I may have groaned loudly at the reveal in this one, so now I'm passing it on to you! Uh, you're welcome. From 1977, Adventure Comics #453, "You Too Can Be a Super Hero!" Written by Bob Rozakis, pencils by John Calnan, inks by Murphy Anderson.

Returning from a visit to the Legion in the 30th century, Superboy makes a quick pass by Camp Smallville, where he saves a young girl from drowning before swinging back into town to change into Clark Kent and then return to camp. The girl gets grounded in her bunk by her older brother Anthony, and wishes she was a superhero herself: oh, how she'd make them pay then...Luckily for her, Superboy had brought back a magic crystal from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #230, and things might be happening. Later that night, she's forced to go out to the campfire with the other kids, as Lana Lang tells a ghost story, with Clark and Pete Ross ready to jump out and scare them...with sheets over their heads, real low production values, guys. Transforming into Mighty Girl, the little girl clobbers ghost-Clark, with a punch that would've killed a regular kid. Switching to Superboy, he's able to get back to save Pete, with the usual lie that he had already 'saved' poor Clark. Next, with a fire spreading, Mighty Girl tries to stop it but instead spreads it with super-breath. (Aside: I feel like DC did this one every so often, where a girl gets the hero's powers but just causes problems with them. I suppose most super-powers took some practice, and an 11-year-old with Superboy's powers would be trouble, but it still felt pretty condescending and sexist.)

While Mighty Girl is ready to fight for her powers, Superboy throws the crystal into the sun to destroy it, taking them away. He tries to explain that you couldn't get super-powers by wishing, but training and experience were needed. Only briefly daunted, the little girl pipes up that she will be a super-heroine someday, and that little girl was...Barbara Gordon? The closing caption box asks if you put together the clues; which I didn't really see? Her brother Tony had maybe two appearances pre-Crisis, that's not much of a clue.

Also this issue: an Aqualad short, "Aqualad--Who is Thy Father!" (Written by Paul Kupperberg, pencils by Carl Potts, inks by Joe Rubenstein.) The Idylists of the underwater Hidden Valley have been stonewalling Aqualad, about who his father really was; refusing to reveal the secret, or the Hidden Valley would be doomed, and where would you get your ranch dressing then? (Boo!) Read more!

We saw "Thou Shalt Have No Other Batman Before Me!" on Monday, but surprisingly the second feature of World's Finest #255 was just as long! "Nothing But a Man" Written by Elliot S! Maggin, pencils by Trevor von Eeden, inks by Vince Colletta.

The outgoing mayor of Star City, the wheelchair-bound Jack Major; wants Oliver Queen to succeed him. That's maybe the least of the endorsements Ollie's gotten, like Congresswoman Barbara Gordon, Green Lantern, and bags of cash from Bruce Wayne! His opponent seems a well-meaning but easily led shrub, and his handlers push for Ollie to appear on stage at an event, with Green Arrow: Ollie wasn't officially believed to be the archer, but a lot of people had noticed the resemblance. Ollie's campaign manager, Dinah, makes a quick call to Carol Ferris, to get Green Lantern to appear as Green Arrow. Later, Clark Kent announces live for WGBS, as most of the League turns out to stump for Ollie: Supergirl obligingly sits down to duck the word balloons. 

Aquaman makes an announcement that as far as they knew, Ollie was unaware of their endorsements; and election day Ollie votes early but still goes out to see voters. He is then abducted and taken before mobster Thaddeus Cable, who tells Ollie he's going to own him, just like he owned Jack Major. Ollie scoffs, but Cable has...transcripts? Did he get a deal on a stenographer? Still, Ollie recognizes Major's phrases and wording, and is convinced it's legit. He offers a deal, not just to look the other way, but to be an active partner..."when hell freezes over!" Ollie throws some doodad into the fuse box, then switches in the dark. He also gaslights the mobsters a bit: did Ollie change in three seconds, or did Green Arrow get him out the window? Maybe Ollie should take a page from Matt Murdock's book and get a "I'm not Green Arrow" t-shirt.

GA takes the transcripts, which include "the records of every operation since nineteen freaking fifty-five!" Cable calls out the hit order for Ollie and Major, and they try to whack them that night at campaign headquarters...with GA, GL, Black Canary, and Superman in the building. Actually, Supes doesn't even tag in, Ollie had slipped him a tip about the transcripts going to the D.A. Ollie maybe goes too rough on one of the hitters, but is interrupted by Major, who has a massive coronary and dies; before Ollie can confront or forgive him. 

Ollie was possibly losing a close race, and makes a bit of a concession speech before the shootout. Later, Clark Kent calls Ollie, who was exhausted and out, but Dinah answers. Clark thinks Ollie may have actually won the election...but through the mob's fix? And Dinah tells Clark to bury it: after fighting the mob like that, she feels he was safer as Green Arrow than Ollie Queen...and doesn't want him to fall into the same trap Major did. Huh?  A bit of a muddle at the end, there.

I feel like the intention may have been to show how hard it is to buck the political machine; but I also don't buy it since Supergirl's endorsement alone probably should've carried him? DC's heroes were usually more beloved than Marvel's; their word should've carried more weight.

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Just under four years to find the conclusion of this one! That's a speedy turnaround for around here! From 1998, Legends of the DC Universe #11, "Folie a Deux, part two" Written by Kelley Puckett, layouts by Terry Dodson, finishes (and cover) by Kevin Nowlan.

This opens with Batgirl getting shot, a few years ahead of schedule, but it's Jim Gordon's nightmare. He resolves to confront Barbara about her secret identity, but instead walks into a bank robbery: thinking she might be in danger, he uncharacteristically goes in guns blazing, but catches a bullet when he's distracted by seemingly seeing Barbara in the hostages. His distraction gives Batgirl the chance, to also uncharacteristically charge in headlong, and she gets knocked out by a desk lamp to the back of the head.

Tied up together, Batgirl tells Gordon she was glad to meet him, and that she would get them out of there. Considering it, Jim decides she could do it, and helps her get free. Using her training from Batman, she is able to defeat the last of the bank robbers, and get Jim to the hospital. But, in having gone into action before he deemed her ready, this meant the end of her training with Batman. Which once again is bullcrap, as we say from Batman's abortive training of Spoiler: girl disobeys once and she's done, while every guy Robin inevitably breaks the rules and gets rewarded for it. Still, when Batman points out if she had been ready, she wouldn't have been distracted by Gordon getting shot, Barbara realizes she wouldn't want to be that 'ready.' She visits her dad in the hospital, with both of them acting completely normal and not bringing up Batgirl at all. 

God, Batman's in this for like a page, and I'm sick of his dickery. The new Batgirl in "No Man's Land" was still a year away, and about 14 years until Barbara was Batgirl again with the New 52. Whether or not Jim knew her secret, well, that one seems to go back and forth.

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Every once in a while you have a book where either they didn't get the memo about the crossover, or just decided 'nah.' Like today's book! From 2001, Birds of Prey #26, "...The Suitor!" Written by Chuck Dixon, art by Jackson 'Butch' Guice.

The cover has the "This Issue: Batman Dies!!!" blurb, but Batman isn't so much as mentioned here. Instead, it's largely Bane's show: spurned by Talia, he's acting out by destroying Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits. Only, someone is there first: the Black Canary, who's there to destroy a terrorist arms cache. Bane is at first annoyed, then interested, then even helpful; as he starts a nuclear warhead to blow up the place! That may be a bit too far. He also comes on a bit strong there; but c'mon, the guy grew up in a prison, he probably doesn't have a lot of game. Canary could actually be the second woman he's ever talked to.

While Bane claims "in time I would prove my worthiness to you," Canary doesn't appreciate the grabby hands, and gives him a well-deserved knee to the groin. With Oracle guiding her via radio, Canary escapes, but almost feels sorry for Bane. Oracle is pretty sure he'd be back, but the observing Talia hopes the "oaf" is gone...and sees something that may get her father's mind off of the destroyed Pit. Canary may have another new stalker coming.

I don't know if the crossover was sprung on Dixon too late to do anything for it, or if this story was planned crossover or no. Bane would years later show better dating manners, sort of, in Gail Simone's Secret Six. He would also, like many characters, get a little prettier by then too.
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"The End" Week: Freedom Fighters #15!

I got a couple surprising last issues from a stout dollar-bin haul from my local Comic Book Shop; I may still be reading Kamandi's from that batch. But today we've got from 1978, Freedom Fighters #15, "Carnival of Death" Written by Bob Rozakis, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Jack Abel.

Like every other carnival in comic books, this one's a trap, but it's an alien one this time: little green ones, that Uncle Sam refers to as "gremlins." They've been kidnapping people, to use as raw material to make giant "warmakers." While the captured Ray, Phantom Lady, and Human Bomb fight them on their home turf; the rest of the Freedom Fighters team-up with Batgirl and Batwoman at the carnival. The aliens are wrapped up and flee, while Batgirl mentions cutting her vacation short, since she had previously just faced three super-villainesses, as we saw in Batman Family #17, and thought there would be more peace and quiet in Washington!

Uncle Sam tells his team they would be staying put, to establish new identities, then go after the Silver Ghost; which would be in the pages of Secret Society of Super-Villains...except it wouldn't, since that title was cancelled as well! Man, the Silver Ghost may still be at large...
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He's a shark, he's a shark, he's a shark!

It's hard for me to believe, but it was just a little over a year ago I was breaking my legs trying to get the last piece for Mattel's DC Multiverse Justice Buster, an okay but not mind-blowing Batman robot thing. Today, I was going to call this a wash, but instead decided it was well worth it instead: the DC Multiverse King Shark!

Let's break it down here: back in February, I bought Batgirl from the Comic Book Shop. On two separate trips to Montana, I bought the next four at a Wal-Mart: first Bat-Gordon and TV's Hawkman, then DKR Joker and Jay Garrick. (I am super annoyed that Jay isn't the version played by original TV Flash John Wesley Shipp! Maybe Mattel will give us an alt-head sometime.)

I had to eBay Zoom, although I couldn't tell you why he was the hard one to find. I saw all the rest at retail at least once--obviously, I guess. So I ended up paying just a smidge below retail plus tax per figure, because I didn't pay tax for the four from Montana and they were a hair cheaper there as well. ($126.28 total for the six, but Zoom was $37 of that, shipped.)

Out of those six, Batgirl and Bat-Gordon aren't bad, and Gordon may be even better than I thought, for reasons we'll have to revisit later. Zoom and Jay add a bit of play value to the earlier Flash and Reverse-Flash, and I wish I had a turntable to mount them on, so they could chase each other in circles all day! The Legends of Tomorrow Hawkman is still on my work desk. I'm not sure why, except that I'm messy. DKR Joker still leaves me cold, but I think his head joint is compatible with Masters of the Universe Classics! He may end up with Clawful's head or something...

But King Shark! His elbow articulation is just shy of none, his jeans aren't especially well painted, he can't turn his neck; but I don't care, I love him. His head sculpt is magnificent, and might even be interchangeable with the hammerhead version that came with the Toys R Us exclusive Damian Wayne Robin. (I'm mildly scared to try it: I'm worried it would get stuck, and I prefer the not-hammerhead one.)

Hmm. I had to give this a moment's thought: I mentioned the Justice Buster earlier, and after that I finished Killer Croc. In 2016 I finished the "New 52" Doomsday (now with horns!) but not the Batman v. Superman grapple-hook gun. (Although, pieces of it show up in the background here and there.) Going back over the numbers, Doomsday was only a little over sixty bucks for the six figures to build him. Before those, the last DC "Collect-n-Connect" completed was the second-to-last of them from DCUC, in November 2013, S.T.R.I.P.E. And he might've been a year old by the time I got him. Oh, and we finished Ares earlier too!

I'm already in for one of Mattel's next Collect-n-Connect figures, but have already planned for a little less scrambling. Hopefully soon...


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This mini-series spans over thirty years, maybe I'll get the missing issue before that long.

I got the first three issues for less than the price of one at the comic show, then got #5 off the rack at the comic shop, ordered #6, and maybe they can get #4 on back order: from this year, Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #1-6, written by Jeff Parker and Marc Andreyko, pencils by David Hahn, inks by Karl Kesel.

The fun thing about the comics based on the classic shows, is that their voice nails that tone perfectly, but is able to do things the shows would never have had the budget for. This story starts in World War II, when a young Bruce Wayne meets Wonder Woman, as she stops R'as al Ghul and some Nazis from stealing a pair of antique books that might contain the secret location of Paradise Island.

There is a little more darkness in this one than you might think, since Batman has retired by 1977, after the deaths of Alfred and the Joker; while Robin has become Nightwing and Batgirl is the new Commissioner Gordon! (A younger, hotter, and far more competent one!) Still, it's not a spoiler to say you can't keep Batman down. And the conclusion hints at a future installment, that I'd love to see.

And I actually did get #4 just yesterday! Now, where did I put these...
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Today, a book I never thought I'd get to read; and...enh. From 1988, Batgirl Special #1, "The Last Batgirl Story" Written by Barbara Randall, pencils by Barry Kitson, inks by Bruce D. Patterson.

This issue is probably best known for being the last Batgirl story before the Killing Joke, but since I'd missed some stories prior I was confused: having nearly been killed by the paid assassin Comorant, Batgirl is more or less retired, until someone is murdered in her library and Comorant's hat is left there. Meanwhile, Barbara's old friend Marcy visits and confronts her over her secret identity; and in Gotham, a new vigilante, Slash, is murdering rapists. In broad daylight, on the streets; but wouldn't that be the best time? No bats then...

I was positive Slash was going to turn out to be Marcy, because that's how that usually works. I think this was Marcy's first appearance, so it's a best friend we've never seen before, although the context seems to imply Marcy made the first Batgirl costume, back when it was just going to be for Barbara's Halloween. Slash had never appeared before; but Comorant had shot Batgirl in Detective Comics #491. Yet Batgirl made more than a few appearances after that, but apparently getting shot affected her more than she let on--or editorial decided to phase her out here.

There's a scene of Barbara using a computer to hack some records, a precursor of her becoming Oracle; but there's also a scene of her checking out all her Batgirl gear...just so she can quit in the end. With the house ad for Killing Joke on the next page. Still, she does take care of her final case; and I don't think Slash, Comorant, or Marcy have appeared since. Oh, and this might have the last mention of her time in Congress; Barbara doesn't say if her re-election bid failed or if she didn't run again.

Overall, the whole issue feels like it's all over the place: you want Batgirl to have agency and rise up to the occasion, but she has to end up retired in the end. She has to be prepared but caught by surprise, brave yet terrified, competent but outmatched. I didn't love this one, but worth a look if it turns up. Oh, and Mike Mignola cover! Pretty iconic there.
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Batgirl's parents were killed drag-racing? There's a Fast and the Furious crossover in there somewhere.

While I'm glad to have this issue--it's a pretty iconic cover--I can't help but think finding the concluding chapter might be a pain: from 1998, Legends of the DC Universe #10, "Folie a Deux, part one" Written by Kelley Puckett, pencils by Terry Dodson, inks by Kevin Nowlan. Fun fact: I took two years of French in high school, and don't speak a word of it, so I had to look up folie a deux...shoot, I took a lot of psych in college, you'd have thought I'd know that from one or the other.

This was the first part of a two-issue Batgirl story, and opens with 11 silent pages split between Batgirl stopping a mugger--and not being above grabbing a dropped gun, although she doesn't use it--and a flashback to what seemingly starts as an assault, but is just a guy picking up what might be his wife, then drag racing two jerks at a stoplight, then getting hit by a truck. In the morgue, a recognizable (if not any younger-looking) Jim Gordon looks at the bodies toe-tagged Roger and Thelma Gordon, Barbara's parents. Since it's a silent sequence, it's easy to just flip through, but there are a few subtle clues in there: Roger putting a flask in his jacket, then as he puts his hand over Thelma's mouth, you notice the wedding band. Thelma's hair in a bun and glasses is reminiscent of Barb's as a librarian, while Roger reminds me of a less-thick Flass from Year One. Still, you get the notion that Barbara got her daredevil tendencies from her dad, and her brains from her mom.

Raised by Jim, as Barbara goes off to college, he had something that he'd been trying to tell her but couldn't quite bring himself to. Meanwhile, while she was far more mature and studious then her peers, Barbara is treated like a child by Batman, who visits her in her dorm room (!) to tell her to quit being Batgirl. Ooh, that'll work. Barbara argues, she was 18 and could do what she wanted, but if Batman would train her, she wouldn't go out until he said she was ready. As Batman trains her on a rooftop (he would've had to meet her there, since he hadn't told her his identity) they're watched by Jim, who has no idea how to deal with this. When Barbara started missing classes, he may have accused her of being on drugs or something, even though he knew that wasn't the case. Pissed off and feeling distant from her adoptive father, Barbara still goes to meet with him at Gotham Federal Bank, but doesn't seem to notice a gentleman packing a hidden Uzi at the door...!

A lot to unpack from this issue, and the last two pages feel especially crammed story-wise. I'm not sure this was the first time Jim Gordon is shown to really know Barbara was Batgirl: I've seen a few stories where it's implied, but he may be pretending not to know. Also, is Jim Barbara's biological dad now, or has that not changed? And does the "folie a deux" of the title refer to Barbara caught up in Batman's "psychosis" of crime-fighting, or Jim caught up in Barbara's newfound vigilantism? Maybe the second part would clear that up.
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The Comic Book Shop has come through for me a couple times lately, with the Scarlet Witch and the Destroyer; but whenever I get a figure from them, I worry that I'm cherry-picking the case and they'll be left with pegwarmers. (Although I did drop the ball when I picked up Stryfe: I should've got Storm first and had a shot at finishing Jubilee!) Still, that didn't stop me from grabbing the latest DC Multiverse figure, Batgirl!

You can see a bit in the pictures here; she came with a yellow batarang that looks like a chewable vitamin, and a phone. But like a lot of the Mattel DC figures I've purchased over the last year, the articulation is both plentiful yet just short of useful: Batgirl can't hold her phone anywhere near her ear, for instance.

The paint seems pretty good: the belt and her hair could maybe use a little something, but the laces on her boots are nice. Hmm, just now I notice, while I haven't been playing with her long, her hips seem a bit loose? Batgirl isn't bad, but I haven't had a DC figure in recent memory that was as nice as a Marvel Legend figure. Not even close. But they're the same price as Legends, and I find myself wondering if I'll get the rest of this series. I swear they had two Legends of Tomorrow Hawkmen on the rack, and he seemed bland. The Earth-2 Flash (John Wesley Shipp!) and Zoom are probably comparable to the earlier Flash and Reverse Flash: not terrible, but not $40+ worth? And that Dark Knight Returns Joker doesn't do anything for me.

Still, I do kinda want the Jim Gordon Batman. So I can give him a mustache.


And although we've recently completed Sandman, Killer Croc, Abomination, and Space Venom; we're back to a pile of parts in the Build-a-Figure, Collect-and-Connect drawer. I fully intend to put the Warlock pieces I get on eBay, since I only want Dazzler and Polaris, and can live without Colossus, Shatterstar, and Cyclops. It is entirely possible I'll hold out on the off chance of finding the rest cheap. Really cheap. I'm four Guardians (and Star-Lord, who doesn't get a piece!) down from completing Titus, and while another Drax is a hard sell, it could still happen. And building King Shark?...I have to admit, he might carry the lot. I just had a glance at the back of the package, since for some reason I was picturing him as a hammerhead, which strikes me as terrible; glad they didn't go that route.
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It's the spirit of Gotham! Or rabies.

Maybe the spirit of Gotham is rabies, in today's book: from 1999, Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files #1, opening with "The Message" Written by Alisa Kwitney, pencils by Michael Zulli, inks by Vince Locke.

It's New Year's Eve in Gotham City, right on the eve of No Man's Land: at midnight, the federal government will blow the bridges, cutting off anyone who hasn't already evacuated. (Criminals, insane criminals, the stubborn, the delusional, the deeply impoverished, and so forth.)  Jason had waited to the last minute, but with only bats left in his building it was time to move on. Until he hears the voice of Gotham, telling him he must deliver a message to Gotham's guardian spirit.  The voice does save him from a falling sign, but tells him he can't leave until the message is delivered.

This of course leads to a little tour of Gotham's new status quo, visiting Oracle, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, and finally Huntress; before Jason succumbs to rabies. Then what saved him from the sign?  

"Assignment: Bruce Wayne"  is a bit more cheery, as a reporter racks up an epic expense account trying to chase down the missing Wayne.  ("A Day in the Life" Written by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Sal Velluto, inks by Bob Almond.) The last story, "No Man's Land: the Animated Series" could maybe fit into regular continuity, except for the framing device of a boy watching it on TV.  

Well, I don't think the Cassandra-Batgirl talked much at that point. Still, looks nice.
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Honestly, it's not his worst showing here.

How much does a writer have to rehabilitate a character before said writer should be upgraded to creator? Gail Simone didn't create Catman...she only created everything good about him. (Except for fighting the Doom Patrol!) Before Gail fixed him up, we've seen Catman flummoxed by the Freedom Fighters and grounded by G'nort; and today he's manhandled by Manhunter, in 1989's Manhunter #13, "Trackdown" Written by Kim Yale, pencils by John Koch, inks by Pablo Marcos.

Current Manhunter and bounty hunter Mark Shaw isn't having a great week: an intrusive TV reporter has been interfering with his training, and Shaw had been looking for both his next case and his old source, Sylvia Kandrey. She had been a warrants officer, but giving info to Shaw may have hurt her career, and their relationship. Shaw does get a new source, though: a friend from Belle Reve Prison puts him in touch with a new name, Oracle...

I was going to mention, even though this was 1989, neither Mark nor Oracle have keyboards that resemble anything in reality; but would fit in on the bridge of the Enterprise or maybe the Hall of Justice. I don't think this was Oracle's first appearance, but there was a little clue there. Shaw works a few more sources, before attending a museum opening with his step-sister Eleanor. Outside, he sees something and makes a quick call, since he knows Cat-Man is going to hit the museum! Shaw mentions usually preferring to do proper surveillance and plan things out, but every once in a while you just have to make it up as you go.

Cat-Man (this issue has the hyphen, although I prefer it without) makes a showy smash-and-grab of an Egyptian cat statue, but tosses his prize at Shaw when he sees the mask. With his claws, he does a number on Shaw and some guards, but his escape is cut short when his car is being towed! Shaw had recognized Cat-Man's vanity plates, GATO-1, as Spanish for cat, and called him in on his parking tickets. Shaw gets Cat-Man with his power baton, and that's that.

Later, after taking another beating during training, Shaw is visited by Sylvia, who may be willing to forgive him...maybe.

This issue didn't have Doug Rice on art...which hurt every issue he wasn't there. (He did do the cover, but still.) Yale and her husband John Ostrander were usually co-writers on this book, and I always thought they were trying to get a real pipeline going between Manhunter and their other title, Suicide Squad: Shaw would catch a bad guy, they'd be immediately sent to Belle Reve to sink or swim there...! Unfortunately, I don't think Cat-Man did any time on the Squad, so my theory may be full of holes.
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Sometimes, the GCD doesn't have all the answers, so I have to drop the science.

I know, I'm scared too. But when we looked at Batman Adventures #5 the other day, I said I wanted to see if it had been collected. The GCD didn't have it listed, but there was a smaller, digest-sized collection of issues #5 through #9, Shadows and Masks. The cover shown on Amazon is slightly different than mine--classic logo, Batman and Robin in the corner--but the pricing varies from ninety-four cents to thirty-five bucks, on various listings.

I had thought the Mayor Penguin storyline would be highlighted in this volume, but I don't think it comes up again after #5! Bats may be avoiding the cops because of the mayor, but that's about it. Instead, Black Mask is the main villain, and Batman infiltrates his False Face Society under the alias Matches Malone, with the informant Eel O'Brian.

Somewhat surprisingly for a kid-targeted digest, a good chunk of this book goes towards Batman's love life. OK, Julie Madison was a bust; but then as Matches, Bats saves a young single mom Charlotte from a burning building. It was arson caused by Firefly working for the FFS; but "Matches" covers her rescue as not wanting to face a murder rap. He then uses Bruce Wayne's connections to get Charlotte a decent job, and is almost on a dating relationship with her; when Black Mask finally snaps and attacks Wayne Industries. She had thought Matches was a good guy, and is heartbroken to see him working for Black Mask, and Batman can't tell her otherwise. His relationship with Phantasm isn't going any better: she wants Bats to trust her, and seems to possibly be working her way into the gang undercover just as he did; but Batman can't forgive her murders. On the other hand, Batman discovers he completely trusts Batgirl, even though he didn't train her.

Bronze Tiger serves as one of Black Mask's lieutenants, with his look not translating to the animated style very well. (His other lieutenants are Firefly, Black Spider, Sportsmaster, and the Gorilla Boss!) But along with the regular storyline, some of the back-ups tie in; such as Ty Templeton's story about the secrets of Matches Malone...and why Batman can't look in the mirror while he wears that mustache. Except, now that I've found this one, I wonder if the next issues were collected as well! Especially since Black Mask is revealed to be not the final boss...

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If Congresswoman Gordon isn't in continuity, this oughta be.

Barbara shows Bruce the Master of Laws from Harvard, that she quite possibly picked up over the weekend, in one of the few light moments in Batman: Gotham Knights #25, "No Exit" Written by Devin Grayson, pencils by Roger Robinson, inks by John Floyd.

This was part four of the crossover Bruce Wayne: Murderer? There's a lot of cover elements, but the Brian Bolland cover of a handcuffed Batman is pretty sweet. I actually had to do a quick search, since I wasn't sure this storyline had been collected, the GCD didn't mention a reprint. But the storyline ran over twelve issues through seven titles, with at least five writers! (Grayson, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Kelly Puckett and Greg Rucka.) I have to believe that sort of thing is going to be a bit of a trainwreck, unless one writer or the editor really rides herd on the rest. Grayson may have also had the unenviable task of having to try to make Batman, or Bruce Wayne at least, seem unstable in the issues leading up to the murder of Vesper Fairchild. (She appeared in the Doug Moench/Kelley Jones run of Batman, and deserved better.)

The judge rules that Bruce, with his vast resources, would be a flight risk and denied bail. Pending trial, Bruce is held in Blackgate Prison, but seems oddly reticent and reluctant to have Nightwing, Oracle, Robin, Alfred, or anyone else help him. And...that's about as far as we get this chapter; counting the conclusion Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, this is part four of thirty. (About $75 cover price!) And Vesper's real killer only makes sense if you'd been reading Batman comics all the way back to No Man's Land, and possibly then-current issues of Superman and JLA as well.


Somewhat more cheerfully, this issue also features another sterling installment of Batman: Black & White, "Last Call at McSurley's" Written by Mike W. Barr, pencils by Alan Davis, inks by Mark Farmer. The titular bar may be a filthy, debauched gin joint; but to the Batman it's a virtual goldmine of information. When the bar faces closure over unpaid taxes, Bats chips in to save it...with a rare grin in the Batcave. He doesn't do the full on Alan Davis grin though; Bats is still too serious for that. Probably more enjoyable in eight pages than all of Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
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Now, if I find the ones I already bought...

The local comic shop knows if they put a full run of a limited series in the dollar bin, I'll usually grab it right up. But every once in a while other stores come through, too; although now I think I should have a tag for when I buy an issue I already have because it's right there and it's easier than trying to find it. But this was still cheaper than the trade: from 2008, Batman Confidential #17-21, "The Cat and the Bat" Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Kevin Maguire.

This was a five issue arc, billed as the first meeting of Catwoman and Batgirl. As Barbara Gordon, Batgirl borrows a notebook of her dad's, Commissioner Gordon; which Catwoman promptly steals. Batgirl had been trying to figure out the coded notes in order to see if Gordon knew anything about Batman's secret identity, but hadn't been able to crack it, so it could be anything. After a chase sequence running a couple of issues and through a nudist club, Catwoman explains she needs the notebook to save a life, and they team-up against the Russian mob; which has brought a big-name Batman villain in to decipher the code. Eventually Batman shows up, not super-impressed with the whole thing.

I think I actually bought the third and fourth issues a couple of weeks back, and had the fifth one somewhere...but it's nicer to have them all together at once. Grabbed all five at a Hastings for ninety-nine cents an issue, and a steal at that price!
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