Detective Comics 508 (November 1981)

I’ve been trudging through Conway’s Batman comics the last few days–maybe the Irv Novick art on Batman is getting me down–so it’s nice this issue of Detective Comics is fantastic. It’s a completely absurd story about one of Bruce Wayne’s egyptologist friends going nuts and kidnapping Selina Kyle because he thinks they’re reincarnated Ancient Egyptians and he’s going to send them to the afterworld together.

So, clearly, it’s up to Bruce to figure it all out and save Selina.

Conway’s got Don Newton and Dan Adkins on the art and it’s just fantastic. What Conway brings special is the humanizing of Bruce Wayne–Batman’s a tool of Bruce’s here–and it’s Bruce whose desires are paramount. Specifically, Bruce has got it bad for Selina.

It’s too bad the Batman series isn’t on par with Detective.

The Batgirl versus a mad scientist backup is silly; Delbo’s art doesn’t help.

CREDITS

Secret of the Sphinx Sinister!; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. The Attack of the Annihilator!; writers, Wendy Beraud and Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, John Costanza. Editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #507

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Conway doesn’t do much with Gotham City this issue, instead it’s just Batman in pursuit of the villainous Manikin. Except, of course, it’s not clear how villainous the reader is supposed to find her. She’s a tragic villain–Conway doesn’t give her any resolution past surviving, but I suppose there might be an insanity defense in her future.

Unfortunately, when it does come back to the prologue to the previous issue–Batman saved the Manikin (I assume the spelling is so DC could trademark the name) from a car bombing–there’s no real reaction from Batman. It’s all in a day’s work; Conway taking the time to make the Manikin and Batman have some history is pointless.

Still, it’s competent and nears being touching. Or at least implies nearing it.

The backup stories work. Barr’s regular people of Gotham is fanciful real life. Rozakis’s four page mystery is decent filler.

Detective Comics 507 (October 1981)

Still, it’s competent and nears being touching. Or at least implies nearing it.

The backup stories work. Barr’s regular people of Gotham is fanciful real life. Rozakis’s four page mystery is decent filler.

CREDITS

Dressed to Die!; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy. The Pursuit of Joy; writer, Mike W. Barr; artist, Dan Spiegle; colorist, Tatjana Wood. Diamonds Aren’t Forever!; writer, Bob Rozakis; penciller, Trevor von Eeden; inker, Steve Mitchell; colorist, Roy. Letterer, Ben Oda; editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #505

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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.

Detective Comics 505 (August 1981)

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.

Detective Comics (1937) #504

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So the Joker breaks out of Arkham for no reason other than to create an elaborate room of deadly toys to kill Batman. It’s definitely insane, but also completely idiotic.

This issue makes me wonder if there were (and are) editorial mandates for how often a villain has to appear. Maybe it had been a while so the Joker had to show up–even Batman and Gordon comment on the contrived nature of his appearance–he escaped from Arkham, who didn’t let anyone know because they lost his paperwork… forgetting they had the Joker incarcerated.

Besides that ludicrous element, it’s a fine comic–the artwork is phenomenal and Conway has some great Batman investigating scenes and Gotham City details. And some wonderful close third person Joker narration.

The backup, with Gordon fighting a corrupt cop, is the reverse. A great plot, but Kupperberg overwrites it. Delbo’s weak art hurts too.

Detective Comics 504 (July 1981)

So the Joker breaks out of Arkham for no reason other than to create an elaborate room of deadly toys to kill Batman. It’s definitely insane, but also completely idiotic.

The backup, with Gordon fighting a corrupt cop, is the reverse. A great plot, but Kupperberg overwrites it. Delbo’s weak art hurts too.

CREDITS

The Joker’s Rumpus Room Revenge!; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. A Day in the Life of a Cop; writer, Paul Kupperberg; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, Pierre Bernard Jr. Editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #503

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Now there’s a done-in-one. Wow. Conway fits a ton into the issue, which boils down to another poisoned Batman goes after the Scarecrow story, but with all sorts of decoration. It opens with Batman–Bruce mooning over Selina no less–going about his routine. He gets a mysterious dart shot at him and strange things start happening.

Well, as everyone’s going nuts over Batman, Conway brings in the Scarecrow (he shot the dart). Then Conway brings in Robin and Batgirl to investigate and fight the Scarecrow. Batman has to save them, but all of it requires a whole bunch of plotting. And Conway doesn’t cheap on the introductions–he spends time introducing each development.

The result is a rather pleasing read. Yeah, sure, Conway’s got Newton on the art so it’s magnificent looking, but that plotting is the real star.

The conclusion’s somewhat weak, but Conway doesn’t seem to be writing for it.

Detective Comics 503 (June 1981)

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Now there’s a done-in-one. Wow. Conway fits a ton into the issue, which boils down to another poisoned Batman goes after the Scarecrow story, but with all sorts of decoration. It opens with Batman–Bruce mooning over Selina no less–going about his routine. He gets a mysterious dart shot at him and strange things start happening.

The result is a rather pleasing read. Yeah, sure, Conway’s got Newton on the art so it’s magnificent looking, but that plotting is the real star.

The conclusion’s somewhat weak, but Conway doesn’t seem to be writing for it.

CREDITS

The 6 Days of the Scarecrow; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda; editor, Paul Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #502

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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.