Customer Reviews

Batman Chronicles, Vol. 2

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For those unfamiliar with the Batman Chronicles, they reprint Batman's earliest Golden Age adventures in chronological order. So in this book you'll get stories from Detective Comics, Batman, as well as the rare 1940 New York World's Fair comic, reprinted in order as they appeared beginning with Detective Comics 39, 40, & 41. These early Batman tales, written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson show the dark roots of Batman. While not as grim as the modern day incarnation, they are still far different that the rather silly Silver Age stories.

For example in the opening tale from Detective #39 finds Batman taking on a Chinatown tong called the Green Dragon. Tongs were basically Chinese gangs, often associated with organized criminal activities such as smuggling and drugs. The Tong kills by cleaving their enemy's skulls with a hatchet...pretty strong stuff for 1940's comics. The 30's and 40's saw a lot of this "yellow menace" type of threats in popular culture such as pulp magazines, film, and comics.

In Detective #40, longtime villain Clayface makes his first appearance although he's very different than the walking pile of mud we know today. Back then he was just disgruntled horror film star Basil karlo (a veiled similarity to Boris karloff) who disguised his face with makeup.

Batman #2 sees the return of the Joker and I was immediately struck by the fact that over the course of 65 years, the Joker really hasn't changed at all, same white face, green hair, and purple suit. Batman has changed numerous times but his old foe has stayed relatively the same. Contrast this with Catwoman who also appears in this issue. In those days she was merely a pretty brunette who wore a dress and stole jewels. A far cry from the Catwoman we know today!

Back in these early days, Batman was still considered a Spiderman-like menace and he found himself battling the cops almost as much as the criminals. It was also pre-batmobile, and Batman tooled around town in a plain sedan.

I love the Chronicles volumes. I've always felt it was important to keep the Golden Age era alive as much as possible and this is a perfect, and really inexpensive way to do it as these soft cover newsprint volumes are far less expensive than the hard cover Archive series. Bob Kane doesn't get enough credit for his art which is among the finest of all the Golden Age greats.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Containing stories written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, BATMAN CHRONICLES VOLUME 2 continues the daunting task of reprinting every Batman appearance in chronological order. Volume 2 collects DETECTIVE COMICS #39-45, BATMAN #2-3, and NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR COMICS #2, featuring the first appearance of the villain Clayface, and the return of the Joker and Catwoman. If you've ever wondered why Batman is called "The Darknight Detective", these Golden Age stories from 1939 - 1940 provide the answer. Bill Finger constructs some superb traditional mysteries, presenting the reader with a situation and cast of suspects, with Batman and Robin figuring it out through investigation and a bit of strong-arming. There are a couple of duds, but I suppose it happens to the best of writers. Bob Kane's art for these stories is excellent. The moonlight, fog, and shadows of Gotham City really make the stories come alive. Kane had a flair for depicting characters as embodiments of good or evil - much like Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy - and his covers and splash pages were true pulp, frequently featuring giant-sized villains threatening the heroes.

Oddly enough, even though Robin was added to the Batman lineup to make the series lighter and more accessible to kids, these stories are even more violent than those in the first volume. Various characters are killed by gunshots, falls, broken necks, and even an axe to the head or back. Also, there's an interesting cross-company coincidence in that one of the female characters is named "Lorna Dane", which just happens to be the alias of Marvel's mutant Polaris. I'm certainly enjoying these Golden Age Batman reprints more than anything currently released from DC, and that's really saying something. A third volume of BATMAN CHRONICLES is on the way, so my need for more Finger/Kane stories won't be left wanting for long.

After volume one of Batman Chronicles, I wanted more and more. I picked this up and was immediately fascinated by how much talent the 40's series came from. Bob Kane may be the pioneer of the superhero, but I would argue that in some of his moments, I think he did it best. Batman defined true heroism with his unbreakable spirit and unstoppable crime purge. It's no wonder his stories lasted so long with such a great history like this.

I this awesome collection we get the first Catwoman and Clayface appearance as well as a reappearance by the Joker. Theres really nothing to complain about with all the classic villains showing up to duel. The chronicles is a highly effective way to collect the series in its entirety. We get just enough material in each volume and get all the good suprises we need at an unbeatable price. Thanks D.C.!

WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGHOUT!!!



"Batman Chronicles, Vol. 2" is the first in what is currently (that I own/know of) an eight part collector's series that compiles "... every 'Batman' story in exact chronological order" (taken from the black bar at the top of the front cover). Inside are comics, which in their original trade paperback (TPB) form, are worth on the order of some $100,000 (together and stand-alone); among which are:

Detective Comics #39: The Horde of the Green Dragon! (Batman and Robin are on the trail of Oriental opium traffickers who have kidnapped two millionaires as part of a plan to take over Gotham's Chinatown.)

Detective Comics #40: Beware of Clayface* (On the set of a remaking of a classic horror film, the cast and crew are being murdered by a masked saboteur calling himself Clayface (not to be confused with the shape-shifters to take up the name later in the Batman canon))

Detective Comics #41: A Master Muderer* (Bruce Wayne sends Dick Grayson undercover to a private all-boys pre-school to discover the truth behind the disappearance of a rich man's son)

Also included is Batman #2 and five stories that appeared within:
Joker Meets Catwoman* (following the Joker's near fatal encounter with Batman (continued from Batman #1, The Joker Returns in "The Batman Chronicles #1"), a local gang looks to speed his convalescence and make him their new boss in the hopes that he'll lead them to riches; they run into Catwoman as she has staked out the same mark for her own caper)
Wolf, the Crime Master* (a mild-mannered museum custodian suffers a cranial injury and through a kind of Pavlovian mechanism becomes a Jekyll-and-Hyde figure of a powerful crime master)
The Case of the Clubfoot Murderers (a wealthy man dies and the beneficiaries of his estate begin to get "bumped-off" by a clubfooted man with a hook arm)
The Case of the Missing Link (Batman aides an evolutionary scientist in safeguarding his discovery of a missing link from pygmy tribesmen and city thugs)

New York World's Fair Comics, 1940 Issue: Batman and Robin Visit the New York World's Fair (while visiting the NYWF, Bruce and Dick are called to action as bridges are being destroyed by unknown extortionists who've hi-jacked a scientist's invention that can deconstruct steel at the atomic level)

Detective Comics #42: The Case of the Prophetic Pictures! (a new artist has hit the Gotham scene as a portrait painter to the city's socialites, but all of his clients suddenly turn up dead; to catch the killer, Bruce Wayne volunteers to put his life on the line and receive a painting of his own)

Detective Comics #43: The Case of the City of Terror (while on vacation from Gotham in a rural backwater town, Bruce and Dick jump into action as they see an entire populace totally bent to the whims of gangsters)

Detective Comics #44: The Land Behind the Light (this comic breaks one of the top 10 rules of story-telling by having it end as a dream of Dick Grayson, who as Batman and Robin use a scientist's invention to enter into a parallel universe of absolute fantasy)

Also included is Batman #1 and five stories that appeared within:
The Strange Case of the Diabolical Puppet Master (Batman and Robin seek to foil the plot of an evil puppet master who has the ability to take control of people's minds and make them steal for him; but when Batman falls under his spell it is up to Robin to save the day)
The Ugliest Man in the World (Batman and Robin are on the trail of a horribly disfigured madman who is out for revenge against those who marred him)
The Crime School for Boys!! (Batman sends Robin undercover into a gang that is recruiting/training children to become criminals (this story falls into the category of "after school special"))
The Batman vs. the Cat-Woman (Batman pursues Catwoman, but soon has to come to her rescue as one of her jewel heists gets her involved with dangerous gangsters looking pull off the same crime)
The Batman Says (a one-page message from Batman and Robin to kids telling them the follies of a life of crime)

Detective Comics #45: The Case of the Laughing Death! (the Joker is back and this time he's looking to steal a priceless jade Buddha)
***(The stories with an asterisk were originally untitled, but are give titles in the table of contents for reader convenience.)***

Every one of the stories contained within this tome are "priceless" classics, though it should be noted that these were not written for 21st Century readers and may get the occasional "eye-roll" or "exasperated sigh" (REMEMBER!: these are not "Batman: Year One", "Batman: The Long Halloween", or "Batman: Hush". These stories and their styles need to be taken at face-value and appreciated for what they are and for the times they were written in).

It's great to see all the old Batman comics back in a 10 volume set. Who could ask for anything more?

I'm new to Batman, and let me tell you, this added him to my list of favorite super heroes. However, in this era, he can be seen as more of a detective, and there are murders. Also, the art quality is not often the best, and occasionally color bleeds out of the lines, but these are rare instants that don't matter much. It's captivating, and should appeal to old and new fans of Batman and Robin.

This volume continues the dark tones and atmosphere of the first volume and the level of pulp, crime violence, and mystery associated with noir. Darkness and shadows overwhelm the stories to the point that you can't disassociate Batman from them. The Joker and the Catwoman make their occasional appearance. In her last appearance the Catwoman decides to use a mask. Also in that same story, "the Batman versus the Catwoman" there is a hint of romance between the two characters for the first time.

Gone from these issues is Batman's occasional killings of his enemies although his cold detachment from dying enemies remains one of his features. I think Finger and Kane decided that the bad guys should commit suicide now rather than having them killed by the Batman. When Dr. Vreekill electrocuted himself, Batman responds cynically, "Well, he saved the state the job (World's Fair Comic, 1940 issue). In "The Case of the Prophetic Pictures," after the villainous Mr. Wylie shoots himself in the head, Batman comments "Much better this way!(Detective Comics, August 1940). Although I am not very familiar with the history of persecution of comic books, I believe that Kane and Finger restrained the Batman from killing more people as freely as he was doing from the first issues as a result of some kind of "public pressure", given the fact that children must have been part of the Batman audience.

Although the pulp level and noirish tones remain the same, the one page "The Batman says..." seems to be a response to that public pressure. In addition to this, two stories, "Wolf, the Crime Master" and "The Crime School for Boys" may have been titles meant to ease some kind of public pressure that Batman promoted violence. In the first story, a shy man is led into become a criminal mastermind when he is unconsciously influenced by reading "mystery stories with master criminals." The message is that stories about criminals, not comic book heroes, promote juvenile delinquency. "Crime School" follows up this message by stating that kids often become hoodlums because they are admired. The school in this issue trains kids to admire criminals, reinforcing this by showing them that crime succeeds. Finger points out to its readers that this is at the roots of juvenile delinquency, and contrary to anti-comic forces, Batman is set up as an ideal to emulate. Interestingly enough, the Batman sets up a gym for poor kids to divert them from delinquent activities, a solution often promoted by social reformers throughout urban history.

And for those who were comic critics because nothing can be learned, these comics may have been good for extensive reading to acquire language. Words such as clad, ensuing, lithe, "in a trice", wraith, fanged, trussed up, cowled, and skulking makes the text somewhat challenging for younger readers.

The most action-packed stories were "Joker meets Catwoman", "The Case of the City of Terror", "The Strange Case of the Diabolical Puppet Master" and "The Crime School for Boys." Personally, I thought that "The Case of the Missing Link" and "The Land behind the Light" were quite silly, perhaps targeting younger kids in the audience, but perhaps testing the patience and suspension of disbelief to adolescents and adults who also read these stories.

As usual, Batman keeps escaping from the police and one silly character added to the Batman repertoire, a McGonigle. Instead of the Bat chopper that appeared in the first issues, now we have a Batplane. Batman drives a blue car that resembles somewhat the future Batmobile, and Robin drives a racer, which seems to be a fancy car. Bruce Wayne's fiancée disappears in these stories.

As usual, another excellent comic book of the Chronicles series. It took a month or so over the delivery estimate to get to my place, though.

A 'Superb' Book,allows you to read the 'Old' Comics,without having to pay a 'Fortune' for each Comic !!!!