Very early Batman

[A beaker full of death]

The early stories of the Batman in "Batman" and "Detective Comics" were a rich tapestry of tales, milieus, and even genres.

The Batman mythos has devolved into something of a greatest hits collection from that era. Certain stories and characters from that era have been retained (though often with some measure of change), and a whole lot has been lost. Most stories had no "supervillain" (though Joker did show up a whole lot), and Commissioner Gordon rarely made an appearance. Batman was grim and serious, but he was also humorous and dashing (in fact, he cracked wise as much as Spidey would 25 years later). He was a direct descendant of Sherlock Holmes -- a master of disguise and a master sleuth, who took it on himself to infiltrate criminal enterprises.
Batman just seems to me to have lost a lot of his notes (thanks in no small part, I think, to Frank Miller, but that's a rant for another day).
I was thumbing through a few issues today, and was amazed by the variety of stories. It's fascinating to see which elements have survived - and which have not.

Samples:

 

[exodus]

I do miss the master of deguise aspect Batman/Bruce Wayne used to have.
However, I found the wise cracking and the whole creature of the night part contradictory. I can see it in Spidey because he's a young man trying to learn disappline but Bruce Wayne already learned this and shouldn't be. PLus, anybody that's ever been in a real fight knows you can't talk and fight at the same time due to stamina issues................that is unless you're Muhammed Ali.

 

[A beaker full of death]

^ I miss the sleuthing, primarily. I've been really getting into the original Conan Doyle Holmes stories, and it's really interesting how much the early stuff drew from it.

 

[exodus]

^ I miss the sleuthing, primarily. I've been really getting into the original Conan Doyle Holmes stories, and it's really interesting how much the early stuff drew from it.

Yes, the inspiration that came from it is very clear.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Bruce is now considered the World's Greatest Detective in the DCU and yes he was influenced by a combination of Zorro and Sherlock Holmes. One of the reasons why I love what Grant Morrison has done in his run over the last three or four years is that he's paid homage or at least even made valid those early adventures. He has stated that he is a fan of the 50's and 60's craziness and touched on them with the invention of the Black Casebook. Neal Adam's Batman Odyssey touches on the early years of the Bat. I've been meaning on taking out the "Batman Chronicles" trades to reread those early stories.

 

[ClayinCA]

Which story is this from? Is that Julie Madison...?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Supposedly, the First Wave series takes some of of its cues from the early Batman stories.

I haven't read it yet, but it sounds like fun. Batman uses handguns, hangs out with Doc Savage and the Spirit, and there aren't any people with super powers.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^^ That was either Julie Madison or Katy Kane Batwoman I believe.

 

[A beaker full of death]

She's the Black Queen - one of the Joker's gang.
As far as I know, she was never heard from again.
Too bad.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Supposedly, the First Wave series takes some of of its cues from the early Batman stories.

I haven't read it yet, but it sounds like fun. Batman uses handguns, hangs out with Doc Savage and the Spirit, and there aren't any people with super powers.

The Batman originally using guns thing has been overstated, much like Captain America's use of his original shield (which lasted a very short time).
This is from Batman #4:

 

[Nerys Myk]

It sometimes funny how a briefly seen, quickly retconned element can take on a life of it's own when used by later creators. Cap's triangle sheild lasted all of one issue and yet it keeps popping up in stories that had to take place later. I wouldn't suprised if somewhere along the line the triangle sheild is shown in a story set on D-Day.

 

[Admiral_Young]

The reason why his using guns is so overstated is because we all know the modern interpretation of the character has an aversion of them. I think this was reinforced by the Denny O'Neil era. I remember a very poignant panel for me at least where Batman is confronted by a crook in a bar and he strikes it out of his hand with a right hand slap and shouts at him like a raving madman NEVER TO POINT THAT THING AT ME AGAIN or something to that affect. I think the crook peed his pants lol.

 

[Starbreaker]

I read the detective comics up to Batman #1 last year. There's some very good stuff in there. Batman is Timeless.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Supposedly, the First Wave series takes some of of its cues from the early Batman stories.

I haven't read it yet, but it sounds like fun. Batman uses handguns, hangs out with Doc Savage and the Spirit, and there aren't any people with super powers.

The Batman originally using guns thing has been overstated

Thanks for the trivia, but I didn't bring up the guns to liken it to those early instances. It's simply a Batman who's much more in the pulp tradition than the superhero one. It sounds like a fun take on the character.

 

[Marc]

I do miss the master of deguise aspect Batman/Bruce Wayne used to have.
However, I found the wise cracking and the whole creature of the night part contradictory. I can see it in Spidey because he's a young man trying to learn disappline but Bruce Wayne already learned this and shouldn't be. PLus, anybody that's ever been in a real fight knows you can't talk and fight at the same time due to stamina issues................that is unless you're Muhammed Ali.

Didn't they feature Bruce going in disguise in B:TAS on a couple of occasions at least? I think one had Batman taking out some mobsters after going undercover in bar and as he's taking them out, comments about watching what's said in bars as they never know if the person sitting next to them is Batman.

 

[Christopher]

Didn't they feature Bruce going in disguise in B:TAS on a couple of occasions at least? I think one had Batman taking out some mobsters after going undercover in bar and as he's taking them out, comments about watching what's said in bars as they never know if the person sitting next to them is Batman.

He did go undercover now and then in TAS -- as a generic street person in "The Forgotten" and as Matches Malone in "Shadow of the Bat" are the instances that spring to mind, along with a brief undercover gig in TNBA's "Never Fear." But I don't recall the scene you're describing.

 

[RandyS]

Are those clips from the recent paperback Batman Chronicles series? I've been wanting to get those (and the Superman editions), but I already have the first two hardback DC Archive versions and I didn't want to pay for the same thing twice.

 

[A beaker full of death]

No idea if they're in there. I pulled these from my private collection of scanned comics.

 

[Corran Horn]

I do miss the master of deguise aspect Batman/Bruce Wayne used to have.
However, I found the wise cracking and the whole creature of the night part contradictory. I can see it in Spidey because he's a young man trying to learn disappline but Bruce Wayne already learned this and shouldn't be. PLus, anybody that's ever been in a real fight knows you can't talk and fight at the same time due to stamina issues................that is unless you're Muhammed Ali.

Didn't they feature Bruce going in disguise in B:TAS on a couple of occasions at least? I think one had Batman taking out some mobsters after going undercover in bar and as he's taking them out, comments about watching what's said in bars as they never know if the person sitting next to them is Batman.

Some shades of "Almost Got 'Im" but Batman was actually in disguise as Killer Croc amongst the other rogues.
http://www.tvrage.com/Batman_TAS/episodes/18121

 

[Admiral_Young]

"Almost Got Im" is one of my favorite episodes of TAS along with my bro's.