A Ghost and a Clown

 

cover art by Carmine Infantino

Two weeks ago, we looked at the excellent original Batman story published in Detective Comics #439, which was a 100-pager that included a number of reprints. Today, we'll begin our every-two-weeks look at the reprints from that issue. (There was also an original Manhunter story, but that was part of a multi-issue story arc and we'll look at that seperately if I can dig up the other applicable issues).

We start with "The Riddle of the Clown," written by Bob Kanigher and drawn by Joe Kubert. It was originally published in Flash Comics #92 (Feb. 1948). It's a Hawkman/Hawkgirl tale and gives us the third appearance of the villainous Gentleman Ghost.

Eventually (I think in his next appearance after this one), the Golden Age Gentleman Ghost turned out to be a very-much alive thief and con man who used gadgets and trickery to make it look like he was a real ghost.

But in this story, the good guys are still uncertain about this. And the Ghost certainly seems to be able to pull off some daring crimes. At this point, he's in Paris, foiling pursuit by the local cops and openly planning to rob the Louvre.

The Hawks hear about this and fly to Paris. But they don't do much good. Using smoke bombs and other tactics designed to confuse everyone, the Ghost dodges both cops and superheroes. He also captures Hawkgirl. (It's a flaw in this short but entertaining story that Hawkgirl is largely useless throughout.)

The Ghost leaves a riddle behind hinting at his next crime, which includes a reference to a laughing clown. Hawkman deduces that this refers to a showing of the opera Pagliacci. So he's there in time to save Hawkgirl and stop the ghost from dropping a chandelier on the audience. Hawkman manages to chased down THREE Gentleman Ghosts, using his "Hawkoscope" to detect which costume has an actual person in it. This turns out to be one of the Ghost's thugs, though. All three costumes were decoys.

The real Ghost is spotted, but apparently blows himself up in an attempt to take Hawkman with him. Is he really dead though? Or was he actually alive in the first place?

It's a fun story, galloping along quickly enough through its eight pages to cover over a few plot holes. I always liked the Genttleman Ghost as a villain, especially when moved over to Batman's Rogue's Gallery during the Bronze Age. 

We'll accompany the Atom on one of his time-travelling jaunts in two weeks. Next week, though, we'll return to the Lonely War of Willie Schultz.

How Does a Pterodactyl Tell Time?

 

If anyone ever asks you to define the term "goofy fun," just show them a copy of Hawkman #23 (Dec 1967/Jan. 1968). Writer Richard Hughes and artist Dick Dillon provide us with a perfect definition.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl are on patrol when they see a bank being attacked by a combined force of dinosaurs and cavemen. It's such an odd sight that even Hawkman--who is like most superheroes in that he's seen some pretty weird stuff during his career--gives us a "Holy Hawks! It's impossible!"

But this is a Comic Book Universe, in which very little is impossible. The Hawks battle the dinos and cave men for a few pages, at which point their opponents are swept away and then disappear.

A mortally wounded pterodactyl is left behind. Guessing that a bird-reptile will speak bird language, the Hawks seek out a death-bed confession.

The dying ptero explains that he's been brought out of the past, but dies before saying who is responsible. 

I wonder, though, how the ptero was able to explain so precisely that he came from 1,000,000 BC. How does he know the year according to modern reckoning? Heck, how does he understand the concept of time or calenders at all? Apparently, Pterodactyl School in the prehistoric past was very efficient!

A radiation trail leads them to a mad scientist lare, where Dr. Malevolo is using his time machine to bring creatures from the past to steal money. Probably to pay off the loans he took out to fund building a time machine, but that's just a guess.

When the machine is activated, Hawkman tosses Hawkgirl to safety, but he himself is sucked into the past.

He soon finds himself fighting a dragon-like monster, then later befriends a tribe of cavemen, teaching them to use fire and weapons. But when Dr. Malevolo brings some more perspective minions into the 20th Century, Hawkman is brought along.

The radiation used by the time machine wipes Hawkman's memory and makes him susceptible to Dr. Malevolo's orders. The bad guy sends him off to kill Hawkgirl. This obligates Hawkgirl to first fake her own death and then to lure Hawkman into a decontamination chamber.

This snaps Hawkman back to normal. The Hawks then attack Malevolo's lair once again and this time defeat him. The destruction of the time machine sends everyone and everything back to their proper times. Dr. Malevolo gets sentenced to some hard time and, I believe, is never seen again. 

That's understandable. Malevolo was just a generic mad scientist, without any sort of strong personality or traits that would lead a writer to bring him back for more shenanigans.

Otherwise, the story truly is goofy fun. It jumps around in an uninhibited way, tossing in stuff like a prehistoric dragon, a pterodactyl that can tell time, or teaching cavemen how to use bows and arrows in a willy-nilly fashion, whether or not any one of these elements advance the plot. In fact, teaching the cavemen stuff doesn't affect the story at all.

But it doesn't matter. Dick Dillon makes it all look cool and I wouldn't have left out any part of it. I normally enjoy strong story structure and a writer's ability to tie everything together. But there are moments when story structure must give way to pure fun. This is one of those occasions.

I wish I knew how that darn pterodactyl could tell time, though.

Next week is my wedding anniversary/wife's birthday break. In two weeks, we will take one of our occasional ventures into comics of the 1980s to begin a look at the Legion of Superheroes' "Great Darkness Saga."

Using Archeology To Defeat Villains

 

cover art by Murphy Anderson

By golly, archeology is dangerous. Anyone who has seen an Indiana Jones movie or played Tomb Raider knows that. It's gotta be the most dangerous profession in the history of the world. 

In Hawkman #8 (June-July 1965), for instance, we see a prime example of the dangers of the profession. World renowned explorer Paul Colby just wants to show off his new find--a large mask discovered on Mount Olympus--to museum curator Carter Hall. But then the mask, supposedly made by Vulcan himself, takes on a life of its own. It attaches itself to Colby, possesses him and soon has him flying off to Greece to find something else.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl quickly pursue. They catch up to Mask-Colby at Mount Olympus, where he displays various powers and is able to keep the Hawks at bay.

The battle uncovers a large statue. The Mask releases its hold on Colby and attaches itself to this statue, which then comes to life and starts rampaging through a nearby town.

It turns out that the Vulcan who made the mask and the statue was a highly-skilled blacksmith, but not the actual god. He somehow gave sentience to his creation, but was later able to subdue it. In present time, the Hawks are unable to either defeat the statue or figure out a way to get the mask off. But Vulcan did just that thousands of years ago. How did he manage it?

So far, Gardner Fox's script and Murphy Anderson's art have combined to give us a fast-paced and fun story. Here, though, is where we get the real highpoint. Unable to beat the statue on their own, the Hawks and the now-back-to-normal Colby examine the cave in which the mask was found. It's Hawkgirl who makes the required deductive leap--figuring out that the case in which the mask was kept must somehow nullify its powers. 

I really like this. The story does not lose track of the fact that its heroes are scientists as well as superheroes and they use their knowledge and intelligence to figure out a way to stop the rampaging statue.

They are indeed able to get the mask back into its case and thus save the day. I guess the story has a small plot hole here. How did Vulcan--a normal human being--get the mask into that case during the statue's original rampage? He presumably didn't have wings with which to reach the mask. Unless he borrowed wings some from Daedalus, perhaps? Gee whiz, now I want to know more!

Actually, it's too much of a stretch to call that a plot hole and what we have is an entertaining tale in which the heroes have to be smart as well as powerful to save the day.

Next week, we'll visit with the Avengers. In this case, I mean Mr. Steed and Mrs. Peel. Not Cap, Iron Man and Thor.

Cover Cavalcade

A fun Murphy Anderson cover from 1966.