Monday, December 7, 2009

Random Reads: "Batman's Greatest Failure!"

How about this for a far-out-yet-unlikely creative team for a Batman story? Michael (Spectre/Jonah Hex) Fleisher, Rich (Deathlok) Buckler, and Bernie (Swamp Thing) Wrightson. Intriguing, no? For more proof that Julie Schwartz was one of the greatest editors of all time, here's "Batman's Greatest Failure!" from Batman #265 (April 1975).

6 comments:

  1. Great issue. I had completely forgotten it until I started to read it again. Then it all came back -- especially the interchange between Gordon and Bats in Gordon's office. What was the commish smoking in the pipe of his to think that a padlock could keep Batman out????!!!

    Great fun.
    Father Dan

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  2. I thought the padlock bit was hilarious, though, as you say, it made the good Commissioner look like a moron or worse...

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  3. Yes... typical of the relationship between Batman and the police -- the first thing Gordon does, before getting his own boys on the job, on the job is call Batman, but then has his window padlocked so Batman can't get in, and then when Batman does show up, Gordon is already frustrated with him for breaking in. Then Batman (who, incidentally is not on the payroll) apparently screws up, Gordon tries to fire him. How he made commissioner is beyond me, at times.

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    Replies
    1. So true,sure there are times where Batman's tempted to dynamite the Bat-signal.

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  4. Thanks for posting the story I still recall from childhood...

    The story stayed in my memory precisely because it ends with one of the best one-liners of all time:

    "That depends, Commissioner... on what you mean by success!"

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  5. Page 14,last panel.The nerve of one JAMES GORDON,such frustration at BATMAN for being unable to prevent a second death,also threatening to remove BATMAN from the case as if the darkknight's getting paid for his troubles.I'd be sorely tempted to give him a BAT-BOOT to the BALLS.

    ReplyDelete

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


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