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Post by Prince Hal on Aug 29, 2017 13:35:42 GMT -5
Hoosier X , there were also a number of personal "playgrounds" owned by very rich guys who built replicas of jungles, planets, etc. throughout Gotham.   Gotham City is the coolest of all Silver Age cities, hands down!
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 1, 2017 1:48:31 GMT -5
I started that massive Detective Comics Reading Project I was talking about. I started with Detective Comics #390 last week and I'm up to #394. Starting with #390 was pretty arbitrary. I don't have #389 so my uninterrupted run all the way to the end (I think #965 was the latest issue) starts with #390. I really should have started with #394 because that's the first issue of Detective where Batman is operating from within Gotham City and Wayne Manor has been closed down. And Dick Grayson has gone to college! But they mentioned it in #393. And it's weird how it's almost a non-issue. It's sort of mentioned in passing. I got to looking at the previous issues and the credits, and I started thinking about the end of the New Look and the move to the Wayne Foundation and beginning of the Bronze Age, and how it's all pretty arbitrary. The New Look was Carmine Infantino and Sheldon Moldoff. Infantino's last issue was #369. Moldoff's last issue was #372. Gil Kane provides some great art on some of the Batman stories, and Gardener Fox is still writing them. And then in #378, we get a new team that's going to be doing the bulk of the Batman stories in Detective for a while. This is Frank Robbins as writer and Bob Brown as artist (with Joe Giella as inker, and he's been the Batman inker for quite a while). There are a few stories written by others (such as "Die Small, Die Big!" by Robert Kanigher in Detective #385) but Frank Robbins is going to be the main writer for quite some time. And I think Bob Brown is the artist from #378 until Neal Adams starts drawing the occasional issue as of #395. I really love Detective Comics #391. This is the second appearance of Ginny Jenkins, also known as "The Girl Most Likely to Marry Batman." But I'm kind of tired tonight so I think I'll write more comment about it later. But here's the cover to give you something to think about: |
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 11, 2017 16:04:58 GMT -5
I'm up to Detective Comics #401. My main takeaway from reading Detective Comics #390 to #401 is that Frank Robbins is just as good a writer as Dennis O'Neil. at the very least. |
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Post by foxley on Sept 12, 2017 4:36:42 GMT -5
I started that massive Detective Comics Reading Project I was talking about. I started with Detective Comics #390 last week and I'm up to #394. Starting with #390 was pretty arbitrary. I don't have #389 so my uninterrupted run all the way to the end (I think #965 was the latest issue) starts with #390. I really should have started with #394 because that's the first issue of Detective where Batman is operating from within Gotham City and Wayne Manor has been closed down. And Dick Grayson has gone to college! But they mentioned it in #393. And it's weird how it's almost a non-issue. It's sort of mentioned in passing. I got to looking at the previous issues and the credits, and I started thinking about the end of the New Look and the move to the Wayne Foundation and beginning of the Bronze Age, and how it's all pretty arbitrary. The New Look was Carmine Infantino and Sheldon Moldoff. Infantino's last issue was #369. Moldoff's last issue was #372. Gil Kane provides some great art on some of the Batman stories, and Gardener Fox is still writing them. And then in #378, we get a new team that's going to be doing the bulk of the Batman stories in Detective for a while. This is Frank Robbins as writer and Bob Brown as artist (with Joe Giella as inker, and he's been the Batman inker for quite a while). There are a few stories written by others (such as "Die Small, Die Big!" by Robert Kanigher in Detective #385) but Frank Robbins is going to be the main writer for quite some time. And I think Bob Brown is the artist from #378 until Neal Adams starts drawing the occasional issue as of #395. I really love Detective Comics #391. This is the second appearance of Ginny Jenkins, also known as "The Girl Most Likely to Marry Batman." But I'm kind of tired tonight so I think I'll write more comment about it later. But here's the cover to give you something to think about: Ginny Jenkins was a really weird attempt to add a recurring character to the Bat-cast. She is good proof of the adage "No one can sit down and decide 'Today I will create Fonzie!'". |
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 12, 2017 11:26:06 GMT -5
I started that massive Detective Comics Reading Project I was talking about. I started with Detective Comics #390 last week and I'm up to #394. Starting with #390 was pretty arbitrary. I don't have #389 so my uninterrupted run all the way to the end (I think #965 was the latest issue) starts with #390. I really should have started with #394 because that's the first issue of Detective where Batman is operating from within Gotham City and Wayne Manor has been closed down. And Dick Grayson has gone to college! But they mentioned it in #393. And it's weird how it's almost a non-issue. It's sort of mentioned in passing. I got to looking at the previous issues and the credits, and I started thinking about the end of the New Look and the move to the Wayne Foundation and beginning of the Bronze Age, and how it's all pretty arbitrary. The New Look was Carmine Infantino and Sheldon Moldoff. Infantino's last issue was #369. Moldoff's last issue was #372. Gil Kane provides some great art on some of the Batman stories, and Gardener Fox is still writing them. And then in #378, we get a new team that's going to be doing the bulk of the Batman stories in Detective for a while. This is Frank Robbins as writer and Bob Brown as artist (with Joe Giella as inker, and he's been the Batman inker for quite a while). There are a few stories written by others (such as "Die Small, Die Big!" by Robert Kanigher in Detective #385) but Frank Robbins is going to be the main writer for quite some time. And I think Bob Brown is the artist from #378 until Neal Adams starts drawing the occasional issue as of #395. I really love Detective Comics #391. This is the second appearance of Ginny Jenkins, also known as "The Girl Most Likely to Marry Batman." But I'm kind of tired tonight so I think I'll write more comment about it later. But here's the cover to give you something to think about: Ginny Jenkins was a really weird attempt to add a recurring character to the Bat-cast. She is good proof of the adage "No one can sit down and decide 'Today I will create Fonzie!'". Ginny Jenkins is better than Fonzie. Those two Ginny Jenkins stories are hilarious. I wish there were more. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Sept 15, 2017 1:17:08 GMT -5
I got Detective Comics #389 in the mail today. For $6! It's a little beat up. The worst thing about it is the spine split on the top down to the staple. But it's otherwise all there with no water damage, no weird mold spots, nothing like that, and it's pretty solid. So a pretty good price for a comic graded CGC 1.8. Let me list the things I like about it: 1. A pretty good Scarecrow story from Frank Robbins and Bob Brown. I think this is the last appearance in Detective Comics of any of the major Batman villains for a very long time (with the exception of Talia (whose first appearance is coming up n #411) and R'as Ghul (who is in the background and makes a few sporadic appearances here and there)). The Scarecrow infects Batman with the fear gas, so the criminals are deathly freaked out when Batman appears. Then Scarecrow traps Batman with a bunch of mirrors in every direction! So Batman will be so scared of himself that he will die of fright from his own image! That's so stupid it just might work! 2.In the letters pages, the hot topic this month is "Die Small! -- Die Big!" from Detective #385, one of my favorites. Apparently, a lot of the regular letter writer loved it at the time too! 3. Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson on the Batgirl story. So nice! There's a costume party so they have some nice drawing of the bad guys dressed up as Flash, Superman, Green Lantern and so on. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 3, 2017 17:51:05 GMT -5
I got up to Detective Comics #407 and got kind of sidetracked on my project to read every issue of Detective Comics from #390 to the present day. I wanted to say a few words about Man-Bat - Kirk Langstrom - and his blushing bat-bride Francine. This is the issue where they get married, you see. But I just never got around to sitting down and writing it.
I went ahead and read #408 last night. (The return of Dr. Tzin-Tzin! And to celebrate his tumultuous return - Neal Adams art!)
I remembered that I wrote about the Langstroms on my blog some years ago, so I decided just to cut and paste what I wrote in 2012:
Let me add that since I wrote that, I have acquired both issues of Man-Bat from the 1970s and, indeed, Ditko's Batman is pretty cool! Overall, though, the series is pretty BRONZE AGE BONKERS and it's hard to gauge whether it will appeal to the individual fan. It helps a lot if you appreciate BRONZE AGE BONKERS.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 3, 2017 17:57:45 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread reminds me that I purchased and read Detective Comics #338, #346, #362 and #373 in the last few weeks and I haven't commented on them. So much wonderful wonderful awkward Sheldon Moldoff art! And #373 has for a back-up an Elongated Man story and the villain is The Riddler! And it's drawn by Gil Kane!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2017 18:00:45 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread reminds me that I purchased and read Detective Comics #338, #346, #362 and #373 in the last few weeks and I haven't commented on them. So much wonderful wonderful awkward Sheldon Moldoff art! And #373 has for a back-up an Elongated Man story and the villain is The Riddler! And it's drawn by Gil Kane! Sheldon Moldoff is one of my favorites and always be. And, Gil Kane too!!! |
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 5, 2017 9:24:40 GMT -5
Always got the feeling that Man-Bat was one of those characters that the creators liked way more than the fans. His look was pretty cool, but I never thought he was all that great as a recurring character. Two parts Dracula, two parts the Hulk, one part Metamorpho, a pinch of the Lizard. Take your damn serum and control yourself, dude! And they made such a big deal of him... Detective 400, Neal Adams art, etc, etc. Name-reversals were a thing at DC, I guess. Remember the Man-Hawks?   |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 24, 2017 11:39:45 GMT -5
I got a little sidetracked and haven't been reading Detective Comics like I had planned. I'm only up to #414. Batman is in Florida, cracking down on gun-runners and is saved by a magic haunted lighthouse in a story written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Irv Novick. And in the Batgirl story, Babs and Jason Bard tumble on to an empty theater where somebody is trying to kill the DC Universe's version of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. To be continued ... And also, reprints from World's Finest and Strange Adventures. This is the first issue of Detective when many DC comics series went from 15 cents to 25 cents and they added several reprints in the back. They are great! But it's another thing that's slowing me down. I've been reading #414 for several days now and I still have to read the story about the detective from Venus, with art by Carmine Infantino. At tis rate, I'll be reading two issues of Detective Comics a week for a while. I'll be reading them even slower when I get to the 100-page Super-Spectaculars! |
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 24, 2017 12:41:36 GMT -5
I got a little sidetracked and haven't been reading Detective Comics like I had planned. I'm only up to #414. Batman is in Florida, cracking down on gun-runners and is saved by a magic haunted lighthouse in a story written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Irv Novick. And in the Batgirl story, Babs and Jason Bard tumble on to an empty theater where somebody is trying to kill the DC Universe's version of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. To be continued ... And also, reprints from World's Finest and Strange Adventures. This is the first issue of Detective when many DC comics series went from 15 cents to 25 cents and they added several reprints in the back. They are great! But it's another thing that's slowing me down. I've been reading #414 for several days now and I still have to read the story about the detective from Venus, with art by Carmine Infantino. At tis rate, I'll be reading two issues of Detective Comics a week for a while. I'll be reading them even slower when I get to the 100-page Super-Spectaculars! That era of the 25-centers with all those reprints was great! |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 24, 2017 12:47:14 GMT -5
I got a little sidetracked and haven't been reading Detective Comics like I had planned. I'm only up to #414. Batman is in Florida, cracking down on gun-runners and is saved by a magic haunted lighthouse in a story written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Irv Novick. And in the Batgirl story, Babs and Jason Bard tumble on to an empty theater where somebody is trying to kill the DC Universe's version of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. To be continued ... And also, reprints from World's Finest and Strange Adventures. This is the first issue of Detective when many DC comics series went from 15 cents to 25 cents and they added several reprints in the back. They are great! But it's another thing that's slowing me down. I've been reading #414 for several days now and I still have to read the story about the detective from Venus, with art by Carmine Infantino. At tis rate, I'll be reading two issues of Detective Comics a week for a while. I'll be reading them even slower when I get to the 100-page Super-Spectaculars! That era of the 25-centers with all those reprints was great! I love how random the reprints are. The two in #414 don't seem to be from a series. The one from World's Finest is about a code-breaker sent to Australia to help with some transmissions that are driving the Aussies crazy. Art by Alex Toth! The other one is about a detective on Venus. I haven't read it yet, but from the splash, it's just some guy in a suit and a fedora being escorted to Venus by two weird-looking alien dudes, Venusians, I presume. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 24, 2017 12:57:55 GMT -5
That era of the 25-centers with all those reprints was great! I love how random the reprints are. The two in #414 don't seem to be from a series. The one from World's Finest is about a code-breaker sent to Australia to help with some transmissions that are driving the Aussies crazy. Art by Alex Toth! The other one is about a detective on Venus. I haven't read it yet, but from the splash, it's just some guy in a suit and a fedora being escorted to Venus by two weird-looking alien dudes, Venusians, I presume. Well, not really so random. Those reprints were in Detective Comics after all, and that was the nominal criterion used to determine the reprints that were used. To be sure, whoever was handling that part of the job was great at searching far and wee for offbeat detective stories to include. The next issue, for instance, features a story from Gang Busters and an adventure of Mysto, the magician detective. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 25, 2017 12:55:24 GMT -5
I got Detective Comics #387 in the mail yesterday! It's from 1969, and it's the 30th Anniversary of Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics #27! So in honor of that auspicious issue, #387 takes the silly Golden Age original first Batman story "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" and it's rewritten into a silly Silver Age version called "The Cry of the Night Is -- 'Sudden Death'!" It's been expanded in length and has some very nice art by Bob Brown. And instead of a Robin or Batgirl backup, we get the original six-page Golden Age version of the first Batman story! Which must have very exciting for 1969 Batman fans as I don't think the story had been reprinted over and over again. Both stories (with two more versions of the same story) were reprinted in Detective Comics #627 in 1991. This a personal milestone for me as I now have every issues of Detective Comics from #366 on. So including the New 52 and Rebirth, I have 600 consecutive issues of Detective Comics! And I'm not really that far away from having 700 issues in a row. My oldest issue of Detective is #282. Because Detective Comics is currently being published twice a month, they'll be up to #982 in about eight months, so I don't have to worry about any of the issues before #282. Between #282 and #300, I'm missing about 11 issues. And then from #301 to #365, I'm missing about 12 issues. It's not quite striking distance, but it looks like something I could accomplish in two years by buying one old issue of Detective Comics every month. And in two years, Detective Comics will be past #1000! If I'm really careful, I could have 700 consecutive issue in less than a year and a half. I hope reading all those Jack Schiff stories (and many of those New Look stories, to be honest) doesn't significantly lower my mental facilities! |
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