Sometimes you just gotta say…
“WAY TO GO, BATMAN!”
Not that anyone needs a reason to cheer Batman, but these folks are cheering him specifically for making a successful strike against the bad guys during the Millennium crossover event. When his actions are explained to Superman, his response to Batman is “Really? You did that?”
Batman then says, humbly
“I only had a hand in it–!”
However, he’s thinking
“But I can’t deny that I’m glad you had none!”
Phew! Professional jealousy much? I know this is from the period just following the Superman revamp, when it was decided that, after years of being buddy-buddy, Batman and Superman would now have a more antagonistic relationship. (I’m assuming that’s what this is an example of in the described Millennium sequence, and not some kind of in-story plot point that I’m not recalling.) I think of all the mid-’80s revamps and restarts and other changes, that’s the bit of business I had the hardest time accepting. I liked Batman and Superman being best pals, and having adventures together every month in World’s Finest.
Come to think of it, that’s probably one of the most lingering, most pervasive changes to come out of DC’s 1980s revamp-mania: Batman becoming a more solitary, more pain-in-the-neck, more competent-than-thou character, at first primarily to Superman, then eventually to pretty much everybody else in the DCU.
They’ve been trying to slowly reverse that over the years, along with most of the rest of the mid-’80s editorial decisions, including having Superman and Batman on monthly adventures together again. It ain’t World’s Finest, quite yet, and while there’s still a bit of an edge to their relationship, I still prefer it to the characters not being pals at all.
I realize this is a grown man writing about how he likes Superman and Batman being buddies. Hey, I’m not bitter and sarcastic about everything.
And yes, I know they’re pals in the new Super Friends kids comic. Everyone‘s pals in the Super Friends comic!
Image from Millennium #5 (1987) by Steve Englehart, Joe Staton & Ian Gibson – mini-series now currently available in trade paperback from your finer funnybook stores
In other news:
- Remember a couple of days ago, when I was grumbling a little about Gemstone putting out new issues of Walt Disney’s Comics and Uncle Scrooge the week after the previous issues were released, in an attempt to catch up on their publishing schedule? Well, Diamond sort of addressed the issue for us, by shorting us our Uncle Scrooges. “Be careful what you wish for” is the lesson learned, I suppose.
- Chris Sims talks smart about the Joker…what made the Joker the main Batman villain?
- If they’re going to let me into this site, then I’d better get cracking scanning and logging my mini-comics work!
- We sold out of Tales Designed to Thrizzle #4. Must order more Thrizzle. THRIZZLE US, COMICS DISTRIBUTOR.
