My collection contains few of the classic comics; those that I have were purchased primarily for the first appearances of the major characters from the Big Two.
 |
| Weird-Ass Shit #1: "Warm Reception" = Giant Ape |
Many of the iconic elements from these comic book stories have entered into the general lexicon, especially now that superhero movies have come to dominate the summer box office.
The Batmobile, Kryptonite, Cap's Shield, Gamma Radiation, we all have a basic understanding of what began with these early issues, and many of those details can indeed be found in those original mags.
But let me assure you, there is some really weird-ass shit in those early issues as well.
Most Amusing Panel Prize:
When Bruce Wayne visits the doctor to tend to his bullet wound (suffered while pursuing the bad guys as Batman), Bruce explains his injury with: "I do funny things sometimes."
The Batman stories in Detective Comics #29 and #30 both feature Doctor Death such that they effectively function as a two-parter. Batman then battles the Master Monk in issues #31 and #32: "Batman Versus the Vampire" parts 1 & 2. Both sets of stories were written by Gardner Fox.
As the title panel that begins issue #31 admits, Batman is a "weird menace to all crime." (The description that follows -- intended for the Master Monk -- could actually be used to describe this early version of Batman if one merely replaced "cowled like a monk" with "cowled like a bat.")
The weirdness resides on multiple levels. For example, Doctor Death has a pair of henchmen -- a "giant Indian" and a "Cossack" (whose depictions border on the racist with stereotypical dress and a strange skin-coloring choice) -- henchmen whom Batman apparently has no qualms about taking out -- permanently.
The weirdness continues with the strange amalgamation that is the "Master Monk." He seems to be part werewolf, part vampire, and part... psychic?
The Monk has some sort of mind-control power, identified as hypnotism in issue #31, which he has used on Julie to make her kill some random guy for inexplicable reasons (at least no reason is ever offered) -- Julie, who just so happens to be Bruce Wayne's fiancee. That's right, Bruce Wayne's fiancee.
Batman manages to stop Julie before she kills, which snaps her out of The Monk's mind control. So, naturally the doctor to whom Bruce Wayne brings her prescribes an ocean voyage (?) to Paris to cure what ails her.
Mysteriously, the Master Monk just so happens to be on the same ship to Paris. (Mysteriously not because he's there, but because Batman seems to abandon Julie to his clutches after a brief skirmish only to "rescue" her again by issue's end.)
Issue #32 opens with Batman in pursuit of the Master Monk only to find Dala, the Monk's victim/collaborator, in his stead.
Dala, who appears to be a vampire, too, after she bites Julie with whom Batman, in his infinite wisdom, sets her up in his hotel room "deep in the Carlathan Mountains." (Apparently the masked crusader who looks like a bat has no problem getting a motel room in Hungary.)
Last Notions:
The weirdness in these early comics books seems to be pitched high as the creators keep piling on one storybook element after another: a bad guy who is a psychic, AND a werewolf, AND a vampire.
Don't get me wrong; I am a fan of comic books (and fantasy and SciFi), but I look for the fantastical to have some sort of internal coherence. I'm not talking about grounding these characters in a modern realism such as Christopher Nolan does with Batman and the Joker in The Dark Knight. (I loved that film, by the way.)
Rather, what I need is some basic character development to provide a logical basis for the impossible to happen. Like the classic SciFi novels that are strong on the "big idea," but lack a clear plot and interesting characters to make that big idea resonate, these early comic books present characters (both the bad and the good) with the psychological complexity of stick figures.
CODA:
Luckily, Batman begins to gain some moral and psychological dimensions in the very next issue, #33, when Bruce Wayne's tragic back story is finally provided.
(The bad guy in this issue, on the other hand, remains one-dimensional as ever; he has a literal Napoleon complex and is, of course, bent on world domination.)
The weirdness resides on multiple levels. For example, Doctor Death has a pair of henchmen -- a "giant Indian" and a "Cossack" (whose depictions border on the racist with stereotypical dress and a strange skin-coloring choice) -- henchmen whom Batman apparently has no qualms about taking out -- permanently.
 |
| Weird-Ass Shit #4: Hypnotic Powers in a Vampire-Wolfman |
 |
| Weird-Ass Shit #5: Bruce Wayne has a fiancee |
Batman manages to stop Julie before she kills, which snaps her out of The Monk's mind control. So, naturally the doctor to whom Bruce Wayne brings her prescribes an ocean voyage (?) to Paris to cure what ails her.
Mysteriously, the Master Monk just so happens to be on the same ship to Paris. (Mysteriously not because he's there, but because Batman seems to abandon Julie to his clutches after a brief skirmish only to "rescue" her again by issue's end.)
 |
| Weird-Ass Shit #6: Batman rents hotel rooms as Batman |
Dala, who appears to be a vampire, too, after she bites Julie with whom Batman, in his infinite wisdom, sets her up in his hotel room "deep in the Carlathan Mountains." (Apparently the masked crusader who looks like a bat has no problem getting a motel room in Hungary.)
 |
| Weird-Ass Shit #7:Batman Versus The Were |
The weirdness in these early comics books seems to be pitched high as the creators keep piling on one storybook element after another: a bad guy who is a psychic, AND a werewolf, AND a vampire.
Don't get me wrong; I am a fan of comic books (and fantasy and SciFi), but I look for the fantastical to have some sort of internal coherence. I'm not talking about grounding these characters in a modern realism such as Christopher Nolan does with Batman and the Joker in The Dark Knight. (I loved that film, by the way.)
Rather, what I need is some basic character development to provide a logical basis for the impossible to happen. Like the classic SciFi novels that are strong on the "big idea," but lack a clear plot and interesting characters to make that big idea resonate, these early comic books present characters (both the bad and the good) with the psychological complexity of stick figures.
CODA:
Luckily, Batman begins to gain some moral and psychological dimensions in the very next issue, #33, when Bruce Wayne's tragic back story is finally provided.
Series: Detective Comics (1937)
Issue #: 029
Copyright: DC Comics
Cover Date: July 1939
Cover Price: 10¢
Page Count: 11 pages
Print Release: 17-May-1939
Digital Release: 10-September-2011
Writer:
|
 |
|
Penciler:
|
||
Inker:
|
||
Colorist:
|
None Listed
|
|
Cover Art:
|
||
Source Links:
|
||
Story Title:
|
“The Bat-Man
Meets Doctor Death”
|
|
Series: Detective Comics (1937)
Issue #: 030
Copyright: DC Comics
Cover Date: August 1939
Cover Price: 10¢
Page Count: 11 pages
Print Release: 14-June-1939
Digital Release: 10-September-2011
Writer:
|
|
|
Pencilers:
|
||
Inker:
|
||
Colorist:
|
None Listed
|
|
Cover Art:
|
||
Source Links:
|
||
Story Title:
|
The Batman: “The
Return of Doctor Death”
|
|
Series: Detective Comics (1937)
Issue #: 031
Copyright: DC Comics
Cover Date: September 1939
Cover Price: 10¢
Page Count: 11 pages
Print Release: 19-July-1939
Digital Release: 10-September-2011
Writer:
|
|
|
Pencilers:
|
||
Inkers:
|
||
Colorist:
|
None Listed
|
|
Cover Art:
|
||
Source Links:
|
||
Story Title:
|
“Batman Versus
the Vampire Part 1”
|
|
Series: Detective Comics (1937)
Issue #: 032
Copyright: DC Comics
Cover Date: October 1939
Cover Price: 10¢
Page Count: 11 pages
Print Release: 16-August-1939
Digital Release: 10-September-2011
Writer:
|
|
|
Pencilers:
|
||
Inkers:
|
||
Colorist:
|
None Listed
|
|
Cover Art:
|
||
Source Links:
|
||
Story Title:
|
“Batman Versus
the Vampire Part 2”
|
|
Series: Detective Comics (1937)
Issue #: 033
Copyright: DC Comics
Cover Date: November 1939
Cover Price: 10¢
Page Count: 13 pages
Print Release: 13-September-1939
Digital Release: 10-September-2011
Writers:
|
|
|
Pencilers:
|
||
Inker:
|
||
Colorist:
|
None Listed
|
|
Cover Art:
|
||
Source Links:
|
||
Story Title:
|
“The Batman Wars
Against the Dirigible of Doom”
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment