Golden age Batman Comics

[samurainoir]

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Batman 1940 issue 1 Golden Age: DC CGC 4.5 | eBay


Batman comic 13 Golden age classic DC Joker story WWII cover, WHITE PAGES ! VG | eBay


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[Earth 2 Chris]

I'm a bit biased, but Batman's Golden Age output was better than most of his peers, in hindsight. A good chunk of the Batman mythos was established in his first decade, pretty much everything that makes the character what he is. Even Superman can't say that, as much of what we think of with the character came in the late 50s/early 60s under Weisinger.

Chris

[samurainoir]

I'd totally agree with that... And much of it was under the uncredited writing of Bill Finger, who was one of the better writers of the period. Batman, Robin, Batcave, Joker, The Cat/Catwoman, Batmobile etc. Even the shifts between the two extremes of Gothic noir and lighter super heroics that makes the character so versatile.

Whereas Superman is often driven by novelty simply because he evolved into so powerful a character... Weisinger came up with a ridiculous number of ways to drive the story engine around that character's ridiculous strengths (which I'm sure to writers is his greatest weakness). Byrne's innovation of course was actually creating the character of Clark Kent as the "real" personality, and giving him a full and relatable life as opposed to being a series of affectations that he put on to fool the people that were supposed to be his friends and loved ones. Which of course leads to keeping his parents around so he has someone to talk to, and letting Lana and eventually Lois into his secret.

And you can even take the example of Captain America, who was totally reinvented after a publishing gap from golden age war hero to the iconic man out of time he is today. Which in many ways was unintentionally brilliant because you do end up creating a very timeless, classic hero for the ages. He doesn't suffer the sliding scale retcon as badly as some other characters tied to very specific wars. Notably The Punisher and Vietnam. Although Iron Man seems to have done fine shifting from Asia to the middle east.

[ctc]

>Batman, Robin, Batcave, Joker, The Cat/Catwoman, Batmobile etc. Even the shifts between the two extremes of Gothic noir and lighter super heroics that makes the character so versatile.

True. (Although I think the Batcave came about as a result of the first movie serial.) I think part of his saving grace was that Bats drew more deeply from the "mystery men" of the pulp era. He was easier to write for 'cos there was a lot of precedent to draw from.

>Whereas Superman is often driven by novelty simply because he evolved into so powerful a character... Weisinger came up with a ridiculous number of ways to drive the story engine around that character's ridiculous strengths (which I'm sure to writers is his greatest weakness).

I think another saving grace for Bats was that his foes were the emphasis early on. There was an attempt to come up with new bizarre baddies every story. (Partly 'cos the earlier ones didn't fare so well.) Superman has the problem that he has so few opponents who are his equal. Even the earliest stories had him fighting generic gangsters. (As was the trend for the time.)

>He doesn't suffer the sliding scale retcon as badly as some other characters tied to very specific wars.

Yeah. Time has always been a problem for the suerheroes.

>Notably The Punisher and Vietnam.

Yeah.... that'd make Frank 60 or so. Sadly, there's always another war you can base a character on.

Don C.

[Brazoo]

Golden age covers get my heart racing anyway - but Batman covers always look so classic to me. The character and logo is SO graphically appealing anyway - and the solid flat backgrounds that were often used just makes everything pop.

I have such a weak spot for Batman G.A. with black backgrounds too, for some reason they just drive me crazy.

"If I was a rich man - yadda deeda dadda, deeda-deeda-deeda-deeda dum..."


Batman is one of those characters that's so basic and iconic he survives a wide variety of interpretations. Personality-wise, there's not much there. He's not a different person than Captain America or Superman - really. He's just a a classic hero archetype but, like you guys said, Bill Finger was so playful and full of crazy ideas it puts him into another realm than those guys. You can do so much with him - he's like tofu - he goes with everything and just picks up the flavors of what's around him. Except not boring like tofu, because he's gonna whoop somebody, of course!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Batman also has the best origin in comics, bar none. EVERYONE can relate to Batman's origin. It's a point that's been made often, but it's true. Batman's foundation is rock solid. It's why he has endured without ever really going out of style (well, except for maybe the early 60s...).

Chris

[samurainoir]

It's kind of interesting to me how those periods or interpretations that require him to be a lighter character, they simply don't have him talk about his origin.

Am I remembering correctly that it was never a huge thing in the Adam West series, or the filmmation days? Interestingly enough though, didn't censorship loosen up enough in the eighties that one of the final Superfriends seasons did do a thing about his origin?

Superman did come from his own pulp roots tradition as well, but I'm assuming SCIFI was more marginalized than the more popular mystery/crime characters that Batman uses as a template.

[Brazoo]

I can't remember when I found out about Batman's origin. I remember that I wasn't surprised by the flashback of it in the '89 movie though. Maybe a friend told me about it or I read it in some movie related article or something. I don't think I read an origin comic or anything.

Obviously it's a dark origin - but I think they've been a little flexible with it too. I'm pretty sure I remember one version where he doesn't actually witness his parents getting killed.

Being orphaned is kind of a normal but strange child fantasy, no? It can also be played a little quaint - like Little Orphan Annie, or Oliver Twist - so if he doesn't actually see them getting killed I think you can play it less dark. I think, anyway. Maybe I'm sick?!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Am I remembering correctly that it was never a huge thing in the Adam West series, or the filmmation days? Interestingly enough though, didn't censorship loosen up enough in the eighties that one of the final Superfriends seasons did do a thing about his origin?

Bruce mentions his parents murder by "dastardly criminals" in the pilot episode of the West series, and maybe one other time, that's it. To my knowledge it was never mentioned in any Filmation or HB cartoon until "The Fear" which actually SHOWED it. That blew my 11-year old mind at the time.

Obviously it's a dark origin - but I think they've been a little flexible with it too. I'm pretty sure I remember one version where he doesn't actually witness his parents getting killed.

That would be news to me, but it could have been some kind of Elseworlds...or this week's DC reboot.

Chris

[madmarva]

While the pulps were a great influence on Batman, we'd be remiss not to point out that Chester Gould's Dick Tracy comic strip also had a great influence on Batman's golden-age.

Really,we must thank Denny O'Neil, Bob Brown and Julie Schwartz for having the hindsight to go back to the roots of the character when they retooled or maybe retro-fitted The Batman in the 70s.

It's probably the best "reboot" ever done in comics because that version of Batman at its core is the character we've known and loved for the last 40 years, has become the most popular "super hero" and the influence for two of Hollywood's biggest franchises.

Their idea to allow Robin to go to college and not be there for every adventure was really revolutionary and allowed Batman to truly grow into the character he is now.

[Brazoo]

That would be news to me, but it could have been some kind of Elseworlds...or this week's DC reboot.

Chris

Yeah, I could easily be remembering wrong. I've always really liked Batman, but I'm certainly no expert or anything! I've never read any recent Batman or Elseworlds or anything like that.

Again, to me the darkest part is him witnessing the murder - the part about him being orphaned is sad (obviously), but I can also see how that plays into a bit of a fantasy that kids reading the comics might identify with. Not that kids really want their parents to be killed - but daydreaming about having total freedom and dedicating themselves to doing something cool - like becoming Batman - instead of going to school and brushing their teeth or whatever.

Same thing for Robin - because his parents are killed Robin gets to live this idealistic fantasy life any kid would want. So, I think that now that we're adults we think of it as being a little darker than we did when we were kids.

[Earth 2 Chris]

While the pulps were a great influence on Batman, we'd be remiss not to point out that Chester Gould's Dick Tracy comic strip also had a great influence on Batman's golden-age.

While Gould's Tracy probably was somewhat of an influence, Batman had strange and grotesque villains before Tracy started accumulating them. Tracy's trademark weird villains didn't start showing up in groves until after many of Batman's main foes first appeared.

Chris

[samurainoir]

I totally get what Brazoo is saying... it's like why there are so many fantasy stories where the heroine learns that her parents are not her biological mother and father, and that she's really a princess or whatever. There is a degree of wish fulfillment in going on, to want something other than a kid's mundane life of schoolwork and chores.... why not go off and live with a millionaire, become a superhero, drive the batmobile etc.

Harry Potter works the same way, as kidlit... popular fiction for youngsters is a ghetto of plucky orpans making their way in the grown up world. Hugo, another recent example. Snow White as the classical example that we are being bombarded with right now in movies and TV.

[Figuremod73]

Really enjoy the early Batman stories when im able to get my hands on them in reprints. Early Supes is still my fav though. Hes gritty and a little tough on the criminals.

[kingdom warrior]

ANYTHING Golden age is fine by me....love that era of comics.