Today's chosen issue for the Back-Issue Spotlight is an issue from the old B:TAS cartoon show from FOX television. Damn but I do miss that show! It was so ahead of it's time in terms of both writing, animation, and just the overall presentation. Super-Friends it was not.
Well in conjuction with the cartoon , DC started publishing comic stories in the same vein as the animated show. Not straight out episode adaptions, but stand alone stories written and drawn in the same tone and feel as the show itself.
Well today's one of those such issues.
The story goes like this: Some guy is on the run from Talia and her father Ra's Al Guhl because he and two other guys stole a valubale statue from Ra's. Well Talia and some of her Father's men have come to Gotham to find the guys who stole the statue. It's not long at all before Batman becomes involved.
But first, how funny is this 1st page?
From there, we're shown Batman's detective skills in action in a very straight-forward and deceptively simplistic fashion. This lets the reader know immediately why Batman deserves the moniker of the World's Greatest Detective.
Using those said skills, he tracks down the other guy, Abdul down, but Talia and her men have gotten to him first.
She lets him go, probably guessing right that Batman would be watching and possibly interfere. Well she was right, 'cause Batman shows up just as Abdul runs like the wind.
Hey, chicks love Batman. Whatta' ya gonna' do?
And that's what you get for trying to cock-block Batman. Papa don't take no mess!
After the goon smackdown, Talia suggests her and Batman team-up and travel together to Paris to find the statue, since she reasons that that he'll follow her anyways.
Sounds legit.
And off to Paris they go, but separately apparently, since she goes to his hotel room.
What follows is probably an unexpected series of romantic moments for Bruce, but I figure Talia pretty much planned it that way. Chicks, am I right?
Of course as soon as things get to romantic, Bruce ends it by suggesting that since it's getting dark, they call it a day. Hey, that doesn't mean there's not plenty of time for some sweet, sweet love-making;)
That's not Avon calling bitch!
But of course in true pulp-hero fashion, Batman and Talia are captured and tied up and left to burn alive in a burning house.
Being tied up like this, doesn't mean shit to Batman. You know how many times that motherfucker's been tied up? At this point I imagine getting out off situations like this, is like you or I sitting down to do a crossword puzzle.
But before they break out, Talia wants to know if Batman's really digging her or not.
Chicks, am I right? Always gotta' pick the worst time to have "the talk";)
Being the type of guy he is, Batman gives an answer the way only a smooth son of a bitch playboy like him could.
Batman then goes into straight up bad-ass mode, by breaking out of said burning building, laying the smackdown on another jabronie.
Seriouly, the next time someone says, "Oh fuck Batman. He's just a guy with no super-powers." Show them this page, and dare them to be quick enough to do that.
Batman goes on to take out the rest of the goons, while Talia takes out Abdul by shooting out his tire, causing him to crash into some sign post. Trust me, if this wasn't a kids' comic, Talia would've put the bullet in Abdul's head.
Talia gets all happy about regaining the statue until Batman asks her what's in it. Apparently microfilm wish some very damagine info in regards to Ra's operations should they get into the wrong hands.
Batman acts all pissed off, feeling he was duped into helping her(which he really wasn't. He didn't have to do a damn thing. Plus he probably would've done this anyways, just on his own, the grouch).
Talia says they wouldn't have had Paris, and leaves all sad-like, leaving the statue behind.
The end.
Realy good story, even though I really don't see that Batman was all that duped into helping her. It's not like Robin was kidnapped or anything.
Other than that, I can't recommend this one highly enough. These stories are great reads, not just for kids, but for adults as well, and you don't have to worry about pesky things like continuity.
If you want to see more reviews like these, head over to my buddy Googum's blog, where he just got done posting a couple of these. They were the final issues of the animated series comics, before being cancelled.
Good, goos stuff.
