Dan Adkins’s inks are a mess here. Because of them, there’s barely one good panel of Don Newton drawing Batman versus a werewolf. The story’s something of a surprise–with Conway concentrating solely on Batman; I assumed the issue, since Conway did Werewolf by Night, would be Batman meets Jack Russell, but it’s anything but.

Since the majority of the story takes place in Alaska, after Conway does some background plotting in Gotham with Batman battling a politician, it’s sort of hard to judge. It’s got a lot a of potential, but not much of it is realized. When Batman gives his reason for wearing his costume in the Alaskan wilderness, it just made me think about how much cooler it would be if he were just Bruce Wayne.

The Batgirl backup features her going after a hunchback killer. It’s not bad, but the Delbo art is weak; he’s really hacking.

CREDITS

Werewolf Moon; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. Hunt for a Hunchback Killer; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, John Costanza. Editors, Burkett and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

So… Alfred’s somebody’s baby daddy. That little detail is sort of overlooked in this issue. Not only is he a baby daddy, he’s an emotionally disconnected one (he financially supports her, but won’t tell her his identity–I think they almost used a similar thing in Batman and Robin to explain Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl’s history). It’s actually a neat development….

And the comic needs all the neat developments it can get because the mystery aspect is exceptionally lame. Of all the cops in France, Batman doesn’t just get a corrupt one, he also gets the one who’s had plastic surgery to disguise his identity (he was a Nazi collaborator) and he’s the killer Batman seeks.

Kind of nicely coincidental.

Batman also discovers Mlle. Marie didn’t die–but he doesn’t investigate that revelation.

The Batgirl backup is so-so. She easily overcomes her adversary, kind of making it all pretty pointless.

CREDITS

Who Shot Mademoiselle Marie?; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. To Live a Nightmare!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Gene D’Angelo; letterer, John Costanza. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

I love the scene with the Paris police giving Batman the okay because of his “unofficial” Interpol status. I wonder if Conway realized how silly the scene reads, given he’s sitting there in the office in his costume. Maybe Batman needs a different costume for such official meetings.

Otherwise, the issue’s decent.

Bruce heads to Paris, following Alfred and Lucius. No, they’re not secretly gay; it turns out they both fought in the French resistance and one of them is being accused of murder by their old compatriots. Half of that description one could get from the cover.

The art’s nice and Conway’s characterization of Bruce as caring and maybe even doting is welcome. His Batman is very affable.

The Batgirl backup is solid too, even though it’s an incredibly dark story. The villain, a voodoo guy, decides to ruin Batgirl’s life. Nearly the whole story is people mistreating Barbara.

CREDITS

The Man Who Killed Mademoiselle Marie!; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. The Five-Fold Revenge of Dr. Voodoo; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Gene D’Angelo; letterer, John Costanza. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

Well, Batman fights the crooked miners union again this issue… but this time… he wins!

Actually, it’s a really nice story about Batman and Blockbuster saving a bunch of miners in a collapsed shaft. Conway takes his time, reintroducing everything from last issue (I love the recaps comics used to integrate into the stories), then basically doing an all-action story. Only, it’s not rushed and the Newton artwork is just beautiful.

And the whole story with Blockbuster, the character arc it puts him on, it’s a nice end to the character. I don’t think this version stayed in continuity–Conway treats him kind of like the Frankenstein Monster, the misunderstood beast–but it’s a good finish. There’s a touching scene with Blockbuster saving a little kid.

The Batgirl story is probably the best written of this “Barbara Gordon–Murderer!” arc, but the artwork’s loose. Giella’s inks are way off.

CREDITS

Allies in the Shadows; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins. Chains of Guilt!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Gene D’Angelo; letterer, John Costanza. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

It’s Batman versus the crooked coal miners and guess who wins?

Not Batman.

Okay, maybe I’m abridging a little, but not by much. Conway makes Batman a little too human here, way too fallible (he gets hit in the head with a shovel–isn’t he supposed to know when people are sneaking up on him?).

It’s an odd complaint and one I wouldn’t have without that development, because the humanity’s otherwise nice. Most of the issue–after the sort of prologue with Blockbuster finding some nice people to take him in–is all about Batman worrying about Blockbuster (this Blockbuster is the innocent one, not the evil one).

The Batgirl backup story–with Barbara Gordon getting framed for murder–is a little better than the previous issue’s entry. There’s still a lot of talking and way too much story is conveyed in it, but the frame-up is interesting enough.

CREDITS

Night of the Savage; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. The Tightening Web!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Gene D’Angelo; letterer, Albert De Guzman. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

The main story is dedicated to Will Eisner, but besides some rather obvious Spirit references, I don’t get it. I mean, it’s not like Batman spends the issue getting beat up.

That one thing aside–it’s not even a problem, it’s just a strange dedication–the issue’s pretty good. It’s Batman the adventurer, with some nice moments between Bruce and Alfred and confusing ending. Conway forgets a bunch of stuff–Batman goes after the villain, the Squid, for some stolen documents… but we never find out what happens to them. And the upbeat finish is goofy.

The Newton artwork is just fantastic, with some really iconic panels. Conway might be forgetful, but his Batman’s fun to read.

The Batgirl backup, however, is a mess. The artwork is good, but the dialogue is way too expository and there are maybe eight principal characters, far too many for a feature story, much less a backup.

CREDITS

Bad Night in Baja; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. Barbara Gordon… Murderess!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Gene D’Angelo; letterer, Milt Snapinn. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.