Today in Comics History, Chinese New Year: These days, she says, "I feel my life / Just like a river running through" / The year of the bat

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published January 31, 2014.

Happy Chinese New Year! Now begins the Year of the Tiger, as heard in that popular music song by Survivor. I'm sure I'll still be writing "Year of the Bull" on my checks for a couple more months. Yes, I loved the Year of the Bull in 2021 and I'm looking forward to when it comes around again in 2033 (I'll be 7), but please enjoy helping Batman solve the mystery of "The Crimes of Jade!" Aw, Miz Jezebel, you said you were gonna go straight, shame on you.



from "The Crimes of Jade" in Detective Comics (1937 series) #139 (DC, September 1948), cover by Win Mortimer, script by Bill Finger, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris



Alongside a Chinese-American police detective, Batman and Robin investigate a robbery of precious jade in Gotham City's Chinatown. Okay, y'all let's see if you can keep the casual racism down to a minimum, will ya?


Ling's father is killed. Now it's personal. Batman, of course, has no frame of reference for consoling someine who's lost a parent...hey!


You can't have a Chinese new Year story without a giant dragon! It's not just a good idea, it's the law. Also debuting in this story: the Chinese-Bat-Signal! It's like a regular Bat-Signal but half an hour later you want to see Batman again. (Sorry, sorry.)


Man's father just died, Batman and robin, maybe lighten up on the grins a little.


In another Chinese New Year story starrng Batman, it's The Year of the Bat! Note: A Year of the Bat does not actually exist in the Chinese Zodiac.


from The Brave and the Bold #75 (DC, December 1967), script by Bob Haney, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Mike Esposito
And who's that colorfully costumed Bat-Guy in green? Why, it's Batman himself! Say, they really should make an action figure of that outfit.


Whoa! That's a whole lotta grin for the Dark Knight. This must be Earth-Haney! Yep, as we can tell from the swingin' Chinese teens! Aside from the unfortunate orange "flesh' coloring, which was a constant for all of DC's Asian characters for many years, this is actually a fairly nuanced and, despite the pageantry, a non-stereotypical scene. Especially Haney writing any father who approves of his kid! (See: Teen Titans.) Why, this story is just plain fun for everybody!


Then there's some adventures and crimes and hitting and, oh, looks like the bad guy dies along the way, but all's well that ends with the divine spirit of God's wrath on Earth makin' jokes with Batman.


In another Lunar New Year tale, it's up to Robin V (Damian Wayne) and Katana...

WHO IS JAPANESE, NOT CHINESE

...to save the day.



from Batman: Li'l Gotham #3 (DC, August 2013); co-script, pencils, inks, and colors by Dustin Nguyen; co- script by Derek Fridolfs, letters by Saida Temofonte
Altho' let's not kid ourselves, it's really Alfred who kicks snake ass in this story. Do snakes have asses? Well, whatever they've got, Alfred is kicking them.



So, from Batman and Dennis the Menace (the Dynamic Duo), may I wish you great happiness and prosperity in this, the Year of the Tiger. Gong hei fat choy, everybody!




from "Happy Chinese New Year" in Dennis the Menace (1959 series) #65 (Hallden/Fawcett, March 1963), script by Fred Toole, pencils and inks by Owen Fitzgerald