The restless experimentation of film and television was reflected in clips from Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland; the chilling (and banned)War Game; the cinema verite Stones tour film, Charlie is My Darling and Verity Lambert's Adam Adamant Lives! As a BBC production, of course, it didn't feature Diana Rigg in the Avengers or the Batman movie - fifty years old this year.
The camp and quirky Batman consolidated my impressions of the Gotham Guardian at a very early age. I'll return to Batman '66 and the Avengers ( and the Man From UNCLE) in a future post- when I get the first issue of the Steed and Mrs. Peel team-up, that is! Today I wanted to review a Bat-family trade paperback I read before the holidays began; one that honours the tv series and presents a baptism of fire for two rookies.
Dick Grayson is the first of many iterations of Robin ( six, possibly seven?) Many people object to the absurdity of child sidekicks in comics, not being au fait with their Golden Age provenance; one of my own ASD students guffawed at Sandy the Golden Boy. Nor do I hold at all with the dreary modern take on the Child Soldier. This willful literalism is doggedly at odds with a fictive world of super-powered mutants or transformative spider bites.
The objections to Robin's role in Batman's war on crime are explored in the four parts of 2000's Robin Year One by Scott Beatty, Chuck Dixon, Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin . The story follows the "brat in a mask (and) little pixie boots" through school, a savage beating by Two-Face and being "fired" by Batman. There's a creepy human trafficking plot for the Mad Hatter; an important role for perennial loser Killer Moth; conflict with both Blockbuster Mr. Freeze ( in his Mr. Zero garb) and a glimpse of sultry Talia al Ghul. In the conclusion, Alfred poignantly sums up the B&R dynamic as "lost boys struggling to be good men".
Barbara Gordon, the definitive Batgirl, is not an apprentice or surrogate son/brother, but an inspiring model of self-determination. She isn't given the role- she chooses it for herself. In 2003's Batgirl Year One, The Justice Society- Wildcat, Dr. Fate and Black Canary, foreshadowing Birds of Prey- inspires Barbara's quest to bring to justice Killer Moth and his pyromaniac partner, Firefly.
There are so many Easter Eggs on this nine-part epic! Ralph and Sue Dibny in the fancy dress they wore in the "Sleepytime Taxi" back-up of Babs' Detective debut; The Monk ("seriously, fangs"); the Super Friends' Trouble Alert; "assassin cults and Deadman spirits"; Vicki Vale; Condiment King from BTAS;even a visual callback to the justly infamous Killing Joke.
Finally, having supplied Batgirl with Bat-gimmicks, Robin ( the "Boy Smoocher") helps deflect Commissioner Gordon's suspicions about her identity; kneecapped cop, Jason Bard becomes a PI and Babs muses about being in public office as a congresswoman. Like Grant Morrison's work, decades of continuity are rewoven to effect.
I was never quite convinced by the relationship of the Dynamite Duo in the Bronze Age but this collection with its cartoony kineticism and verve is a joy to read. Next winter, we'll celebrate Batgirl's fiftieth anniversary, especially in the light of her horrible "fridging" yet again in the animated Killing Joke. Coming up, I'd like to look at the newest Treasury Edition from Marvel (!); Graphic Ink:the Art of Darwyn Cooke and the collected hardcover edition of Loeb and Sale's "Color" series from Marvel. Also the Two Masters and Dracula from Big Finish.
All images presumed copyright of their respective owners
No comments:
Post a Comment