Monday, March 2, 2009

Gigantic Penny Historyin' Monday!

I finally got around to seeing the Wanted movie. It wasn't as disturbingly violent as I feared. Beloved was able to watch it without a problem, which is my yardstick for how violent something is. She still hasn't forgiven me for Sin City.

She rather enjoyed Wanted, but of course she had never read the graphic novel. Me? To paraphrase Chief Wiggum, "Loom of Fate my ass, McBain."

Duck your head! It's World's Finest v.1 #30!:


This is another example of why Superman annoys me. I'm glad he's enjoying himself, but shouldn't he fly ahead and put the fire out? Someone's ass is going up in flames, and he's clinging to the side of the firetruck going "WHEEEEEE!"

Such a douche.

Anyway, this issue is important because of the historic Batman story. You know how in every drawing of the Batcave, there's always that giant penny laying around? This is where it came from!


Okay, that isn't the greatest bad guy origin I've ever read. I understand he's annoyed but that's a little extreme. I can't stand it when people say "I could care less" when what the morons really mean is "I couldn't care less," but I'm hardly going to devote my life to a series of crimes based on proper grammar.

But anyway, you came to see a giant penny, and there it is:


Keep in mind, this huge penny ends up in the Batcave as a trophy. How does that happen, exactly?

Batman, you've saved us? How can we possibly thank you?

Well, I've grown rather fond of that gigantic replica of a penny!

Really? Because that's part of our exhibition?

Oh, I understand. It's just that I bruised my knuckles protecting your life and property and all. Didn't seem like I was asking too much. You know, for my bruised knuckles.

Um....

Did I mention Robin has always wanted a gigantic penny? Cries for it at night, he does. I don't know how I'm going to calm him down when he finds out he can't have this one.


And I still don't get job offers to write professionally. It's a sin, really.

And how does our villain get taken down? Thusly!:


Ah, but for the want of exact change. Let this be a lesson of.... of having exact change at all times. Or something like that.

See you tomorrow!

11 comments:

Elrossiter said...

that was totally brilliant! joe coyne you say-theres a bats villain alright.

if i don't get robin this giant replica penny he'll be simply unbearable to live with, 'you always used to get me a little somethin batman, and it didn't have to be an occasion either' moan, winge, whine etc.

COPPERS AND PENNIES!

elrossiter

Anonymous said...

I like the cartoon version better, when it's part of a Two-Face trap or something, and they let him keep it.

Mike Reeves-McMillan said...

Coyne looks delighted to be caught in that second-to-last panel.

The origin of the robot dinosaur in the Batcave is, if not equally lame, certainly still not well written.

Anonymous said...

Is this a Bill Finger story? Oh, also, this origin was retconned during the seventies, it turned into a Two Face trap;

Thomas Fummo said...

The third paanel is hilarious. Like he's going to rip his GODDAM face off.
They should've finished with a shot of him in the lunatic asylum, screaming 'PENNIES!!! PENNIEEEESS!!!"

SallyP said...

I really can't blame Superman for wanting to ride in a firetruck. There's just SOMEthing about a firetruck.

But yeah, I'll bet Robin was going to pout and hold his breath, and the whole routine.

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA...his name, hahaha, his name...oh my sides...his name is COYNE. Pronounced COIN, because of his obsession with copper coins. Oh how did i miss such a treat.

Anyways, while i wait for my busted ribs to heal and the bruises on my thigh to wear way, i'm afraid i've gotta LAM?!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Erich said...

So, the Joker has a triple-digit bodycount and he gets the revolving-door treatment at Arkham, but THIS guy gets the death penalty. Only in Gotham, folks...

PhineasBg (Jay) said...

Lemme get this straight: Pennies have caused Coyne nothing but problems and bad luck his whole miserable life.

Then he acts shocked that pennies are what caused him to be captured.

You'd think Coyne would be AVOIDING pennies, rather than embracing them.

Anonymous said...

What's with the panel layout on that origin page? He vows things will be different when he grows ups, then he turns to a life of crime and gets arrested, but when he does, he loses a good job? Oh, wait, that happens *before* he becomes a criminal!

In the Golden Age, they didn't worry about things like where readers' eyes were drawn. Or maybe it was one of those Boners they keep having.

E. Bernhard Warg
Posting anonymously because I don't want to sign up for yet another account