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Post by foxley on Jul 28, 2014 16:51:17 GMT -5
One under-celebrated story is the untitled Bat-tale in DETECTIVE #34, where the hero encounters the very surrealistic/Satanic villain "the Duc D'Orterre." He was a perfect one-shot villain, and I'm happy no one's ever thought to bring him back. That's the story about the guy who erases people's faces, right? And has a scene where Batman encounters talking flowers that have human faces? It is an awesome example of the strangeness that occurred in the very early days when there were no rules. Another classic from the very early days was the two-part "Batman vs, the Monk" in Detective Comics #31-32, where Bruce Wayne's fiancee Julie Madison is abducted by vampire-werewolves and Batman pursues them to Europe (and is attacked by a gorilla in the dungeon of a castle). This is the story that first introduces the batarang, and the first specialised vehicle, the Bat-Gyro (which would later become the Batplane). Yes, the Batplane predates the batmobile. |
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Post by foxley on Jul 28, 2014 16:53:12 GMT -5
I have! I have! And it was used as the basis for an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 28, 2014 17:45:11 GMT -5
I've read very few Batman comics; the longer time I collected any bat title was for Batman:year one, and I dropped it one issue after Miller and Mazzuchelli left. I did pick up a few books here and there, mostly during the Newton-Alcala period; the boxing story from that era, already mentioned by shaxper, was a great example of how good an ordinary comic can be even without a gimmick or a connection to some mega-event.
I also fondly remember Detective comics 567, written by Harlan Ellison; it's a humorous issue, but given Batman's legendary status he can endure a little fun from time to time. What is it Batman says in there? "Good Lord, it's a golem with a candy bar"?
Another favorite is Batman special #1, the player on the other side, because of the Michael Golden art.
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Post by misterintensity on Jul 28, 2014 18:58:17 GMT -5
The People vs. the Batman from Batman #7, Bruce Wayne: Murderer done right. Arguably the most important Batman story of the 1940s, as it marks the moment when Batman went from illegal vigilante to a fully deputized member of the GCPD. It all starts with Bruce Wayne getting framed for murder and ends with Commissioner Gordon officially recognizing Batman. Really powerful stuff.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,864
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Post by shaxper on Jul 28, 2014 19:30:14 GMT -5
The People vs. the Batman from Batman #7, Bruce Wayne: Murderer done right. Arguably the most important Batman story of the 1940s, as it marks the moment when Batman went from illegal vigilante to a fully deputized member of the GCPD. It all starts with Bruce Wayne getting framed for murder and ends with Commissioner Gordon officially recognizing Batman. Really powerful stuff. I'd never heard this before. Thanks for the knowledge! |
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Post by foxley on Jul 29, 2014 2:44:48 GMT -5
I've probably got a few hundred of these I could recommend as I am a huge Batman fan (even appearing on a quiz show in 2008 with the specialist subject of Batman comics).
But one I am pleased to say is not quite as forgotten as I feared it might be is "Where Were You On The Night Batman Was Killed?" from Batman #291 - 294.
Easily the best Batman story David V. Reed ever wrote (although that is not much of claim given the quality of some his other work), "Where Were You...?" stands out as being a four-parter when such things were rare.
When Batman is missing and presumed dead, a number of villains come forward claiming to have killed them. The underworld stages a trial with each of them putting forward their story of how they killed. The story features a who's who of Batman's rogues gallery. The four claimants are Catwoman, the Riddler, Lex Luthor and the Joker. The trial's 'judge' is Ra's al Ghul and the 'prosecutor' is Two-Face, while the 'jury' consists of Mad Hatter, Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Spook and Signalman. A number of minor foes are seen as observers at the trial, including Killer Moth, Cavalier, Captain Stingaree, Cluemaster and Tweedledee & Tweedledum. About the only major player who is missing is the Penguin, who had just been arrested over in Detective Comics.
In this tale, Reed proves himself one of the few writers capable of crafting a truly engaging Riddler story, with actually quite clever clues.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that other fans remember this story as fondly as I do, and it appeared on the list of the 75 Greatest Batman Stories over at CSBG (undoubtedly to the confusion of a bunch of younger readers who seem to be under the impression that there were no Batman stories prior to "Court of Owls").
As a side-note, this story was almost certainly the inspiration for the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Almost Got 'Im".
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 3:29:37 GMT -5
The first issue of Batman I ever got was #250. The first two stories were decent, one a Batman mystery in a wax museum, and one a Robin story where he tracked down a handful of stolen paintings including one of his parents act, but the story that stood out for me as a 4 year old in '73 was the last back up, The Batman Nobody Knows, where Bruce takes a bunch of inner city kids on a camping trip and they all tell stories of what Batman is.
I read that issue coverless and lost it sometime in the late 70s/early 80s, but I ran into the story again in the first Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told collection that came out around the time of the first Burton film. I tracked down the issue a few years back at a con (with help form Ultimate Jez identifying it at the old site), but it's still one of my favorite Batman tales and colored my take on the character-I am a sucker for alternate takes on the Bat-legend, from Gotham by Gaslight to Nevermore and many other Elseworlds takes.
I never had a lot of Batman comics until I hit high school (started late in the Moench run pre-400), so Dark Knight and Year One hit just as I was really getting into Batman, and Year One in particular is a favorite, but those weird alt-takes of Batman are some of my favorite Batman stories as well.
-M
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Post by DubipR on Jul 29, 2014 8:37:41 GMT -5
Here's a couple... Legends Of The Dark Knight #32-34 ("Blades"): Superhero noir on par with Mask Of The Phantasm. Plus an opportunity to see Tim Sale sans Jeph Loeb Good call. Great Sale artwork to go along with Robinson.
One of my forgotten Batman stories is from Legends of the Dark Knight
The Joker plans to make a movie starring himself but instead of casting himself, he uses an old actor from long time ago and paints him to look like The Clown Prince of Crime. Batman has to stop it before terror it gets released.
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Post by MDG on Jul 29, 2014 11:52:11 GMT -5
One of my favorite collections of Batman stories is the paperback that came out in '66 (still got it, though it's beat to hell).  The stories are from the mid-50s, without aliens, Bat-Mite, costume changes, etc.--basically detective/crimefighting stories, with a great Joker story with great Dick Sprang art. www.comics.org/issue/19714/ |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 29, 2014 13:31:23 GMT -5
One of my favorite collections of Batman stories is the paperback that came out in '66 (still got it, though it's beat to hell). The stories are from the mid-50s, without aliens, Bat-Mite, costume changes, etc.--basically detective/crimefighting stories, with a great Joker story with great Dick Sprang art. www.comics.org/issue/19714/ I had that, don't any more. I remember that it did have batch of great stories. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jul 29, 2014 14:08:14 GMT -5
"The Crazy Crime Clown" is right up there with "The Joker's Utility Belt" and "The Joker's Journal" as a great Joker story. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 14:52:24 GMT -5
I'd pick Batman: The Last Arkham which launched Shadow of The Bat and premiered a new chilling character, Victor Zsazz.
This 4-issue arc presents a good mix of action, suspense and criminal psychology in a psycho-thriller storyline. I never thought I'd be finding that in a story that took the chance of introducing someone new as a lead than rely on any of the other classic foes. They still do make some appearances in the Asylum along with Jeremiah Arkham, but serve to compliment Zsazz rather than detract. Some great insight into the inmates at Arkham is also given, under his cruel fist of course.
My only nagging bug...the artwork could've been a bit better.
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Post by chadwilliam on Jul 30, 2014 18:23:53 GMT -5
I really enjoy these responses and hope they'll continue.
For a thread that was partially triggered by a disappointment in how shortsighted such lists generally are, I have to admit that I'm glad to see a few recent entries pop up on here. That LOTDK Joker two-parter Auteurism for instance, is a great selection that seems to have already been overlooked by today's audience. A Joker that is genuinely funny, though not really a pre-requisite for the character, is a nice bonus when it happens. "If I explain things to you in terms a fly could understand, perhaps the fly can explain it to you", "Men! I need you to distract the police by getting yourselves arrested!".
Interestingly, there was another LOTDK story around this time that stood out as something special when it was released and it was Hoosier X's post that reminded me of it. How to be the Batman is a great story and while LOTDK 168 Urban Legend isn't as brillant, it must have been inspired by Detective 190 to mimic not only the notion of an amnesiac Batman but to use the hero of the piece to point out some of the more eccentric aspects of the character.
I can't really describe the story without spoiling the ending, so...
Surviving a fall from a building, Batman has lost his memory and has no idea where to go next. He doesn't know how he gets in touch with the police (calling 911 and saying "This is Batman, can I talk to whoever's in charge" doesn't help), where his hideout is, or even where he's parked the Batmobile (a couple who witnessed the fall and has rushed to his aid have to explain that he has a special car - "Isn't the Bat-Car or something?" "Mobile". "The Mobile-Car, that sounds stupid"). He does find out however from reading the paper that he's currently vowed to take down a gang that has been making a name for itself in Gotham. So, he figures that this is what he'll do until his memory returns.
There is a comedic tone within the story much as the one Hoosier X described in How to be the Batman which pokes fun at certain conventions, yet also a respect for Batman when you learn that (SPOILER) the guy in the Batman outfit isn't really Batman. He was just a guy wearing a Batman costume while rollplaying with his wife when he fell off his balconey. A revelation that sounds like it could have been added to provide the story with a comedic twist at the end, actually adds layers to who Batman is when you realise that this guy is simply doing what he's doing because it's what Batman would do. He doesn't know his name, can't recall any of the fighting skills he's supposed to have, and is in bad shape after surviving a several story fall from a building, yet he willing rushes into a situation that will likely get him killed because as a Gothamite, he still knows that's what Batman has sworn to do and to attempt anything less while wearing his outfit would not be worthy of their hero.
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Post by hondobrode on Aug 5, 2014 22:06:19 GMT -5
 Saw this on Brian Cronin's excellent Comics Should Be Good column a few years back. Batman expert Batman Jones from Batman # 108. I don't think it's been reprinted and I'd love to read it. |
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