Detective #426 Aug 72, on sale June 29 1972
The penultimate Frank Robbins-drawn Batman story, close to the end of an arc he started in Detective #416 with "Man-Bat Madness".
Fan reaction to his artwork had been varied to say the least. For those fans who had come to know and love the realistic, athletic Neal Adams Batman, the artwork of Frank Robbins was a smack in the kisser, an unsettling throwback to the 1940s and a style of art pioneered by Milton Caniff. I was one of those fans in the summer of 1972, knocked off-kilter by the abupt change in style, by the cartoonish and unrealistic physiques. Yet, like so many of the early detractors, I became a huge fan. Darwyn Cooke is probably the closest we have today who epitomises the same use of a cartoonish style to bring energy and verve and excitement and a sense of place and time in equal measure.
Robbins only drew five Batman stories between 1971-1972, each one a classic of genre storytelling - the Gothic Horror, the Locked-Room mystery, the Prison Break, the impassive Hunter, and the Modern Horror - the stories bookended by Man-Bat's closure.
Most of Robbins' Batman work was as a writer, but the stories he also drew have a power and pacing that the solely written efforts do not evince. Like his previous solo effort - "Blind Justice, Blind Fear" (Detective #421) - a melodramatic ode to the prison break dramas of the thirties, this story is classic Frank Robbins; a pared-down story - tight plotting - spare artwork - fifteen pages of taut tale framed in a classic three-act story arc. Robbins' Batman is a private detective working pro-bono. The Bat-costume is his work clothes, his trench-coat. He's first and foremost a shamus - a colder Philip Marlowe, roaming the mean streets, the deserted wharves, mixing with the big money, hiding in the neon shadows, going where the police cannot go.
Robbins only drew five Batman stories between 1971-1972, each one a classic of genre storytelling - the Gothic Horror, the Locked-Room mystery, the Prison Break, the impassive Hunter, and the Modern Horror - the stories bookended by Man-Bat's closure.
Most of Robbins' Batman work was as a writer, but the stories he also drew have a power and pacing that the solely written efforts do not evince. Like his previous solo effort - "Blind Justice, Blind Fear" (Detective #421) - a melodramatic ode to the prison break dramas of the thirties, this story is classic Frank Robbins; a pared-down story - tight plotting - spare artwork - fifteen pages of taut tale framed in a classic three-act story arc. Robbins' Batman is a private detective working pro-bono. The Bat-costume is his work clothes, his trench-coat. He's first and foremost a shamus - a colder Philip Marlowe, roaming the mean streets, the deserted wharves, mixing with the big money, hiding in the neon shadows, going where the police cannot go.
"Killers' Roulette" is closer in tone to a Mickey Spillane with echoes of Richard Stark than to Chandler's Marlowe. This is hard-boiled Batman. Hanging around police sergeants' desks in search of a tip. He is a man with no qualms about playing with guns, or entrapping a killer. The ends justify the means. This is James Elroy working within the limits of the Comics Code.
The artwork is cleaner than Robbins' previous Batman work. A tip to Robbins' signature newspaper strip character, Batman goes undercover as John T Hazard.
The Setup: a cat-burglar stumbles on a body slumped in a chair with a smoking gun and suicide note. Batman bursts in - he's spotted the burglar's flashlight - faces down the thug, takes the gun away from him, flips it open like a pro - suspects the "suicide" is not on the up-and-up. Looking at the dead man, muses 'Guess everybody has his own hidden drives ..motivations...his secret "thing"!'
Bats hits the precinct headquarters - his cape looks like a traffic cops sou'wester. He's on the team. The desk sergeant confides "Three in three days. All leading citizens..". Batman is allowed access to the files...spots what could be a vital clue, but needs more information on the 3 prominent citizens. He hits a late night supper club....gets the info he needs from a society gossip dame.....
End of Act 1
Act 2
Then he's off to an offshore floating yacht where illegal gambling takes place, framed by the spotlights in the Gotham night skies. A tacit acknowledgment that corruption extends beyond the city streets. Assuming his disguise, he hits the casino - wins a pot of money through his skills at chance - allows himself to appear influenced by another high roller who offers him a way to bet on higher stakes - a game of Russian Roulette. Our hero takes the bait - hops in the villain's speed boat back to shore, and a rendezvous with destiny.
Act 3
The final act is the showdown between Batman and the villain over an escalating game of Russian Roulette. Batman stage-manages it every step of the way. Both Batman and the villain have to cheat to find an angle , to win. Batman is the better cheater. He wins. Fadeout.
The artwork is cleaner than Robbins' previous Batman work. A tip to Robbins' signature newspaper strip character, Batman goes undercover as John T Hazard.
The Setup: a cat-burglar stumbles on a body slumped in a chair with a smoking gun and suicide note. Batman bursts in - he's spotted the burglar's flashlight - faces down the thug, takes the gun away from him, flips it open like a pro - suspects the "suicide" is not on the up-and-up. Looking at the dead man, muses 'Guess everybody has his own hidden drives ..motivations...his secret "thing"!'
Bats hits the precinct headquarters - his cape looks like a traffic cops sou'wester. He's on the team. The desk sergeant confides "Three in three days. All leading citizens..". Batman is allowed access to the files...spots what could be a vital clue, but needs more information on the 3 prominent citizens. He hits a late night supper club....gets the info he needs from a society gossip dame.....
End of Act 1
Act 2
Then he's off to an offshore floating yacht where illegal gambling takes place, framed by the spotlights in the Gotham night skies. A tacit acknowledgment that corruption extends beyond the city streets. Assuming his disguise, he hits the casino - wins a pot of money through his skills at chance - allows himself to appear influenced by another high roller who offers him a way to bet on higher stakes - a game of Russian Roulette. Our hero takes the bait - hops in the villain's speed boat back to shore, and a rendezvous with destiny.
Act 3
The final act is the showdown between Batman and the villain over an escalating game of Russian Roulette. Batman stage-manages it every step of the way. Both Batman and the villain have to cheat to find an angle , to win. Batman is the better cheater. He wins. Fadeout.
I love this story. Fast - lean - paced - and a abrupt ending. Batman is the obverse to Richard Stark's amoral professional criminal Parker. Singularly driven. No moral ambiguity about entrapping a killer. He knows his way around guns, yet doesn't need them to make his mark. His wits are all he needs. There are echoes of the Parker story "The Handle" in the section in the floating casino.
This story places Gotham City as a surrogate for Chicago. The supper club Batman crashes is a dead-ringer for Petterino's, and the yacht would not be out of place on Lake Michigan, or moored at Navy Pier.
For me, the only disappointment is Mike Kaluta's cover, particularly after this superb cover of #423, 3 month's earlier. It it cold and sober. It does not reflect the melodrama within. One can only conclude he had not read the finished story.
Four issues later, in Detective #430, the lettercol was full of praise for Robbins. Yet his reign was almost over.
This story places Gotham City as a surrogate for Chicago. The supper club Batman crashes is a dead-ringer for Petterino's, and the yacht would not be out of place on Lake Michigan, or moored at Navy Pier.
For me, the only disappointment is Mike Kaluta's cover, particularly after this superb cover of #423, 3 month's earlier. It it cold and sober. It does not reflect the melodrama within. One can only conclude he had not read the finished story.
Four issues later, in Detective #430, the lettercol was full of praise for Robbins. Yet his reign was almost over.
Yes, the atmospheric artwork complements the tone of the story perfectly. All the scenes take place at night, or indoors amongst shadows. Robbins's style was neither realism nor cartoony in the 'Manga' sense, but suited the comicbook form well. Several of the characters’ poses during fights reminded me of the dynamism of Kirby as seen in 1940s Captain America: all angular limbs and punches seeming to throw the villains out of the comicbook page.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the story came first to Robbins, maybe from years before, and he decided to use it for this Batman tale. As you point out, Batman as a hard-boiled Batman works well. But substitute any detective in Batman's role in the story and the plot would be equally effective. Batman uses fisticuffs and detective skills in the story, but there's no Robin, no Alfred, no Bat-gadgets. Indeed the only mention of Robin and Superman come in Batman's fake 'suicide note' that could have been made out to anyone else and not change the story one iota.
This story features an item (a Robbins trademark?) that's sadly lost today: a puzzle is posed for the reader. Robbins invites the reader to spot the clues that Batman has identified. This not only adds to the enjoyment of the story but respects the reader's intelligence. And it justifies this particular story's place in a comic titled 'Detective Comics'.
All praise for highlighting this gem, and the talents of Frank Robbins. And a great start to 'SuperStuff Online'!
-- Nigel Brown
Thanks for the comments, Nigel. I think you may very well be right about Robbins using a story written for another detective character, and substituting Batman.
DeleteFunny how the mind plays tricks, isn't it? I'm surprised to learn that Robbins only drew five Batman tales - in memory it seems far more. I must confess I liked his stuff and now wish he had drawn many more than five.
ReplyDeleteKid - yes - I remember I hated Robbin's artwork when Detective #415 came out. I saw the Man-Bat cover by Adams, and was shocked by the messy Robbins artwork inside. We're talking more than 40 years ago now. Yet I now wish he had drawn more. I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy of his Johnny Hazard reprints in a second-hand bookshop in La Haina, Maui, Hawaii a couple of years back, which I highly recommend.
DeleteHawaii or Johnny Hazard?
DeleteBlimey - this is an old post!
DeleteActually, I’d highly recommend both Maui and the Johnny Hazard reprints. Our first visit to Maui was in 2010 and we fell in love with the place. From a comic fan’s perspective it was a bit like going to a seaside town years ago and finding old stock still on sale. The second-hand book shop in La Haina (look it up on a map) had a pile of stuff which included a 1972 UK Comic Media International, several Johnny Hazard reprints plus issue #1 of Joe Kubert’s comic experiment colour newspaper Sojourn. I got those, but should have bought more. The next year the shop was gone - the elderly lady owner had died, I think, but I recently found that the paperback book stock was acquired by another local second hand book store so perhaps there are still treasures to be found on our next visit.
I've never been abroad in my life, the farthest place I've travelled to being the Isle of Wight in 1981 when I was living in Southsea (Boulton Road) for a few months. It's therefore unlikely that I'll ever make it off these shores, but thanks to ebay, I can acquire pretty much everything I take a shine to - so Johnny Hazard may make it into my collection yet.
DeleteExcellent stuff - it's a great point you make about how Robbins , like many artists from this time could pace the story at just the right level. A lost art I fear.
ReplyDeleteSorry for missing your comment, McScotty. Blogger does not send me email notifications for comments on old blog entries, for some reason.
DeleteThe more and more I re-read old Batman stories written by Robbins, I appreciate the leanness of the story-telling and tight plotting. A really under-appreciated talent.
Re-reading my own blog entry, I wonder if film-maker Matt Reeves was influenced by the Robbins-drawn Batman stories ; that profile image of Batman talking with the desk sergeant above looks very much like the Batman design in the latest movie - the idea of a collar on the cape.