Not one of Batman's better days

[skjam]

From The Brave and the Bold #113, June-July #1974 "The 50-Story Killer!" 5 pages of 20.





So, if you had to replace Batman as the main crimefighter of Gotham City, who would you choose?







Rather than moving to Bludhaven and helping them out, or going full-time with the Justice League, or changing his outfit and fighting crime as Nightman, Batman has Alfred hang up his cape and retires.

Of course, the very next day when Bruce Wayne shows up to the Wayne Tower for his first ever full day of work as a boring corporate executive, the building is hijacked ala "Die Hard" and by the end of the story both Batman and Commissioner Gordon are both back in their regular jobs.



Your thoughts and comments?

Suggested tags
char: Batman/Bruce Wayne
char: Jim Gordon
creator: Bob Haney
creator: Jim Aparo
group: Metal Men
publisher: DC Comics
title: The Brave and the Bold

Comments

[nefrekeptah]

Isn't anyone going to point out that Batman doesn't work under the law, and therefore can't be fired?

And why does nobody think that maybe having two superheros (well, one superhero and a superhero team) patrolling the city might be a better idea then getting a new superhero and throwing out the old one?

[s0mnambulance]

Clearly, the Gotham administration is concerned that older policemen and superheroes will develop chronic health problems, which will have to be paid for by Gotham taxpayers. They don't realize Batman is a millionaire, else they'd let him absorb bazooka blasts to his heart's content.

In addition to being an older policeperson, Gordon is also a smoker (or at least he's depicted as one off and on in the Bat-canon). He's a walking tax-timebomb! He's lucky they don't reassign him to a neighboring locality.

Taxes. It's all about taxes.

[skjam]

Back during this time period, Batman was in good favor with the Gotham City authorities, so they had special laws passed just to make it easier for him to operate. (Things like it was illegal for anyone but Batman to wear a Batman costume unless he specifically approved it.)

So taking away his special status wouldn't be so hard.

[nezchan]

That reminds me of Dr. McNinja's deal with the authorities. No matter what he does (including dismemberment and murder), if he gets back to his office and shouts "Base!", he's off the hook.

[icon_uk]

Things like it was illegal for anyone but Batman to wear a Batman costume unless he specifically approved it

It was illegal for any MAN to wear a Batman costume, as the original Batwoman smugly pointed out to him when he tried that line on her.

[skjam]

Oh, right. Curse the Gotham City Council of Patriarchs and their unthinking sexism!

[jkcarrier]

Bob Haney tended to portray Batman as more "officially sanctioned" than other writers. There's a number of B&B stories that show him working closely with the Feds too, catching spies and stuff. I suppose having him be less of a secretive loner made it easier to get him into team-up situations.

[jlroberson]

Haney's Batman was basically from a parallel earth which no one ever visited that cuts off from main Batman around when Denny O'Neil started writing him. Earth-B, or Earth-Haney, they called it.

[aelflar]

This took place during a less know era of Bruce`s life, when he had to work as a free agent of justice to raise funds for a new Batmobile (notice how he keeps walking from place to place?)

Yeah, business was bad at Wayne Tech.

[s0mnambulance]

Wow. Sometimes I forget what a whinebucket Batman was before he underwent his transformation into the little-to-no nonsense Bat Arsehole that I so enjoy reading about. A hi-larious read--but one that makes me yearn for the next ish of Batman & Robin in a bad way too.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Well, you can't exactly blame him for protesting here. I mean, they're basically tossing him in the dumpster while he's still perfectly capable of saving the day - who wants that?

[stig]

I believe the Bazooka Bandit could be categorized as 'high-maintenance'.

[superfangirl1]

Lol,how true. :)

[jlroberson]

Pissy Batman is pissy.

Also, I think I've figured out an explanation of BATMAN: ODYSSEY. It's THIS Batman, the Earth-B guy, returned. Expect a Batusi any time.

[psychopathicus_rex]

If I recall correctly, DC was going to great lengths at this point in their history to reaffirm that their older heroes were still 'hip'. There's another story with the Blackhawks which basically consists of some of the older heroes telling them over and over again that they're old and washed up and irrelevant, and should retire. Naturally, the 'Hawks don't take that lying down, and they... start wearing ridiculous costumes to prove they're still relevant. Yeah, that didn't work very well.
As a big Metal Men fan, it's gratifying to note that they're not portrayed as jerks here. There's none of the 'go home, you wheezing old fart!' attitude that was found in the Blackhawk story - instead, they're genuinely regretful that they're replacing a comrade in arms, wish him well, and Tina gives him a hug on the way out. They're happy to have the job, but sorry that it involves booting out an old friend. It's a nice bit of characterization - they're his replacements, but not his antagonists.

[recognitions]

Am I the only one stunned by how utterly unconcered Batman was about Jim's dismissal? I mean I know this is an earlier story, but I'm so used to Jim being the only person Bruce bonds with who doesn't know who's under the mask.