| Title | : | Batman Archives, Vol. 1 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0930289609 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780930289607 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 306 |
| Publication | : | First published November 14, 1997 |
Batman Archives, Vol. 1 Reviews
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I love Batman. Always have. I think it was pretty awesome of DC to release these early Detective Comic stories in archive collections so that fans like me can read and hold the origin stories of their super heroes without having to pay out millions of dollars.
The stories and drawings, though some a bit corny and dated, are none the less impressive for what they represent, and the world-wide phenomena that these early stories sparked. -
Logging in place of the original Detective Comics issues on the DC app, which meant it took me about five times as long to get through this initial outing than it would otherwise. But over time, the ensemble of private dicks and crusading reporters took on the role of a Greek chorus, making Finger and Kane's resonances, as well as their innovations, that much more apparent. In one sense, everything here seems just slightly dialed up to a new pitch: the gangsters that much more flamboyant, the mad scientists that much madder, the tentative stabs at constructing a world beyond the subjective experience of the protagonist that much more frequent. But if one were being hyperbolic, one might also say that from the beginning the Batman feels like an invader into this staid pulp universe, a plasmate of infinite energy capable of adapting itself to any genre, narrative, or tone. The final issue here involves three criminals donning devil costumes to terrorize the city, which feels like a Morrisonian touch if I ever saw one. At this rate, I look forward to revisiting their run in about 35 years.
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Batman was the second full-fledged superhero published by National Periodicals, soon to be better known as DC. The kernel of the idea was proposed by artist Bob Kane, and fleshed out by writer Bill Finger, with a first appearance in Detective Comics #37. As the Shadow was to Doc Savage, so Batman was to Superman, a skilled man operating in the shadows, rather than a superhuman operating in the light of day. But both, of course, dedicated to justice in their own ways.
This “Archives” edition is a hardbound full-cover reprint of the Batman stories from Detective Comics #37-50. I believe this was the first of this collector’s bait format, thus the “introductory price.”
We open, of course, with “The Case of the Criminal Syndicate.” Police Commissioner Gordon is chilling with his young socialite friend Bruce Wayne, talking about rumors of a mysterious “Bat-Man.” Gordon is informed of a murder among the wealthy citizens of the city, and Bruce tags along as he hasn’t got anything better to do. Chemical syndicate head Lambert is dead, and the most likely suspect is his son.
The son claims he didn’t do it, and to lend credence to this claim, a call comes from Crane, one of Lambert’s three partners, explaining that both of them had threats made against their lives. Bruce Wayne becomes bored and goes home. Crane is murdered too, but before the murderer escapes with a certain paper, a mysterious Bat-Man appears, beats up the murderer and his partner and takes the paper.
From this, Batman is able to figure out which of the two remaining partners is the mastermind. He saves the fourth partner, and punches the villain into a tank of acid. Commissioner Gordon explains the plot to Bruce, who finds it all highly unlikely. But in the last panel, we learn that Bruce Wayne himself is in fact the Batman! What a twist!
The hyphen was quickly dropped, but Batman’s habit of killing opponents in the heat of battle took a bit longer to disappear. The art is kind of crude, and the plot borrowed heavily from a Shadow pulp story, but the creators were on to something new in comics, and rapidly improved. (Plus Bob Kane started having assistants to keep up with the work.)
#29 brings us “The Batman Meets Doctor Death.” The title opponent is Batman’s first opponent with a catchy nom de guerre (his actual name is the pretty nifty Dr. Karl Hellfern), his first mad scientist enemy, and his first recurring enemy. In the following issue, Doctor Death also becomes Batman’s first hideously disfigured villian, as his face is burnt off. These two stories have unfortunate ethnic stereotypes as Doctor Death’s henchmen, and Gardner Fox’s lack of research into authentic ethnic background information is obvious.
Batman is also pretty careless with his secret identity of Bruce Wayne in this story; if Doctor Death had been just a little sneakier Batman’s double life would have been over only a few months after his debut. There’s a cameo by the man who will become the Crime Doctor much, much later on, Bruce Wayne’s personal physician, who wonders how the lazy upper-class twit managed to shoot himself with no powder burn.
#31-32, “Batman Versus the Vampire” introduces Batman’s first full-fledged supervillain, the Monk, who wears a distinctive costume (red monk’s robes and a red hood with a skull & crossbones sigil), and as a vampire/werewolf has supernatural powers. He and his sidekick (lover?) Dala kidnap Bruce Wayne’s fiancee Julie Madison (also appearing for the first time) for reasons never fully explained, and after much action and scary stuff, Batman puts silver bullets through their hearts.
This story also makes it clear that Batman operates in New York City, which was changed to Gotham City later for ease of fictionalization.
#33, “The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom” is most notable for finally getting around to telling us why Bruce Wayne runs around in a bat costume fighting crime. This simple two-page origin would eventually be vastly expanded upon and become an important part of the mythos.
#34, “Peril in Paris” has Bruce Wayne run into a man without a face. Who is not the villain of the story. That’s the fellow who stole his face. It’s still not back by the end of the story (and the flowers with women’s heads are not explained either), but this faceless fellow and his beautiful sister are the first people Batman reveals his true identity to. And then are never seen again.
#36, “Professor Hugo Strange” introduces the title character, another mad scientist, who takes part of his inspiration from Professor Moriarty, but is also large and muscular, able to give Batman a good tussle even without his fog machine, monster men and other gimmicks.
#38 “Introducing Robin, the Boy Wonder” does just what it says. Circus acrobat Dick Grayson loses his parents to criminals, and is taken in by Batman, who gives the lad a costume and training to become a crimefighter. (He also reveals his identity to Dick off-camera.) Thanks to this, Robin gets the quick closure that Batman never did by tracking down and convicting his parents’ killer.
Robin was the first superhero’s boy sidekick in comic books, and soon the market was flooded with them. He lightened up the Batman character and gave the Caped Crusader someone to have dialogue with rather than think out loud to himself.
Also about this time, Batman got his own solo comic book series, but that’s another volume.
#40, “Beware of Clayface!” introduces the first villain to wear that name, crazed horror actor Basil Karlo (a riff on Basil Karloff, who was a swell guy in real life.) Julie Madison begins her career as a movie actress. In #49, the Basil Karlo Clayface returns (and then would not be seen again for decades) and Julie decides to break her engagement to Bruce for his fecklessness. (Little realizing it’s only a cover for his activities as Batman.)
#44, “The Land Beyond the Light!” is the first full-on fantasy story for Batman, as the Dynamic Duo is transported to another dimension and interfere in a war between giants and little people. It’s all Dick Grayson’s dream in the end, but soon such stories would become a regular thing.
#50 ends this volume with “The Case of the Three Devils.” Three circus acrobats have turned to crime using devil costumes and their ability to pull off outrageous physical stunts. They give Batman and Robin quite a chase before the Caped Crusaders can finally corner them. Batman’s superior use of terrain gives him the victory.
Again, lots of exciting action portrayed in a new way for 1939-40. Some plots are overly simplistic, while others become nonsensical if you think about them too carefully, but the writing gets much better as it goes along. There’s also an illuminating foreword by comics scholar Rick Marschall.
This is a must have for the serious Batman collector; other Batman fans should check it out at the library to see the early development of the classic characters. -
Comic books were a part of my life before I learned to read, and I have always had a fondness for the Batman. Somehow I never managed to read even a reprint of his debut adventure from 1939 ("The Case of the Chemical Syndicate") until now. And - it surprised me. It wasn't the plot, but the way it was structured with a nice twist at the end. That is the work of Bill Finger, the oft-overlooked co-creator of the Batman and writer of most of the stories in this volume.
It was quite a thrill to see how quickly so much of the Batman mythos coalesced and began to flourish in a period of just two years (this volume covers 1939-1941 of Detective Comics). Many of the iconic Batman poses seen in comics and movies appear here for the first time, as do some of the array of tools in his arsenal (like the Batmobile - red, no less - and the batarang). The supporting cast is also quickly set up and kept consistent: Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Julie Madison (Bruce Wayne's first fiance) and the most important supporting cast member: the city the Batman protects (not yet named Gotham).
The stories also include other elements not often found in Golden Age stories but would later become hallmarks of comics: recurring villains like Clayface (twice in this volume), references to prior stories (the story in Detective Comics 39 referred to an earlier issue and brought back a character from that tale; Clayface's return was a direct sequel to his earlier story) and the establishment of the Batman as not just a costumed adventurer but as a sleuth and also as a fearsome presence. The groundwork for the wild fight scenes that were prevalent in that (loathsome, in my opinion) television show were also set up here.
I have read many Golden Age tales of late, and it is clear that Bill Finger and Bob Kane created something that unquestionably stood out in the crowded newsstands of the late 1930s. The spark of something special is very evident here and so exciting to witness. -
So this is how it all begin...in 1940 Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane came together and started something which has now become legend....wait for it...dary!!! I am sure when they started out they had no idea that Batman would become so popular and would have almost cult like following even after so many years. A lot of credit goes to the visionary writers and path breaking artists (of the seventies/eighties) who have toiled to give this exulted status to the Dark Knight and its other Gotham characters.
SPOILERS:
The archives contain the Batman tales in chronological order and by today's standards they are extremely juvenile and at best mildly amusing. Some things that will surprise today's reader about the Batman - 1. He has no qualm about killing the bad guys and sometimes even regrets not disposing of them properly.
2.In the initial stories he does not even have a bullet proof vest and gets shot in the arm by a henchmen.
3.The utility belt consists of some glass pellets which has a gas in it to confound the villains and a simple silk rope. (that's it)
4. Bruce Wayne has a Fiance (Julie Madison) who abruptly appears in one story and disappears
5. The initial stories don't take place in Gotham City
6. There is no Alfred!
The art is very weak and Bob Kane appears as a amateur especially when you compare him with his peers in the same era (John Prentice, Will Eisner and Chic Young). The stories are amusing for those times and have enough twists to appeal to a young audience.
Conclusion: History teaches us a lot and by reading this GN we learn to appreciate the humble beginnings of our caped crusader, Robin, the Joker, Catwoman and Dr. Strange. It is worth a read especially for Batman fans. -
It's so humblng and amazing to see where the Dark Knight started. Not so dark, really. Kind of rough around the edges. Some pretty embarrassing artwork, and more of a Sherlock Holmes character mixed with a little Roger Moore James Bond than the tough as nails and complicated (aka crazy) guy we know today. This might be the perfect place to start for some who are interested in getting into Batman... but it's not exactly the Batman you would be expecting. And really, there's no reason to get into Batman by starting *at the beginning* by any means. This is probably more of interest to Batman fans who have forgotten or have never seen his origins. DC Archive editions are nice, though expensive - but this one is priced at an introductory $19.99. After that they're all $49.95 a piece. Whew.
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Not sure if this was the first Archive Editions book that DC produced but it was among the earliest ones. The Archive Editions were advertised as being better bound than most collections. They were also printed on acid-free paper. I don't know if all that is true or not but they were certainly pricier than the usual collections. I also know that the paper was glossier than the paperbacks so the packages did look better. Be that as it may the books were probably worth the money. I just didn't buy that many due to the cost.
Now on to this particular book. The stories contained within appeared in Detective Comics Nos. 27 - 50, and thus are some of the earliest Batman stories. Most of the stories dealt with run of the mill criminals but there are some super-villains. Oddly enough though most of them made no further appearances until the seventies or eighties. Of the villains who became Batman's main foes only The Joker appears in this book, his third appearance. Another villain in this book, Professor Hugo Strange, would make his last appearance until the eighties but would get revived twice. One version appeared on Earth-One and a later story featured the Professor Strange of Earth-Two. Another oddity is that at the end of the story in Detective Comics #37 there is a brief blurb for the story in the next issue. However when #38 came out that story wasn't there, but rather the story introducing Robin the Boy Wonder was in that issue. The story promised was instead in the first issue of the Batman Comic. Besides the stories involving criminals, both the ordinary and the not so ordinary there was one story that had Batman confronting a spy ring and one that was more in the human interest vein. The spies Batman fought were obviously supposed to be German but since the US was not yet involved in WWII they were from some fictious country. All in all this collection was quite enjoyable with a variety of stories. For the fan of Batman or of Golden Age comics this is a volume well worth picking up. Happy reading. -
As a big Batman🦇 fan for a very long time I was excited to get my hands on this. This time has the first 24 issues of ‘Detective Comics’ which featured Batman and eventually Robin the Boy Wonder. At times it reminded me a bit of the 60’s TV show with some of the corny one-liners, very poor puns which actually made me smile and cartoonish artwork of the foes.
A reader today needs to remember when this was written … late 30’s early 40’s. So times, and many other things were very different. Some of the early stories ended with the bad guy dying and Bats not doing anything to try to rescue them.
Bruce Wayne is shown with a fiancé 😱😱 and actually smoking quite a bit (mainly a pipe … probably to look sophisticated … but occasionally cigarettes too) The fiancé is gone before the end of issue #50, but the smoking was still present, and must go away later on.
It was interesting to see the progression of the Caped Crusaders into the crime fighters that I remembered. Not so much of the DARK brooding character that is being written about now but one that is still a bit lighter where he is fighting jewel thieves and bank robbers occasionally instead of always up against costumed super-villains.
I thoroughly enjoyed this stroll through a childhood hero’s beginnings. I look forward to more Bat-adventures on the same Bat-channel. 😃😂 -
This is the original “Bat-man” from the “Detective Comics” series and contains Vols 1 and 2 of the “Batman Chronicles” series from 1939-1941.
The comics have several continuity flaws such as deciding on Batman’s physique, the size of his ears (somehow shorter became the norm), car color of the Bat-Mobile and episodes that were “supposed to come out,” but never did! Still, I liked the narratives and lots of literary references made by Bill Finger.
One thing I disliked about this book is that the original comics (pre-Robin) are better than the episodes with Robin. As the series progresses, they tone down the violence in order to appeal to a mass audience of children. Still, there are several graphic scenes of violence by the bad guys, so I guess that counts.
I’m satisfied overall and I was surprised by how long it took me to read all 28 episodes. Any Batman fan would enjoy it, trust me! -
Very enjoyable hardcover collection of the first few tales of The Batman. In these tales, such villains as the Joker and Clayface are introduced, and Robin the Boy Wonder joins Batman about halfway through the collection. Not great story telling but definitely enjoyable to see the starting information and tales. The art work is reflective of the time and definitely evolves throughout the collection.
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Fun to see the start of the icon that is Batman. The stories are mostly very silly, but they do entertain. Robin, The Joker, Professor Strange, Clayface and Commissioner Gordon all appear as well, so interesting to see their beginnings too.
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Loved it for what it was, but this is definitely Batman’s early days.
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this is VERY much a product of its time (read: rampant anti-asian racism, a near complete lack of/sidelining of women) but it's a fun read and interesting piece of history
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All consecutive issues of Detective Comics, complete, from #27 - #50 including the covers.
I love the earlier issues more so than the newer stuff. -
This volume contains, chronologically, the introduction of 'the Batman' in Detective Comics No. 27, May 1939 to the April 1941 issue, Detective Comics No. 50, where by that time he was a recurring superhero. In these issues, the audience meets Bruce Wayne and finds out about his parents' murder, which motivated Wayne to assume an alter ego in the Batman. Because Wayne is successful and he is not known for doing much work, he is considered a lazy playboy, but a lazy playboy who nonetheless has several city connections, including one connection in the police commissioner (I cannot recall if it was Commissioner Gordon yet).
Robin is also introduced. As fate would have it, Wayne went to a circus performance and saw the death of Dick Grayson's parents, who were killed by some extortionists who had tampered with the Grayson family's trapeze ropes. After that incident, Wayne recruited and trained Grayson to seek vengeance on the murderers and assume the alter ego of Robin, 'the Boy Wonder.' The preface to this volume states that Robin was introduced to give Wayne someone to talk to, that is, to make Wayne more of a three-dimensional character in his own right and not just someone who has seen occasionally talking to one of his connections and then donning the bat suit. In terms of the story's content, it is suggested that Wayne recruited Grayson because Wayne was a lonely man who could in helping avenge the murders of Grayson's parents somehow cathart the loss of his own parents when he was younger.
Two other characters that appear in these comic issues and who are set to recur are Julie Madison and the Joker. Julie Madison was Wayne's first love interest in the Batman comic, and she was his fiancee. However, in these issues, after beginning to pursue an acting career, she begins to believe that Wayne is not a serious man, that he cares about nothing and wants to do nothing, and therefore she decided to break off the engagement, constantly comparing the shadowy figure of the Batman as a foil to Wayne who represents for her someone who does care about people. Of course Wayne does not feel he can tell Julie his secret. Joker, on the other hand, is introduced with no back story. He is a villain who often assumes masks or makeup, but who under the masks or makeup has a joker face, completely white except for his red lips, the latter curled into a large smile. The Joker gets everyone to commit his crimes for him, so more or less he is the first criminal mastermind presented to the audience in the Batman comic books.
Even though all of this material is favorable toward these elements of the Batman storyline, this volume nevertheless contains often dull storylines where the Batman (and sometimes Robin) is trying to solve a crime I am not interested in committed by a criminal who will not last and who is not in the least bit interesting. Yet I am happy to have seen the development of Batman from this exposure to the early issues. -
Okay, this wasn't as painful to read as I at first thought it might be. In fact I find myself enjoying reading some of the golden age Batman stuff.
Old school Batman had a lot of things different from the current incarnation we all know.
All and all I am enjoying the golden age stuff. Much better than the Teen Titans from the 60s, I was trying to read earlier. -
The Batman Archives is the must have book for any Batfan's collection! The very 1st issue of Batman that was ever written is in this very book! Detective Comics Number 27 From May Of 1939, The Bat-Man! Back then, they had a space between Bat and Man! LOL Anyway, the stories will very much surprise you, as they did with me. Batman was very different back then, not just in appearance but, also in personality. His methods for fighting villains at that time was nothing short of questionable or even dare I say Merciless! He did not hesitate to ''kill'' his adversaries if that's what it came down to....... And He even carried a gun!!!! Is your mind blown yet? Because Mine sure was!!!! I Can safely say, I'm glad they changed these what I consider flaws to the Dark Knight. Nevertheless, this Archive is something no Batman fan should be without! As it was at a time when Comic books were a new thing and very experimental.
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I think my first realization of comic book continuity came from reading Batman: From the 30s to the 70s from the Roselle Public Library. I loved that book, reading it a number of times until it vanished from the shelves. In all my years of buying and collecting comics, I never managed to snag a copy of that book. Now, however, I have the next best thing. The Batman Archives reprints all of the Batman stories from Detective Comics, starting from his first appearance. In perusing this book, I read a number of tales I had fondly remembered from my youth. The stories are simplistic, and the dynamic duo spends time fighting gangsters rather than costumed villains, but it's still a great read. The best part about it is that since it's on my shelf, I don't have to worry about losing it to a dishonest library patron.
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I am a huge Batman fan yet hadn't read the oldest and original comics, which emerged in the late 30's. It is amazing to see how far Batman has come, both visually and as a character. There is a simplicity to his early years that is both charming and compelling. Even from his first issue he was wise-cracking, and his cracks alone while knocking out enemies is worth the price of admission. My favorite: "laughing at me, eh? Well how about if I put you in STITCHES!"
I liked Kane's early drawings, primitive as they are. I like how he refers to Batman as "weird creature of the night," and Robin always as "laughing." The stories read like old mysteries, with a touch of sci-fi. They hold up, even in modern times. -
There was only one really good story in here--this monk in a red hood hypnotizes people, and also vampires are somehow involved. But most of the other stories are boring as hell--a bunch of gangsters are holed up in a room, Batman smashes through the window, a bad guy yells "I'm gettin' outta here, that guy's dynamite!" Then Robin jumps on him and wraps his legs around the guy's head.
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What a treat! The first two years of Batman's adventures from Detective Comics. Love the original Batmobile--a red roadster convertible--and Bruce Wayne's omnipresent billiard pipe in down moments. Interesting too how Batman quickly morphed from bloodthirsty vigilante to wisecracking Errol Flynn impersonator.
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Probably more like 3 1/2. The art is fantastic and some of the quips are fun, but the Bat and the Boy Wonder hadn't developed much personality, though the Joker is pretty great from the get-go. I'm no comics expert, so this is all pretty new to me. Perhaps I'll eventually make my way toward the zany 60's and later some Frank Miller.
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Some of the very first Batman stories are collected here. Most early comic books are bad in both story and art. These stories are. There is interest to see how this popular character began and developed and, yes, late in the game an unattributed Shakespeare quotation.
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The original comic books written by Bill Finger and drawn and colored by Bob Kane. First published in comic book form in 1939.
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Worth reading.
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Good ol' Batman!
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This reprint of the Batman stories from the first few years of Detective reveals just how crappy most of the early Batman stories were.
