Batman

Issues 479 - 485

DC

Writers : Alan Grant, Doug Moench. Pencils: Tom Mandrake, Jim Aparo

Batman, an icon of the genre. One of DC's two 'flagship' characters. Worlds Greatest Detective and also one of the worlds best martial artists. Has no actual super-powers and led to the great 'Can Batman fly?' debate with my son when he was three.

These Batman books are created after The Dark Knight Returns and Arkham Asylum but still find Batman in the middle of his milue, sifting through the detritus of Gotham, righting wrongs.

Each book is a story, or part one of a two part tale. The first issue has Bats investigating the kidnap and torture of a rich investment banker. The antagonist is a muscular and powerfully built woman called 'Pagan'. She captures and assaults a second banker and the back story is revealed that the bankers captured and did something nasty to her sister. Batman tracks her down and puts an end to her vigilante ways but when shown gratitude from the victim, he responds with contempt.
I note that it was okay for Batman to be a vigilantethough...

Issue 480 sees us with Tim Drake, the new Robin. He is visiting his wheelchair bound father. His mother's grave has been vandalised. Drake finds the culprits and turns the tables by spray painting them in the face.
Batman and Robin track down the whole gange of vandals and bring them to justice. It's not just homicidal maniacs who feel the wrath of Batman's foot.
So that Tim's father has a place to live, Bruce Wayne buys the mansion next door.

481 gives us a Maxie Zues story, even though Maxi himself is stuck behind bars the whole time. Maxie send 'Iris' to take a message to the boys. They reject her as just a dumb broad and she goes slightly whacky, donning a costume and arming herself with gadgets to make them pay. First she takes out a couple of the old gang then she turns her attention to Bats, who, after all, put Maxie in the slammer.
The next issue starts with Harpy fighting in Gotham Museum. She trades blows with Bats but cunningly gets away. The old gang plan on icing her, but she is eves dropping and gets the drop on them. Bats speaks to Maxie and points out he can save Iris before it's too late. There is an ultimate showndown and Bats wins but has to save Harpy's life in the process.

The next issue is a Bonnie and Clyde tale of 'Crash and Burn'. (*When we did SHRPG we went for Shock and Awesome... maybe some memories bleeding through?). The whole issue is just a Mickey and Mallory tale until the antagonists blow themselves up with their own incendiary devices, leaving them both hideously scarred.

The next is a two part story which opens with some arson on some Wayne Enterprises apartment blocks. I suppose a billionaire invests in lots of things. The arson will cause his insurance to rise and could bankrupt Bruce. As Bruce answers reports questions he also asks Vicki Vale out for dinner, so he's not that worried. The villain is Black Mask. He is setting up the False Face Society. Every gang member must wear a mask. We have a flashback about how he became Black Mask. He burned his parents to death then ran his cosmetics company into the ground with faulty waterproof make-up. After this he murdered the newly appointed Wayne Enterprises board members who Bruce had parachuted in to save the company. Black Mask then kidnaps Lucius Fox while Batman and Robin save some more Wayne buildings from arson.
Robin cracks his way into the gang in disguise (remember - they all wear masks). Black Mask is about to go A-Bomb on Lucius and Robin might blow his cover but the gangsters moll intervenes and Robin stays safe. One of the gang steps out of line, not wearing his mask. Tattoo, the biggest muscle in the gang, puts him back into his place with a quick flurry of fists. Bats goes to chat with Gordon. There is a showdown between Bats and Tattoo. Batman only just wins the fight. Black Mask escapes by diving into a lake. When they recover the corpse they discover it's the missing body of a Wayne Corp executive, not the Mask himself. 

Overall these books are very Batman, pulpy noir thrillers that dredge through the darkness of a city and show a man fighting his own war against crime. Of course, as I always say, Billionaire Bruce Wayne could do a lot more good with some scholarships and maybe schools in poor districts. But that makes a boring comic. Lots of things have been done with Batman over the years but the bulk of the books I have read of him are usually this kind of fare. Only collect these stories if you are a massive Batman fan.