{"id":29856,"date":"2024-05-22T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T08:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=29856"},"modified":"2024-05-21T11:35:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T11:35:25","slug":"showcase-presents-batman-volume-3-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2024\/05\/22\/showcase-presents-batman-volume-3-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Showcase Presents Batman volume 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Gardner F. Fox<\/strong>, John Broome<\/strong>, Mike Friedrich<\/strong>, Carmine Infantino, Sheldon Moldoff<\/strong>, Gil Kane<\/strong>, Frank Springer<\/strong>, Chic Stone<\/strong>, Sid Greene<\/strong>, Joe Giella<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-1719-8 (TPB)<\/p>\n

After 3 seasons (perhaps 2\u00bd would be closer) the Batman TV show ended in March, 1968. It had clocked up 120 episodes since its US premiere on January 12th<\/sup> 1966. The era ended but the series had left undeniable effect on the world, the comics industry and most importantly on the characters and history of its four-colour inspiration. Most notable was a whole new superstar who became an integral part of the DC universe.<\/p>\n

This astoundingly economical black & white compendium (another collection long in need of modern revival …and some colour too, please) gathers all the Batman<\/strong> and Robin<\/strong> yarns from #189-201 of the eponymous title as well as the Gotham stuff from Detective Comics<\/strong> #359-375 (the back-up slot therein being delightfully filled at this time by the globetrotting, whimsically wonderful Elongated Man<\/strong> feature). The 33 stories here – written and illustrated by the cream of editor Julie Schwartz\u2019s elite stable of creators – gradually evolved over the 17 months covered from an even mix of crime, science fiction, mystery, human interest and supervillain vehicles to a much narrower concentration of plot engines. As with TV\u2019s version, costumes became king, and then became unwelcome\u2026.<\/p>\n

It all begins with the comic book premiere of that aforementioned new character. In \u2018The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl\u2019<\/em> (Detective Comics<\/strong> #359, cover-dated January 1967) writer Gardner Fox and art team supreme Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene introduced Barbara Gordon<\/em>: \u201cmousy librarian\u201d and daughter of the Police Commissioner into the superhero limelight. So by the time TV\u2019s third season began on September 14th<\/sup> 1967, she was fully established.<\/p>\n

A different Batgirl, Betty Kane<\/em>, niece of the 1950s Batwoman<\/strong>, was already a comics fixture but for reasons far too complex and irrelevant to mention here was conveniently forgotten to make room for a new, empowered woman in the fresh tradition of Emma Peel<\/strong>, Honey West<\/strong> and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.<\/strong> She was marketed as being pretty hot too, which was always a big consideration for television\u2026<\/p>\n

Whereas Babs fought The Penguin<\/strong> on the small screen, her paper origin features no less ludicrous but at least visually forbidding Killer Moth<\/em> in a clever yarn that still stands up today. An old foe unseen since the 1940s was revived for Batman<\/strong> #189 (February 1967). Demented psychology lecturer Jonathan Crane<\/em> was obsessed by the emotion of fear and turned his expertise to criminal endeavours (initially in World\u2019s Finest Comics<\/strong> #3 and Detective<\/strong> #73) before fading into obscurity. With \u2018Fright of the Scarecrow\u2019<\/em> he was back for (no) good, courtesy of Fox, Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella, as this tense psychodrama elevated him to the top rank of Bat-rogues. \u2018The Case of the Abbreviated Batman\u2019<\/em> (Detective<\/strong> #360) by the same team follows: an old-fashioned crime-caper with mobster Gunshy Barton<\/em> pitting wits against Gotham\u2019s Guardians whilst the March Batman<\/strong>\u2019s full-length \u2018The Penguin Takes a Flyer\u2026 Into the Future!\u2019<\/em> – scripted by John Broome – mixed super-villainy and faux science fiction motifs for an enjoyable if predictable fist-fest.<\/p>\n

Editor Schwartz preferred to stick with mysteries and conundrums in Detective Comics<\/strong> and #361\u2019s \u2018The Dynamic Duo\u2019s Double-Deathtrap!\u2019<\/em> was one of Fox\u2019s best examples, especially as drawn by the incredibly over-stretched Infantino & Greene. The plot involves Cold War spies and a maker of theatrical paraphernalia. I shall reveal no more to keep you guessing when you read it. The next issue, by Fox, Moldoff & Giella, featured another eccentric scheme by The Riddler<\/em> on \u2018The Night Batman Destroyed Gotham City!\u2019 <\/em>Batman<\/strong> #191 featured two tales by Broome, Moldoff & Giella starting on \u2018The Day Batman Sold Out!\u2019<\/em>: a \u201cHero Quits\u201d teaser with a Babs Gordon cameo, whilst the faithful retainer took centre stage in charming parable \u2018Alfred\u2019s Mystery Menu\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018The True-False Face of Batman\u2019<\/em> (Detective<\/strong> #363, by Fox Infantino &Greene) was a full co-starring vehicle as the new girl is challenged to deduce Batman\u2019s secret identity whilst tracking down the enigmatic Mr. Brains<\/em>. Fox scripted both \u2018The Crystal Ball that Betrayed Batman!\u2019<\/em> – which featured an old enemy in a new guise – and Robin solo-story \u2018Dick Grayson\u2019s Secret Guardian!\u2019<\/em> in Batman<\/strong> #192, for Moldoff & Giella. They also handled his mystery-yarn \u2018The Curious Case of the Crime-less Clues!\u2019<\/em> in Detective<\/strong> #364, wherein Riddler and a host of Bat-baddies again test the brains and patience of the Dynamic Duo – or do they?<\/p>\n

Issue #365 featured Broome, Moldoff & Giella\u2019s \u2018The House The Joker Built!\u2019<\/em> which was nobody\u2019s finest hour, whereas Fox-scripted \u2018The Blockbuster goes Bat-Mad!\u2019<\/em> in Batman <\/strong>#196 is compensatory sheer delight, especially since it\u2019s accompanied by a \u201cfair-play\u201d whodunnit starring The Mystery Analysts of Gotham City. \u2018The Problem of the Proxy Paintings!\u2019<\/em> is the kind of Batman tale I miss most these days: witty and urbane, a genuinely engaging puzzle without benefit of angst or histrionics.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of the latter in \u2018The Round Robin Death Threats\u2019<\/em> (Fox, Infantino & Greene): a tense thriller spanning two issues of Detective<\/strong> (#366 – 367 and an almost unheard of event in those reader-friendly days). The diabolical murder-plot threatens to systematically eradicate Gotham\u2019s worthiest citizens with the drama ending in high style in \u2018Where There\u2019s a Will\u2026 There\u2019s a Slay!\u2019<\/em>: a chilling conclusion almost ruined by that awful title.<\/p>\n

Batman<\/strong> #195 introduced radioactive villain Bag o\u2019Bones<\/em> in \u2018The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man!\u2019<\/em> – a desperate attempt to return to story-driven tales, though the \u20187 Wonder Crimes of Gotham City!\u2019<\/em> (Detective<\/strong> #368 by Fox, Moldoff & Giella) was a far more enjoyable taste of bygone times. The next issue led with clever puzzler \u2018The Psychic Super-Sleuth!\u2019<\/em> and finished well with another challenging mystery in \u2018The Purloined Parchment Puzzle!\u2019<\/em> (both by Fox, Moldoff & Giella) before Detective<\/strong> #369, illustrated by Infantino & Greene, rather reinforced boyhood prejudices about icky girls in classy thriller \u2018Batgirl Breaks Up the Dynamic Duo\u2019<\/em> before segueing into a classic confrontation as Batman<\/strong> #197 reveals how \u2018Catwoman Sets Her Claws for Batman!\u2019<\/em> (Fox, Frank Springer & Greene). This frankly daft tale is most fondly remembered for the classic cover of Batgirl and Catwoman (with her Whip!!!) squaring off over Batman\u2019s prone body – comic fans have a unique psychopathology absolutely all their very own\u2026<\/p>\n

Detective Comics<\/strong> #370 was by Broome, Moldoff & Giella, relating a superb thriller with roots in Bruce Wayne<\/em>\u2019s troubled youth. \u2018The Nemesis from Batman\u2019s Boyhood!\u2019<\/em> is in many ways a precursor of later tales with an excellent psychologically potent premise and a soundly satisfying conclusion proving the demands of the TV shows were not exclusive or paramount. Gil Kane made his debut on the \u201cDominoed Daredoll\u201d (did they really call her that? Yes. Yes they did, from page 2 onwards) in #371\u2019s \u2018Batgirl\u2019s Costumed Cut-ups\u2019<\/em>, a masterpiece of comic dynamism that Sid Greene could be proud of but which Gardner Fox probably preferred to forget.<\/p>\n

Batman<\/strong> #199\u2019s \u2018Peril of the Poison Rings\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Seven Steps to Save Face\u2019<\/em> are far better examples of the clever plotting, memorable maguffins and rapid pace Fox was capable of, ably interpreted here by Moldoff & Giella, whilst Broome\u2019s \u2018The Fearsome Foot-Fighters!\u2019<\/em> weak title masks a classy burglary-yarn and the regular art team\u2019s beginning to amplify mood via heavy shadow in all their endeavours. This issue (Detective <\/strong>#370) was the first Bat-cover legend-in-waiting Neal Adams pencilled and inked – an awesome taste of things to come\u2026<\/p>\n

Batman<\/strong> #200 (cover-dated March 1968 and on ale mid-January) was written by wunderkind Mike Friedrich for Moldoff & Giella. \u2018The Man Who Radiated Fear!\u2019<\/em> featured a revitalised Scarecrow, and with the TV influence fading, a pre-emptive rehabilitation of the Caped Crusader began right here in a solid thriller with few laughs and plenty of guest-stars. Fox returned to top form in Detective<\/strong> #373, with Chic Stone & Greene illustrating \u2018<\/em>Mr. Freeze\u2019s Chilling Deathtrap!\u2019<\/em>, a tale favouring drama over showbiz shtick, after which Gil Kane returned to ramp up tension in brutal vengeance fable \u2018Hunt for a Robin-Killer!\u2019<\/em> (Detective <\/strong>#374) whilst Stone & Giella coped well with the extended cast of villains in Batman<\/strong> #201\u2019s \u2018Batman\u2019s Gangland Guardians!\u2019<\/em>: a cunning action-packed enigma wherein his greatest foes become bodyguards to a hero\u2026<\/p>\n

This volume ends with Detective <\/strong>#374 and Fox, Stone & Greene\u2019s \u2018The Frigid Finger of Fate\u2019<\/em> and a chilling race to catch a precognitive sniper, which – more than any other story – signalled the end of the Camp-Craze Caped Crimebuster and heralded the imminent return of a Darker Knight. With this third collection from \u201cthe TV years\u201d of Batman<\/strong> – all done with by Spring of 1968 – the global Bat-craze and larger popular fascination with super-heroes – and indeed the whole \u201cCamp\u201d trend – was dying. In comics, that resulted in a resurgence of other genres, particularly Westerns and supernatural tales. For Batman it signalled a renaissance of passion, terror and a life of shadows. Stay tuned: the best is yet to come\u2026
\n\u00a9 1967, 1968, 2008 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Gardner F. Fox, John Broome, Mike Friedrich, Carmine Infantino, Sheldon Moldoff, Gil Kane, Frank Springer, Chic Stone, Sid Greene, Joe Giella & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-1719-8 (TPB) After 3 seasons (perhaps 2\u00bd would be closer) the Batman TV show ended in March, 1968. It had clocked up 120 episodes since its US premiere … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Showcase Presents Batman volume 3”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[92,10,75,76,225,127,172,107,325],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-batgirl","category-batman","category-crime-comics","category-dc-superhero","category-mystery","category-nostalgia","category-robin","category-science-fiction","category-the-joker"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7Ly","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29856"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29860,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29856\/revisions\/29860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}