Sometimes, you start out with an idea and it just kind of gets away from you. Such is the case with The Maestro from Batman #149. You see, The Maestro was a pianist (which sounds like something dirty if you say it just right) and decided to resort to super-villainy after his concert got scathing reviews. Because in comic books, the notion of dedicating yourself to honing your craft is always less appealing than super-villainy.
Well.... history will tell us we pretty much did forget his "masterpieces of musical crime." It appears there was once a possibility that he (or a similar character) would appear in Batman: The Animated Series but that never happened.
So, why did he fail, while we put up with the arguably-much-less-versatile character The Fiddler for about 70 years now?
I think I have the answer. Walk with me, talk with me, and see if you can guess:
Yes. To fight this man, Batman is going to do a team up with.... Professor of Musicology Ambrose Weems!
It gets better:
Oh, man. They couldn't just put a mask on the guy?
Hmmmmm... I don't know that musical clues work so well in a visual format like comics.
Man.... I'm tired of Ambrose Weems already, and he's just getting started.
See? When you have a villain like this, everyone starts making puns. Batman, the henchmen. I don't think Robin cracked wise once.
Hmmmmm... I'm not sure all that was necessary. I like to think Batman and Robin could have handled a few goons packing French horns without all the bother.
Oh, seriously... shut up, Ambrose Weems! GAH!
See you Monday!
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From Wikipedia's entry6 on Raymond Knight, radio personality (died 1953);
Knight was writing continuity and commercials for NBC in 1929, when NBC programmer Bertha Brainard asked him to devise "something cuckoo" for the Blue Network. He responded with the zany The Cuckoo Hour, aka The KUKU Hour, as a showcase for his comedy. One of his characters on the series was Professor Ambrose J. Weems, who ran a radio station where he would give his views on current events and chat with his sidekick, Mrs. Pennyfeather.
Funny, no?
Well, that CAN'T be a coinkydink. This story came out in '62, so perhaps it was a tribute of sorts. Wild stuff! Thanks, maw maw!
I can't wait to see the Sparrow's gritty reboot.
I think he pecks out the eyes of criminals, rips out their innards, and uses their intestines to build a huge nest over Gotham.
Can you believe I've never been offered a writing gig with DC or Marvel?
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