Month of Batman/Batman Month: The Conclusion

Well, I’m finally at the end of Batman Month. I have to say that it has been fun looking at these stories, movies, and TV shows. Just like Superman, Batman has been done in all sorts of ways. He’s been dark, light, and everything in between. Still, There is one question that I don’t think I’ve answered: why do I like him? It’s really something I haven’t really thought about. I went back to my Greatest Heroes' list and see what I said about Batman. It sounds about right, but it still feels a little empty.

So, what drove me to Batman in the first place? Was it the coolness factor, the costume, the attitude, or the gadgets? I really don’t know. It’s probably all of the above. My first memory of the Batman had to have come from either the 1989 movie or some cartoons from the 70’s. I probably just saw his cool gadgets and stuff and got sucked in. I didn’t actually read his comics on the stands unlike with other characters. It was mostly Superman, the X-Men, Spider-Man, or the Justice League for me.

I think what really made me a fan was the 90’s animated series. I still have some episodes recorded on VHS at the house. I don’t know how many times I saw those things. I think they still work. I even saw Batman and Robin in theatres with my family. I don’t even know why we did in the first place. Unfortunately, my radar for taste hadn’t developed yet. I can at least say that I was about at the right age for that movie.

I think the gadgets and stuff he had mostly did it. He had Batarangs, gliders, planes, boats, and the Batmobile. I mean, the car just looks cool… if it isn’t handled by Miller and Nolan. The skills and the intelligence probably helped set my fondness in motion. I’m always a sucker for martial arts and I like mysteries for the most part. Then, there’s the attitude. He’s disciplined, he’s stern, dark, and can be adaptable to most situations. He also has what’s probably the coolest secret identity. He’s a billionaire!

Yeah, I still want this car! It's freakin' awesome!!!

 I think another thing that makes Batman cool is his supporting cast. He has one of the biggest and most diverse rogues’ gallery. You have villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Ras Al Ghul to give Batman a challenge. A lot of them are pretty interesting. His allies are also pretty cool and interesting. He has the Justice League on his side. While he has other help like Robin (former and current ones) and Batgirl, he also has ordinary folk like Commissioner Gordon and Alfred to help him out.

Overall, Batman’s just a cool character to get behind. Has he had his bad times? Yeah, but there is even something I can find in that badness that is a little entertaining. I know I’ve already said this, but Batman: the Animated Series (and other Timm/Dini shows) really did the character and his world justice. They did it by taking the best elements (light and dark) from Batman’s long history. The Nolan films are good too, but they (except for Batman Begins) aren't the best interpretations of the characters.

Well, I’m finally tired from talking about the “Cotton-picking, butt-kicking, woman-getting, boy-training, man-handling, black-wearing, crazy-looking, money-making, hot-blooded, gosh-darn” Batman! I doubt I’ll do another Batman month, but there are things that I may still do that are related to the character. This is Ryell saying peace, God bless, and Happy Thursday! The day has to be special for someone out there. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go read a book about some "dang, dirty, apes." 

Tales From the 50 Cent Bin! - Brave and the Bold #200

I’ve finally gotten to my last comic for the month. I picked this one up since I was on a Brave and the Bold kick and the cover looks pretty interesting. The Brave and the Bold was where the Justice League of America first started. Since that time, it became a team-up book and Batman has been main star since the 60s. The Brave and the Bold #200 was an anniversary issue and it was actually the final issue of the series. The story is written by Mike W. Barr. Dave Gibbons, the artist of Watchmen, provided the pencils and inked some of the issue. Gary Martin inked the first part of the story. So, let’s see what happens when two Batmen take on a hellish villain.

The Brave and the Bold #200
Writer: Mike W. Barr Artist: 
Dave Gibbons Inker: Gary Martin (pgs. 4-19)
Colors: Adrienne Roy

Movie Talk - The DCAU Batman Movies

Come on, Bruce! At least look like you're having fun! I know I would be.

Now that I’m at the end of Batman Month, I can finally get back to the animated universe created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. While they churned out good shows like Batman: the Animated Series, Justice League, and Batman Beyond, they also did some feature-length animated movies set in Batman’s animated universe. Unlike today, it was rare when we got movies like these. One of them even got released in theatres. So, let me see what I can remember about them.

I remember when Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released in theatres. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it there. I ended up renting it on VHS. The rest of their movies ended up being direct-to-video. I only saw their second feature, Batman vs. Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero, on TV when the WB aired it one Saturday morning. I rented their third feature, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, from Movie Gallery. I ended up getting the unrated version on DVD a few years later. Finally, I rented their last one, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and I’ve only seen it once. Since I haven’t seen most of these movies in along time, I watched them all over the weekend.

Tales From the 50 Cent Bin! - Batman #156

When it comes to Batman in the 1960’s, I know little. I get Superman’s weirdness during that time because he’s one I’ve tried to look into. With Batman, I know even less. I’ve only read a couple of stories from this era. I also remember seeing some episodes of the Batman TV show from way back in the day.  I know that show was somewhat influenced by the comics of the day. One of Linkara’s earliest reviews was of a Batman comic where Batman turned into a baby and still fought crime. Yeah… luckily, the story I have for today isn’t that strange. 

Batman #156 came out in 1963. I also found this story in The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told trade. The writer is Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman. Sheldon Moldoff handles the pencils. I also wonder if “Moldoff” is his real name. It sounds like a cleaning product. Charles Paris handles the inks and I don’t know who handled the colors. So, let’s see what happens when Batman watches Robin die!

Batman #156 – “Robin Dies At Dawn!”

Writer: Bill Finger

Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff

Inks: Charles Paris

Tales From the 50 Cent Bin! - Batman #251

The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge… Nope, you won’t get any innuendoes out of me!

Welcome to the 1970’s. The music ranged from good to “Disco Duck” (seriously, that happened), the clothing styles were weird, and comics started to get a little darker. In the 70’s DC tried to revitalize most of its characters like Batman and Superman. While some of Superman’s changes didn’t stick, a lot of Batman’s changes stuck and still stick to this day. From what I’ve read, the 60’s was full of wackiness for Batman. In order to save the character, the editors decided to bring Batman back to his pulpy, grim roots.

In 1973, they decided to bring the Joker out of retirement as well in this story. Batman #251 was released around September of 1973. I first read the story in a hardcover of Neal Adam’s work on Batman. I’m actually pulling this story from “The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told” trade. The writer is Dennis O’Neil. The artist is Neal Adams. You might have heard of these guys since they made names for themselves during the 1970’s. They revitalized Batman as well as a other heroes for DC. So, let’s see how Batman fares up against this deadlier Joker.

Batman #251 – The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Artist: Neal Adams

Editor: Julius Schwartz