CSBG Archive
A Year of Cool Comics – Day 297
Here is the latest in our year-long look at one cool comic (whether it be a self-contained work, an ongoing comic or a run on a long-running title that featured multiple creative teams on it over the years) a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here‘s the archive of the comics posted so far!
Today, on a suggestion by reader the third man, we look at Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano (with assists by Berni Wrightson and Harlan Ellison)’s classic “Night of the Reaper” from Batman #237!
Enjoy!
This was one of the first comic books to be set at the annual Rutland, Vermont Halloween Parade, and it features Tom Fagan, the late founder of that parade (regular Comic Book Legends Revealed readers know we just recently discussed the Marvel/DC crossover involving Rutland).
The story deals with Dick Grayson going to visit the parade with a few college chums, but being waylaid by a mysterious group of men (with too much training to be simple thugs).
When he goes to investigate, he discovers what looks to be Batman…dead!
What an opening, huh?
Robin is startled enough that he falls down, but luckily, the REAL Batman was ALSO in town (some coincidence, huh?) and Robin is saved.
Batman was called in by a doctor who was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. He called Batman because he discovered one of the Nazis in charge of the camp alive and in Rutland! So Batman goes to investigate…
(that was, of course, the real Tom Fagan dressed as Batman)
but when he discovers one of the earlier stooges, he learns that THEY are here for the Nazi, as well!!
Pretty dramatic, huh?
Now we get a lot of nice 1970s pathos from Batman…
Have YOU guessed who the Reaper is (I’d hope so, there are not exactly tons of people to choose from)?
I won’t spoil the ending for you, but suffice to say that it is extremely dramatic.
This was a top-notch Halloween tale by one of the best creative teams you’ll ever be lucky to see.
13 Comments
Aaron Thall
October 24, 2010 at 6:13 am
Let me guess… Tom Fagan?
Brian Cronin
October 24, 2010 at 10:49 am
Ha! I guess I didn’t think of Fagan as a suspect. No, they did not turn him into a murderer. That would have been funny, though!
Apodaca
October 24, 2010 at 11:29 am
I love the Marvel costumes in there. Especially the guy dressed as Havok.
Pete Woodhouse
October 24, 2010 at 11:33 am
I guess Adams drew fellow pros too – Wrightson (part of the group on the 1st page?), Ellison, etc?
Craig B.
October 24, 2010 at 11:34 am
So the bottom panel of page 12, the comic book writer – is that supposed to be Denny O’Neil himself?
Brian Cronin
October 24, 2010 at 11:34 am
Yeah, Pete, lots of fellow pros appear in the issue (none named, though).
Aaron Thall
October 24, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Unless there’s a suspect you haven’t shown us, it has to be… ROBIN! He developed a split-personality from the mental anguish running around in short-shorts and pixie boots causes.
Third Man
October 24, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Thanks for taking me up on my suggestion Brian!
I first discovered this comic in a recommendation from an old issue of Wizard in the mid 90s, and I managed to find it at my local comic shop (you could still snatch up Neal Adams comics pretty cheap in those days). It was one of my favorite Batman stories when I was a kid, and proved to be my introduction to Adams–certainly a valuable discovery for a young comic fan.
If anybody’s interested, I write a film blog (http://thirdmanmovies.blogspot.com), as well as occasional pieces for Detroit’s Metro TImes: http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/author/daniel-joyaux/
Zor-El of Argo
October 25, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Batman telling Robin “Don’t be stupid, kid” just seems wrong.
Alex
October 25, 2010 at 2:32 pm
The Doctor it was the doctor, right?
Brian Cronin
October 25, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Yep.
I must be really bad at these mysteries, as I thought this one and the one awhile back for Elongated Man’s birthday mystery were clear, but I guess I was mistaken!
Lt. Clutch
October 28, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Man, they blew up poor Bumblebee… AGAIN!
Scott
November 1, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Man, some of that dialogue is very… “goddamn” Batman-esque.