Comics Reviews: Batman 291, Detective 472, Brave & the Bold 136

Batman 291 coverBatman #291 – “Where Were You on the Night Batman Was Killed?” – David V. Reed/John Calnan/Tex Blaisdell

This is the beginning of a four-part story about Batman being dead and different villains trying to take credit for killing him. We start out with the news that Batman is dead, but nobody is able to agree on where or how it happened. So Batman’s Rogues Gallery convene to hear testimony from villains claiming to be Batman’s killer. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 291, Detective 472, Brave & the Bold 136”

Comics Review: Batman 290, Detective 471

Batman 290 coverBatman #290 – “Skull Dugger’s Killjoy Capers” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Vince Colletta

This continues the story from last issue and we get a quick recap; Skull Dugger can’t feel joy so he built a machine to steal joy from others right at a moment of exhilaration, but it has the unfortunate side effect of killing them (and leaves a skull-shaped mark on their foreheads). Batman figured it out, but thanks to one of Dugger’s machines, the Caped Crusader now feels intense agony any time he’d normally feel joy. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 290, Detective 471”

Comics Review: Batman 288, Detective 470

Batman 288 coverBatman # 288 – “The Little Men’s Hall of Fame” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Bob Wiacek

This is a continuation of the Penguin story from last issue where he was committing crimes based on the “short men of history”. The first thing we see is a bunch of guys robbing a building. They take out the guards with perfect precision and when Batman shows up, they take him out too. Of course, it’s not the real Batman, and this wasn’t a real robbery; it’s just a dress rehearsal that Penguin’s putting his men through for the real robbery. He expects Batman to have solved his “short men in history” clues, so he’s trying to prepare his men for the inevitable showdown. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 288, Detective 470”

Comics Review: Batman 287, Detective 469, Brave & the Bold 134

Batman 287 coverBatman #287 – “Batman-ex—as in Extinct” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Bob Wiacek

This one starts with Bruce Wayne at a gala for the Société Française. He’s not really a francophile, he just wants to jump the press director, Renée. A guy named Chester Cole is shadowing Bruce for a magazine profile (and it kinda sounds like he wants to be there when Bruce bangs Renée), but Bruce ditches him. Outside, he finds some thugs in the bushes and pounds them, but their detonator goes off anyway and a robotic pterosaur bursts out of the Napoleon statue inside. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 287, Detective 469, Brave & the Bold 134”

Comics Review: Batman 285, Detective 468

Batman 285 coverBatman #285 – “The Mystery of Christmas Lost” – (David V. Reed/Romeo Tanghal/Frank Springer)

This is another Dr. Tzin-Tzin story, so you know what that means: more mystical crap. After busting out of prison using ants, Tzin-Tzin uses some kind of elixir to make everyone in Gotham into a dimwit … except Batman; he’s spared so Tzin-Tzin can gloat. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 285, Detective 468”

Comics Review: Batman 283, Detective 467

Welcome to my first comics reviews. Today I’m looking at Batman 283 and Detective 467, both cover dated January 1977. Neither of these is what I’d call spectacular, but they’re both okay stories. So, without further ado …

Batman 283 coverBatman #283 – “Omega Bomb Target: Gotham City” – (David V. Reed/Ernie Chua)

Batman heads to Gotham where a ransom demand awaits from a group called Omega. They’ve stolen a ship (the Miramar) and placed a nuke aboard. If their demands aren’t met, they’ll detonate it in Gotham harbor. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 283, Detective 467”