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scans_dailyIn my last post, I asked if anyone was interested in seeing more stories from Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told. Someone asked for The Orchid Crusher, which happens to be the next story in the book after Barbara's debut. The next two, actually. It seems to have been a two-part backup story in Detective Comics in early 1970. Part Two is entitled "The Hollow Man."
I figured I'd post the rest of the TOC. Partly in case there are people interested in buying it, but also in case there are any further requests. (I'll be out of town next week, but I can always post more scans later.) Though it seems, unsurprisingly, thatseveral most have been posted already.
The next story is a three-parter from 1972 having to do with the Gordon for Congress campaign.
After that, we have "The Invader From Hell" from 1975, which has Batgirl and Robin teaming up against the ghost of Benedict Arnold in the run up to the Bicentennial. (This one has been posed to S_D already.)
Then it's "Startling Secret of the Devilish Daughters" from 1977, which again has Batgirl and Robin teaming up in DC. This time, they're being attacked by a series of women who claim to be the daughters of famous bat-foes. (Also already posted to S_D.)
Next up is "Photo Finish" from 1997. It has some beautiful art, and it's a flashback to the very young Batgirl and Robin's first (post-Crisis) team-up... against an inept mall crook. Just a bit of lighthearted, innocent fun. (Also previously posted to S_D.)
Finally, there's the two-part "Folie a Deux" from 1998. It's another flashback to Babs's early career. A coming of age of sorts, and her relationship with her two father-figures (one with a mask, one without). (Posted at the end of this S_D entry.)
As before, all scans are available on flickr if you want to take a closer look at anything.
Our story opens with a splash page of Batgirl lying dead. An image of her head in the corner narrates for us. "In retrospect, it all seemed like a dreadful nightmare..." Dressed as Batgirl, she invites a man in. He offers her an orchid, crushes it, and then overpowers her. She passes out...
The book tells readers that "Plain Janes" are vulnerable to flattery, epitomized by the gift an orchid.
The man who checked the book back in to the library has already moved out of his apartment, so Babs follows up on the other lead. Unfortunately, the guy running the computer dating service tells her he can't share their records with anyone - even Batgirl. Babs decides to use herself as bait. She fills out a computer dating form (regrettably brushing off Jason Bard in favor of her investigation). Her first date is with... "Max Tournov." Sounds like a real winner.
He's presented her with an orchid! And he's going to try to kiss her goodnight! There's only one possible conclusion: He's the killer!
For some reason, this upsets him. He crushes the orchid, throws it away, and runs off, leaving Babs confused. Batgirl follows him, but loses track of him when a truck gets in the way. She continues to his listed address, only to be pulled into a dark alley!
She throws him off (literally), but is shocked to discover that her attacker is not Max! He takes advantage of her moment of surprise to knock her out.
When she comes to, Max is standing over her. He helps her up and tells her that he saw the attack from his apartment building, rushed down, and scared the guy off. Batgirl apologizes for having misjudged Max. But at least she knows what the real killer looks like.
Babs tries again. Her next date is with someone "even uglier than Max," John Milman. (Which doesn't seem to be a pun, unless I'm missing something.) He presents her with an orchid, but their date turns out to be innocuous. Until the end, that is, when she says good night with the usual platitude, "hope we can see each other again..."
So maybe that wasn't the real killer in the alley, after all. This guy, with his sudden crazed orchid-crushing fury certainly seems to fit the bill...
Babs's (unwanted) rescuer turns out to be none other than Jason Bard, who admits to a degree of jealousy. (The two would soon end up dating, for a while.) John gets a good hit on Jason's bad leg and flees the scene. Babs ducks away, changes into Batgirl, and swings over to John's address.
Yes, it's such a curse being born with good looks and having girls throw themselves at you. Really, the only way to deal with it is to teach people to appreciate inner beauty - by wooing them with cheap flattery and then killing them.
It's a good adventure, though. Babs seems to constantly jump to the wrong conclusion, and yet, in the end, it turns out her instincts were right all along. Max was the killer. And so was the guy who jumped her in the alley. And so was John. His ultimate motivation may not make much sense, but he is, after all, a crazed serial killer.
In any case, let this be a lesson to you all: stay off of Craigslist.
I figured I'd post the rest of the TOC. Partly in case there are people interested in buying it, but also in case there are any further requests. (I'll be out of town next week, but I can always post more scans later.) Though it seems, unsurprisingly, that
The next story is a three-parter from 1972 having to do with the Gordon for Congress campaign.
After that, we have "The Invader From Hell" from 1975, which has Batgirl and Robin teaming up against the ghost of Benedict Arnold in the run up to the Bicentennial. (This one has been posed to S_D already.)
Then it's "Startling Secret of the Devilish Daughters" from 1977, which again has Batgirl and Robin teaming up in DC. This time, they're being attacked by a series of women who claim to be the daughters of famous bat-foes. (Also already posted to S_D.)
Next up is "Photo Finish" from 1997. It has some beautiful art, and it's a flashback to the very young Batgirl and Robin's first (post-Crisis) team-up... against an inept mall crook. Just a bit of lighthearted, innocent fun. (Also previously posted to S_D.)
Finally, there's the two-part "Folie a Deux" from 1998. It's another flashback to Babs's early career. A coming of age of sorts, and her relationship with her two father-figures (one with a mask, one without). (Posted at the end of this S_D entry.)
As before, all scans are available on flickr if you want to take a closer look at anything.
Our story opens with a splash page of Batgirl lying dead. An image of her head in the corner narrates for us. "In retrospect, it all seemed like a dreadful nightmare..." Dressed as Batgirl, she invites a man in. He offers her an orchid, crushes it, and then overpowers her. She passes out...
The book tells readers that "Plain Janes" are vulnerable to flattery, epitomized by the gift an orchid.
The man who checked the book back in to the library has already moved out of his apartment, so Babs follows up on the other lead. Unfortunately, the guy running the computer dating service tells her he can't share their records with anyone - even Batgirl. Babs decides to use herself as bait. She fills out a computer dating form (regrettably brushing off Jason Bard in favor of her investigation). Her first date is with... "Max Tournov." Sounds like a real winner.
He's presented her with an orchid! And he's going to try to kiss her goodnight! There's only one possible conclusion: He's the killer!
For some reason, this upsets him. He crushes the orchid, throws it away, and runs off, leaving Babs confused. Batgirl follows him, but loses track of him when a truck gets in the way. She continues to his listed address, only to be pulled into a dark alley!
She throws him off (literally), but is shocked to discover that her attacker is not Max! He takes advantage of her moment of surprise to knock her out.
When she comes to, Max is standing over her. He helps her up and tells her that he saw the attack from his apartment building, rushed down, and scared the guy off. Batgirl apologizes for having misjudged Max. But at least she knows what the real killer looks like.
Babs tries again. Her next date is with someone "even uglier than Max," John Milman. (Which doesn't seem to be a pun, unless I'm missing something.) He presents her with an orchid, but their date turns out to be innocuous. Until the end, that is, when she says good night with the usual platitude, "hope we can see each other again..."
So maybe that wasn't the real killer in the alley, after all. This guy, with his sudden crazed orchid-crushing fury certainly seems to fit the bill...
Babs's (unwanted) rescuer turns out to be none other than Jason Bard, who admits to a degree of jealousy. (The two would soon end up dating, for a while.) John gets a good hit on Jason's bad leg and flees the scene. Babs ducks away, changes into Batgirl, and swings over to John's address.
Yes, it's such a curse being born with good looks and having girls throw themselves at you. Really, the only way to deal with it is to teach people to appreciate inner beauty - by wooing them with cheap flattery and then killing them.
It's a good adventure, though. Babs seems to constantly jump to the wrong conclusion, and yet, in the end, it turns out her instincts were right all along. Max was the killer. And so was the guy who jumped her in the alley. And so was John. His ultimate motivation may not make much sense, but he is, after all, a crazed serial killer.
In any case, let this be a lesson to you all: stay off of Craigslist.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 05:15 pm (UTC)ps did you see this story in io9?
http://io9.com/5736950/why-is-captain-america-ruling-our-screens-and-not-wonder-woman
Scroll down through the comments to the panel of wrasslin' Amazons. Please tell me that's been posted here - it seems to be the reason ScansDaily exists.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 05:28 pm (UTC)Don't know about that particular panel, but there's been no shortage of Amazonian love.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 05:47 pm (UTC)But that panel is crying out for an icon!
ps I just noticed that you have Frank Robbins listed as a creator - is that from the story credits?
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 05:50 pm (UTC)The panel can be made into an icon easily enough, if that's what you want. Just shrink it down to size.
And yes, Frank Robbins is listed as the writer in the book's TOC. ETA: Updated tags to include artist credits, too.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 05:48 pm (UTC)"Wonder Woman has origins from WW2, how is she still around today?" You mean aside from the fact she's immortal? Okay, well, Themyscria exists outside of our normal time stream. She can spend a day there and when she comes out, it's fifty years later.
"Yes, but her costume...why the costume?" It's a bustier. Bustiers are cool.
The problem with Wonder Woman is no one these days wants to treat her like the gonzo fantasy heroine she started out as being.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 03:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 12:10 pm (UTC)But this happens in a world where a domino mask or even a pair of glasses is considered an impenetrable disguise, pretty much regardless of the circumstances.
"Orchid-crusher", hee hee hee (/12yearold)
Date: 2011-01-21 08:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-21 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-22 01:09 pm (UTC)But no, she didn't give away her identity in that panel. I had to cut the scene out because I'm only allowed to post 1/3 of the story, but I mentioned between scans that Batgirl (after a quick costume change) had followed Max only to be knocked out by the unmasked killer (and supposedly rescued by Max).