Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Just Because You're a Madman Doesn't Mean the Rest of the World Isn't Insane Wednesday!


I'm not shy that I think Silver Age covers are, by and large, amazing.  Thusly:


The story really wasn't all that and a bag o'chips, but what a cover!

Before we go there, let's go back a few issues to Detective #409:


I don't recall a moralizing Batman in the comics much, at least not out loud.  Sure, the Adam West television version rarely got through an episode without giving us safe driving or hygiene tips, but you rarely see this in print.  And frankly, I don't care for his little message because I do think the rest of the world has pretty much lost its collective mind.  And I hate to take anyone's inventory, but Batman is probably the last person in the world who is qualified to tell me that my outlook on human nature is too harsh.  I expect this sort of crap from Superham.

Anyway, back to Detective #413:


I think people would take you more seriously if you didn't pick your nose while you talked to them.  Just excuse yourself, use a tissue, and then tell us about the witch's curse.  I can assure you, most folks will give you those few moments you need to put your best foot forward.



Uh-oh.  Get ready for an Unintentionally Hilarious Moment (tm!):


Oh, man.  He couldn't just find her?  He had to kick her hard enough to stub his toe?  It seems like Mr. Master-of-the-Night there might notice a body lying there in the woods, but I suppose everyone has an off day.   That's going to be a hard one to explain once she wakes up, though:

Miss, are you okay?

Yes, Batman... except I have this sharp pain in my side.  It feels like someone kicked me!

Hmmm... you probably rolled over onto a sharp rock.  Or something. 

Batman?  How did I get this odd, toe-shaped bruise?

Uh... I found you that way.  Yeah, that's it!  You had it when I found you!

And..... scene.

See you tomorrow, I hope!  There's another 5 to 10 inches of snow expected, so keep checking back if I have to miss a day!

7 comments:

Lazarus Lupin said...

I'm sure in Batman's odd line of work he has stubbed his toe on more than his share of bodies, living or otherwise.

Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/
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SallyP said...

Hah, exactly! I would imagine that Batman knows perfectly well what a body feels like at the toe of his boot.

Gene Phillips said...

I think Golden Age Batman went through a pretty heavy morality kick in the war years, and maybe for several years after, though it had faded by the late 50s.

Didn't you do a post about his one encounter with the villainous "Gong?" That tale ends with Batman delivering an in absentia lecture about how the Gong should have reckoned with all the cool things bells do for humankind.

Adam Barnett said...

True, Gene, and it's not like Bats was above moralizing, because he clearly wasn't. What made this stand out to me is that he usually saved the moral of the story for Alfred, Dick, Gordon, or his own inner monologue. I rarely saw him trying to talk sense into his opponents up until this part of the run. Once Denny O'Neil started writing, we actually see Bats trying to reason with his foes, which rarely happened before or since.

Unknown said...

test

Unknown said...

It worked! YEAH!

That guy is right. Don't blame it on those kids in the van with their ralking rog.

You mighta coulda used "Stubbed my toe on something soft..., yielding..." as "Out of context dialogue"

Well Adam, you know how that strawberry blonde hair and bright purple shawl just blend right in with that green green grass.

Unknown said...

sorry about that, but it was messin up on me for some reason.