Wonder Woman #231



Very 1970s hair for the 1942 Steve Trevor. Not to mention, the uniform is wrong.

Creative Team: Alan-Brennert-story, Marty Pasko-script, Bob Brown-pencils, Vince Coletta-inks, Jerry Serpe-colors, Denny O'Neil-edits

Alan Brennert was in college and was a friend of Marty Pasko. He wrote the story to earn some fast cash, with Pasko turning the story into an actual script. The Wonder Woman comic, at this point, was telling stories of the Golden Age Wonder Woman, in 1942 (ish), in response to the first season of the Wonder Woman tv series, on ABC. Steve Trevor is also depicted with brown hair, to more closely match Lyle Waggoner.

Synopsis: The date is 1942 and a German and a British tank face off, alone, near a mysterious pyramid (this is not Giza, apparently)...



The panzer misses and blows a hole in the pyramid, releasing strange energy, which incinerates both tanks. We jump ahead to 1943 and Steve Trevor is in the Pentagon (construction was completed in Jan 1943 and occupation of facilities began as soon as each wing was completed) and he mentions another routine assignment. However, in Egypt, a mummy awakens int he strange pyramid and we are told that Steve is a key figure in the future of the Earth. The mummy sheds her wrappings and reveals Osira, who has been trapped there for 3 millennia. She flies off in an energy pyramid. Back in Washington, Steve and Diana Prince look out a window and witness a strange sight, which has Steve tear out of the building, followed soon by Wonder Woman, in her invisible plane. We see the Capitol dome replaced by a pyramid, while Congressmen inside demand an end to the war!





Radio reports of peace breaking out stun Steve and WW. WW rips the pyramid structure off the Capitol, which breaks the spell over Congress. They suspect that the "peace" is being imposed from outside and fly to Egypt to investigate. Steve questions her opposition to this peace, since that is her mission. She replies that peace cannot be forced by others, that you can't just order people not to hate. She could do that much with her magic lasso; but, it wouldn't last. They are attacked by a joint flight of Messerschmidts and Spitfires. Steve voices my question, about how they can see them to attack and WW responds that the plane is invisible; they aren't. (well, that's a new wrinkle). WW uses her bracelets to deflect bullets, including those from a British pilot's sidearm, after he opened his canopy to shoot at her. She uses her lasso to get him to call off the attack. They land and ge says he serves Osira. They head for her pyramid and are attacked by German soldiers, with Egyptian head wraps, then the lady, herself.

Wondy and Osira battle an Osira reveals her "powers" are the result of alien technology. She captures Wondy in an energy pyramid and reveals that she and her husband, Hefnakhti (we'll just call him Hef) conquered ancient Egypt, by appearing as gods. They gave them new technology and had the pyramids buil;t. A priest, Anankh, spoke against them and they imprisoned them in a pyramid. They broke free, but expelled all of their energies. They were mobbed and mummified alive, prisoners of the pyramid.



Now, she intends to reconquer, with Steve by her side (who is getting his butt kicked by Jerries and Tommies). Wondy says she'll never get away with it, that the JSA will stop her and she shows Wondy the JSA members imprisoned in similar energy pyramids, while she plants a lip lock on Steve.

Thoughts: This would have been a pretty decent episode of the tv show, maybe a two-parter (they did have one with an alien visitor, in that first season). It has an interesting idea, of Wonder Woman having to stop an alien from imposing their own "peace" on the world, so they can conquer it. Is it worse to let that happen and save millions of lives or is it better to stop he and restore free will? Quite an ethical dilemma.

The execution is another matter, though. It hall gets thrown out there rather quickly and the philosophical has to be dispensed with in a couple of panels; plus, we get a big info dump. Also, we get conflicting word if this is Giza or not, as we do see the Sphinx from above. I think Bob Brown is using familiar iconography, though it makes it confusing. As it is, his military accuracy is pretty low.

Osira gets little development, aside from a background that is one part Von Daniken and another Universal's The Mummy. Bob Brown's art, with the Coletta inks, is pretty mediocre. This is not the same Bob Brown who was drawing Daredevil, on Len Wein and Marv Wolfman's stories. Well it is, but not with the same level of quality. Detail is definitely not a priority here and the JSA members look like mannequins. Osira looks like an Egyptian-themed stripper, minus high heels.

The letters page tells us that Brown is the new regular penciler for WW, and reminds us of his past, at DC, an recent time at Marvel. Brown relates his own background, serving as a navigation officer on B-29s, during the bombing campaigns over the Japanese home islands, earning 6 air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. I, thus, have a suspicion that the lack of detail and accuracy in the military elements is down to Coletta's notorious habit of simplifying the pencil drawings, as he inked. Either that or a time crunch. Brown was about 60, at this point, which might also be a factor.

The Daily Planet supplement tells us that DR Light will be seen in DC Super-Stars #14, a Secret Origins of Supervillains issue, and that the New Gods are returning, at the hands of Gerry Conway. The Injustice Society returns to face the JSA, in All-Star #66 and Batman Family #11 has Robin and Batgirl forced into marriage! Detective has the beginning of Steve Englehart's run, with Walt Simonson drawing the origin of Dr Phosphorus.

Not the most auspicious beginning for Brennert, though he was still a college student and he didn't actually write the script.

Brennert would be writing for the tv series the next year, then move on to Buck Rogers, where he also was a story editor. He would then write for such shows as Simon & Simon, the revived Twilight Zone, LA Law, Stargate Atlantis and Star Trek Enterprise. Harlan Ellison sung his praises on Twilight Zone.

Next, part two of the Wonder Woman story.

Cue up the Bangles...

I saved my drool for bassist Micki  Steele.

Okay, that sounds really disgusting.

Really underrated band; great harmonies and damn good musicians. Better singers than the Go-Gos, though the Go-Gos could wail on their instruments with the best of their male contemporaries, especially Kathy Valentine and Charlotte Caffey.  They could also party as hard, as related in liner notes in Beyond the Valley of the Go-Gos.

I know I own that comic as well but I have absolutely no memory of it. Which is likely because I haven't read it since I bought it. It seems like Nasser was a bit of a fan favorite at the time but that's fairly rough work. I'm sure the time constraints didn't help. I was not and am not a Pasko fan, so I'm unlikely to re-visit this even with Brennert involved. DC really was a mess at this point. I didn't realize it at the time (being 9 or ten years old) but Kahn had her work cut out for her. The super-hero books were particularly dire.

This issue was in my cousin's stash of 1970-1972 DC comics that I read ten years' later. I suspect his eye was drawn by the cover image of Wonder Woman sticking her chest out. I suppose mine was too. It was also the first comic I ever read containing the JSA, and I remember well this image of them. Who are those guys? How weird to have "FAIR PLAY" emblazoned across your chest. This page is actually up for auction this week.

I'm glad to see Brennert getting some attention... His Daredevil #192 was excellent.

Detective Comics #500



Check that out; Walter Gibson, creator )of the pulp version, not the radio host that predated the hero)and main writer of the Shadow, contributed a story. In his prime, at the height of popularity, Gibson turned out two Shadow pulps a month/ He wrote 293 of the 336 Shadow stories.

"To Kill a Legend."

Creative Team: Alan Brennert-writer, Dick Giordano-artist, John Costanza-letters, Adrienne Roy-colors, Paul Levitz-edits

Synopsis: Bruce Wayne is plagued by the nightmare of his parents' murder. he hasn't had it in years, since he caught Joe Chill. He suits up and goes out looking for trouble and soon finds it, rescuing an old woman from muggers. Batman chases one of the perps down a dead-end alley, only to find that it opens up on Crime Alley, which is shrouded in a mysterious fog. Robin turns up and decks the fleeing criminal. He is supposed to be on a plane to Europe and he doesn't know how he got there. The Phantom Stranger turns up and tells them they are here because they are needed. They are on a parallel world, where another Bruce Wayne is about to lose his parents, unless Batman and Robin can stop it...



Batman accepts the offer to change what happened in his past and tells Robin he has to go alone; but, Robin doesn't listen. They end up in Gotham Harbor and run into some crooks. The7y try to nab them and they faint when they touch them. Lt Gordon and the police turn up and try to arrest the masked men and they escape. They notice that things are different, with street names slightly altered. They go to the public library to find a social register, to locate Dr Thomas and Martha Wayne. Librarian Barbara Kean, fiancee to Lt Gordon (and look alike for Barbara Gordon, calls Bruce Dr Wayne, believing he is his father. She shows him the social register, while Dick goes off to poke around. He finds that there are no costumed heroes mentioned in newspapers and further finds that there is no heroic literature or mythology. He also discovers there is no red star in the sky where Krypton would be orbiting; thus, no Superman to come to Earth.



They locate the Wayne's home and head out to it and spy on Thomas and Martha Wayne, as they deal with young Bruce, who is throwing a tantrum. He's a complete little brat. Meanwhile, petty crook Joe Chill has come into town, after leaving Cleveland, where he pulled a job and his accomplice was caught. He is scared and edgy and looking for his contacts in Gotham. Batman and Robin leave and head to police headquarters, where Batman goes inside, disguised as Lt Gordon. He is looking for intel on Joe Chill but finds no files. He does locate info on Lewis Moxon, who hired Chill. He has a trucking company and Batman goes to bust up the joint. Moxon denies knowing Joe Chill and Batman threatens him, mentioning the Waynes. Moxon's thoughts reveal he was planning to kill them and has to move upo his timetable. Chill gets into town and goes to find Moxon, on recommendation of his accomplice in Cleveland.

Batman and Robin return to the Wayne Estate and watch and argue...



Robin believes they have no right to interfere and that maybe it is better to let this world have a Batman. Batman cannot let another young boy go through what he did, growing up angry all the time. Batman leaves to check interstate records about Chill and Robin overhears the Wayne's leaving to see a movie. He recognizes the event and follows. Batman locates the records he seeks. Jim Gordon catches him and has him at gunpoint. Batman reasons and appeals to the friendship they share on another world. Gordon lets him go. Robin watches as the Waynes head down a street and wonders where Batman is. Gordon passes on info from a snitch and locates Chill's flop house room and finds him dying. Moxon is responsible.

Batman can't understand why events are proceeding differently, as he should have 5 days. He then realizes that 20 years have passed since his "birth" and that there were 5 leap years, with 5 extra days (convenient) and that it is today, not on the 26th, as he thought. He rushes off.

The movie was sold out and the Wayne's return, while Bruce whines. One of Moxon's men steps out to accost them and Robin is too far; but, batman is there and deflects the hand pulling the trigger and disarms the crook, who runs. The Waynes are safe. Batman catches the crook and knocks him out with a backfist to the jaw. Robin catches up and the fog returns, as Phantom Stranger shows up. They have done the job and it is time to go. They leave with the stranger.

In the end, we see the path of this world's Bruce Wayne, the spoiled litle boy who was spared the deaths of his parents before his eyes, by a masked man...



Thoughts: Detective Comics #500 was a celebration of the comic and the detectives who appeared in it. Batman gets the lion's share; but, other stories feature Hawkman (a cop), Deadman (who searched for his killer), Elongated Man (detective and back-up feature in the book), and a slew of detectives and adventurers, who team up with Slam Bradly, Siegel and Schuster's private eye (including Roy Raymond, Jason Bard, Christopher "Human Target" Chance, Pow-Wow Smith, Mysto, and Captain Compass). Len Wein and Walt Simonson do a silent story, with only narration, spoofing Edward Bulwer-Lytton's opening lines from the novel Paul Clifford. It is filled with the cliches that make up the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which was launched in 1984, to find the worst opening lines, with rapid changes in POV. Mike Barr penned a mystery with Elongated Man.

However, this is about Alan Brennert. By this point, he is a published novelist (Plague of Masks), tv writer (Wonder Woman, Buck Rogers) and comics fan with three plots published. This time, he handles his own script. He takes Batman and Robin into an alternate world, where heroes do not exist, either in life or literature. He is compelled to prevent the murder of "his parents," and make sure his young counterpart will not suffer as he did. brennert presents a spoiled little Bruce, prone to tantrums. This world has no heroes and Robin wonders if it might be better if Batman is born to this world. Batman asks how he can think that, as his own parents were murdered? Early on, Robin's thoughts say Batman doesn't think clearly where his parents are concerned. It's an interesting philosophical argument, similar to the one raised in Harlan Ellison's "City on the Edge of Forever," in Star Trek.

Brennert sets up a puzzle for Batman to solve, as the world is different enough that things don't progress as they did on Earth-1. Locations are different, people are different. The circumstances are different. Batman is frantic to solve things. His mission has never hit home so much as this. In the end, he accomplishes both tasks; he saves the Waynes and inspires this world's Bruce to be a force for justice, as he turns to Sherlock Holmes, criminology and physical fitness, in a quest to become like the man who saved his parents. It is a counterpoint to a hero created in tragedy. This one is inspired by triumph. Perhaps this world's Batman can be a force for good and have a life beyond. Perhaps he can come to embody the best attributes of Batman and Superman. Time will tell.

Brennert had 19 pages, which was nearly a full comic, atthis point, though he had enough story to go further. Some things demand more exploration and I suspect he would have, with more room.

One of the things I like about Brennert's stories, so far, is that his heroes use their brains, more than their brawn. Wonder Woman reasoned her way out of her prison and used reason to end Osira's domination of the Earth, knowing that war would resume. Janice Rand and the Enterprise crew must solve the problem of the mad energy beings, using plans and strategy, to avert a disaster. Batman and Robin must search for clues and people in a world slightly different from their own. The physical occurs, but the mental is just as much, if not more important. Too many heroes these days punch first and last, with nary a thought in between. Too many writers are incapable of crafting a mystery or a situation that requires logic and reason to guide the hero towards a strategy, which they then employ. Conspiracies are substituted and heroes too often punch their way through a problem, blundering from one betrayer to the next before the end comes, without being earned. There is brain food in Alan Brennert's stories. There is also philosophy and heart.

This story is part of a milestone. It would also be included in Best of DC Digest #23, and then The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, Batman in the Eighties, Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert, Detective Comics: 80 Years pof Batman, and Detective Comics: Batman 80th Anniversary Giant. Think about that; it has been reprinted nearly every decade since it was written and it was Brennert's first Batman story! It's not his last.

This is the only one of Brennert's Batman stories I've not read (I need to get the book collection still), and the summary was a bit surprising. It sounds like he had fond memories of the original Creeper strips and needed a media-involved hero for his plot, but agreed that intrinsically Ryder's a poor fit (who else could he have used? Roy Raymond?).

Also after all these years of the Creeper being presented as genuinely crazy, it's disorienting to read back to a time when he was just an average superhero chumming around with all the rest.