GHOST RIDER REBORN

 

This is a chapter from The Unrealized Isabella, a book that will collect a great many pitches and sometimes full plots for comics and other projects I wanted to create, but which, for one reason or another, never happened. I’m just beginning to work on this book. That work will go much faster if I can find a publisher who wants to publish it.

In June 2018, having been given the go-ahead by the Marvel brass to submit pitches. I came up with three limited series, two of them featuring characters I created back in the 1970s and the third featuring a novel concept for a character who had been part of the Marvel Universe since the early 1960s.

I’m currently taking a look at two of the series to ascertain if I can remove all the Marvel Universe elements from them and make them their own creations. When and if I have accomplished that, I will use my social media to offer them to publishers and other partners. I won’t be posting free ideas, just enough to give any interested parties an inkling of what I’m pitching. If they want to see the actual pitches, they’ll have to sign an NDA. I have had enough of my ideas stolen by a former publisher to risk that happening again.

This brings us to the remaining June 2018 pitch. There’s no way to remove its Marvel Universe elements without draining all the life out of it. So you get a glimpse of what might have been if the Marvel editors had shared my vision for a continuation and alternate take on a character I wrote for two years.

GHOST RIDER REBORN

by Tony Isabella

pitch for twelve-issue series

Background. In the 1970s, I wrote a two-year Ghost Rider story line intended to free Johnny Blaze from Satan’s power and change the title to more of a super-hero stuntman in Hollywood series. In the finale of this story, Blaze accepted (albeit in Marvel speak) Jesus as his savior. This was approved by three editors: Roy Thomas, Len Wein and Marv Wolfman. During the chaos of Marv leaving, an assistant editor said this finale offended him and took it upon himself to rewrite and have redrawn several pages of what turned out to be my last issue. In his version, Jesus, who was only ever called “the Friend” in the comic, was revealed to be a demon. This made no logical sense. I’ve been answering questions about it ever since and that individual has been lying about it ever since.

In this alternate universe series, we’d pick up Johnny’s story with the finale I originally wrote. Freed of Satan’s power, Johnny would have more control over his supernatural abilities and become the modern-day equivalent of a “white hat” cowboy. Over twelve issues, skipping entire years as we go along, we’d see the effect of Johnny’s redemption on himself and others.

Johnny would have intervened when Karen Page became a drug-abuser. He would have steered the Champions to achieve their original goal of being heroes for the common man. He would have married Roxanne and started a family. The religious aspects of his character would not overwhelm his stories. Much as in the critically-acclaimed Black Lightning TV series and my own Black Lightning comics, we would see Johnny attending church from time to time, seeking advice from his pastor and doing good works.

I feel strongly that diversity in comics should mean that all our readers see themselves in our stories. I have met countless people of faith who read comic books. All too often, when they are portrayed in comic books, they are portrayed as bigots and villains. If we’re truly committed to diversity, this should not be the norm.

Time-jumps and all, this will be an exciting and meaningful super-hero book. Just a bit different. Which is what Marvel at its best has always been about.

I’ll conclude today’s bloggy thing by letting the Marvel editors of 2024 know that, if they would like me to write this series, I'm still very open to it. I’m easy like that.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

BATMAN THE SILVER AGE CLASSICS: SEASON FINALE

 

Here’s the final chapter in my series of bloggy things about the stories reprinted in Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus Volume One. That hardcover chronicle collects Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257, ranging from the mid-1956 through the mid-1958.

First up is Detective Comics #255 [May 1958}. Like most kids of the 1950s, I loved dinosaurs and cover artist Sheldon Moldoff has robot dinosaurs for us. Close enough.

“Death in Dinosaur Hall” was by Batman co-creator Bill Finger, my favorite Batman writer. The interior art is by Moldoff and inker Charles Paris. The Grand Comics Database synopsis:

Responding to an urgent call from Professor Hale at the Mechanical Museum of Natural History, Batman and Robin arrive only to find the professor has apparently died at the "hands" of one of the mechanical dinosaurs on exhibit. When they examine the body more closely, they discover the dead man has left them a clue to his killer!

Finger rarely disappoints. We get the sensational murder of Hale and four likely suspects. We get false clues and dangerous robot menaces. The solution to the murder mystery is fair. One of the very best stories in this omnibus.

                                                                       

Moldoff’s cover for Batman #116 [June 1958] is striking. I would rank it as one of his best. As usual, there are three stories in this issue.

“The City of Ancient Heroes” is by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. Their pursuit of the Gimmick Gang leads Batman and Robin to the amazing Legend City where, once a year, the citizens dress up as the likes of Robin Hood, Circe and Siegfried. This story is so much fun I wish it had been expanded and published in Detective Comics.

“Batwoman’s New Identity” was written by an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris. Batwoman poses as a photographer in a night club to get the goods on the Funny Face Gang. Batman is his usual male chauvinist with his comments that crime-fighting is too dangerous for a woman. Batwoman proves him wrong. I have a hunch this story was written by a woman.

“The Winged Bat-People” is Finger, Moldoff and Paris. A strange sonic barrier pulls the Bat-Plane into another dimension where a medieval kingdom is under attack by the title characters. There’s a beautiful queen, a traitor and some smart action from Batman and Robin. A solid adventure.

                                                                        

Detective Comics #256 [June 1958] features “The Captive Planet!” by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. As usual, Moldoff is the cover artist. The Grand Comics Database synopsis:

While visiting an exhibit at the old Gotham City Fair Grounds, Bruce and Dick are whisked away in an alien spaceship to the planet Tora, where, as the Dynamic Duo, they battle not only the elements, but invaders as well.

I wasn’t generally a fan of the “Batman in outer space stories,” but I loved this. It was a classic Finger plot, team our heroes with a group of ordinary people: a big-game hunter looking for new thrills, a bored businessman, a bitter ex-convict who’d been sent to jail by Batman and a pair of newlyweds. If I were ever to write a long run on a Batman title, I guarantee you’ll see my modern take on a “Batman and civilians” adventure. 

                                                                                   

                                                                                  

 

“Batman’s Invincible Foe” from Detective Comics #257 [July 1958] wraps up this first Batman Silver Age Omnibus collection. The cover is my Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. The story itself is the work of an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris. Here’s the GCD synopsis:

A criminal and a policeman from the future draw Batman into the middle of their battle.

This story is notable for the introduction of the Whirly-Bats, an invention our heroes will use in many stories over the next few years. Beyond that, it’s fairly bland and uninteresting. I don’t if these “unknown writers” stories are the work of the same person, but they are generally more hit that miss.

At some point in the not so distant future, I’ll do another deep bloggy thing dive into another classic omnibus edition. Right now, I’m leaning towards one featuring Marvel Comics stories from the early 1960s. I guess we’ll find out which omnibus at the same time.

Thanks for visiting the bloggy thing today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN SEPTEMBER

 

September was crazy insane for me. On the comics and convention fronts, I was a guest at the always-wonderful Flaming River Con, a Cleveland-area LGBTQ+ comics and science fiction convention. I wrapped up my successful Vast Accumulation of Stuff comic books and pop culture garage sales for the year. My eBay store, run by my friend Rob Petersen, brought in nice results and will keep running throughout the year. On the sad side, we lost a number of great comic books and entertainment figures this month, some of them after tragically short lives.

On a personal level, my Saintly Wife Barb has finally retired. Unfortunately, instead of being able to relax, her new job seems to be trying to get our supplemental insurance sorted out. We’ve been jumping through hoops for a month. It’s getting expensive to have to pay some health care costs out of pocket, especially since we don’t know if that money will be reimbursed.

On a national level, the hate-mongering and misinformation from Trump and the Republican Party gets worse every day. As has been the case for too many years, the media is not doing its job in reporting on these monsters. I am optimistic that things can and will turn around, but it’s still scary times.

However, as you should know by now, even in the midst of these concerns, I try to find and write about things that bring me joy every single day. Here are the things that me happy in the month of September…

September 1: Sunny. In this Apple TV series, Rashida Jones is an American woman whose Japanese husband and son are reported dead in a plane crash. There’s also Sunny, a domestic robot built by her husband. And nothing is what it seems.                                                               

September 2: Mr. Mercedes. I started watching this chilling TV series based on one of my favorite Stephen King novels. Brendan Gleeson is perfect as retired police detective Bill Hodges. It’s all I can do not the binge-watch all three seasons. 

                                                                     

 

September 3: Kuboken’s Killer Shark in Another World may be the silliest manga of all. Shiromi is the worst summoner ever. She summons a shape-changing shark to fight demons. Hilarity reigns as it kills friend and foe alike. Goofy, gory fun.

September 4: When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria is a collection of one-page comics on the joys of being transgender, as told by creators from around the world. Published by Quindrie Press and recommended by me.

September 5: Essential Showcase Presents Stan & Jack Vol. 1 by Pete Doree. What if our favorite comics creators of the 1960s had outrageous adventures? The gags are hit or miss, but this is such a mad concept I couldn’t resist.

September 6: Captain America: Liberty’s Torch by Tony Isabella and Bob Ingersoll. A Facebook pal listened to the audio version while exercising. He loved it. I think I should finally buy the audio book and listen to it.

                                                                         

September 7: Batman: Wayne Family Adventures 1 by GRG Payne, Maria Li and Starbite. A humorous take on the Bats. Batman isn’t insane and all the Bat-Kids are living with Bruce Wayne. It’s the Brady Bunch with costumes. Suitable for all ages.

September 8: The Sarge Steel Collection (Classic Comics Library) has Sarge Steel #1-10 and the handful of shorts from Judomaster. The reproduction is rough, but the stories themselves are well-done and a fun look back at the 1960s.

September 9: Super 7’s Godzilla Minus One action figure. While I’m selling some of my Godzilla collectibles, I couldn’t resist adding this incredible item to my collection. It’s a definite keeper.

September 10: Wheel of Fortune’s back. New host Ryan Seacrest is adequate, but no Pat Sajak. Parts of the new set are garish. But Wheel remains an entertaining game show that’s fun to play along with.

                                                                         

September 11: “It’s Only Paint.” A cute curly-haired young woman paints with Dutch Boy Paint. Inspired to write a masterpiece, she becomes TV’s hottest writer and finds love. I want to see this commercial expanded into a full movie.

September 12: Soul War by Mac McClintock and Patrick McEvoy. I got this Titanic Creations graphic novel at G-Fest. It’s giant monsters battling during World War II and it’s a page-turner. I recommend it to all Kaiju comics fans.

September 13: The amazing Black Cat Books & Oddities (420 South Court, Medina) will celebrate Banned Books Week (9/22-9/28) with 15% off everything in the Banned Books Closet. First 5 customers each day will get a free banned book!

September 14: The Kite-Man Hell, Yeah first season finale (“Hero Stuff, Hell, Yeah!”) was funny and heart-warming, showcasing the supporting cast, providing a satisfying ending, introducing new threats. Season two can’t come soon enough.

September 15: Greg Berlanti receiving the Governors Award at the Emmy Awards for the ground0breaking diversity of his work. The DC super-hero shows with which he was involved were mentioned, including my own Black Lightning. 

                                                                           

September 16: Medina’s Black Cat Books is hosting a Curiosities and Cryptids Festival at Medina Square on October 6 from noon to 5 pm. Shop spooky vendors. Take a photo with Mothman. Tarot and oracle readings. And so much more. See you there!

September 17: Medina Library will host a special Halloween event on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 pm. It’s all about Medina’s most haunted places and will feature local homeowners sharing accounts of their own ghostly experiences.

September 18: A is for Antichrist: Obama’s Conspiracy Alphabet by Rick Geary. I rediscovered this hilarious hardcover book from 2013 while going through boxes for my garage sales. I’m keeping my copy but look for it on the secondary market.

                                                                          

September 19: Matlock 2024. I watched the pilot. I absolutely love this new series. Kathy Bates is incredible, but I can’t say more without spoiling things. I highly recommend you watch this episode and the series.

September 20: Battle Action by Garth Ennis and various terrific artists. Ennis revisits one of the greatest, most controversial of British comics with seven thrilling stories, including a very clever one about the demise of the title.

September 21: Flaming River Con 2024 was a wonderful event. Many great vendors. Caring and supportive people. Interesting panels. Such a joyful experience. This is why I advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. They make for a better America.

September 22: The BottleHouse at 2050 Lee Rd was where we went for dinner after Flaming River Con. It’s a charming, community-centric brewery with great drinks and comfort food. I’m looking forward to my next visit there.

September 23: Fantagraphics’ Mickey Mouse: The River of Time by Italian writer/artist Corrado Mastantuono. There’s a surprising “team-up” of Mickey and Pete, as well as the new-to-me character of Boomer Buff. A great gift for any Disney Comics fan.

September 24: The House of Hunan at Medina’s Public Square is my favorite restaurant. The food is always excellent. The service is second to none. Dean, the manager, is a comics fan. So please dine there soon. Tell them Tony sent you. 

                                                                       

 

September 25: The Adventures of Kobra Olympus by Bijhan Agha and Swaptrap. A Muslim trans woman and queer friends battle vampires from the future. It’s not very polished, but it is great fun. I want a movie and a part in that movie.

Superman 26: Superman by Kurt Busiek Book One is a whole lot of Superman by one of my favorite writers, including the wondrous “Secret Identity” with Stuart Immonen. It’s currently available at In Stock Trades for under $30.

September 27: The Penguin (HBO). I watched the first episode and thought it was excellent. Colin Farrell brought incredible depth to the character. Cristin Miloti was delicious as Sofia Falcone. Don’t the naysayers keep you from watching this. 

                                                                       

 

September 28: Will and Harper is the best film I’ve seen this year. The actor and his transitioned friend of 30 years go on a cross-country road trip. The documentary is compelling, funny, heartrending, heartwarming, informative.

September 29: The Simpsons: “Bart’s Birthday!” The season opener was a brilliant faux series finale which packed hilarious jokes and “Happy endings” into one of the best and funniest episodes of all. The Simpsons? They still got!

September 30: I got my new Covid and flu vaccines at the Medina County Health Department. I did it for me because I want to stay healthy and continue to create. I did it to guard my loved ones. I did it for my community and country.

Here are my “Best of the Month” picks.

BEST COMIC BOOK/GRAPHIC NOVEL: Batman: Wayne Family Adventures

BEST BOOK: no winner this month

BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Will and Harper

BEST PERSON(S): Greg Berlanti

BEST OTHER THING: Flaming River Con

A new month brings with it new challenges, new determination and new remarkable books and more. Follow this bloggy thing of mine to see what October brings for me.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

BATMAN THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS: PART EIGHT

 

Here’s the next chapter in my series of bloggy things about the stories reprinted in Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus Volume One. That hardcover chronicle collects Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257, ranging from the mid-1956 through the mid-1958.

First up is Detective Comics #252 [February 1958}. Cover artist Sheldon Moldoff drew one of his typically goofy monsters for “The Creature from the Green Lagoon!” As a kid, I loved those critters and I still get a kick out of them today. The story was written by Dave Wood with art by Moldoff and inker Charles Paris. The synopsis:

A film producer friend of Batman's on Skull Island sends for the Dynamic Duo and shows them a set he has built for a movie in production...a wall to keep out a creature that is wrecking his production equipment and preventing the movie from being completed for some unknown reason.

Young as I was when I first read this, I figured out the monster wasn’t real. After all, we were introduced to characters who had “suspect” written all over them. Even so, Batman’s battles with the beast were exciting and the resolution was satisfying.

                                                                           

Batman #114 [March 1958] has a Moldoff cover featuring a gorilla in a Batman costume. Back in the day, DC Comics knew apes on the cover meant a boost in sales. The issue has the usual three short adventures.

“The Secret of Mechanical City” is written by Batman co-creator Bill Finger with art by Dick Sprang and inker Paris. There’s no honor among thieves as one crook steals a secret formula from his criminal scientist boss. The crook flees to an exhibit city run by giant robots, something Sprang excelled at drawing. Finger’s script has exciting action scenes and a smart deduction from our hero.

“The Mirage Maker” is by an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris. The title villain creates illusions to baffle Batman and the police until Bats eventually figures out how to beat the illusions. The villain’s garb is weird; he’s dressed like some sort of Arabian ruler or wizard.

“The Bat-Ape” is also by an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris. The synopsis:

An animal trainer at a circus is arrested for robbing the box office since an ape provided a distraction. However, Batman seeks to prove the man’s innocence, using the ape as a cowled assistant.

It’s a goofy story, but entertaining. How has DC Comics resisted launching a Bat-Ape title? Mogo seems much more stable than the present-day Batman. 

                                                             

 

Detective Comics #253 [March 1958] introduces a trio of costumed criminals who have made a few rare appearances over the decades. Moldoff drew the cover for “The Fox, The Shark and The Vulture.” The writer is Wood. The art is Moldoff and Paris.

The Terrible Trio have already shown themselves to be dangerous masterful thieves. Batman and Robin are nearly killed when first they clash with these villains who strike on land, on sea and in the air. I took a liking to them when I read this story as a kid and was disappointed they didn’t appear again. If I were ever to write “my” Batman, the one who isn’t a jerk, I’d probably use them.

                                                                                 

We find the usual Moldoff cover and three stories in Batman #115 [April 1958], “The Million Dollar Clues” is written by Finger, penciled by Moldoff and inked by Stan Kaye. The synopsis:

Batman is given a clue to the whereabouts of stolen gems from a dying criminal, who warns the Caped Crusader that some of his henchmen are also seeking the loot. What he doesn’t tell Batman is that the gems are booby-trapped.

While the clues aren’t particularly difficult, they lead to some wild action scenes. Including a giant typewriter. If I had crazy wealth, I would buy a big house and property large enough to fit lots of giant objects. I always got a kick out of them.

Fun fact. After Finger passed, I wrote an issue of Ghost Rider that was a tribute to him. It featured a cast of characters with problems forced to work together, something Finger and the other Batman did often, and a giant motorcycle.

“Batman For Hire” is by an unknown writer, Moldoff and Paris. On the pretense of needing money for Robin’s college education and his own retirement, Bats opens up a private detective agency. It’s a convoluted but quite amusing scheme by our hero to solve a cold case.

The issue wraps with “Batman in a Bottle’ by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. It’s another of those (disliked by me) Professor Nichols time travel tales. Sent to investigate the origins of various giant objects from an ancient civilization, Batman and Robin find themselves battling a race of giants. Not even giant objects saved this story for my younger self.

                                                                    

Detective Comics #254 [April 1958} had a cool Moldoff cover for “One Ounce of Doom” featuring Ace the Bat-Hound, a favorite of mine. This story was by an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris. The Grand Comics Database synopsis:

A hobo unwittingly steals a high explosive from the laboratory of a scientist.

This was an exciting chase adventure with lots of twists. Ace is a big help to the Caped Crusaders. Reading the story today makes me recall the role of the hobo in comics and other media of the era. In some, they were treated as criminal vermin. In others, as honorable knights of the road who had fallen on tough times. Today, they’re called homeless or un-housed people often reviled for their poverty. I would love to see some super-heroes address this societal issue.

I would also love the learn the identity/identities of those who wrote these stories. Credit where credit is due.

That’s it for today. Look for the finale of my writing about the first Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus coming soon.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

THE LAST GARAGE SALES OF 2024?

 

My final Vast Accumulation of Stuff Comic Books and Pop Culture garage sales will be this Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, from 9 am to noon at 840 Damon Drive, Medina, Ohio. As I write this, I estimate I’m more than 90% ready to go for these sales. I expect to wrap up my preparation and restocking on Wednesday, then take Thursday off to do some personal things and relax. I’ll be bright-eyed and cheerful come Friday morning.

Here’s what you can expect at these garage sales…

I’ve filled one table with amazing Godzilla and Godzilla-related figures and other cool stuff. I don’t often part with any of my Godzilla treasures, so, as if you’re also a devotee of the Great Scale One, you won’t want to miss this. 

                                                                            

As usual, I have hundreds, nay, thousands of vintage comic books at low prices, hardbacks, trade paperbacks, oversized hardcover and trade paperbacks, and pop culture trading card sets. There is also one table of cool books and magazines priced at a dollar each. Big bargains there.

                                                                         

I’m reducing the prices on Funko figures and Barbie dolls. Funko figures originally priced over $5 will be reduced to $5. Funko figures priced at $5 will be reduced to $3. All of the remaining Barbie collectibles with be just $5 each.

I’ll have several of our popular mystery boxes, mostly priced at $10 a pop. There’s one adult mystery box and one $20 super-sized box. The limit is one per customer on Friday, but Saturday will have no such limit.

As always, you can bring your Isabella items to the garage sales and get them signed for free. I charge $10 at my conventions, so this is a deal. I’ll also be happy to answer questions about my 50-year-plus career in the comics industry, and comic books and pop culture in general. It’s like a mini-convention in a garage. Fans have come from as far as Texas to attend.

If you can’t make it to the garage sales during the stated hours, you aren’t entirely out of luck. I will be keeping my display tables up from September 30 through October 4. If you want to make an appointment to shop the remaining items, you need to e-mail me. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible so we can work out a date and time. Each appointment will be limited to an hour or so. I’ll be working on some new projects, so these private appointments have to be kept short.

I want to thank all the great fans and friends who have come to my garage sales this summer. I also want to thank those of you who have visited my eBay store. The income from these sales make it possible for me to create new work for you.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

BATMAN THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS: PART SEVEN

 

Here’s the next chapter in my series of bloggy things about the stories reprinted in Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus Volume One. That hardcover chronicle collects Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257, ranging from the mid-1956 through the mid-1958.

First up is Detective Comics #248 [October 1957] with one of my favorite stories as a young Batman fanatic. Sheldon Moldoff drew the cover for “Around the World in 8 Days” by Batman co-creator Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. The synopsis from the Grand Comics Database:

Bandits break into a hospital and steal an experimental new drug....the only one that will save a patient, and Batman & Robin only have a week to discover its location and get it back so that the man can be injected with it. To make matters worse, the loot from the crime has been broken up between "fences" all over the world!

I was six years old when I first read this story. I’m not sure I had ever been out of Cleveland at the time. Likely not since my father worked ridiculous hours carrying the family bakery on his back. He was the pick of my grandparents’ litter.

Some of the locations were given but a single panel apiece, but the world-wide quest was thrilling nonetheless. I’d love to redo this adventure with more pages and set in modern times. I miss tho days when saving a single person’s life was as important to Batman as saving Gotham City or the world.

                                                                           

Detective Comics #249 [October 1957] has a cover by Moldoff for Finger’s “The Crime of Bruce Wayne!” Interior art for the tale is by Moldoff and Paris: The synopsis:

Bruce Wayne decides to go along with a scheme in which he would confess to being a wanted criminal known as the Collector in order to get vital information from a cellmate about where the crook stashed $50,000...but the plan goes horribly wrong and Wayne gets sent to death row!

This story is new to me, which is surprising since I had a crush on Batwoman and would have bought the issue if I’d seen it. That may be a good thing since I didn’t know Bob Ingersoll back then. Because of my pal’s many “The Law is a Ass” columns, I now know the legal stuff in this story is hooey. 

                                                                   

 

Batman #112 [December 1957] has a cover by Moldoff and the usual three stories. First up is “The Signalman of Crime” by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. Small-time crook Phil Cobb can’t get hired by any Gotham gangs, so he makes the completely logical decision to adopt a colorful identity and leave clues to his planned crimes for Batman. Because that always works. Spoiler: it doesn’t. But the Signalman is a fun goofy addition to the ranks of very silly villains challenging the Dynamic Duo.

“Batman’s Roman Holiday” is by Edmond Hamilton with Sprang and Paris. It’s another logic-free story in which Professor Nicholas – how I hated that character then and now – sends Bruce and Dick to the past to have an adventure as Batman and Robin. I never understood the pseudo-science behind the stories. I was usually very accepting of such nonsense, but this was just a bridge too far for me. If I wrote a Professor Nicholas story, it would reveal that things were not what they seemed and that he had his own evil agenda.

Finger redeems the issue with “Am I Really Batman?”. Moldoff and Paris are the artists. Professor Milo strikes again. Milo wasn’t as garish as Batman’s usual recurring foes, but he always made things personal. This time out, Bruce wakes up in a mental ward, not realizing Milo attacked him with an amnesia gag that dulls the will to live.

                                                                     

We wrap up Batman’s 1957-dated issues with Detective Comics #250 [December 1957]. Moldoff’s cover features “Batman’s Super Enemy” by an unknown writer with art by Moldoff and Paris.

The synopsis: A wanted criminal finds a ship full of weapons from outer space.

John Stanner is on the run after Batman and Robin break up his gang, He’s lucky enough to be the first human to encounter a spaceship full of advanced inventions, which he immediately uses to commit crimes and free his henchmen. The ending to his reign of terror is logical but telegraphed from the start. There were a number of stories by unknown writers in the 1950s. I continue to hope they are identified eventually.

                                                                           

Detective Comics #251 [January, 1958] kicks off the 1958-dated issues with “The Alien Batman.” The cover is by Moldoff. The story is by an unknown writer, Moldoff and Paris.

Is Batman actually an alien from another world? Spoiler alert. He’s not. But a clever criminal is making the people of Gotham fear the Caped Crusader. Which is a boon to the local rackets. Until Batman exposes the scheme.

This is a weak one. Much of the story consists of various folks remembering Batman’s past perils and wondering if he was able to survive them by using otherworldly powers. The revelation behind a blood test that supposedly proves Batman is an alien is maybe the weakest plot element in the story.

The comics-reading kids of the late 1950s seemed to love strange Batman transformations. I liked some of the tales a great deal. But the hoaxes always disappointed me.

                                                                      

Batman #113 [February 1958] has a cover by Moldoff with “Batman – The Superman of Planet X.” But, before we get to that story, we have two others to check out.

“The Menace of False Face” is by an unknown writer. Moldoff and Paris are the artists. The title villain disguises himself as a variety of famous people to commit crimes. He’s not really much of a match for our heroes. The GCD synopsis claims Batman didn’t recover False Face’s loot, but I didn’t get that from the end of the story. I assume the authorities eventually recovered it and returned into its rightful owners. Minus generous contributions to the Policemen Benevolence Society, of course.

“Batman Meets Fatman” is by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. A clown who does a Batman parody is a big hit with audiences, including Batman. Our heroes give the clown a ride in their surprisingly roomy Batmobile. They get a tip about the whereabouts of missing loot. Bad luck puts Batman and Robin in a tight spot, but they are rescued by the clever clown. It’s a charming little story of a type we don’t see anymore.

“Batman – The Superman of Planet X” is by Ed Herron, Sprang and Paris. The synopsis: Batman is transported to the planet Zur-En-Arrh and helps the Batman of that world battle invaders from yet another planet. On Zur-En-Arrh, our hero has powers like his pal Superman. The story is inventive with great art.

I sort of recall that Zur-En-Arrh plays a major part in recent Batman stories, but I would have to read those stories to say for sure. Which I have no real interest in doing. Reading a sane Batman in Mark Waid’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is far more enjoyable.

That’s all for another chapter in our ongoing look at the Silver Age Batman. I’ll return to this era in the near-future.

© 2024 Tony Isabella