Batman (1940) #352

Bm352

It’s Batman versus the sky pirates! The bad guy’s name is Colonel Blimp. He and his pirates fly around in a tricked out zeppelin.

Of course, the issue doesn’t open with the sky pirates. It opens with the Gotham police admitting their beating up ex-commissioner Gordon because he’s investigating election fraud. They make this admission in front of Batman, who I would have thought could have called the UN or the President or someone when in a situation like that one… but he doesn’t. In fact, he forgets about it for the rest of the issue because he’s got a date with Vicki Vale.

Kupperberg has a really weird narrative gimmick in the issue–he has a cliffhanger, then immediately reveals what happened in a layered flashback. It reads they were originally making space for a Catwoman backup, then didn’t have one.

Calnan’s inks are atrocious. He mutilates Newton.

Batman 352 (October 1982)

It’s Batman versus the sky pirates! The bad guy’s name is Colonel Blimp. He and his pirates fly around in a tricked out zeppelin.

Calnan’s inks are atrocious. He mutilates Newton.

CREDITS

The Killer Sky!; writers, Gerry Conway and Paul Kupperberg; penciller, Don Newton; inker, John Calnan; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, Ben Oda; editor, Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #518

Dc518

It’s decent, underwhelming issue.

In the feature, Batman recovers from his vampire attack–and it’s apparently forgotten Dick was a vampire for a while (he’s fully recovered here, with the explanation being he was hypnotized not converted)–and then gets into a big fight with Deadshot, teaming up with the Human Target posing as Bruce Wayne.

The issues long subplot about Vicki Vale and the Bruce Wayne is Batman photos is resolved and everything is just hunky dory at the end… except the possible suggestion the priest who helped Batman fight the vampires is bad.

Oh, and Dick and Alfred act like sitcom morons. Thank goodness Batman recovers fast.

The Bruce Patterson inks make Newton look like (a better) Jim Aparo. It’s clean, solid superhero art but it’s missing the Newton feel.

The Batgirl backup is overwritten; Randall loves her some wordy exposition. The art is too design oriented; way too static.

Detective Comics 518 (September 1982)

It’s decent, underwhelming issue.

Oh, and Dick and Alfred act like sitcom morons. Thank goodness Batman recovers fast.

The Bruce Patterson inks make Newton look like (a better) Jim Aparo. It’s clean, solid superhero art but it’s missing the Newton feel.

The Batgirl backup is overwritten; Randall loves her some wordy exposition. The art is too design oriented; way too static.

CREDITS

The Millionaire Contract; writers, Gerry Conway and Paul Levitz; penciller, Gene Colan; inker, Bruce Patterson; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. He with Secrets Fears the Sound…; writer, Barbara J. Randall; artist, Trevor von Eeden; colorist, Jerry Serpe; letterer, Milt Snapinn. Editor, Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #516

Dc516

The Batman feature is problematic to say the least. Batman infiltrates a school for criminals as “Matches” Malone (gag) and is quickly found out. He then has to dispatch of the criminals as Batman. Conway and Kupperberg–not sure why Conway needed an assist here, there’s no heavy lifting in this issue–never explain how the criminals figured out it was Batman.

An additional problem is with the ruse itself. Why didn’t Batman just shut the school down himself? Why bother auditing the classes?

It’s silly but not terrible. The Newton art is good and there’s enough going on with Alfred and Gordon to keep the issue moving. Oddly, all of Conway’s B plots seem to involve everyone but Batman.

The Batgirl backup is actually pretty neat. She’s unconscious for the majority of the story, which is lame, but the end is great–she’s turning into a giant serpent lady.

Detective Comics (1937) #515

Dc515

Ugh. “Matches” Malone is so goofy. Why hasn’t anyone modernized him….

Otherwise, it’s a decent issue. The Chiaramonte inks are the best so far. It’s not the best Newton, but it’s good.

Conway gets a lot of story going–Bruce is in LA investigating a school for criminals, Dick is stalking his ex-girlfriend (who seems to be in a cult) and Alfred is trying to convince Vicki Vale Bruce isn’t Batman. Only Gordon is missing, which Bruce comments on at one point.

The exposition–the only place where Conway ever goes overboard–is in check; he’s able to bring enough humanity to the characters, it overpowers any plot silliness.

Too bad he’s got Bruce romancing Vicki though. It’d have been more interesting if it’d been Alfred, especially after this issue’s events.

The Batgirl backup is awful. Batgirl fights with Lady Viper for the entire story. Nicely, the lame writing distracts from the art.

Detective Comics 515 (June 1982)

Ugh. “Matches” Malone is so goofy. Why hasn’t anyone modernized him….

Otherwise, it’s a decent issue. The Chiaramonte inks are the best so far. It’s not the best Newton, but it’s good.

The exposition–the only place where Conway ever goes overboard–is in check; he’s able to bring enough humanity to the characters, it overpowers any plot silliness.

Too bad he’s got Bruce romancing Vicki though. It’d have been more interesting if it’d been Alfred, especially after this issue’s events.

The Batgirl backup is awful. Batgirl fights with Lady Viper for the entire story. Nicely, the lame writing distracts from the art.

CREDITS

The Academy of Crime, Part One: College for Killers; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Frank Chiaramonte; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. In the Coils of the Serpent!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Tom Ziuko; letterer, Phil Felix. Editor, Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #514

Dc514

What a weak issue. I mean… it’s really weak. It’s competent in a way someone spending sixty cents might not complain, but it’s not good at all.

The feature is a Maxie Zeus story. Batman’s hunting him through a snow storm. There’s a scene where Dick and Alfred talk about worrying about him. It’s like they’re his wives waiting at home–which may or may not be a good take on the relationships, but Wein doesn’t explore it.

Instead, he introduces this hippie mountain man who loves all life. Maxie Zeus eventually kills him (after the mountain man loses it because Zeus kills a bird).

The art’s decent–Chiaramonte continues to be a bad inker for Newton–but the story’s just lame.

The Batgirl backup is terrible too. It’s Batgirl versus “the Queen of Serpents,” a circus performer who magically changes into a snake.

The issue’s just a complete misfire.

Detective Comics 514 (May 1982)

What a weak issue. I mean… it’s really weak. It’s competent in a way someone spending sixty cents might not complain, but it’s not good at all.

Instead, he introduces this hippie mountain man who loves all life. Maxie Zeus eventually kills him (after the mountain man loses it because Zeus kills a bird).

The art’s decent–Chiaramonte continues to be a bad inker for Newton–but the story’s just lame.

The Batgirl backup is terrible too. It’s Batgirl versus “the Queen of Serpents,” a circus performer who magically changes into a snake.

The issue’s just a complete misfire.

CREDITS

Haven!; writer, Len Wein; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Frank Chiaramonte; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, John Costanza. Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth!; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Tom Ziuko; letterer, Phil Felix. Editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #513

Dc513

How did DC let this one get to the printers? Chiaramonte’s inks are a complete disaster. Maybe Newton was in a rush and Chiaramonte had to cover a lot but… it doesn’t even look like Newton here.

The story’s got some interesting parts, not the “Batman is missing” parts (Two-Face has kidnapped him and is holding him prisoner, keeping him alive due to lucky–or unlucky–coin tosses). Jim Gordon’s out of his job, which is interesting, Vicki Vale is telling Alfred she knows Bruce’s secret… unfortunately, neither of these parts get any real attention once the action starts. We also don’t get to find out why Two-Face’s girlfriend hates Batman. In a way, it’s “real,” but it’s also some sloppy editing.

The Batgirl backup is atrocious. Worst Delbo art yet (I make that comment a lot). But the writing’s bad too. The story’s trite, obvious and boring.