Batman and Robin - From Dynamic Duo... to Rhyming Couplet

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

I found this on sale on e-bay, and it was so damned good I had to share it with the wider world.

After consultation with our Mods, it was agreed that in order to see all the images, you'll have to click on the link. Don't worry, they are ALL there, in the right order, but it wouldn't be appropriate to post them all, though I was sorely tempted, since the full thing is wonderful.

From Golden Books in the late 60's these are the original art pages from a literally Batman shaped book gloriously titled;

This story's so good it doesn't need much
Of comments, or asides, or injokes and such.
So I'll be nice and quiet,and sit at the back
Because I can't hope to outdo Doctor Seuss on Batcrack

+ - + - + - +



Continue here, starting about halfway down the page... Come back when you've finished.

If you're having trouble reading the text, the Mods have permitted me to reproduce it here (but it works better with the pictures)

A is for Alfred, the Wayne Manor butler
Who's never been known to complain
Who answers the Bat-phone in courteous tones
And summons his master, Bruce Wayne

B is for Bruce who now takes the call,
With Dick Grayson, his ward and his chum
C is Commissioner Gordon, perplexed,
Who pleads for the Batman to come.

D down the Bat-pole, they deftly descend
Donning disguise as they slide
Eureka! Boy Wonder and Batman emerge,
Ready for Batmobile ride!

F is for Foes, so fiendishly foul
Evilly biding their time
G Gotham City terrifed now
by news of a new wave of crime

H "Holy Hatrack!", the boy wonder says
"Can it be that the Mad Hatter's loose?"
While back at Wayne Manor, Aunt Harriet sighs
"Oh where are Dick Grayson and Bruce?"

I is for International Crooks
Those devilish, dastardly thieves
J is the "Joker" who deals out the tricks
with "Penguin", "Mad Hatter" and "Freeze"

K is for kidnap, a hideous plot
to spirit Boy Wonder from sight
L lure the Batman to follow in search
and then "disappear" in the night

M Mobile crime watch to check and re-check
always with Batman in tune
N is for Now! Look! There's the Bat-sign
Bat wings for warning, black on the moon.

O's Chief O'Hara whose voice Penguin mimics
The Bat-line beep-beeps with his call
Flash straight to Batman "Rush to the bank sir!
It's being looted! That's all!"

Onward and batward the Dynamid Duo
Speeds towards the bank, never spotting the trick
P is for Penguin, disguising his voice
For "Bat to the Bank! Double-quick!"

Q is for questions - Who will win out now
Creatures of Crime, or Crusaders in Cape?
Will Batman and Robin foil them completely
Or will the villains, strike and escape?

R is for Robin, poor luckless laddie
Snatched at the crime, by the crime-ridden foe
S is search, wherein Batman discovers
Robin is missing, and so is the dough.

T is for terror, rampant in Gotham
Boy Wonder is missing and Batman hard-pressed
U is utility belt of the Batman
now is the moment it must pass the test

Ready the Batarang, ready the Batrope
V are the villains at end of the trail
Who will win out, will the forces of evil
end up in triumph or end up in Jail?

W Wayne Warehouse where Robin is hidden
Bound up securely, but never despair
For Great Scott, he still has his homing transmitter
And now sends the this message... "BATMAN BEWARE!"

X is for the X-ray scope Batman is using
To see what's ahead and outwit the mob
Bat-phone to call in the police for the round-up
Bat-gassing-gun just to speed up the job

Y is YOU, who now have the pleasure
Of seeing brave Batman in the thick of the thieves
Z is for ZOWIE! BAM! KRAK and the capture
of "Mad Hatter", "The Joker, "The Penguin" and "Freeze"

And so to the end of our alphabet story
But always remember, as Batman would say:
Clean living is best, and right conquers evil
and never forget, that CRIME DOESN'T PAY!

+ - + - + - +

There now dear readers, was that not sublime?
Robin is kidnapped. and tied up, in RHYME!
Batman comes through, of course, in the end
Routing the bad guys to save his little friend!

Comments

How Did I Know...

[peur_evol.insanejournal.com]

...there would be a tied-up Robin somewhere in there?
♥

Re: How Did I Know...

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

there would be a tied-up Robin somewhere in there?

Because I have my reputation to think of?

Seriously though, even if Robin had made it through completely unshackled, I'd have posted it anyway?

[bluejaybirdie.insanejournal.com]

There is no part of that which is not awesome. Period.

[zhinxy.insanejournal.com]

Icon_Uk you have outdone yourself
And now I cannot live without this on my shelf

[merseybeatler.insanejournal.com]

Three hours of Shakespeare rehearsal and I get BAT-RYHME loaded into my system?! I'm starting to think in rhyme now. Seriously though, that cut-out grinning Batman mask is going to haunt my dreams.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

It's strangely infectious
How often you find
That when reading in couplets
You're soon thinking in rhyme!

[merseybeatler.insanejournal.com]

This wisdom imparted
Is undoubtedly true!
Now look what you've started --
I'm doing it too!

[besamim.insanejournal.com]

No lie, I remember this book from when I was little. Back then, thanks to Superfriends, repeats of the 60s Adam West show and light-hearted books like these, I thought Batman's world was all fun and giggles. (In retrospect, then DKR and TKJ were probably not the wisest choices for my first "serious" Batman comics as I approached adulthood. Imagine going from "...And never forget that crime doesn't pay!" and "Holy ____, Batman!" straight to "Stop...stop laughing," "I want you to remember, Clark [face-kick]", and "Get this off so I can...see...HAHAHA etc." )

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

I thought Batman's world was all fun and giggles. (In retrospect, then DKR and TKJ were probably not the wisest choices for my first "serious" Batman comics

Yeah, that's sort of like reading "Peter Rabbit" and then moving straight on to "The Illustrated Book of Rabbit Skinning, Jointing and Recipes"

[kitty_tc_69.insanejournal.com]

Or "Watership Down".

[freddylloyd.insanejournal.com]

Amazing work all around.

[sistermagpie.insanejournal.com]

Whoever wrote this can die knowing they created something special.

[irenem.insanejournal.com]

What really gets me is that it manages to be not all that cracky. Seriously, I am beyond impressed with whoever wrote that.

[freddylloyd.insanejournal.com]

Just noticed this Alfred has hair—one of many allusions to the TV series.

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

This is AWESOME. It even works outside of the context that it's obviously shilling for the TV show. I don't know if Batman has ever had a TV screen mounted in the dashboard of the Batmobile and surmounted by a little batty gargoyle head thing, but he SHOULD, is all I'm saying. And the poetry is quite serviceable, too.
Interesting sidenote - why do you think that Robin's first thought is to wonder if the MAD HATTER is loose? I mean, yes, the letter H, fine, and 'Holy Hatrack', but surely the Joker would have been more appropriate? Anyone but the Mad Hatter, anyway. I would have done something like this:

H: "Holy Hannah!" the boy wonder says,
"Can it be that the Joker is loose?"
While back home, faithful Alfred cries "Heavenly days!
They've forgotten to shed the caboose!"

...OK, so that last part is pure me. (For the record, I meant that they'd forgotten to unlink the camping trailer from the rear bumper of the Batmobile before starting off - but that wouldn't have scanned properly, now would it?) Anyway, it rhymes, it scans, it's got the Letter H in it - whaddaya think?

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

If you have to

H "Holy Hannah! the Boy Wonder cries
"But which over our archfoes is free?"
"Joker or Penguin or Hatter or Freeze?
Which lunatic now could it be?"

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

Well, yes, that works, too. But mine has Alfred using the word 'caboose'.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

This. Is. FANTASTIC!

It makes me so, so happy this morning. What a world! What a great, happy world!

I do hope that whoever bought it decided not to go with media mail shipping. And I also really love that it went for over $2000, yet started out at .99 cents.

Thanks for sharing!