Happy Labor Day Batman

Celebrating Labor Day with this cover from Batman: The Long Halloween #12 (November, 1997) by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale....


....with Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent on the cover, as Batman and Gordon search for him, while trying to deduce the identity of the Holiday Killer.


This is the second to last issue of this 13 issue mini-series.

Jack Kirby's Atlas

Jack Kirby created many characters for DC Comics.

One of those was Atlas, done so for the First Issue Special #1 (April, 1975)...

...but, likely even the "King" wouldn't have been able to predict the strange turns his life took over the years!

First Issue Special

Atlas' story started in First Issue Special #1 (April, 1975), by Jack Kirby and D. Bruce Berry, where readers were introduced to "Atlas The Great!".

First, readers see Atlas fell Kargin, the champion of Hyssa the lizard king in a land out of time, then a flashback to Atlas as a boy, as his father was killed by the forces of King Hyssa, and only due to his unnatural strength and ability did Atlas escape.  Being found by Chagra the seeker, who learned the lad got his powers from a shard of the Crystal Mountain (a land Atlas was from).  The two traveled together, as the boy grew into a man, and with his great strength, Atlas also had great heart, saving many villages from various evils, with Chagra there encouraging him on, so Atlas could have a final confrontation with the lizard king, and then take Chagra to the Crystal Mountain.

That's where the only 20th Century produced comic of Atlas ended....

 

Superman

Atlas' first return was in Superman #677 (August, 2008) starting a four issue run of "The Coming Of Atlas" by James Robinson, Renato Guedes and Jose Wilson Magalhaes (and covers by Alex Ross), where Atlas was torn from his quest and Chagra, and found himself in a land not his own...

....that of modern day Metropolis.

Atlas stops a creature from invading Metropolis, but finds himself at odds with Superman.  For some reason, being near Atlas makes Superman weak, giving Atlas an advantage.  Atlas was brought forward through time and works for General Sam Lane against Superman.  Supergirl comes to Metropolis to help Superman, but fairs no better, and it takes the help of Krypto, Superman's superdog, to finally defeat Atlas in Superman #680 (November, 2008) due to the dog's magical nature (as revealed by Zachary Zatara).

Atlas remained in the 21st century (and Superman titles) for a time after his, having a battle with Steel, meeting fellow Kirby creation of the Guardian (as well as fellow First Issue Special headliner, Codename: Assassin), even meeting Batman in an issue of Justice League of America (#42), as well as dealing with the temporary new protector of Metropolis, Mon-El.

 

Forager

Atlas' next return was as a part of 2017's Bug! The Adventures of Forager by Michael, Lee and Laura Allred, which follows the adventures of the Forager (a Kirby creation that met an untimely end in Cosmic Odyssey).  This six issue mini-series follows his adventures through time, meeting many of Jack Kirby's characters, including two different Sandman, one Manhunter, OMAC, the New Gods including Mr. Miracle, even the Deadman robot Kirby used in the Forever People....and Atlas and his helper, Chagra (Chagra was even more important to the book than Atlas).

Trying to tell you the plot of this odd story is pointless, so instead, using a phrase Kirby once used...."Don't ask -- Just Buy It"....if you are a fan of Jack Kirby, and an odd continuity between all his characters, seek out this book and wonder of Atlas' adventures could begin anew!

Kirby Covers Detective Comics

While one does not usually associate Jack Kirby with DC Comics, the "King" did do many features for DC, and even got the chance to draw an early cover for Detective Comics, Detective Comics #65 (July, 1942....which was also worked on by Joe Simon and Jerry Robinson, likely Kirby/Simon on the Boy Commandos and Robinson on Batman/Robin) as Batman and Robin welcomed the new creations to Detective Comics.  

Batman had been a bit of a cover hog since his Detective Comics premiere, so this was a big deal.

It was also a little late, as the creation of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby had premiered in the previous issue of Detective Comics #64 (June, 1942).  Young Frenchman Andre Chavard, Dutchman Jan Hansen, Englishman Alfy Twidgett and New Yorker Brooklyn, were helpers of an American fighting unit called the Commandos stationed in Great Britain, who then worked solo missions with their guardian, Captain Rip Hunter.  

They even branch out, having adventures published in World's Finest Comics #8 to #41 in the 1940s, as well as continuing in Detective Comics until #150 (August, 1949), and having their own title which lasted 36 issues (until November-December, 1949).

The Boy Commandos were revived for 2 issues of reprints in 1973, as well as a Super Spectacular, after having a few tales reprinted in the 1970s Mr. Miracle series, as well (which included reprints of the tales of their meetings with Sandman and the Newsboy Legion).

Along the way, they teamed up with Guardian, Newsboy Legion, Sandman and Sandy (a rarity at the time for DC), as well as fighting menaces like Agent Axis and Crazy Quilt.  Members did leave the group, first Alfy, to be replaced by Tex, then Andre, who then had Percy Clearweather take his place. 

All the lads survived well past World War II, Brooklyn growing up to become a cop, Dan "Terrible" Turpin, who met Orion of the New Gods, and the other original lads as well as Rip had a reunion in the Millennium crossover issue of Blue Beetle (which also featured Mr. Miracle and the Manhunters).

Better still, DC has put out two volumes of reprints of their original tales, but we need many more to get the full adventures of these brave, patriotic lads!

The Alien Batman

Vicki Vale takes a picture....proving Batman is really an alien from outer space?

That's the basis for the story of "The Alien Batman" in Detective Comics #251 (January, 1958) by Edmond Hamilton, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris.

At this time in Batman's history, it was indeed possible, but...in this case there is a bit of trickery going on.  Brand Ballard and Keener come up with a plot to shake Gotham's faith in the caped crusader, and make make up to trick Vicki into reporting this as truth, so that the police and citizens (and even his closest friends) doubt Batman.  Batman catches the criminals, and Gotham's faith in their hero is restored!

Flash Facts: The Early Days of Captain Cold

Leonard Snart was a small time thief, thinking himself a big scientist.

He figured that the only way to take out Flash was to take him out cold...like, with absolute zero.

Thus, began the career of one of the oldest of the Flash's villains, Captain Cold.

Here's a look back at his earliest appearances.

Coldest Man On Earth

Leonard Snart came out as a villain in Showcase #8 (May-June, 1957), with a story by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia.

This story had Captain Cold first using his cold gun (a weapon he roughly designed but after using a cyclotron to irradiate the gun, found it able to shoot ice blasts instead) on the banks of Central City, which brought him into conflict with the Flash.

After a few experiments, Captain Cold found he could also create illusions with the gun, when adding liquid helium.  Facing Flash on a nearby lake, Captain Cold attempted to use this new cold gun ability on the Flash, but Barry Allen proved too fast for him!

This tale has been reprinted many times, in the first issues of various Flash Archives, Showcase Presents Flash and Flash Omnibus' featuring the Flash, as well as with other villain origins, in places like the Limited Collector's Edition C-39 (1975), the Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told hardcover of 1990 and tradepaperback of 1992, and in the Flash Vs. The Rogues tradepaperback of 2010.

The Big Freeze

Captain Cold appears next in Flash #114 (August, 1960) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, waiting for a parole hearing, with Iris West there to testify that he should remain in prison.  Flash also testifies, and this is enough for the parole board to decide to keep Snart incarcerated.

So, Captain Cold escapes using a small freeze unit to allow him to break out of his cell.

Once out, he goes after Iris West, but not to harm her, but to try to convince her to marry him.  Iris, already Barry's fiancee, says no, but Captain Cold then threatens to freeze the entire city.  Flash, adventuring outside the city, breaks the cold barrier, eventually capturing Captain Cold and restoring the frozen Central City to normal.

This tale has been reprinted a few times, like in Wanted, the World's Most Dangerous Villains #8 (June-July, 1973), the second Flash Archive, and in the first Flash Omnibus as well as in the Flash: The Silver Age Volume 1 tradepaperback, which also has all of Barry's Showcase appearances. 

When Gravity Went Wild

Tired of being defeated on his own, Captain Cold joined with Doctor Destiny and a bunch of individual JLA villains (like Green Lantern's Puppet Master, Martian Manhunter's Getaway Mastermind, Aquaman's Electric Man and Green Arrow's Clock King) in Justice League of America #5 (June-July, 1961) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs in the first major villain team up of Earth-1.

While the villains do keep the heroes busy for a while, they are defeated by the heroes, who then have to deal with Dr. Destiny.

This tale was reprinted in the first Justice League of America Archive and Omnibus, as well as in Justice League of America #39 (November, 1965).

Double Danger On Earth

Snart wasn't done teaming up with villains, as Flash #129 (June, 1962 by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella) showed, but this time it was with James Jesse (a.k.a. the Trickster), but they weren't just facing one Flash, but two!

Jay Garrick, the Flash of Earth-2, comes to Earth-1 looking for an Arizona meteorite that was absorbing a deadly radiation killing his Earth, and goes to look for Barry Allen (Flash), who is attending a charity party that is a target for both Captain Cold and the Trickster, who, start at odds, but then decide to team-up to take off with the money.

The two Flashes go to find the meteorite, then, work together to stop the two villains before Jay goes back to his own world with the meteorite cure.

This story was reprinted in Flash #178 (April-May, 1968), the first Crisis On Multiple Earths The Team Ups tradepaperback of 2006, in the Flash of Two Worlds hardcover of 2009, as well as in the overstuffed Flash Omnibus #1, all with plenty of other Flash reprints as well....

The Man Who Mastered Absolute Zero

This time around, Captain Cold goes it alone in Flash #134 (February, 1963 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella), but Flash gets some help from his friend, the Elongated Man.

Flash and Elongated Man were helping Dr. Hutson with a problem with his computer, but couldn't find any problems.  Captain Cold broke out of jail, and Flash and Elongated Man go to capture him, but Ralph Dibny stretches out to stop Flash, allowing Snart to escape.  Captain Cold tries again, with Flash and Elongated Man there to stop him, or at least Flash was.  Elongated Man again tries to help the captain, but Flash stops both Ralph and Snart.  Elongated Man is beside himself with guilt, but Barry figures out that the computer was generating a radiation that was preventing it from functioning, and that radiation had infected Ralph, so, ridding them both of it fixed the problem.

This tale was reprinted a few times, including in the 100-Page Super Spectacular DC-22 (November, 1973), as well as in the fifth Flash Archive and second Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus.

If you don't mind black and white tales, it was also done colorlessly in both Showcase Presents the Elongated Man and Showcase Presents the Flash.

The Heat Is On For Captain Cold

Now, Captain Cold gets a new foe, and friend, with Flash #140 (November, 1963 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella) as readers are introduced to Heat Wave!

Flash is searching for a missing girl for Henry Willens, an attorney who represented her father, who passed recently, so she can receive her inheritance.  Captain Cold has recently escaped again, so Flash quickly catches up to him, but so does a new player, Heat Wave.  The two villains team-up to escape the Flash, but quickly go to war while chasing a "Dream Girl", a TV model, still stopping when Flash shows up...and stops both of them.  Flash then meets this "Dream Girl", who is Priscilla Varner, who happens to be the missing girl.

This tale was reprinted many times, including in DC Special #14 (September-October, 1971), the fifth Flash Archive, the Flash vs. the Rogues tradepaperback of 2009 and the second Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus.

Captain Cold's Polar Perils

Captain Cold goes it alone for the first time in a long time in Flash #150 (February, 1965 by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson).

Police scientist Barry Allen is called into service to escort Ayesha, the Maharanee of Jodapur, during her stay in Central City.  While picking up her jewels, Captain Cold appears to attempt to steal from the jeweler.  Barry secretly changes to the Flash, but is unable to stop Captain Cold.  But, Snart had become infatuated with Ayesha, so he returns her jewels, then escorts her away from a party, where Flash tracks him down, capturing him, then returning the lady to her party.

This tale was reprinted in the sixth Flash Archive, the second Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus, and in the very recently released Flash Rogues: Captain Cold (which also has his first tale, along with many other later tales collected....).

Cold Thoughts On Team-Ups

After his last defeat, Captain Cold teamed up with other Flash foes (like Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, Heat Wave, the Top and Pied Piper) to form the Rogue's Gallery in Flash #155 (September, 1965) facing a secret villain, and would continue to work with other villains, usually Heat Wave, also helping to found the Secret Society of Super-Villains (with Copperhead and Sinestro).  Feeling a little cold about covering more, someday soon there will be another look at more Captain Cold stories.

Batman On Senior Citizens Day

For Senior Citizens Day, a look at when Batman starts to feel his age in Batman #119 (October, 1958), under a cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.

In the story of "Rip Van Batman" by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris, Batman inhales the vapors of a strange plant while chasing a criminal...and wakes up as an old man, with Dick Grayson having taken over as Batman, with a new young man as his Robin.

Holy Rip Van Winkle, Batman! 

Maybe it's time for a nap....

Batman Vs. The Batmobile

Usually, a man can count on his car, but not so for Batman in this very odd issue of Detective Comics, where Batman faced off against the Batmobile!

What's worse, is that it wasn't only the Batmobile, but all of Batman's crime-fighting weapons he was facing, as Batman and Robin had to deal with the time that "The Outsider Strikes Again" in Detective Comics #340 (June, 1965) by Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff and Joe Giella.

The Outsider was a villain of Batman's who seemed to have many mind over matter powers, turning all of Batman and Robin's weapons like their Batarangs and Bat-ropes against them, then the weapon would turn to dust after facing the Dynamic Duo.  Luckily, Batman realized that dust could stop the Outsider's control, so had dust bombs ready to counter the Outsider's attacks.

The Outsider was a serialized villain of the Batman's during his "new look" era, running on and off (and mostly off panel) from Detective Comics #334 (December, 1964) to Detective Comics #356 (October, 1966), with his identity being a mystery, but being someone close to Batman. 

Check back, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel, and the mystery of the Outsider may be revealed!