A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 28: Guns are noisy

Hey, we can't let the month finish off without another visit to the wacky and wild Batman: Odyssey, can we? (A: nope.) I know Neal Adams's latter-day work isn't a fan favorite and is much-mocked, but hey, I love its over-the-top enthusiasm and sheer energy. Also: Neal gave Batman a gun!


Panels from Batman: Odyssey (2010 series) #1 (September 2010); script, pencils, and inks by Neal Adams, colors by Continuity Studios, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, May 28, 1993: That's Slick Willy for you, always with the smooth talk

from Superman (1987 series) #79 (July 1993), script and pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Brett Breeding, colors by Glenn Whitmore, typeset letters

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 149: Going...down, Mr. Jameson?

Panels from Ms. Marvel (1977 series) #19 (August 1978), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Bob McLeod, colors by Janice Cohen, letters by Joe Rosen

Batman Tells a Joke

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 27: Not Without My Mutant

Panels from Batman: The Dark Knight #2 (1986), script and pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Klaus Janson, colors by Lynn Varley, letters by John Costanza

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 148: J. Jonah Jameson, Tracer of Lost Spider-Men

Panels from Amazing Spider-Man #178 (March 1978), script by Len Wein, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Jim Mooney, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Joe Rosen

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 26: The Bad News Batman Goes to Japan

Tonight: we're reading Batman manga...or, as it's more properly known, BATMANGA! (na na na na na na na na / gong!)

Yes, let's look toward the East (or, if you're reading this from California, the West) to the Rising Sun of the classic work of Jiro Kuwata. Don't forget: read from right to left! Or you'll be very confused, and look hopelessly uncool to those hep, with-in, manga reading kids from their positions of sitting on the floor at Barnes and Noble.


The amazing title "The Man Who Quit Being Human" accompanies the uncanny story of an extraordinary governor evolving to the next level of all-new life...he's becoming a mutant! (There will now be a slight pause so you can riff "The Jesse Ventura Story!") All this mutanting means he can migrate over to Marvel Comics and drink in some of that luxurious, rich X-Men money, but he's still concerned about it. Well, wouldn't you, if you faced the prospect of losing that gorgeous head of hair?


Panels from "The Man Who Quit Being Human" in Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga v.1 (December 2014), originally published in 少年キング [Shonen King] #38/1966-#41/1966 (September 1966), and in translated form in the US in Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga digital comic #16-18 (October 2014); script, pencils, and inks by Jiro Kuwata; translation by Sheldon Drzka; English lettering by Wes Abbott
Y'know, dude, you want somebody to kill you, don't go to the Batman. I mean, Lord Death Manis probably hanging around somewhere nearby, ask him.

Later, as Governor Warner is pelted by gamma rays, Batman is introduced to the "high-powered laser" gun which will enable him not only to shoot Warner, but to scan coupons at his local Savings-Mart. To sum up so far: Batman's got a gun, but he's not too happy about it. Me, i would be over the moon. So much to shoot!


Let's draw back the curtains to reveal our special guest-star: Charles Burns's Black Hole! (cheers, applause)


OH MAN did you see the way it zapped that big-ass metal all into nothingness I really really want one of those!


"Batman, you've pledged to never, ever shoot a gun and kill somebody. Will you shoot a gun and kill someone?" "Yeah, okay."


Batman takes control of the giant laser! It's got handlebars like a motorcycle, so I like to think that this scene was accompanied by Shonen Knife's popular cover of "Born to Be Wild."


But Batman can't pull the trigger, not even to save all of humanity. Well, thanks a lot, Batman. This scene was accompanied by the 5.6.7.8.'s energetic cover of Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man." Yeah, I like to pretty much assume every panel of Batmanga is scored to J-Pop.


Thanks to Batman's cowardly reticence to slaughter a guy just because he possesses the "X" gene, all of humanity is at risk! Especially, for some reason, cosplayers. The mutation has turned Governor Warner into Batman Beyond! With one antenna in the middle of his forehead. He's a Terry McGinnis unicorn. McGinnicorn.


Dramatic...gesture! Speed lines! What looks like the Starfleet symbol on Spock's coffin! Batman is not shooting that laser, darn it!


QUICK BATMAN HURRY SHOOT HIM WITH THE LASER FROM FOUR FEET AWAY oh geez he missed.


Then, when Batman finally does manage to shoot X-Warner, there's no effect. It doesn't leave a scratch, thanks to new Hard-Coat Lemon Pledge! Pledge Furniture Polish: Keeping your home spotless and your mutants unshootable since 1953!


So: Batman has fired a gun, and it didn't do any good. Thus his long-held belief, oft expressed to Robin: "I don't use guns; I never will. The one time I did, I totally whiffed it."

Of course, the "kill me before I become too powerful...too late!" trope is a pretty popular one. Here's one of the more recognizable examples. This oughta make Batman feel lots better: hey, if Wolverine couldn't kill somebody, there's no shame in that. And Wolverine has been known to kill people just for taking the prize out of the cereal box before he gets it. Lookin' at you, Gambit.


Panels from [Uncanny7] X-Men (1963 series) #136 (August 1980), co-plot and script by Chris Claremont, co-plot and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Tom Orzechowski
And I'd be amiss (or a miss) if I didn't mention this Batmanga was based on a Batman tale from our own country, Batman #165's "The Man Who Quit the Human Race!" Please note that in the original Batman wasn't asked to kill the Governor, nor does he make any attempt to. "Come on, Robin!" he says, emphasizing the Boy Wonder's name in case you thought he might be addressing Green Lantern. "We've got to knock him out!" You hear that, ya lousy mutie? Batman said knock you out!


Panels from "The Man Who Quit the Human Race!" in Batman #165 (August 1964), script by Gardner F. Fox, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Joe Giella
So the score is: Japanese Batman placed in a situation where he must kill, almost can't do it, tries and fails. American Batman: doesn't even get asked to that particular prom.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 147: These are the dreams of the everyday Jonah

Panels from Amazing Spider-Man #246 (November 1983), script by Roger Stern, pencils by John Romita Jr., inks by Dan Green, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Joe Rosen

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 25: Chariots of Firing Guns

Panels from "The Mystery of the Space Olympics" in Detective Comics #260 (October 1958), pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris
What? Baffled? Bewildered? Bewitched? Batman with a gun, at the Olympics? (Well, the Space Olympics.) You can read more about it at your local library in pal Chris Sims's classic Olympic-year post over at ComicsAlliance: "Batman Dominates 'The Olympic Games of Space' Because Of Course He Does":

Batman turns out to be super awesome at shooting guns! You’d think he’d give that event a pass, but when the honor of an entire planet is at stake, I guess you just have to get past childhood trauma and a life-long moral code.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 146: And now, a free monologue for one actor, by J. Jonah Jameson

Panels from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #180 (May 1978), script by Len Wein, breakdowns by Ross Andru, finishes by Mike Esposito, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, May 24: Bizarro is not telling you to not have Unhappy Halloween from Bizarro World, or is he? Yes. He am not.

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published May 24, 2013.

Today: Happy Bizarro Halloween! from the planet known as Htrae! (Pronounced "hu-tray.")


from "The Halloween Pranks of the Bizarro-Supermen!" in Adventure Comics #294 (DCm March 1962), script by Jerry Siegel, pencils and inks by John Forte
(You know, I'd expect a Bizarro calendar to have more imaginary numbers and symbols, like May the Fish.)

Then, Bizarro No. 1 joins his "buddie-pals" for Halloween celebrations. Say, shouldn't that be "enemy-foes?" Also, instead of join, shouldn't that be "tear apart?" And instead of "then," should it be, "before?" Man, Bizarro World confuses me with its half-assed approach to being completely in reverse.


Ah, the good old days when Bizarro World was off somewhere in the same cosmos as Earth-1. No, according to Multiversity, it's the alternate dimension of Earth-29! Or, at least it will until midnight tonight, when it all gets blown up by Rebirth. BOOM! The New DC Universe...there's no stopping us now...from trying to undo every story since 1935.

Because knowing is half the battle, you can read more about this wacky story in "Bizarro Back Issues: The Existential Dread of Halloween on Bizarro World" by pal Chris Sims on the late, lamented Comics Alliance.

Remember: everything you know about Bizarro World is wrong. Because that am not way Bizarro World ain't.

So, Happy Halloween, guys! Trick's on you!

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 24: You Can Shoot a Lot at a Dummy

Panel from "The Cop Who Hated the Batman!" in Detective Comics #65 (July 1942), script by Joe Greene, pencils by Jack Burnley, inks by George Roussos, background inks by Ray Burnley, letters by Ira Schnapp (?)

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 145: For this they pre-empted Ed Sullivan?

Panels from X-Men/Spider-Man #1 (January 2009); script by Christos Gage; pencils, inks, and colors by Mario Alberti, letters by Jared K. Fletcher

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 23: A Salute to One of My Favorite Commenters

Panel from "The Joker Announces Danger" in Batman (1940 series) #97 (February 1956), script by Bill Finger, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris, letters by Pat Gordon

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 144: Another trip to the cardiac ward for JJJ

Panels from Civil War #2 (August 2006), script by Mark Millar, pencils by Steve McNiven, inks by Dexter Vines, colors by Morry Hollowell, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

A Month of... Batman's Got a Gun, Day 22: Final appearance, Fat British Riddler

Panels from Batman Confidential #13 (March 2008), script by Tony Bedard, pencils by Rags Morales, inks by Mark Farmer, colors by I.L.L., letters by John J. Hill

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 143: Sittin' in a hospital bed, frustration goin through my head / Turn off the TV set, take some drugs so I can forget

We'd like to wish a speedy and healthy recovery to J. Jonah Jameson, who's in the hospital for various spider-aggrevated tension, hypertension, amazingtension, spectaculartension, and weboftension.


Panels from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #71 (April 1969), plot and layouts by John Romita Sr., script by Stan Lee, finishes by Jim Mooney, letters by Sam Rosen
Still, he's under good medical care at the Hospital of Our Lady of Perpetual Fictionality, and he's unlikely to suffer any setback for any reason, right?




RIP J. Jonah Jameson, 1919-1969