Monday, April 26, 2010

That Batman, Always Having Further Adventures

The last book I picked up from the library sale was the 1989 collection of stories entitled, The Further Adventures of Batman, with stories written by 14 different authors from varying genres. I haven't finished them all yet, but it might be better to discuss them a few at a time anyway.

Death of the Dreammaster, Robert Sheckley: Set some point into the future, it starts with Bruce Wayne seeing the Joker on the street in broad daylight, with the Clown Prince of Crime then dashing into the nearby New Era Hotel. The catch is Batman watched the Joker die some months ago (rather gruesomely torn up by a grindstone), so is Batman losing his mind? From there the story involves booby-trapped cigarette cases, trips to Texas, Batman being annoyed by having to discern how to break into a neo-Baroque style building, crazy CIA directors, and holographic images of the President.

My initial impression was it was going to be a Silver Age story, with the hook of Batman possibly going insane and seeing his dead foe repeatedly. Then I read a little farther and it's mentioned that Robin, Bat Girl and Bat Woman have all died at some point previously, and it reads as though several of his foes met the same fate. Not through intentional actions of Batman, more likely their own devices. Which is more Golden Age, isn't it? Still, there are certain bits I felt marked it as a piece from the '80s. The Joker having killed lots of people, and stacked their dismembered corpses up in piles, arranged by which limb it is, for one. It's said one of the Joint Chiefs became a fighter ace by downing four Trinidadian jets before it was determined they weren't actually at war with Trinidad*. I'm guessing it's a reference to the Grenada invasion of a few years prior. Then the CIA deputy director who wants a computer defense system with what only appears to be a security flaw, but is actually a trap to infect enemy computers, and if they figure that out, well, he has even more plans upon plans.

The problem is, Crazy CIA Guy (Fenton) wanted to keep Batman uninvolved, but by trying to make him doubt his mind, he only draws him in. And it's how he messes with him that confuses me. On a case in Europe, Batman used the alias of Charlie Morrison, and Fenton figured out Morrison is Batman. When Batman uses Morrison again to investigate the hotel, Fenton uses holograms to mess with him. Fine. Except the first time in story we see Batman see something that isn't there, he's Bruce Wayne. Not Batman, not Charlie Morrison. And Fenton doesn't show any signs of realizing that while Morrison is Batman, both of them are actually Bruce Wayne. So why was Bruce Wayne seeing things?

Bats, Henry Slesar: Written as a series of diary entries by Alfred, details a time when Batman really does appear to have a nervous breakdown, and begins receiving treatment at the Pine-Whatney Clinic. Shortly thereafter, Batman starts running around in public, acting ridiculous, but it's all for a purpose, of course.

For someone more used to the Alfred of the last couple of decades, this felt off. I think Slesar was writing a '60s-era Batman story, so in that regard, it works. I pretty sure Alfred's been made increasingly awesome over the decades, with the snark, medical and military training, etc. Those traits weren't present in the time period I believe Slesar's going for, so his Alfred doesn't exhibit them. While he worries about Batman, he's unwilling to question him, or even ask if anything is troubling him. Alfred sneaks about to try to discern what's going on, accidentally alerts criminals to Batman's presence, and exhausts himself climbing up a few flights of stairs. In general, he behaves as I'd expect a typical butler to do. One a second read-through, it wouldn't be as noticeable to me.

This story I'd like to see illustrated. We'd have Batman showing up at a mall opening with pillows stuffed under his costume, calling himself "Fatman", or showing up at a celebration for Lewis Carroll wearing one of the Mad Hatter's old chapeaus, giving himself the title "Hatman", then running off laughing madly. I'm not sure who would be best suited to draw that, but someone is, I'm sure.

Subway Jack, Joe R. Lansdale: Lansdale went on to write other Batman stories, including a few episodes for Batman: The Animated Series**. This story is more horror than the previous two, as we start with someone stealing a small metal box from what was a sealed tomb. Shortly thereafter, bag ladies in subways are being hacked to pieces, their blood used to write 'Compliments of Subway Jack' on the wall. The story involves a possessing spirit of Lansdale's creation, the God of Razors, who has two weaknesses. One, like Moon Knight, he needs Luna shining in all its glory, and two, he needs his human host to stay alive. Batman doesn't kill intentionally in this story either, if that concerns you. It's ill fortune for Jack (well, ill fortune for the God of Razors, really).

The perspective in the story shifts from Jack, to Gordon, to Batman, back and forth. Some of it takes the form of Batman making a file on his computer, or Jack writing things in his diary. There's a definite difference in Jack's speech and writing compared to the other two, and Batman has a somewhat more clinical method of recording things than Gordon, but it isn't as distinct.

This is a bit bloodier than the previous two, what with a maniacal spirit roaming about, frequently cutting people to bits, then leaving messages in their blood. Batman has a bit of a sense of humor, not to the lunatic extent displayed in Bats, but moreso than Death of the Dreammaster. Although, most of the humor is him giving Gordon grief over his smoking habit***. He also displays a bit more compassion than the other two, likely because the antagonist doesn't really want to do what he does. While employing a disguise, Batman tries to talk to Jack, hoping he'll open up, and maybe they can end things quickly. One negative is Lansdale's Batman dialogue sounds too much like a tough beat cop, saying things like 'Thought he might spill his guts', and 'You can almost feel the heat coming off this guy.'

OK, tomorrow, we've selections by Max Allan Collins, Mike Resnick, Karen Haber and Robert Silverberg (writers of The Mutant Season, from last week's post), and Stuart Kaminsky.

* My first reaction wasn't "War with Trindad?", but "Don't you have to shoot down five planes to become an ace?"

** The episode where Jonah hex fights Ra's Al Ghul? That was one of Lansdale's.

*** In Death of the Dreammaster, Batman tells another character to lay off the bottle. In one of the other stories I've finished, which we'll discuss tomorrow, he again gives Gordon crap about his smokes, albeit as Bruce Wayne. Batman: He will tell you how to live your life.

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