"Presenting a Batman classic!" probably means, somebody fell off their deadline super-hard; but it
is a classic, and this makes an interesting way to compare the it-Batman artist of 1971, with the it-Batman artist of 1978. From 1978,
Detective Comics #477, featuring "The House that Haunted Batman!" from
Detective Comics #408. Written by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Dick Giordano; framing sequence by Len Wein, pencils by Marshall Rogers, inks by Dick Giordano. Huh, more continuity there than I would've thought...!
At scenic Arkham Sanitarium, Commissioner Gordon accompanies Batman on a visit to former crime boss, now drooling lunatic, Rupert Thorne. Rupert had Gotham and Batman on the ropes, only to confess his myriad crimes: he didn't want to, but he had been forced by Hugo Strange. Or Strange's ghost, since Thorne was positive he had killed him. Gordon isn't too broken up about Thorne losing the reality knob, and tells Batman, at least he'd never get snookered by a phony ghost. Well, hold the phone, Jim; as Bats has a flashback to the nightmarish evening in "The House that Haunted Batman!" Batman went to this mysterious house in search of the missing Robin; but this wasn't a mysterious house that had been on the edge of town of years; this was a mysterious house that wasn't there last week!
Robin turns on Batman and guns him down, then talks trash about him at his funeral with Gordon and the JLA; I won't spoil it further; it's a good one. Meanwhile, back in the present, we get the brief first appearance of Clayface III! Also this issue: another USPS Statement of Ownership. Average number copies per issue, previous year - 125,743.
I’m trying to remember how they retconned Hugo Strange being alive again after supposedly dying. Without googling it, must’ve been hypnosis right?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, because I'm thinking of the Captain America one, when the Red Skull has supposedly dead and haunting a house? Like the answer is a simple "spray a bunch of hallucinogenic drugs around and see what develops."
ReplyDeleteMore than likely yeah, that’s probably how THAT happened, but I was referring to Strange haunting Thorpe. Apparently he used holographic devices to create “ghosts” of himself. Weird, but I guess it works.
DeleteIt would be more impressive if he didn’t fake his death so often- it’s practically a recurring theme with him.
DeleteI feel like it’s less ‘somebody missed a deadline’ than ‘not wanting to directly follow Steve Englehart’s Detective run’. It’s a high standard to be compared to, and a reprint makes for a good palate cleanser. Plus, Len and Marshall have a good track record for keeping deadlines.
ReplyDelete