The Cover
Last issue I mentioned that the painted covers of this issue and the next provide us with a glimpse of Batman's body language as he ejaculates in his bat shorts. I wish Brian Stelfreeze painted a variant cover for Issue #4 depicting Alfred scrubbing out the crusty gusset of Bruce's bat underwear. I suppose that's a cover didn't previously exist up until that moment but now Dream of The Endless has to place it in my section of his Dream Library as he mutters, "Christ, another fuckin' sick piece of work by this bastard?" Sorry, Morpheus, but at least my section of dream books must be a pleasant stroll in a sunny park next to Neil Gaiman's.
The Story So Far
Supposably, Batman has killed a cop and placed in Arkham Asylum without ever being read his rights, arrested for the crime, or given a trial. That's the second biggest clue that he didn't really kill a cop. The biggest clue is that all the police standing around when Batman killed the cop didn't immediately kill Batman too. Although I'm probably wrong about that because I'm sure nobody but Gordon, Batman, and the "dead" cop were in on the plan. That plan was to get Batman on the inside of Jeremiah's new and improved Arkham Asylum so he can investigate Zsasz and find out how he's escaping every night to murder people and pose them like happy families. Also, Nightwing's probably figured it out so he's off to help. Robin, on the the other hand, just sits at home and jerks it.
The Story
The issue begins with Nightwing breaking into Arkham through the ventilation ducts. He figures Batman's been framed because he knows Batman would never kill a cop, even accidentally. If Batman could kill accidentally, Dick reasons, the whole premise of the comic book would be shot. If accidental deaths could happen while Batman's beating the shit out of thugs, he'd have to stop beating the shit out of thugs. And then what red-blooded American kid is going to give two shits about Batman? The violence is the best part!
Dick (and the less astute readers) doesn't realize that Batman has set this whole thing up to catch Zsasz escaping the asylum. He's liable to ruin Batman's whole plan by not trusting him the way Robin trusts him. Unless Robin isn't trying to free Batman not because Batman told him not to but because Robin's a lazy fuck. Plus he's got the entire mansion to himself for a bit (ignoring Alfred, of course, which Tim does, constantly).
While crawling through the ducts, Nightwing runs into an old friend.
Last issue I mentioned that the painted covers of this issue and the next provide us with a glimpse of Batman's body language as he ejaculates in his bat shorts. I wish Brian Stelfreeze painted a variant cover for Issue #4 depicting Alfred scrubbing out the crusty gusset of Bruce's bat underwear. I suppose that's a cover didn't previously exist up until that moment but now Dream of The Endless has to place it in my section of his Dream Library as he mutters, "Christ, another fuckin' sick piece of work by this bastard?" Sorry, Morpheus, but at least my section of dream books must be a pleasant stroll in a sunny park next to Neil Gaiman's.
The Story So Far
Supposably, Batman has killed a cop and placed in Arkham Asylum without ever being read his rights, arrested for the crime, or given a trial. That's the second biggest clue that he didn't really kill a cop. The biggest clue is that all the police standing around when Batman killed the cop didn't immediately kill Batman too. Although I'm probably wrong about that because I'm sure nobody but Gordon, Batman, and the "dead" cop were in on the plan. That plan was to get Batman on the inside of Jeremiah's new and improved Arkham Asylum so he can investigate Zsasz and find out how he's escaping every night to murder people and pose them like happy families. Also, Nightwing's probably figured it out so he's off to help. Robin, on the the other hand, just sits at home and jerks it.
The Story
The issue begins with Nightwing breaking into Arkham through the ventilation ducts. He figures Batman's been framed because he knows Batman would never kill a cop, even accidentally. If Batman could kill accidentally, Dick reasons, the whole premise of the comic book would be shot. If accidental deaths could happen while Batman's beating the shit out of thugs, he'd have to stop beating the shit out of thugs. And then what red-blooded American kid is going to give two shits about Batman? The violence is the best part!
Dick (and the less astute readers) doesn't realize that Batman has set this whole thing up to catch Zsasz escaping the asylum. He's liable to ruin Batman's whole plan by not trusting him the way Robin trusts him. Unless Robin isn't trying to free Batman not because Batman told him not to but because Robin's a lazy fuck. Plus he's got the entire mansion to himself for a bit (ignoring Alfred, of course, which Tim does, constantly).
While crawling through the ducts, Nightwing runs into an old friend.
What year did Batman lose the ability to show emotion through his mask? It seems like he's had grim-face for at least two decades now.
Batman decides to let Nightwing tag along and help instead of yelling at him and telling him to bugger off and then Dick sticking around anyway. I mean that in a good way! It's so often the other way that this is refreshing. Batman's actually accepting help! Plus he explains everything to Dick immediately. By 1992, I probably was deep in my hatred of Dick Grayson thanks to his characterization by Marv Wolfman in The Titans so I completely missed this interaction between the Dynamic Duo. Bruce treats Dick with respect and like an equal here. I'm sure this wasn't the standard portrayal of these two even in 1992 though. This is probably all Alan Grant being a superb writer who understands how the relationship between these two should be. Or I really only read Wolfman's Nightwing during this time because why would I pick up any other books starring Dick Grayson if I thought he'd act the way Wolfman made him act?!
The two break into Jeremiah's office and begin digging through his files. Batman absolutely randomly stumbles upon a file for Everard Mallitt which seems interesting while Dick Grayson triggers an alarm while poking around Arkham's computer. Batman doesn't even yell at him! He just tells him to keep searching the file that set off the alarm, a file on the architect of the new asylum, Zolly Hiram.
The two break into Jeremiah's office and begin digging through his files. Batman absolutely randomly stumbles upon a file for Everard Mallitt which seems interesting while Dick Grayson triggers an alarm while poking around Arkham's computer. Batman doesn't even yell at him! He just tells him to keep searching the file that set off the alarm, a file on the architect of the new asylum, Zolly Hiram.
Nothing the staff at insane asylums love better than beating the shit out of the inmates.
I just got to the point in my Against the Day: One Line at a Time Blog where Merle Rideout is breaking Ed Addle out of Newburgh where I said the same thing as in that caption. So I should probably throw this panel up on that entry too, right?!
Coincidentally (even if Batman says later, "It can't be a coincidence!"), the two random people that Nightwing and Batman focus on in their search of Arkham's files are murdered by Zsasz that same night. If Batman and Nightwing had any sort of reason or given the slightest nod at doing detective work to explain why they searched the files of and then decided to talk to the two people Zsasz ended up murdering, I might think it wasn't a coincidence. Obviously Zsasz is clearing up loose ends. But why did Batman and Nightwing focus on those two people?! I think Norm Breyfogle lost a few pages of Alan Grant's script, shrugged, and just left them out, substituting a few more pages to replace them during the Amygdala fight near the end of the story.
Oh yeah, so after Nightwing escapes in plain view of everybody so Jeremiah and his goons all know Nightwing had broken in and maybe they might report it to the police, he escapes to go tell Robin everything's okay. But Batman is captured and sent to the punishment cells. But that isn't enough, according to Zsasz who seems to be Jeremiah's therapist. Zsasz suggests he break Batman in front of the entire asylum and then they'll all worship Jeremiah for being the guy who broke the Bat! "Break the Bat?" Jeremiah thinks and then pre-remembers Knightfall! But since Bane doesn't quite exist yet, he decides to break Batman with Amygdala who is just Bane without the luchador mask. Also without the smarts.
Coincidentally (even if Batman says later, "It can't be a coincidence!"), the two random people that Nightwing and Batman focus on in their search of Arkham's files are murdered by Zsasz that same night. If Batman and Nightwing had any sort of reason or given the slightest nod at doing detective work to explain why they searched the files of and then decided to talk to the two people Zsasz ended up murdering, I might think it wasn't a coincidence. Obviously Zsasz is clearing up loose ends. But why did Batman and Nightwing focus on those two people?! I think Norm Breyfogle lost a few pages of Alan Grant's script, shrugged, and just left them out, substituting a few more pages to replace them during the Amygdala fight near the end of the story.
Oh yeah, so after Nightwing escapes in plain view of everybody so Jeremiah and his goons all know Nightwing had broken in and maybe they might report it to the police, he escapes to go tell Robin everything's okay. But Batman is captured and sent to the punishment cells. But that isn't enough, according to Zsasz who seems to be Jeremiah's therapist. Zsasz suggests he break Batman in front of the entire asylum and then they'll all worship Jeremiah for being the guy who broke the Bat! "Break the Bat?" Jeremiah thinks and then pre-remembers Knightfall! But since Bane doesn't quite exist yet, he decides to break Batman with Amygdala who is just Bane without the luchador mask. Also without the smarts.
Big dumb oaf never stood a chance.
But then Jeremiah remembers the first part of the plan in Knightfall: tire Batman out by making him fight all the other villains! Well, he fucked it up but maybe it would work backwards? Maybe once Batman's tired from fighting Bane, he'll get his back broken by Poison Ivy and The Joker and and The Riddler and Crazy Quilt and Tweedle Dee and the Mad Hatter and Doctor Destiny and Two-Face and Scarecrow and Tweedle Dum and all the other ones.
Even in 1992, I couldn't name all of these villains. I just didn't read enough Batman!
The Ranking
Isn't it fucking crazy that this is basically the Memento version of Knightfall? Instead of the inmates breaking out of Arkham, Batman breaks in. Instead of fighting all of his villains and then finally the big muscled oaf Bane, Batman fights the big muscled oaf Amygdala before having to fight all of his villains. Did Alan Grant get a co-writer credit on Knightfall? It's no wonder I remembered this series so fondly even if I didn't remember the details. I always loved a comic or cartoon where all the heroes or villains made an appearance. So Batman being forced to fight all of his nemeses at once? I'm sure my mother cleaned a few pairs of stiffened tighty whities that month!
Yes, my mother was still doing my laundry at 20! Maybe. I might have taken it over by then because I was beginning to have sexy time relations with women and it didn't feel right to have my mother seeing the underwear of her non-virgin son! Gross!
Isn't it fucking crazy that this is basically the Memento version of Knightfall? Instead of the inmates breaking out of Arkham, Batman breaks in. Instead of fighting all of his villains and then finally the big muscled oaf Bane, Batman fights the big muscled oaf Amygdala before having to fight all of his villains. Did Alan Grant get a co-writer credit on Knightfall? It's no wonder I remembered this series so fondly even if I didn't remember the details. I always loved a comic or cartoon where all the heroes or villains made an appearance. So Batman being forced to fight all of his nemeses at once? I'm sure my mother cleaned a few pairs of stiffened tighty whities that month!
Yes, my mother was still doing my laundry at 20! Maybe. I might have taken it over by then because I was beginning to have sexy time relations with women and it didn't feel right to have my mother seeing the underwear of her non-virgin son! Gross!
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