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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 20, 2017 8:50:19 GMT -5
Ever since I got every issue of Detective from #421 on to the present day (including New 52 and Rebirth), I've been thinking of reading them all in order, one or two issues every night (and then increasing the number of issues read per night as decompression sets in) until I reach the end. It might take six months or even up to a year. I wasn't planning a separate review thread and I doubt very much that I would review every issue. But I would pop in on this thread and report my progress every so often with special attention applied to whatever interests me about specific issues or general observations. (The early posts will probably talk about the contrasts between Denny O'Neil and Frank Robbins. I don't think Robbins gets enough recognition for all the thoughtful and fun stories he wrote in the early Bronze Age.)
But I pause because #421 is such an arbitrary place to start. In a way, every place is a little arbitrary, but I took a look at the issues before #421 and I decided to start with #393, the issue where Dick Grayson leaves for college and Bruce Wayne closes Wayne Manor and moves the Batman operation into a secret sub-basement under the Wayne Tower building (with the giant tree growing inside it).
I'm still missing about ten of those issues, and some of them are kind of pricey. #395 is the first Neal Adams art on an interior story and #405 is the first League of Assassins. I have the #395 Millennium edition, so I might just go with that. It probably wouldn't be that hard to find a reprint of #405.
I'm going to spend the next couple of months trying to fill those holes. I'm looking forward to getting started on my massive reading project! It will be something like 560 issues, and that doesn't include all the cross-over issues I'll be reading, like Knightfall or the period in the 1980s when Detective continuity ran over into Batman and back again for five or six years.
I've never done anything like this. The longest run I've ever read in this manner was five or six years ago when I read Detective from Knightfall (about #660, I think) up to #800 (War Games).
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Post by Prince Hal on Mar 20, 2017 14:40:05 GMT -5
It probably wouldn't be that hard to find a reprint of #405. Showcase Presents Batman #5 is probably your best bet, Hoosier. Happy reading. Should be a great thread! Some great issues in the 400s, including takes on Key Largo and Citizen Kane, an "appearance" by Enemy Ace, the fun 52-pagers and the 100-pagers, both with tons of fun reprints, and in the latter, the Manhunter run, "Night of the Stalker" and an Alex Toth original (442) among the many highlights, the much liked "No Hope in Crime Alley," and the much needed Engelhart-Rogers-Austin oasis in the Ernie Chan Desert. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 21, 2017 8:41:26 GMT -5
In the last couple of weeks, when I was bidding on some of the issues of Detective Comics that I need, I kept coming across this one, and I ended up getting a little obsessed with it: I think I bid on three copies of this. And as I was already putting high bids on books like Detective #327 and #411, I wasn't going after this one too persistently. But look at it! The mean guy is about to toss a thalodimide baby off a watch tower! Can Batman save Seal Boy?!?!? I had to find out what happens! I was bidding on a VF copy last night. It eventually went for $31 but I didn't get it. I should have a gone a little higher because it's nice to have a few highly graded issues in the collection. When I got home from work and saw I had lost, I went on eBay and ordered a VG + copy for $13. I can hardly wait for this one! I'm not nearly as excited about the Detective #419 I ordered a few days ago. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 21, 2017 8:52:15 GMT -5
It probably wouldn't be that hard to find a reprint of #405. Showcase Presents Batman #5 is probably your best bet, Hoosier. Happy reading. Should be a great thread! Some great issues in the 400s, including takes on Key Largo and Citizen Kane, an "appearance" by Enemy Ace, the fun 52-pagers and the 100-pagers, both with tons of fun reprints, and in the latter, the Manhunter run, "Night of the Stalker" and an Alex Toth original (442) among the many highlights, the much liked "No Hope in Crime Alley," and the much needed Engelhart-Rogers-Austin oasis in the Ernie Chan Desert. I've been meaning to see if the library system has Batman Showcase #5. My branch has #2, #3 and #4, but I never did a search for any of the others. Volume 5 goes up to #408. As I ordered #410 and #419 over the last few days, I only have to get #414, #415 and #417 to have all the issues after #408. And I don't think any of those will be a problem. Of course, I prefer to have the originals so I can see it in color, read the back-ups, see the letters, read the DC promotional stuff, etc. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Mar 21, 2017 9:14:27 GMT -5
Showcase Presents Batman #5 is probably your best bet, Hoosier. Happy reading. Should be a great thread! Some great issues in the 400s, including takes on Key Largo and Citizen Kane, an "appearance" by Enemy Ace, the fun 52-pagers and the 100-pagers, both with tons of fun reprints, and in the latter, the Manhunter run, "Night of the Stalker" and an Alex Toth original (442) among the many highlights, the much liked "No Hope in Crime Alley," and the much needed Engelhart-Rogers-Austin oasis in the Ernie Chan Desert. I've been meaning to see if the library system has Batman Showcase #5. My branch has #2, #3 and #4, but I never did a search for any of the others. Volume 5 goes up to #408. As I ordered #410 and #419 over the last few days, I only have to get #414, #415 and #417 to have all the issues after #408. And I don't think any of those will be a problem. Of course, I prefer to have the originals so I can see it in color, read the back-ups, see the letters, read the DC promotional stuff, etc. GCD says they were not reprinted, either, except in Showcase Presents 6. But you're right, none of these should be difficult or expensive to find in the original. |
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Post by Batflunkie on Mar 21, 2017 11:39:20 GMT -5
As I've said around the time that I first joined(?) the board, I like the "idea/concept" of Batman, just not the execution (Heck, my user-name is proof enough as a riff on Bat-Mite). Green Arrow feels more like what I feel Batman should have been because it seems like there's a very clear disconnect between "Bruce" and "Batman", like he's an entirely different person (which considering the series' more psychological themes, might have been purely intentional). We also never see Bruce's work life at Wayne Enterprises or how much of a financial sink-hole his dual life is as vigilante is with all the gadgets and gizmos.
I do however like some of the sidebooks: Cass Caine Batgirl, Catwoman, Azrael, Redhood & The Outlaws, as well as some of the homages like Night-man, Sandman Mystery Theatre, and Moon Knight
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 1, 2017 2:55:36 GMT -5
I got this in the mail and I had time to read the Batman story before I went to work. I really like a lot of the much-derided "random alien" stories in the Jack Schiff era of Batman (and Detective), but I've read a couple of pretty dumb ones lately. The one in Detective #305 is fantastically silly and the one in #299 is also not very good. They aren't all as good as "Prisoners of Three Worlds!" (from Batman #153) and "Captives of the Alien Zoo!" (from Detective #326). I had time to read the Martian Manhunter story too and it's pretty hilarious. Pretty Patrolwoman Diane Meade is poised and alert and always ready to jump to the wrong conclusions! There's also an Aquaman story but I haven't got to it yet. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2017 9:47:43 GMT -5
I got this in the mail and I had time to read the Batman story before I went to work. I really like a lot of the much-derided "random alien" stories in the Jack Schiff era of Batman (and Detective), but I've read a couple of pretty dumb ones lately. The one in Detective #305 is fantastically silly and the one in #299 is also not very good. They aren't all as good as "Prisoners of Three Worlds!" (from Batman #153) and "Captives of the Alien Zoo!" (from Detective #326). I had time to read the Martian Manhunter story too and it's pretty hilarious. Pretty Patrolwoman Diane Meade is poised and alert and always ready to jump to the wrong conclusions! There's also an Aquaman story but I haven't got to it yet. I've never, ever got a chance to read this book and I'm might inquire the possibility of reading it someday if the price is reasonable. I wanted to read this because of the Martian Manhunter story involving Diane Meade. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 1, 2017 11:52:09 GMT -5
I got this in the mail and I had time to read the Batman story before I went to work. I really like a lot of the much-derided "random alien" stories in the Jack Schiff era of Batman (and Detective), but I've read a couple of pretty dumb ones lately. The one in Detective #305 is fantastically silly and the one in #299 is also not very good. They aren't all as good as "Prisoners of Three Worlds!" (from Batman #153) and "Captives of the Alien Zoo!" (from Detective #326). I had time to read the Martian Manhunter story too and it's pretty hilarious. Pretty Patrolwoman Diane Meade is poised and alert and always ready to jump to the wrong conclusions! There's also an Aquaman story but I haven't got to it yet. I've never, ever got a chance to read this book and I'm might inquire the possibility of reading it someday if the price is reasonable. I wanted to read this because of the Martian Manhunter story involving Diane Meade. I love the Martian Manhunter's supporting cast. I don't think a Martian Manhunter series will ever work for me if it doesn't include pretty patrolwoman Diane Meade, massive immobile Captain Harding and orange space-monkey Zook. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2017 14:46:12 GMT -5
I've never, ever got a chance to read this book and I'm might inquire the possibility of reading it someday if the price is reasonable. I wanted to read this because of the Martian Manhunter story involving Diane Meade. I love the Martian Manhunter's supporting cast. I don't think a Martian Manhunter series will ever work for me if it doesn't include pretty patrolwoman Diane Meade, massive immobile Captain Harding and orange space-monkey Zook. I know exactly what you mean here ... and support your claim gladly!  |
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 2, 2017 12:37:39 GMT -5
Don't you hate it when you get a batch of comics and then you're kind of busy for a few days and barely have time to read one story (maybe two) every day? I finished Detective #299 yesterday. (I read the Aquaman story, which is only six pages. I've read it before in a Showcase volume.) And over the last couple of days, I read the Batman stories in #392 and #396, and the Batgirl story in #392. I must have seen this cover, but I must have seen a thumbnail because it never struck me before. It's pretty cool! Art by Neal Adams, and I like the way it's one of those covers that tells the story. That hat floating in the middle is the clincher! I like the story inside too. Frank Robbins's one-shot stories from this period have grown on me over the years. They're a bit contrived and weird at times, but sometimes he knocks it out of the park, and there's a certain charm to them even when they're wildly silly. Art by Bob Brown and Joe Giella, and you won't hear me complaining that Adams didn't draw the interiors. I like the Batgirl story as well. First appearance of Jason Bard! Also written by Frank Robbins, with wonderful wonderful art by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson! The cover scene doesn't happen in the story. In this period, getting beaten up and left for dead by a guy on a two-wheeled vehicle was Black Canary's job. I haven't got to the Batgirl story yet but I'm sure I've read it before in a Batgirl Showcase volume. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Apr 21, 2017 16:41:04 GMT -5
I got Detective Comics #397 in the mail yesterday. I can't believe I got this for $15! And it wasn't an auction. It was an eBay dealer having a half-off sale. I'd say it's F- to F. There's a few dings around the edges but otherwise that gorgeous purple background is pristine. And I got this today: I got this from and eBay auction. My high bid was $25, but I got it for $11.50. This is another one I can't believe. It's not in as good a condition as the #397. The cover is detached at the lower staple. And one corner (lower right) has several tiny creases. And there's a few small nicks here and there. But it looks so nice! The cover is still glossy. The book overall doesn't have that weird floppy feeling of a book that's been read over and over. There's just enough wrong with it that it's probably VG/VG+, but not enough wrong with it that it doesn't look great. |
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Post by Hoosier X on May 3, 2017 0:33:46 GMT -5
I got this in the mail today and I took a break to read the Batman story. Wow, it's pretty silly. Not in the good way, but not in the bad way either. Its a very average kind of silly Batman story. Why is the villain in the lower right corner? Isn't that Robin's spot? I'm going to read the Roy Raymond story and the Martian Manhunter story when I go to bed. I hope they are better than the Batman story. The splash for the Martian Manhunter story looks promising. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jul 10, 2017 14:50:58 GMT -5
I decided it was time to add another old issue of Detective to the collection so I put in some low bids on eBay. I didn't get this: And I didn't get this: And I won't know about this for a few hours: Those two Joker issues went for just a few dollars over what I bid, and even at that price they were really good deals. But if I'd bid higher, they probably would have gone up to $20 or $25 or higher. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jul 10, 2017 19:18:52 GMT -5
Well, I won Detective Comics #308! So very soon I will be gazing in wonder at the menace of ... The Flame-Master! And Batman setting himself on fire!
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