Riddler's probably made the right choice here: Batman will at worst smack him around a bit and cuff him. The Creeper could leave him wrapped in saran wrap and fish oil, with a bright pink bow and the name 'Susan' tattooed on the back of his neck. There's no telling.
Some bloggers have been a little disappointed in the new Creeper series, and I have to admit, I thought the first issue was only ok. I should keep better track of this, but someone (possibly over at Savage Critic?) was disappointed that the old origin, where the Creeper outfit is made out of leftovers at a costume shop, so Jack Ryder could crash a mobster's costume party, was discarded; and he has a point there.
I personally liked the last Creeper series, which I think lasted like 11 issues, including Creeper #One Million, just to really mess up the numbering. Some of the Creeper's origin was altered slightly, under the notion that Jack probably didn't have that great a grip on reality even before he was pumped full of chemicals. But, the series does a good job of showing Jack and Creeper as two warring sides of a personality, trying to learn to live together. I think this was also the first time the Creeper's red boa, or whatever it is, was shown to be a part of him; in this case, weird little psuedopod things. (In the new series, it's a spiky mane of crazy hair.)
Incidentally, the Creeper comic was to coincide with his intro in the Batman cartoon, which was sharp as a tack: mutated and mental from a dip in the same chemicals that created the Joker (only stronger!), Jack/Creeper ransacks a boutique (Ditko's, I think!) for his 'costume': striped speedos and a boa. He asks a bored clerk, "Is this too much?"
"Not for you, baby."
In this particular issue, Jack is doing an interview at Arkham Asylum, of the Joker. Unconsciously, Creeper realizes something is up, and he and the Joker end up starting a riot and taking over the joint. As Batman shows up, Joker and Creeper turn on each other, choosing up teams of inmates ("Dibs on the guy with the face!") and brawling it out. Creeper reveals that he knew the Asylum was about to blow, but by instigating a riot, he prevented an escape. Batman tells him the next time he sees Creeper in Gotham, a room will be waiting at the asylum.
Makes me nostalgic for the old Brave and Bold days, when Batman would team up with a hero or heroine, and be cool about it. None of that 'my city, my way' business both Bats and Superman seem to have in spades now.
From the Creeper #7, "Madhouse" Written by Len Kaminski, pencils by Shawn Martinbrough, inks by Sal Buscema.
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