Famous First Fridays: Man-Bat

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today's Famous First Friday shines the spotlight on one of The Batman's most unique and under-appreciated friend-foes, Kirk Langstrom, aka Man-Bat. Ol' Groove can remember veritably ripping my copy of Detective Comics #400 (March 1970) from the spinner rack. That mind-blowing Neal Adams cover with Batman facing off against a monstrous doppelganger was the stuff of dreams (or nightmares)! Man-Bat, with his Hulk-like "I'm a good man trapped in a monster's bod" style-angst and striking visual was an immediate hit, especially when co-creators Frank Robbins and Adams told his tales (as they did with 'Tec #'s 402 and 407, with Robbins handling both story and art in issues 416 and 429). Man-Bat's popularity continued to climb as he teamed with Batman in Batman #254 (October/November 1973, by Robbins and Irv Novick) and Brave and the Bold #119 (March 1975 by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo). Check out his dynamic debut!

Man-Bat was finally given his own title in the fall of 1975, but it only lasted two issues (September/October-November/December 1975). DC gave him some top-notch talent (Gerry Conway, Steve Ditko, and Al Milgrom on the first ish, Martin Pasko, Pablo Marcos, and Ric Villamonte on the second), but not much time to catch on. Man-Bat was deposed to the back of a couple issues of Detective (#s 458-459, January-February 1976) with Pasko and Marcos still at the creative helm. From there, Man-Bat found what would become his "permanent" home during the Groovy Age, Batman Family (beginning with #11, February/March 1977) where writer Bob Rozakis would make the character his own, giving him supporting characters and even a child. Art by the likes of Marshall Rogers, Michael Golden, and Don Newton went a long way in keeping the strip a fave, surviving Bat-Fam's cancellation and landing back in Detective Comics.

By the time the 80s rolled around, Man-Bat found himself being stripped of everything that made him heroic and shunted back to square one as an out-of-control sometimes-foe of The Batman.

(P)Raising Kane: "The Face of a God!" by O'Neil, Kane, and Draut

Here's a quickie post to spotlight a short-shocker with some suh-weet Gil Kane art. From House of Mystery #253 (May 1977) it's "The Face of a God!", written by Denny O'Neil and inked by Bill Draut!

Black and White Wednesday: "Hide and Go Mad" by Lewis, Infantino, and Simonson

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Ya know, when Carmine Infantino was replaced as DC's publisher, he dove right back into penciling--the very talent that had made him a comicbook legend. Marvel put him on a few books (Star Wars and Daredevil, most notably) and Jim Warren gave him plenty of work, too. It was Infantino's work at Warren that Ol' Groove really digs--mostly because of editor Louise (then Jones) Simonson's propensity for pairing the Golden-and-Silver-Age great with some of the Groovy Age's most far-out artists as inkers. Today's example, "Hide and Go Mad" (Creepy #85, November 1976) was inked by Weezie's future husband, the amazing Walt Simonson. Budd Lewis' shocker looks stunning, proving that an unlikely pairing of such different artists as Infantino and Simonson would make for some rollicking great comics! (And to up the "far-out" factor, Ol' Groove's tossing in Ken Kelly's ultra-cool cover!)

Bring on the Back-ups: "Clea, the Mystic Maiden" by Basner, Plunkett, and Salmons

What it is, Groove-ophiles! Here's another of those short back-ups Marvel produced during Archie Goodwin's tenure as Editor-In-Chief. This one comes from the back of Defenders #53 (August 1977). Written by Goodwin protege Naomi Basner (who had done some great articles for FOOM Magazine) with art by two more newcomers Sandy Plunkett and Tony Salmons, "Clea, the Mystic Maiden" is Dr. Strange's favorite student's first (and, as far as Ol' Groove can determine, only) solo tale. I always dug it, 'cause Clea gets to show that she doesn't have to rely on magic or Doc when the going gets tough!

Makin' Chaykin: "The Lights...Camera...Murder! Contract"

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! One of Ol' Groove's fave current TV shows is The Human Target. It's not a bit like the classic Len Wein creation, but it's still a really good action/adventure show. Still, nothing beats the original--especially when its penciled by an artist of the caliber of one Howard Victor Chaykin! Written by Wein and inked by Dick Giordano, "The Lights...Camera...Murder! Contract" hit the stands in Detective Comics #483 (December 1978/January 1979). Dig it!

Making a Splash: Barry (Windsor-) Smith's Avengers

What it is, Groove-ophiles! We love Barry (Windsor-) Smith here in Groove City, but how many of ya out there remember his three-issue stint as penciler of the mighty Avengers? 'Tis a fact, Jack! Issues 98-100 (January-March 1972), those epoch-making, post-Kree/Skrull War tales involving everyone-who-had-ever-been-an-Avenger battling Ares, the Enchantress, and their lackeys from Olympus were drawn by the dude who helped bring Conan to four-color life (and written by Roy Thomas, who wrote both mags pretty much longer and better than most everyone else!). Feast your eyes, Groove-ophiles!

Groove's Faves: 100-Page Super Spectacular DC-14 and a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Groove-ophiles! It doesn't seem that long ago that we were here welcoming in 2010, but sure 'nuff it's been a whole year. 2011. Wow. When I was but a Li'l Groove we thought we'd have flying cars by now. Or at least cars as cool as the Batmobile. That reminds me of a fave comic bought, believe it or not, on New Years Day 1973...

When I was but a Young Groove, the family usually spent New Years Day just hanging out at the house, enjoying each other, our Christmas gifts, and some quality time in front of the TV. On New Years Day 1973, though, Dear Ol' Dad decided to get out of the house for a few minutes and asked me if I'd like to tag along. Of course I would! I knew that a trip anywhere with DoD would mean I had a chance at a spinner-rack and a new comic. Sure 'nuff, he turned me loose at that magical merry-go-round of four color ecstasy, knowing full well I'd find something. And I did. Not just any old comic, mind ya, but DC's 100-Page Super Spectacular (DC-14) featuring Batman! DoD forked over a pair of quarters for that squarebound pile of nostalgic newsprint without batting an eyelash. Wotta guy!

It was an extra-special purchase for another reason, too--DC's 100-Page Super Specs had returned, baby! Back in the summer of 72 DC had quit making the Super Specs and replaced them with reprint mags like Secret Origins, Wanted, Johnny Thunder, Legion of Super-Heroes, Doom Patrol, and more. Those were great, and Young Groove snapped 'em up, but nothing could beat those 100-Page Super Spectaculars. They were missed. DC, bless 'em, heard fandom's cry and released this baby the day after Christmas, 1972. For more info on the return of the Super-Specs, as well as how editor-par-excellence E. Nelson Bridwell handled filling 100 pages with Gold and Silver Age classics, here are the letters pages for this ish. (And as an added bonus dig master letterhack Ricard H. Morrissey's "review" of Batman: From the 30s to the 70s--another classic Ol' Groove's gotta tackle one'a these days...)

I was glad the Specs were back, and let me tell ya, Groove-ophiles, I was in comicbook heaven. I had never seen an actual Bob Kane Batman tale before, so when I glommed his art on the two part Monk storyline (written by the great Gardner Fox making his Batman debut!), well, I flipped. Though I had really dug the art of Irv Novick, Bob Brown, and especially Neal Adams, this version of The Batman, with those long ears and the cape looking like batwings at every turn, was the ultimate version for me. (I think that's why I cottoned to Marshall Rogers' version so much.)

The Atom tale rocked me, too. Another classic written by Fox, this time the art was by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. Not only did I get to read the first adventure of the Atom in costume, but it was his classic battle with the other "tiny titan" Kulan Dar!

T'was the Atom's first time traveling via telephone, as well, complete with "scientific explanation". Can he pull that trick with a cell phone, I wonder?

The Blackhawk story was cool, too. "The Treasure of Ghanpat!" had slick art by Reed Crandall and Charles Cuidera, plenty of action, and really far-out airplanes. I always dug airplanes.

Speaking of airplanes, the Wonder Woman tale put her invisible plane to good use, and the H.G. Peters art was nifty in a weird kinda way, but WW creator William Marston's stories always left me cold. This one involving riding around on saddled kangaroos was the only disappointment in an otherwise perfect ish.

I always thought Doll Man had a dumb name and a dumb costume (sorry, but it's true), but danged if he didn't have fun adventures and great art (Reed Crandall? Bill Quackenbush?). Just take this1950 tale, f'rinstance. It was a hoot. And any superhero that has a dog--especially one named Elmo!-- for a sidekick was always cool with Young Groove.

After Batman, for some reason Wildcat was always my fave Golden Age DC hero. Was it the all-black costume? The wildcat mask? The motorcycle? The fact that he was a boxer? His sidekick/manager Stretch Skinner (introduced in this Bill Finger/Irwin Hasen classic)? Maybe it was all of the above.

Finally, "The Batmobile of 1950!" was the kind of story that really fired up Young Groove's imagination. All the stuff Batman could cram into that super-car just blew my mind! And as a fan of Speed Racer, watching the Batmobile leap across a crumbling bridge made me cheer. Joe Samachson, Dick Sprang, and Charles Paris could do no wrong in my eyes!

Yeah, it was a great New Years Day. I still have that tattered, coverless mag and great memories to go with it. Thanks again, Dear Ol' Dad! (Special thanks to The Old Warrior for the excellent scans on his truly far-out blog, DC 100-Page Super Spectacular Comic Book Downloads.)