The boys are back in town, and that town is Gotham City. Yep, M & M Inc. are taking a look at five ‘80s Batman stories from writer Alan Brennert. A screenwriter, author, and producer by trade, Brennert is a lifelong comic book lover who gifted us with just a handful or more of comics over the years, but his hits-to-misses ratio is off the charts. He’s basically pitched the perfect game of comic book writing. Each one of this stories is heartfelt and memorable. Many of them starred Batman, and it’s five of those pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths tales that we’re going to read and discuss here, starting with an anniversary issue, Detective 500, followed by four issues of The Brave and the Bold.
Michael: I read all of these as a kid and love them to this day, especially the final story we’ll be covering, “The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne.” I’m friends with Mr. Brennert on Facebook and hope he’ll see our post when it’s done! He always seems humbled to learn how much fans love his comic book work.
Mark, what is your experience with Alan Brennert and these particular issues of his?
Mark: I just read that intro that Alan Brennert wrote in his 2016 collection. He tells a story about trying to sell his first comic story to Creepy, and if he had, maybe he becomes a full time comic book guy. I wish he had sold that comic, because everything he writes is off the charts good. Knowing that he wrote some of the 1980s Twilight Zone tv show, I kind of see his Batman stories as Twilight Zoneish stories. Phantom Stranger is totally a Twilight Zone kind of guy. Let's jump into his first story that appeared in Detective 500!
Detective Comics 500
Michael: I love the origin for this story, which Alan Brennert tells in the introduction to the collected edition of his Batman comics. He pitched the idea to pal Paul Levitz for someone else to write, but Levitz said, “You’re a writer. Why don’t you write it?” And thus was born Brennert’s first published comics story. Not only did DC publish it, but they did so in a major anniversary issue! Amazing stuff.
I love how in his first Batman story, Brennert establishes what makes his Batman so special. There’s real heart behind this issue, a pathos too, as it deals with loss and grief, and trying to go back and change the past to help ease your grief. When Phantom Stranger offers Batman the chance to travel to an alternate universe to save the lives of his parents on that world, he says “This is your second chance, Bruce Wayne—and I offer it to you as a friend and a comrade.” That really takes me back to the greatness of the Bronze Age, when heroes could talk to each other the way friends would in real life.
Mark: I wish Phantom Stranger was my friend. I constantly think about going back in time and fixing a slight mistake here or there, but I've come to realize how pointless that is. It's important to appreciate everything that brought you to where you are, and all the choices you made.
Speaking of choices, I wonder where Batman and Robin got their civilian clothes on the alternate Earth. Bruce Wayne isn't spending Earth-1 dollars at Macy's is he? And Robin not finding any heroic mythology is insane. Did Joseph Campbell even write Hero of a 1000 Faces?? Every myth and story is just about some people hanging out, being petty, getting some food.
Also Robin telling Batman to not stop his parent's murder, and his big reason is “You'll condemn him to a life as a spoiled playboy!” Yeah. He'll just be rich, bored, and have his parents around instead of having such a bad psychosis that he dresses up like a bat at night and punches people who also dress up and murder people. Condemned to wealth with no trauma!
Michael: Robin’s rationale for not saving the Waynes is the kind of thing I expect from someone with absolutely no child rearing experience. Um, dude, the kid has tantrums. He’s a child! That’s what they do! It doesn’t mean he’s condemned to a lifetime as a spoiled brat. That part bugged me, but I like how Batman just ignored Robin’s nonsense.
Yeah, this story really captures that wistful, yet conflicted feeling of wanting to go back and “fix” something in your life. Brennert writes some of the most emotionally affective comics I’ve ever read, which is why I wish he’d written more of them! Mark, what do you think of how Brennert writes Batman?
Mark: I think he writes Bruce Wayne with a great vulnerability that you rarely see. There's an everyman projection that happens when you're reading, that makes you feel like you are Batman in that moment. I love how this finishes, where Batman didn't need his parents to die to become Batman, he just needed inspiration. In a world with no hero myths, Phantom Stranger planted the seed. The true hero here, Phantom Zone Stranger.
Michael: Beautifully said, my friend. Brennert writes a more complex, nuanced Bruce/Batman than most writers, before or since.
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Michael: Brennert’s next Bat-tale is a team up with the Creeper, in one of my favorite Bronze Age DC series, The Brave and the Bold. I like how early on we get some Dark Knight Detective work, as Batman is flummoxed by a serial murderer. Creeper shows up to help, Batman takes him to the Batcave (!) to look into clues and Creeper calls him “Bats” which he doesn’t like. Then Creeper calls “BM” which is much worse, so eventually Batman asks him to just call him Bats again. This whole part feels like it would’ve fit perfectly in the animated Brave and the Bold show!
I’m thrown by Jack Ryder’s annoyance with the other newsman at the station (love the station name: WHAM!), whose segment is all about right wing reactionary bluster. Isn’t that Ryder’s usua schtick? Maybe that’s why he’s annoyed, this guy’s ripping off his bit.
Mark: Seeing Aparo's amazing work on the Creeper, and Brennert characterization, makes me realize I've never read my Ditko issues of Creeper. I honestly feel don't know who Jack Ryder is. I will say, it's fascinating to see a right wing propagandist exploiting fear on TV as one part of the story, and the other part is killer paper. Here kids, Killer paper! Here adult, hatred being exploited to control to gain right wing viewers on TV. I blame Fox News, but it's always been there.
Michael: Yeah, reading this now is fairly depressing. Just proves how long we’ve cultivated hate mongering in our media. As for the killer paper, while I understand the origami connection, I wish all the negative psychic energy had manifested something a little more, I dunno, scary? Besides that though, the rest of this issue completely works for me. The Ryder/Creeper stuff is good, and it’s one of the only Creeper stories I can remember where I actually liked the Ryder identity. My favorite moment was when he tells Batman that if he only ever showed courage as Creeper, what kind of her would he be? I love how, in the midst of this fantastical killer paper story, Brennert drops some deep thoughts like that. All in all, a solid B&B tale from 1981.
Mark: Even though the Origami villain is kind of corney, it's made for kids, right? And I was just reading about certain politicians focusing on groups, and those groups then reporting an uptick in violence. Something I know is a fact, and something Brennert threw in subtley for people to read here. Also, 70s Jim Aparo is amazing. I think his 70s work might be in my all time top 10 now. On to the next issue.
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Mark: So we pick this up months later. Life has been doing its things. Onward.
Michael: Brennert returned to B&B just three issues later, and once again he’s teaming Batman up with some more Ditko creations, Hawk and Dove (or, as Dove says this issue, “They call me THE DOVE, gentlemen…”). First of all Aparo is on fire as usual for this time period. He peppers the first few pages with a couple cool panels of Batman swinging on his line through San Francisco. He tracked a mobster there from Gotham and, whoch means we get a brief opening interlude with Hal (Green Lantern) and Barry (Flash). Bruce is humorless and tells them he has to jet to do some crime fighting, then Hal challenges Barry to a race down to his place in Los Angeles. I love their relationship, so fun during that era.
Mark: This is Brennert's commentary on the 60s, as looking at what became of the spirit by 1981. Like Henley says “ We haven't had that spirit here, since 1969.” Also cool to see Kennedy, King and Lennon mentioned in the intro. He really only writes when he has something major to say.
Michael: Batman has a run in with Hawk, who is clearly losing his marbles. He’s seriously on edge, aggrieved by society’s inability to give him everything he wants out of life (seriously, he is SO Trumpy in this issue), and then raises his hand to his wife when she tells him he’s out of control. Whoa. I always hated this character but he’s loathsome so far in this issue. Meanwhile Dove is more my speed, lamenting stuff like “When did humanism become a dirty word?” I relate hard to this character so far.
Mark: Well, we're both Doves haha. The humanism line hits today. Brennert is using them as political standins for his beliefs and I am loving it. Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates also threw their politics in, and I had heard Ditko left early because he really didn't agree with Skeates’ politics. And holllyyyyyy shhhitttt Jim Aparo's work in this is amazing. Batman swinging in moonlight, I want that as a poster! I'm literally 6 pages in and I LOVE THIS ISSUE.
They're both fighting with their ladies, and it's the dichotomy of life. Perspectives, but the pain is the same. Brennert is so good..
Michael: This issue really showcases Brennert’s television writing skills. It reads like an episode of one of those great 1970s cop show dramas. I love it! It’s also amazing to consider now, 40+ years after this issue was written, how at the time they were only a decade or so out from Hawk and Dove’s debut, but Brennert makes clear how vastly different the ‘70s were from the late ‘60s. The growing disillusionment of the ‘70s feels baked into this issue, but Brennert is such a humanist that it’s filled with signs of hope and positivity. I love it so much.
Mark: Hope is dangerous to a guy like, to misquote Lana Del Rey. Yeah, this issue is top 50 comics I've ever read. From Hawk and Dove having to face their issues, to Brennert playing out a complete commentary on two decades, to the Jim Aparo art. Just wonderful. I think we move onto the next jammy jam, cause I have nothing more to say on this one. Please go buy it.
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Michael: Okay, just in the first half of this amazing issue we have our earth’s Batman being transported to Earth-2, teaming up with Earth-2 Robin, then meeting Earth-2 Kathy Kane/Batwoman. Robin is emotional because his Batman died, now he’s getting the chance to work with his dimensional counterpart, while Batman is emotional because Batwoman died on his earth the year before. Brennert makes these characters feel like real people dealing with real grief. It’s catnip for this Bat-fan. Plus: Hugo Strange! He played a big role in Batman when I was first getting into comics, so I’ve always had a soft spot for the megalomaniacal madman.
Mark: Man, life comes at you fast. And then slows everything down. Right off the bat (man), the storms, the switching from Earth 1 to Earth 2, it's got a bit of a pre-crisis vibe to it. Also, Jim Aparo's style is starting to take more of his 80s style versus his 90s. Is this the issue that happened? Man, seeing Starman also reminds me of how much I loved Earth 2 as a kid.
This issue is early 80's X-Men levels of emotions and inner dialogues. I'm really enjoying it. And Brennert changes his style again. I've realized that every single issue he works on feels different, he doesn't stick to any repetitive storytelling constructs.
Michael: You and I talk about this a lot, how we’re feeling our mortality more and more these days. This issue really brings that up for me. I feel old and young all at the same time, meanwhile time is flying by so fast. I relate to Batman’s existential crisis here. He’s trapped in a world that’s not his own, with expectations from others about the kind of man he should be. That’s some HEAVY stuff, man. This hits hard. It’s like Brennert looked into our souls and said, “Okay, I gotcha. I’ll write this for you.” Damn. Rereading Brennert’s Batman as an aging Gen Xer gives me an even greater appreciation for the way he writes so powerfully about life and death and everything in between. Such a beautiful issue.
Just a quick final note: Denny O’Neil (who I normally love) unceremoniously killed off Batwoman a few years before this issue. I always hated how he just callously killed her off camera, basically. With this issue, Brennert restored some of the dignity for Kathy Kane that O’Neil had taken away. One more reason to love Brennert’s work.
Mark: Yeah, the way Brennert really reflecting the mortality discussions we've been having. I just got though a crisis just this week (not infinite earths kind, very finite earth), and my emotions are raw. The emotions in this book are raw too. I wonder what influenced Brennert to write this issue? We need to interview him. On to the next issue!
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Michael: “But lately, I’ve had this feeling that time is somehow running short, that endings are not so very far away…”
Wow.
Okay, my friend. Here we are, The issue that’s quite possibly my favorite Batman issue of all time. That opening page with Bruce’s inner monologue is so deep. The entire issue is so deep. The characters grapple with so many relatable fears we all experience as we age: being alone, reconciling who we are with who we thought we’d be, and the absolutely devastating finality of life. This issue hit hard for me as a kid, before I had any real clue about life, but now it’s an overwhelmingly emotional read. It’s all I want out of great art: it makes me think about life, death, the universe, and everything. Perfection in 23 pages. Thank you, Alan Brennert for gifting us with this masterwork.
I’ll write more about the story and art soon, but give me your initial thoughts, Mark.
Mark: Well, I have it signed by Joe Staton, which is cool. What a nice guy! 1st thoughts? I think George Freeman is a PERECT inker for Joe. I need to find other collabs. And that Aparo cover. Man, what a time for beautiful comic art. Damnmnn yo. “But lately I've had this feeling that time is somehow running short.” Fuckkkkkk.
That age shit. Getting older. The shadow overwhelming
Michael: Always running from that shadow, never making up any ground. That line really might be one of the most profound things I’ve ever read in a comic. Hey, I got my issue signed by Staton also! He and Freeman together are a dream team, for sure.
“I was alone, truly alone, for the first time since my parents had been killed.” Jaysus. More deep stuff. Killing me. It’s so refreshing to see Batman portrayed as someone who loves and needs his surrogate family of friends and colleagues. Then when Bats goes to ask Selina for help defeating Scarecrow and they bond over feeling like their worlds are both shrinking…Bruce: “Dead ends and locked doors.” Selina: “Shrinking…yes. I…know that feeling.” Dammit, man! I’m crying now.
[Interlude: Mark and Michael attended a comic con recently. While we were there, we had a lovely chat with the extremely nice Joe Staton about this particular issue and how much we adore it. Always a pleasure to talk to Joe. What a great guy!]
Mark: I restart this read back in a bad place. Society has fallen apart unfortunately. Things look very bleak, bad news is constant, people's mental states are on constant attack, but we will try to find solice in the fantastic work of Alan Brennert and Joe Staton.
Michael: Yeah, our hiatus here definitely coincided with the society tanking big time. Returning to that beautiful Brennert story though, is definitely a restorative balm at a time when we need it more than ever.
Mark: I'm going to start Brave and the Bold 197 again. This is the height of comic book creation. Writing, art, coloring, lettering, even publishing, it's just perfect. Right off the greatest fear someone being shot and Jim Gordon reacting reminds me of that amazing Batman Animated series episode where his daughter dies.
The art is so good. The feelings expressed are strongly relatable. Have Staton and Freeman worked on anything else together?
Michael: Good question, I don’t know. They should have worked together more though, that’s for sure. The art here is some of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. Beautifully melds the Dick Sprang era Batman with Staton’s and Freeman’s own styles.
Mark: Also, I'm pretty sure this is the first appearance of the back scars on Batman concept. Still a hot concept today and used by alot of subsequent creators like Alex Ross.
Michael: Yup, this is where that started. Brennert really added something enduring to the lore with that.
Mark: Damn, that ending. Selina saving him from himself, I've always thought my wife sort of did the same. I was always so self destructive, but love can save you from that. I also think them getting busy in the tower got rid of Scarecrow's fear gas? Fantastic. Thank you Alan Brennert. Thank you Joe Staton. Thank George Freeman. Thank you John Costanza. Thank you Adrienne Roy. Thank you Len Wein. Thank you Jenette Kahn. Thank you Paul Levitz. Thank you Joe Orlando. Thank you Karen Berger. Thank you Dick Giordano. Thank you Alan Brennert again for all you've written.
Michael: This is my favorite Batman or Catwoman story of all time. I echo your heartfelt thanks to all those amazing creators who gifted us with such lasting work. Is this the Greatest Batman Story Ever Told? Yes, I think it is. It’s the perfect Batman-Catwoman story and ending, the one they and we deserve. Thanks for reading this with me, Mark. This issue means the world to me.
Mark: The end. Our article, and society. Until next time.
