hara…villains handing out clues…chummy Batman & Gordon…

So, Englehart left before resolving the Hugo Strange ghost storyline? Or was Boss Thorne turning himself in the conclusion?

Englehart exits on a “Batman skipping out on Gordon” scene (still new at this point)…and a dramatic splash page of Batman flying over the city.

With that, we have what used to be the “definitive Batman” …

…until everyone decided they liked him better as a ninja psychopath with anger issues, I guess.

DETECTIVE COMICS #681 - January 1995

 

Knight without Armor

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  A masked, armored figure is terrorizing the Gotham underworld.  Batman is certain Jean-Paul Valley is the culprit, while Robin is skeptical.  They agree to split up the investigation.  Batman finds Jean-Paul living in a shelter, too emotionally fragile to hurt anyone.  Robin, meanwhile, investigates the mobster most likely to be hit next.  After Robin takes out his guards, he’s confronted by the real killer, Steeljacket.  Meanwhile, Batman returns to the Batcave and finds Bruce Wayne waiting for him.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Detective Mackenzie Bock is introduced as Lieutenant Essen’s new assistant.  This is treated as a significant introduction, but I don’t know if he ever amounted to more than just a minor supporting cast member.

Review:  I like the basic premise of the story, but I don’t think the “falsely accused” angle really goes anywhere.  Jean-Paul’s return to the book probably should feel like a significant event, but instead he’s cleared with one dumbfounded look and the story moves on.  Plus, it’s Dick Grayson who meets him face-to-face, and the two of them have barely interacted in the past, so there’s not much going on in the scene.  Regardless, there are some decent action sequences in the issue, and Klaus Janson inking over Graham Nolan just looks amazing.  There are a lot of big, dramatic images this issue, and while they contribute to the unusually short read-time, there’s a sense that the creative team is utilizing Janson to the best of his ability.  I’m relatively certain that Steeljacket never went on to become an A-list villain, and there’s not much to the mystery, but this issue has to stand out as one of the best-looking Bat-comics from the era.

DETECTIVE COMICS #680 - December 1994

 

A Twice Told Tale

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Lee Weeks & Graham Nolan (pencilers), Joe Rubinstein (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman deals with the crime wave that’s been fueled by Two-Face’s mass release of prisoners.  Gordon’s refusal to rely on Batman’s help continues to create a rift in his marriage.  Meanwhile, Robin consults Oracle and deduces that Two-Face is hiding out in the Hall of Records.  He leaves Batman a message and investigates.  When Batman arrives, Robin is already held captive with Harvey Kent, with both strapped underneath two thousand pounds of paper.  Batman commandeers a forklift and rescues both of them.  Confident in his abilities, he easily defeats Two-Face.

Irrelevant Continuity:  The opening narration of the issue claims once again (erroneously) that a computer glitch, a typo, is responsible for Two-Face’s release.

Total N00B:  Robin #0 is once again used as the crux of Batman’s insecurities regarding Two-Face, and I’ll point out again that there’s no footnote referencing it in the actual issue, nor is that story reprinted in this collection.

Review:  Six issues of build-up to a Two-Face fight probably wasn’t the best move, given that Two-Face isn’t that intimidating physically and the scheme he’s hatched this time never really comes together.  Two-Face using computers to cause chaos in the city is a decent idea, but the execution has been all over the place.  In this very issue, we’re told that computer glitches have caused dozens of cons to be released early from prison, while at the same time the prisons are being overcrowded.  Which is it, then?  If there are enough freed criminals to cause a crime wave, how could Two-Face also arrange for Blackgate to be overcrowded?  And how long would it really take the authorities to just forget the computers and manually figure out how many prisoners each facility can hold, especially if a large portion of them have already been released early?

Overlooking the villainous scheme, there’s also a problem with Batman’s big catharsis this issue.  Batman’s allegedly overcome his adolescent anxieties regarding Two-Face by deciding not to play by his rules, which apparently means stealing a forklift and just picking his hostages up out of harm’s way.  I understand the idea is that Dick’s learned from his mistakes in Robin #0, but as I recall the events of Robin #0, it’s not as if “grab a forklift and just ignore Two-Face” was really an option for young Dick in that story.  It’s taken Dick all of these years to finally realize that Two-Face is running a crooked game and that he shouldn’t fall for it?  This just doesn’t work.  As I’ve said earlier, the basic ideas behind this storyline aren’t bad at all, but the execution just feels mangled.

DETECTIVE COMICS #679 - November 1994

The Vermin Factor

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Lee Weeks (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Using a specialized flute, Ratcatcher summons an army of rats and escapes his parole hearing.  Later, Batman discusses Two-Face’s release with Commissioner Gordon, who is wary of dealing with another Batman.  While Robin is spending time with his recuperating father, Batman tracks Ratcatcher’s rat army in the sewers.  He discovers Ratcatcher’s plan to use a giant mass of rats to block the city’s main aqueduct.  Using a high-pitched sonic device, Batman disperses the rats and takes Ratcatcher into custody.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Looking online, it seems Ratcatcher first appeared in Detective Comics #585 during the Alan Grant/John Wagner run.

Dramatic Exits:  Commissioner Gordon basically taunts Batman into doing the quick escape bit, but he doesn’t take the bait.

I Love the ‘90s:  Tim Drake “modem”s info on Two-Face’s release to the Batcave.

Total N00B:  More references to Dick and Tim missing Alfred, who’s away in an unknown location, with no clear indication of why he left.

Review:  So I guess the goal of every Bat-title in November 1994 was to do an old-school Batman/Robin team-up story featuring a fairly non-threatening villain.  (Robin’s not there at the end for the climax, since Dixon writes him off in order to tie in to an ongoing subplot in the Robin solo series, but he still has a role in the story.)  Like I’ve said before, I get it.  The books need smaller, more traditional stories following the previous two years of events.  And these issues are a nice way to explore the dynamic between Dick and Tim, who do play off each other well.  Having a brotherly bond between Batman and Robin instead of a father-son relationship is a clever way to present an alternate take on the traditional roles for the characters.  However, as someone who’s reading all of these stories collected together in one volume, seeing variations of the same basic story does get a bit tiresome at a certain point.  You start to get antsy for something real to start to happen again.  Regardless, it’s a fun action story with superb artwork from Lee Weeks.  I think it’s worth noting again that you seldom see stereotypically bad ‘90s art in these comics, and the editors deserve a lot of credit for that.

DETECTIVE COMICS #677 - August 1994

Flesh and Steel

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Believing Batman to be dead, a furious Nightwing leaps on Jean-Paul.  Their fight takes them into the river, and eventually a casino boat.  Meanwhile, Robin discovers Batman jumped out of the Batmobile just in time to avoid the explosion.  The police storm the casino boat, forcing Jean-Paul to abandon the fight and escape.  He returns to Wayne Manor, where he’s shocked to find Batman.

Irrelevant Continuity:  While listing all of his accomplishments as Batman, Jean-Paul claims, “my father’s killer barks in Hell.”  To begin with, why is he convinced that this random blonde guy was actually his father’s killer?  He only has Selkirk’s word for it.  (Selkirk pointed to literally the person standing closest to him and just named him the killer.)  Also, when did this guy die?  Batman stopped Jean-Paul before he could kill him.

Total N00B:  Nightwing calls Jean-Paul “hammerhead” twice.  I have no idea if this is slang I’ve never heard of before, or a reference to another story that wasn’t reprinted.  (A reference to Jean-Paul's helmet, maybe?)

Review:  There’s a slight variation this chapter, because now it’s Nightwing’s turn for an extended fight scene with Fake Batman.  It’s not a bad fight scene at all, jumping from a flaming bridge, to underwater, to finally a casino boat, and I guess there is some catharsis in seeing Nightwing face the guy who usurped his inheritance in a way.  (In retrospect, Nightwing's reaction to this insanity should've played a larger part in the storyline.)  Plus, the art is great, especially on the final splash page that has Batman triumphantly emerging to confront Jean-Paul in the mansion.  Still, it’s another all-action chapter that’s just a prelude to The Big Fight, which got old several issues ago.  There’s also some odd continuity going on, as the lengthy subplot regarding the killer of Jean-Paul’s father is suddenly over, even though nothing in the previous chapters provided any closure.

DETECTIVE COMICS #676 - July 1994

Too Many Ninjas

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Bruce is herded by a group of ninjas into the highway, where he’s confronted by another master.  After defeating the master in battle, another appears.  The fight ends prematurely when her chain whip is caught up in a passing semi-truck.  Bruce is disappointed that he didn’t defeat her personally.  In the Batcave, Nightwing meets Harold.  Meanwhile, Jean-Paul continues his search for LeHah.  He finds the body of a gunrunner he believes was killed by LeHah.  A vision from St. Dumas tells Jean-Paul that LeHah didn’t personally kill his father, but instead sent a surrogate.

I Love the ‘90s:  One of the hoods Jean-Paul is chasing is annoyed that his friend now has a “portable phone.”

Total N00B:  I believe this is the first story in all three of the Knightfall trades to actually explain who Harold is.

Review:  It’s hard not read any meta-commentary into that title.  This is the third chapter in a row of Bruce fighting nameless, personality-less, martial arts masters while the ongoing storylines advance at a snail’s pace.  To Dixon and Nolan’s credit, the action in this issue is pretty entertaining, if only because a martial arts duel on a rainy multi-lane highway is kind of unusual for a superhero comic.  And there is a nice moment where Nightwing voices the audience’s frustrations with Bruce for selecting Jean-Paul as the replacement Batman instead of Dick.  “He’s his own man now” was always a copout explanation, and at least there’s one scene in the event where Dick reaffirms that he would’ve taken on the role even if he didn’t want it, simply out of loyalty to Bruce.  The rest of the issue is kind of a disappointment, as a lot of space is spent reiterating established plot points (which I guess was necessary for anyone not following every single Bat-title at the time), and Jean-Paul chews up a few pages beating up generic goons.  The Jean-Paul/LeHah subplot is even more tedious than Bruce fighting martial arts masters every issue, since Jean-Paul remains an unsympathetic character, and LeHah himself is a mystery to anyone who hasn’t read Sword of Azrael.

DETECTIVE COMICS #675 - June 1994

 

Midnight Duel

Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Gunhawk holds a hospital hostage, demanding his girlfriend Bunny be treated for her gunshot wound.  He responds violently to any efforts by the police to intervene, leading Batman to directly confront him.  After an intense firefight, Batman tackles Gunhawk down a staircase and knocks him unconscious.

Irrelevant Continuity:  The new weapon created at the end of Shadow of the Bat #28 was apparently a shuriken shooter that works like a machine gun; or perhaps the new creation was intended to be the flamethrower Batman debuts this issue.

Gimmicks:  An foil-embossed cover of the issue was also shipped.

 

Review:  Inserting the resolution to the Abattoir arc in-between the two chapters of this story does it no favors, although Dixon tries his best to make it work.  My favorite example is a nurse asking Gunhawk why he’s waited two days to take Bunny to the hospital.  “We were kind of on the run, y’know?”  Meanwhile, the death of Abattoir has apparently freed Jean-Paul from whatever inhibitions he previously held, as his narration now seems even more Punisher-esque.  Once again, the shift towards standard vigilante and away from crazed loon brainwashed by an ancient religious order makes Jean-Paul a more tolerable protagonist.  While Gunhawk remains a one-note villain, Dixon is able to get some material out of the obsession with weaponry he shares with Jean-Paul, and the scenes focusing on how the police deal with a hostage situation at a hospital are pretty interesting.  This is also one of Nolan’s strongest issues, as he excels at drawing relentless action scenes and the somewhat plausible, but still comic booky, weapons used during the fight.  I’m still not convinced this arc needed to be reprinted at the expense of more “significant” issues, but it’s entertaining on a very basic level.

DETECTIVE COMICS #673 - April 1994

Losing the Light
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  The firing squad lined up against Batman realizes the Joker has only provided them with blanks.  Batman uses the confusion to escape and rescue Cindy.  She reveals that she’s an actress who was in on the scheme all along, but never expected to be placed in actual danger.  Disillusioned, Batman chases down the Joker and brutalizes him.  The police arrive and prevent Batman from killing Joker.  After the Joker is taken to an ambulance, he manages to escape while strapped to a gurney.

Irrelevant Continuity:  During a subplot scene featuring Commissioner Gordon and his wife, Gordon is once again adamant that the current Batman is the original.  Batman has already established that Gordon has actually come to the opposite conclusion.  The Joker, meanwhile, quickly realizes that this is not the original Batman while watching him fight his flunkies.

Review:  I don’t dislike all of Kelly Jones’ covers, but I find some of them just galling.  This has got to be the worst one I’ve seen so far.  It’s certainly a poor comparison to Graham Nolan’s interior art, which is very well constructed and easy on the eyes.  His layouts are also strong for most of the issue.  The page depicting the Joker’s realization that he’s watching an imposter Batman, featuring a tiny circular insert of the Joker at the bottom of each panel as the “camera” moves tighter and tighter, is fantastic. 

As the first meeting between the new Batman and the Joker, this arc works fairly well.  I question if it really needed to last three issues, though.  The two plot twists this issue (that the Joker doesn’t want any of his goons to kill Batman, and the revelation that Cindy’s an actress) probably could’ve been covered in the last chapter.  Regardless, both of the plot points are used effectively.  I’m assuming it’s already canon at this point that the Joker doesn’t really want to kill Batman because he loves their game too much, so playing on that idea and showing how Joker responds to a replacement Batman is a nice angle to explore.  And while it’s not a shock to learn Cindy’s an actress, the revelation is a smart way to advance Jean-Paul’s growing cynicism about the citizens of Gotham.  One of the better concepts behind “Knightfall” is the emphasis on why Jean-Paul is such a terrible replacement -- not merely because he’s generically comic book crazy, but because he lacks any of Bruce Wayne’s humanity or concern for his city.

DETECTIVE COMICS #672 - March 1994

Smash Cut
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman rescues Cindy, who the Joker has disguised as Robin.  When he later checks on her in the hospital, he discovers she was discharged to the care of an “Allen Smithee.”  The Joker sends a false clue to the police and media, leading them to the Monarch Theatre.  Batman, meanwhile, investigates an old silent movie studio and finds himself caught in a series of traps based on old movies.  He’s drugged and chained to the wall, feet away from Cindy, who’s trapped inside a water tank.  The Joker is nearby, dressed in an homage to Casablanca.

“Huh?” Moment:  Batman, who’s wearing armor and a full face mask, is somehow drugged by getting hit in the face with pies.

Review:  More parody, as the Joker complains about Batman ruining his three-act structure, before setting up a series of death traps based on old movies.  Dixon even throws in a reference to the old film pseudonym “Alan (or Allen) Smithee” during Batman’s pursuit, which was not a well-known fact at the time, so I’m assuming he’s writing this out of a genuine love for old movies.  And it’s entertaining, but not very deep.  There’s a nice scene that has the new Batman reflecting on why his predecessor obsessed so much over the Joker and cursing himself now for dismissing him earlier, but other than that, the issue covers the same ground as the previous one.

DETECTIVE COMICS #671 - February 1994

The Cutting Room Floor
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  The Joker convinces studio head Barry Zedmore to finance his film, "The Death of Batman."  Joker sets up a confrontation at the city college, where men in movie monster masks menace student Cindy Brookes.  Batman saves her, and soon finds himself infatuated with Cindy.  He returns to the college to investigate and finds himself in another trap.  He races to Cindy’s dorm room, only to discover Robin’s body being thrown out of the window.

I Love the ‘90s:  Cindy has a Fabio poster in her room.  Joker is also using doppelgangers for Siskel and Ebert as his advisers on the film.

“Huh?” Moment:  Barry Zedmore complains to one of his producers that it’s 4:00 AM in LA when he’s on the phone.  That makes it 7:00 AM on the east coast.  In the very next panel, Joker tells Zedmore and his producers (who are being kept in a cage), that they need their rest for tomorrow’s early shoot.  So they’re going to sleep for 24 hours?

Review:  This marks the beginning of the “Joker Makes a Movie” storyline Dixon has been teasing for months.  Largely a parody of Hollywood, it’s obviously a bit silly, but also a welcome break from the general bleakness of most AzBats stories.  Oddly enough, the Joker’s nom de plume while making the film is Joseph Kerr, which actually is the name of an animation writer.  One that has even written Batman episodes featuring the Joker.  It’s also a bit strange to see Graham Nolan’s interpretation of studio head Barry Zedmore, because he looks a lot like Joel Schumacher, even though I’m not sure if Schumacher was even announced for Batman Forever by this point.

Both Dixon and Moench have apparently decided this month to explore Jean-Paul’s budding sensuality, although Dixon is much more subdued than Moench.  In this story, Jean-Paul is merely developing a crush on a co-ed and engaging in slightly inoffensive stalking.  In Batman, Jean-Paul is driven into hormonal overdrive merely by meeting Catwoman for the first time.  (The implication being that he needed a change of the Batsheets.)  I think Moench got more mileage out of the concept, although in fairness, Jean-Paul’s discovery of women in just one aspect of Dixon’s story.  The bulk of the issue is spent mocking Hollywood, and right down to the Joker’s ponytail, it’s pretty amusing.  One advantage of the multi-title, shared continuity format is that one title can go a little crazy for a few months while the other books carry on the “important” storylines.

DETECTIVE COMICS #670 - January 1994

Cold Cases
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Barry Kitson (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Detective Montoya is left to guard a frozen body that’s been taken to the morgue.  The body unexpectedly comes to life, pursuing her and the coroner, Colleen.  Batman overhears the gunshots nearby and enters the morgue.  They soon discover the body is Mr. Freeze, who is hiding in one of the refrigerated rooms.  Batman defeats him, but has to be stopped by Montoya before killing Mr. Freeze.  

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• I believe this is the first time Renee Montoya appears as a detective, unless her promotion occurred in a story not reprinted in the Knightfall trades.  
• Mr. Freeze was apparently left a frozen slab after a confrontation with the Joker.  I believe this is a reference to one of the original Robin miniseries.

Review:  The attempt to make Jean-Paul slightly more likable last issue is walked back, as he stands idly by and lets a couple get mugged while Christmas shopping.  They needed to be taught a lesson about “the jungle,” you see.  This does work, as a quick scene meant to establish just how cold and un-heroic Jean-Paul can be, I just wonder if everyone was on the same page regarding how Jean-Paul should act, of if he’s intentionally written as erratic.  Anyway, this issue is essentially a horror story, using Mr. Freeze as a stand-in for Alien.  It’s a decent change of pace from most of the recent issues, although I don’t think Barry Kitson’s art lends itself to horror.  Mr. Freeze is also a dull villain at this stage, as his animated series revamp has yet to make its way into the comics.

DETECTIVE COMICS #669 - December 1993

Town Tamer
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Eduardo Barreto (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  The Trigger Twins hijack the Gotham subway system’s “money train.”  They’re pursued by Batman, who’s riding his new subway car nearby.  After Batman subdues the twins, their boss, Dirty Dan, is apprehended by police.  Meanwhile, Hollywood producer Calvin Berkowitz meets with the Joker.

I Love the ‘90s:  There’s no reference to the movie Money Train in this issue, for good reason.  This comic predates the movie by over a year.

Review:  The creators seem to be having fun with this modern day train robbery story, and the classic western vibe they’re trying to evoke is helped a lot by Eduardo Barreto’s inks.  If you’re not interested in the minutia of old pistols or subway systems, however, the story feels a bit thin.  It does seem as if Dixon is trying to humanize Jean-Paul a bit, as he reveals for the first time that he’s pushed Robin away for his own safety, and he even cracks a few small jokes during his fight with the Trigger Twins, but he remains a dull protagonist.  Writing Jean-Paul does put the creators in an odd position; he’s supposed to be on some level a parody, but the writers are stuck using him as the central character in every issue they’re writing for several months.  If played as a joke, that gets old fast, and played too straight, he’s just too one-note to carry a story.

DETECTIVE COMICS #668 - November 1993

Runaway
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman spins the canopy of his car around and uses its jet engine to escape the oncoming train.  Meanwhile, Tim Drake receives his driver’s license in the mail.  He sneaks into the Batcave to retrieve the car Bruce Wayne promised him, the Redbird, and is ambushed by Batman.  Elsewhere, “Dirty” Dan Doyle lays out the plans for a subway robbery to the Trigger Twins, while the Joker contacts a Hollywood producer.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Tim Drake isn’t sixteen, but he’s been granted a special driver’s license due to his father’s disability.

I Love the ‘90s:  When Tim’s housekeeper is disturbed by a news report, he asks her if Tom Brokaw is off tonight.

Review:  I still don’t understand the appeal of a Bat-subway car, but I have to admit Dixon comes up with a clever way out of last issue’s cliffhanger.  The rest of the issue is spent touching on some subplots and setting up a Batman vs. Robin fight, a fight that doesn’t appear to have a resolution.  I know that these Knightfall trades skip numerous stories, but surely they didn’t skip the issue that resolved this cliffhanger -- Batman strangling Robin.  I’d kinda like to see how that turns out. 

While this fight scene is presumably irrelevant in the larger scheme of things, it does look very nice. I haven’t spoken enough about the art while reviewing these issues, but that’s because most of the artists do consistent, non-flashy work each time. I prefer Eduardo Barreto inking Graham Nolan to Scott Hanna, but this remains one of the better-looking issues of the storyline. Robin hasn’t been in action (outside of his solo book, largely left out of these collections) in a while, so it’s fun to see him facing off against the new Batman. Nolan and Hanna do a great job on his ‘90s costume, which has certainly aged better than AzBats’.

DETECTIVE COMICS #667 - October 1993

 

Wild, Wild East
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  The new Batman rescues a family in the park from muggers, but is unsympathetic towards the anxious father.  Meanwhile, long-lost twin brothers Tom and Tad meet during a bank robbery.  They come to Gotham and are soon employed by “Dirty” Dan Doyle.  In the Batcave, Batman discovers a hi-tech subway car designed by Harold, as Robin learns his entrance to the cave has been blocked off.  Batman takes the subway car into the city, but carelessly drives into the path of an oncoming train.

Irrelevant Continuity:  

• This issue marks the modern debut of the Trigger Twins, two cowboy-themed crooks.
• Somehow, the Batcave has a hidden path that leads directly into Gotham’s subway system.  Batman wonders if his predecessor even knew about this.
• Jean-Paul has his first vision of St. Dumas, who will continually appear and give Jean-Paul vague messages about transforming from angel to demon, embracing the darkness of Gotham, etc., for several months.

Review:  The era of Azrael as Batman truly begins, as Bruce Wayne is shuffled totally off-panel during his vague “quest” subplot (which is barely acknowledged for months at a time in Batman and Detective).  With Azrael as the focus, and without Robin as a sounding board, the narrative captions now try to elucidate his point of view in a more theatrical style than I’m using to reading in Dixon’s work.  (Actually, I can barely recall Dixon ever using third-person captions.)  The point is made that a) Azrael craves action, b) Azrael is exceedingly reckless, and c) Azrael is still under the influence of the System.  And we’ll see these ideas repeat themselves in virtually every issue for the next few months.  

Dixon alleviates the dark tone with some divergences into Silver Age silliness, such as the post-Crisis debut of the Trigger Twins.  Their origin is absolutely ridiculous, but as the story points out, not entirely implausible.  There are numerous instances of twins separated at birth who end up following remarkably similar journeys in life.  And the absurdity of two grown men dressed as cowboys hitting up Gotham’s underworld is a welcome break from Azrael, who’s rather flagrantly being treated as a borderline ‘90s parody by now.  As for the introduction of the Bat-subway car, I have to admit that I don’t get the appeal.  Not only is the premise that the Batcave somehow leads directly into the Gotham subway system questionable, but I don’t understand the need for an alternative to the Batmobile.  Is it really so important that Batman make his way into the city a few minutes faster by subway?  Isn’t sharing the subway tracks with other trains more of an inconvenience than highway traffic?  What does he get out of this?