All You Need is Love - A review of Suicide Squad v1 #8 (1987) by Jason Brown

It’s been awhile, but we are back with more Suicide Squad review. (Real life can be such a pesky distraction from the fiction we love.) In this entry we will take a gander at issue #8.

Before we even get off the tarmac, we are treated to another fantastic cover with the SS logo in black atop a red background with Deadshot, Enchantress, Captain Boomerang, Rick Flagg, and the Bronze Tiger profiled in yellow above a distraught Simon La Grieve working at his desk. "Personal Files!" is the promise of this issue, and I’m excited. If you’ve read any of my previous reviews you know I’m a big fan of character-driven fiction, and feel the anti-heroes of our beloved squad make for some very interesting characters. Most often full of conflict to begin with, these boys and girls are continually thrown under the bus by Waller and her associates in the U.S. government, mostly due to their previous poor life choices and general criminal behavior. The result is an entertainment casserole that leaves you craving seconds and thirds until you find it’s 2 AM in the morning and you have to force yourself to put it down and go to sleep so you will have a shot at facing all the real life bunk the next morning with at least some semblance of adult competence and responsible concern. (Just once I’d like to tell a client straight up that I’m too tired to work today because I was just up too late reading comic books.)

This issue takes a deeper look into the personal lives of some of the key members of the squad, but starts with the Wall herself. Interesting how La Grieve counseled her to use her anger to progress with her career rather than face it and deal with it. If Waller is the squad’s mother, then I guess that makes La Grieve the father, sowing the seed of his advice in the fertile womb of Waller’s anger. Y’know during the verbal intercourse of their counseling session. (I’ll stop.) We then get to see that anger manifest in the form of a punch in the face for Dexter Tolliver, the smug ass-clown from the NSC who screwed everyone over on the Russia mission. That was fun to see. Interestingly, a reference is made to Oliver North is made here that made me feel compelled to google Oliver North so I could remember what that scandal was all about back in the late 80’s. (Of course I wasn’t remembering anything at all because I didn’t know any more about Oliver North in the 80s than I do now. Wikipedia started explaining it to me, something about selling weapons to the wrong country or something, but then I zoned out and closed the window.)

Next there’s some love triangle stuff between Flagg, Karin, and Mark Shaw, the Privateer whose outfit looks like one of those generic costumes you buy at the big Halloween outlets - Swashbuckler $29.99 – and just he just put it on over his V-neck and slacks. Instead of Privateer, he could have just went with Generic Hero and it would have been about par. An exhausted Flagg and Shaw duke it out 'til Flag can barely move, which gives us some good action for a couple of pages anyway. Then Waller replaces Flagg with Bronze Tiger as leader.

the Privateer

Speaking of Bronze Tiger, he and June Moon have a pretty cool meeting with someone called Madame Xanadu and get some nifty trinkets to help keep the increasing threat of the Enchantress at bay. Something about a mystic feedback loop. I think I learned about that back in Grade 4 science class, but I’m a little fuzzy on it. That stuff would have come in handy with one of my previous girlfriends. Wow... excuse me, I’m just taking a moment to let it sink in... I think I dated the actual Enchantress. I didn’t even know she was one of those "fourth wall" characters. Or maybe that would be fifth wall? Anybody? Ah, it’s just as well. The mystic feedback loop would have traumatized the cats.

Now we cut to my fave, Deadshot. The Marlboro Man himself. Marnie Herrs has fallen pretty hard for him and is not professional enough to step down as his therapist. And can you blame her? I mean this is a real man we’re talking about here. This is the guy who faced off against the invulnerable Evil Lion-O inan abandoned elevator shaft and sent him to see the angels with all the anxiety of changing a taillight.* I mean this guy is unstable... dangerous... powerful... sexy. All the things she was subconsciously looking for in those guys who asked her out back in college, but could never find. All the things she knows are bad for her, but draw her like a beetle to a back door light in a way she just can’t explain... and she's a licensed psychologist! Shame! His demeaning accusations just egging her on to break through their shared dysfunction and sexual tension, pulled like a cheap condom over a ten pin bowling ball: violence! A slap to the face, a passionate kiss, and a walk out the door later, and they're no better off then when they began; two blind fish in a pothole on a rainy Sunday. (What follows "off camera" has a ring to it like a children’s book title: Deadeye Floyd and his Visit to the Cathouse.)

What next? Ahhh... this issue is like a sampler plate; like a really good one. I always want to call this guy Boomerang, but of course that’s a Marvel comics character. Here’s an interesting question. I want to assume Marvel got to the name 'Boomerang' first, and DC had to add Captain cause they got sloppy seconds, but I know the evolution of comic book characters can be stranger than the fiction itself. If you know which character was created first (without looking it up!) please add to the comments below. I’m making a marked decision not to not look it up, even though now I really want to, and wait to see if any comments come in. Then we can all discover the answer together, like kids coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. Either way, here we are getting neither Boomerang nor Captain Boomerang, but Mirror Master, apparently. I think it’s a cool idea that Digger is using his old mate's getup and toys to scratch his crime itch, but it erodes the believability a little. I mean being a "super-person", to me, is about being special; unique in some way. Is it really as easy as changing skins on a phone? Digger is a master with those boomerangs of his, but wouldn't it take a truckload of time and training to even be competent with the Mirror Master stuff? I mean, I know this isn’t Breaking Bad, but it’s not the Super Friends, either. I guess I’ll file this away with Chronos and his device.** (I once watched an episode of Super Friends where all of the heroes had to go to Krypton before it exploded and they all used their "various methods of time travel" to get there. I don’t even think they mentioned anything about it being several galaxies away. I think even as a young child I was like, "Hold up – how exactly did Batman and Robin get here again?") Also, Digger would look way cooler if he shaved his head, amirite? Whenever I see guys with this "hairstyle" I cringe... if that’s you, sorry! (But yeah, definitely shave it.)

In closing, it’s morning at the La Grieve household, and Simon is met by his wife Ruth, who offers to fix him breakfast. Despite all of his anxieties and fears that keep him up at night, Simon is comforted that he doesn’t have to face them alone. And honestly, this scene really gets to me, especially the final illustration of La Grieve and his wife walking arm in arm to the kitchen. It’s just really touching. This comic book has heart. A lot of people might judge "Suicide Squad" as too dark, or negative for a comic book, but in the end the message here is a great one: hold onto the people you love and love ‘em.

* see issue#1 of the Suicide Review, If You Want Blood... – helpful J
** see issue #2, What the Hell? – the ever vigilant Mr. Brown



I am a just-starting-out fiction writer and musician living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. If you would like to contact me with work or collaboration opportunities, or just to make arrangements to send me cash, please email me. Cheers!  (Share the love! lol)

-Jason Brown  

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All content in this article entry written by Jason Brown. If you want to attribute any of this work, please credit Jason Brown.

The Russia One - A review of Suicide Squad v1 #5 - #7 (1987) by Jason Brown

[Who is Jason Brown and why is he reviewing the late 80s Suicide Squad ongoing series? Find out here. Read his previous review here. -J]

Opening page of Suicide Squad v1 #5 (1987)

Politics bring a tear of boredom to my eye. Having said that, the opening of this storyline is well done. The title page in particular looks great, like a movie poster. The premise is plausible enough. There’s Gorbachev with his signature head-blotch, a clear eighties-ism. By this point I’ve zoned out and am skimming the details. The daughter of some revolutionary following her father’s example wrote a book the reds didn’t like, they threw her in prison, blah, blah, blah. All I’m thinking is the gang has to go on some crap mission to Russia and of course they do, they’re the Suicide Squad, and pretty much all of their missions are crap. That’s what makes it so fun. We read Superman or Batman and think, “So cool, I wanna be them!” We read Suicide Squad and we’re like, “Man, I’m glad I don’t have to go do that shite.”


Enter the Penguin. >Wauuugh!< Another fun part of this book is how the core lineup stays the same while the more peripheral characters get changed out from issue to issue. The editor notes at the bottom of some frames keep reminding me of all the other great comics I need to read in order to fully understand what’s going on in this one. (Fair enough, but I got no time for Batman Annual #11.) >Waugh!< These notes keep me grounded to the reality that as far as the rich history of the DCU is concerned, this is only my first main course after the sampler plate of my few scattered readings from back in the day when the feng shui of my ten foot square bedroom was Marvel Comics and Iron Maiden Flags. >Quaaag!< I must admit though, what I’ve seen on this website in my casual browsing has sparked greater interest in some of the more obscure DC characters, and the DCU in general. It seems there’s hope for me yet, Justin! >Waugh!<

Oswald Cobblepot: Master of Disguise

So the Penguin is needed on this one because he’s a better mission strategist than anyone else on the squad. Sure, I’ll buy that. We get some truly interesting back story on June Moon and how she became Enchantress. Her taut exchange with the psychiatrist should strike a chord with the bipolar readers among us, to say the least. Didn’t expect to see Deadshot having a drink at Boomerang’s place. Didn’t think he liked Boomerang, but it’s not like he’s got any other buddies around to chill with. Boomerang’s being left behind on this mission, so he’s cooking up a scheme to scratch his itch for some excitement of the illegal variety. That’s what I like about this book; in many ways these folks are just ordinary screwed up people with ordinary screwed up problems just like you and me, but they just keep living and making the best of it. They just happen to wear costumes to work. Most of us would too if we were allowed.

So fast forward and the gang is deep undercover on the grounds of the hospital where the extraction target, Trigoran, is being detained. So the plan is coming along splendidly and it’s time for Enchantress to pitch in, and of course we already know how that’s going to go before it happens. Flagg drops this eighties one-liner: “Hell may not be frozen over, but Russia is,” and I’m looking around for Action Jackson to pop out of the woods and ask, “How do you like ya ribs?” So Enchantress and Nightshade rendezvous with Nemesis but then the plan falls apart when the target, Trigoran doesn’t want to leave. And that ends issue 5. I don’t know if Suicide Squad is a typical example of DC storytelling, but the more I read, the more I just feel like the writers and artists really knew what they were doing. Everything just flows well, the credibility is there, and the rising tension is palpable. Good job DC!

The cover of issue 6 is fantastic, a close-up of Deadshot aiming a rifle on a red backdrop. So cool. What I love about Deadshot is his consistency. His image, personality, lifestyle all match. And what I love about Suicide Squad is the inside look we get at characters that aren’t really heroes. Because you start to see everyone has at least a little hero in them, and the parts that are self-serving are just damaged goods, for the most part.

So the mission is blown, Enchantress is off the rails, and it’s up to Deadshot to bring her down without killing her. I think there is instant respect, especially among male egos, when in the company of a true marksman. We all feel that rush when we get the crumpled paper into the waste basket from across the room. It requires presence. Focus. Deadshot is just so damn good. I mean, yeah, so are all the other marksmen and markswomen of the comic book universes – let’s face it, ranged combat experts are an easy way to present new characters without having to go with powers, that and martial arts. But Deadshot is really winning me over. He’s just a true man’s man with a subtle sense of humor, a bit of a death wish, but not too full of himself to just come out and say he’s got a rep to protect. I think Lawton has the stuff heroes are made of and just doesn’t know it. For now he’s going with whatever the stuff is that goes ahead and shoots a Russian soldier in the head to get their attention. Should’ve told him, Flagg, should’ve told him! It’s like in Terminator 2 when John freaks out at his new Terminator friend.

“Jesus, you we’re gonna kill that guy!”

“Of course, I’m a Terminator.”

Ha ha! I love it! Then Lawton upgrades to some kind of bazooka and starts taking out transport trucks. He misses one on purpose just to “ make things interesting.” Penguin isn’t a fan. Ha ha ha! They get clear of the soldiers and Nightshades pushes herself to her limits to eventually get them all back to the embassy where they get their heads handed to them by secretary to the ambassador, Leonard Twilliby. Apparently they’ve created an international situation. Lawton get’s the final panel where he casually lights up a smoke and with a ghost of a smile on his lips, asks Flagg what he wants to do now? Love it!

Issue 7 introduces us to “The People’s Heroes,” I guess like a Russian Avengers? Or, Ah – sorry - I meant to say, Russian Justice League? Nice. I can get behind that. Task Force X is in the embassy basement with 30 minutes to surrender, trying to figure out what to do. Lawton suggests killing themselves. Awesome. As you can guess, Flagg wanted to explore some other options first. So they work out a plan which involves stealing passports and clothes from Dudley DuReiht, (no joke) and some other American tourists. To keep them from talking, Penguin and Deadshot decide to go ahead and murder all the innocent tourists. An ashtray to the skull and a left cross to the jaw later, Flagg convinces Deadshot to discuss other alternatives. It’s moments like this my Deadshot fan club has to turn a blind eye. Yeah he’s maybe an anti-hero… or maybe just a sociopath piece of garbage? Ah well that’s what creates the drama in a book like this. Nemesis takes the fall so the squad can escape while simultaneously quitting said squad. He makes the comment that Penguin and Deadshot belong in jail, and of course, he’s right. When you think about it, the Suicide Squad is government corruption gone unchecked, especially when it’s for a stupid political mission like this one. This book is entertaining because it is about individuals not ideals.

Here we get a single page to check in on Boomerang back at his New Orleans apartment. He’s putting some pretty clumsy moves on a lady who turns out to be Black Orchid. Waller sent her to bring in Harkness who had been avoiding her calls by, y’know… leaving the phone of the hook. Remember that? I bet not everybody reading this does. I remember when I was a kid if your friend’s household had an answering machine it was exciting because you could actually tell your friend you were trying to find them. (Not as exciting when the friend’s parents told you to stop leaving so many messages and filling up the machine.) I love how Black Orchid flies away with Harkness dangling him by the freaking foot. That would be absolutely terrifying I think. Ah poor Boomerang. He’s like the court jester of this series.

Cut to the squad on a train. Wolves are following it making Pengy nervous and Deadshot is playing it up. There is a nice dialogue here where Deadshot tells Penguin he would likely do well in Russia’s corrupt political arena, unlike lone wolves like he and Flagg. Flagg objects to the comparison Lawton makes between them. I really like that this book gives time for moments like his. Just really good character- driven fiction. and the visuals are very well done as the conversation concludes with wolf silhouettes outside watching the train.

So the People’s Heroes catch up with the gang out on the ice and Bronze Tiger, Black Orchid, and Boomerang show up to help just in time, and thank God because Flagg and company are probably half frozen out there walking in the Russian tundra without their winter coats! The People’s Heroes have a nice mix of powers to go with their stunted English dialogue. I’ll skip the play by play here and let you read this for yourself. It’s a really good battle. Some Russian ‘copters show up then Sheba the Task Force X ‘copter shows up to counter fire. Then Action Jackson and John Rambo jump out of Sheba without parachutes or shirts and turn the tide for good. I may have taken a little artistic license with some of the details but you get the point. In the end Miss Trigorin dies and becomes a martyr like she wanted all along.

Big Brother's answer to the Justice League

So there you have it folks. I just haven’t come up with a title for this one yet… From Russia with Blood? Tack in the U.S.S.R? Rambo V? Oh wait, I’ve got it… [see post title]




I am a just-starting-out fiction writer and musician living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. If you would like to contact me with work or collaboration opportunities, or just to make arrangements to send me cash, please email me. Cheers!

-Jason Brown 

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All content in this article entry [except for the editor's note] written by Jason Brown. If you want to attribute any of this work, please credit Jason Brown.

If You Want Blood... You’ve (Kinda) Got It! - A review of Suicide Squad v1 #1 - #3 (1987) by Jason Brown

[Editor's note: This review has spoilers. If you haven't read this fine series yet, stop reading this article and track down the first three issues of Suicide Squad v1 (1987). Come back and read this article once you've read those issues. You've been warned.... ]

Don't have any clue what's going on? Read the intro.

So here we have issue #1 of Suicide Squad and I must say, the logo and cover look sharp. THESE 8 PEOPLE WILL BE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR COUNTRY. ONE OF THEM WON’T BE COMING HOME! - The opening statement strikes the sublime chords of highest heroism shrouded in mystery. For a few like Rick Flagg and Bronze Tiger there may be some truth here, but they won’t be sporting the Belle Reve issue explosive arm bracer that some of the other squad members will. The prospect of Mr. Digger Harkness putting his life on the line for his own mother, let alone the United States of America, is a stretch. Morally, this group is like a batch of apples scrounged from a trampled orchard floor at the end of busy season. To be honest though, I was surprised at the outset that the group has the collective morals it does. Later we find out that some of these guys and gals are actually choosing to stay with the squad after their sentences are served. Ironically, the name Suicide Squad suits these folks more accurately than the ones whose only other option is to rot in jail. I like this mix. From what I see in the upcoming movie trailers, the Hollywood incarnation has no such members in it’s ranks. This kind of makes me root for Flagg and the gang a little more. A little salt of the earth can go a long way.



The opening story, Trial By Blood/Trial By Fire was well done, I thought. The members of the supervillain group the Jihad are an interesting mix. I always like it when the heroes (or in this case, "heroes") and villains are somewhat evenly matched, although the Jihad seemed much more capable slaughtering an unsuspecting civilian group than facing the Squad. I was a little taken aback with the sheer brutality of the Jihad. Right out of the gate you have Evil Lion-o (or as some have dubbed him, Manticore) and his buddies massacring everyone in sight in an airport. How relieved I was that there was no actual bloodshed. I’m very appreciative that whatever comic code authority at the time took it upon themselves to protect me from the psychological trauma I would have surely sustained by seeing bloodshed as the natural result of extreme violence. This way I can tell my son (he’s seventeen now, but play along) that Evil Lion-o and his friends were just scaring the people, like a game. I think as long as kids never learn to read, they should be fine to enjoy these comics. I’m just saying, what’s more desensitizing: substance, or intent? Put another way, if you want to have bacon double cheese burgers on the menu, you gotta kill a few pigs. And a cow. I also felt better for some reason when I found out some of the people were actors. At one point someone is yelling My baby! Where is my baby?! when there are clearly no babies – or children- to be seen. Is one of the actors really putting it out there to get the job, maybe so immersed in their trade that they’re completely unaware of the mortal danger they’re in? (Maybe they couldn’t see the blood either.) Or maybe they know they are about to die and have an actual baby somewhere at home and are just wondering if they’re, y’know, in the crib napping, or watching TV or whatever. In the aftermath, you can see what appears to be some blue streams and pools on the floor though. In all the excitement someone must’ve knocked over a water cooler.

The Jihad's Manticore and Jaculi plowing through an airport terminal (Suicide Squad v1 #1)

I find the character depth of this comic very satisfying. The dynamic between Waller, the Belle Reve staff, and the Squad is mostly believable and quite entertaining. It has a lot of grit, but isn’t dark for the sake of being dark, or trying too hard to be badass. Sexual harassment, racism, a love story… all in the first issue – love it! Also, I find it more realistic logistically than what I had read of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, if no one minds the comparison. There is actually some effort to show these people are not fully being trusted and are being closely monitored.


I like Flagg and Bronze Tiger well enough. Neither have powers, but together they provide the group with a half decent moral compass. If I were to face Bronze Tiger in combat however, I would make him vow to burn that god-awful outfit upon his defeat and put on something decent. I used to use Nightshade a lot in Heroclix so I really enjoyed getting to know her here. She definitely has some backbone and moral fiber. And such a cool power. Too bad Plastique turned out to be a traitor. (You’re gonna have that with a group of criminals, am I right?) She filled out that purple outfit nicely. Enchantress is just fantastic; so many things you can do with a true “alter-ego” character. I thought Boomerang was just comic relief until he killed Discount Javelin Flash. That showed he had some teeth. Although the way he booted the unconscious kid off the top of the fortress was pretty hilarious. But Digger really showed his true colours, and made my jaw drop, to be completely forthcoming about it, when he let poor Mindboggler die. She was one of those who didn’t have to stay on the squad but did! She was just trying to figure out where she fit in. She had promise. Digger really turned out to be a piece of trash. He may as well have killed her himself. I’m glad to have a true villain on the team though. And I like that Boomerang is a villain just because he's a straight up insecure asshole - nothing too complex. I don’t have much to say about Nemesis or the helicopter guy. And if I forgot anyone else, well... ‘nuff said, right? Wait a second. What’s that? Did you really think I would forget about Mr. Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot? No, I just saved the best for last, see? I really thought this guy was gonna die for sure facing Evil Lion-o in his elevator shaft. I was truly scared for him. I thought his only chance would be some kind of stealth attack. No. He drops a pebble on him to wake him up first and then starts thinking about a strategy. This guy is as cool as a cucumber sandwich in November. Evil Lion-o tears through an elevator car like it’s paper machete and takes a full barrage of bullets to the chest without flinching and Lawton’s stress level seems like it would be about the same if he was shopping at Best Buy on a Sunday afternoon. This guy is AWESOME! Now, I’m not down on Will Smith or anything, or racist, but this guy just seems like he needs to be played by a white guy with a black moustache, like from one of those cigarette ads you would see in the back of a 70’s magazine. The kind of guy that has the emotional range of a turnip but gets the goddamn job done. And yeah, he smokes because he’s a goddamn man. Later we see how emotionally available he is for women. That’ll be a treat for another time.

Group shot of the Squad. Luke McDonnell art, I'm assuming.

Next, we have Jailbreak, with the Female Furies, and holy shit... it’s Darkseid! I thought this was a low-level superhero comic book. I guess that’s what makes comic books (as opposed to say, movies) special; almost anything can happen in the next issue. There’s a lot more great character development and things going on in this issue (although Waller’s two page exposition on Tresser made me want to drink cyanide). Having the Squad based at Belle Reve Penitentiary is a great way to keep the story moving even in-between missions. I’m going to wrap this one up quick. The Squad battles the Female Furies. They succeed in sending them back to Apokolips, but not before they get the prisoner they came to abduct. Deadshot bails ‘cause he’s awesome (not to mention shatters a monitor with a quarter he fires from his thumb). Boomerang bails ‘cause he’s a weasel. And the rest fight valiantly and manage to not die. I really loved Lashina in this one. (She is another character I used in Heroclix but knew nothing about, so yay for me!) And it all ties up with a cheesy ending where Boomerang shows up playing dumb and everyone tells him to shut up. Actually pretty funny.

Not even four issues in and Kirby's Fourth World characters make an appearance!

So there you have it folks, bona fide, genuine DC in the 80s content, as promised. Coming next, the mystery and intrigue of William Hellar! Who is William Hellar you say? Well, faithful readers, that is a review for another time. But I can tell you he seems to feel totally credible going out in public dressed like an extra from an Errol Flynn movie, and he zips around the city like Spider-man using his... crossbow? Um... ok. Sure.

Who is William Hellar? And why is he dressed like that?

I am a just-starting-out fiction writer and musician living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. If you would like to contact me with work or collaboration opportunities, or just to make arrangements to send me cash, please email me. Cheers!

-Jason Brown

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All content in this article entry [except for the editor's note] written by Jason Brown. If you want to attribute any of this work, please credit Jason Brown.

Review of the Shadow of the Batman deluxe reprint series

Reprinting older material was nothing new for DC comics (see: DC Blue Ribbon Digests), but in the early 80s the new Baxter paper format was all the rage and several acclaimed comic runs were being selected to be reprinted with the new upgraded paper stock. You have to remember that this was before reprint TPBs became "a thing". I’m not 100% how they selected which comic runs to reprint - some are pretty obvious (I’m sure 1986’s Roots of the Swamp Thing was reprinted because Saga of the Swamp Thing was getting a lot of attention thanks to the Alan Moore treatment), but I’m going to guess that some were based on fan request (ex: Simonson and Goodwin’s Manhunter) since I don’t think they had the commercial appeal to launch an ongoing series. Whether that was the case or not, in 1985, Batman fans were lucky enough to receive a deluxe reprint of Steve Englehart’s Detective Comics run in their local comic book shops.

Shadow of the Batman reprints Detective Comics #469 - #479 (1977-1979), stories from House of Mystery issues #254 and #274 (1977 and 1979), a 2-part story from Weird War Tales issues #51 and #52 (1977) and a story from Mystery in Space #111 (1980). The common denominator in all of these stories is that Marshall Rogers had something to do with all of them (whether he was the colorist or illustrator), so this almost seems like a tribute to Marshall Rogers. It should also be noted that every wrap-around cover of this series was (beautifully) illustrated by Rogers.  

Englehart had been writing for Marvel Comics in some shape or form since the early 1970s. By 1976, due to disagreements with new Marvel editor-in-chief Gerry Conway, Englehart quit Marvel with the intention of moving to Europe. Jenette Kahn (who had just became the new DC comics publisher) managed to get a hold of Englehart before he left. Kahn was insistent that Englehart work for DC comics to help ‘fix’ Justice League of America since all of DC’s big-name talent had recently migrated to Marvel comics. Englehart reluctantly agreed, but on the condition that he only worked with DC comics for a year and then would resume his travels to Europe. Part of the deal also included Englehart being able to write Batman since it was one of his favorite characters. Englehart wrote the scripts for the issues he was assigned to and then took off for Europe, never knowing who would be illustrating them or if they’d ever see print - just hoping for the best. Englehart’s Detective Comics run was such a big hit with the DC editorial staff that he was asked to add an additional issue to the originally planned 7-issue run. 

I know from experience that proclaiming something to be “the DEFINITIVE Batman” is a hot-button issue among Batman fans, but we can’t deny the impact Englehart’s run has left on the Batman mythos:
 

• the re-introduction of the newly-costumed Deadshot (last seen in 1950’s Batman #59). Deadshot would go on to play a major role in John Ostrander’s 1987 Suicide Squad series.
• the first appearance of Dr. Phosphorus. Yes, Englehart created Dr. Phosphorus.
• the re-introduction of Hugo Strange (last seen in 1940’s Detective Comics #46). You know that famous story where Hugo Strange discovers Batman’s secret identity? Yes, it’s in here - Englehart wrote it.
• the first appearance of Rupert Thorne (created by Englehart and Walt Simonson). Rupert Thorne would be a major recurring character in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series.
• the Joker “Laughing Fish” story. An infamous Joker story that has been reprinted/re-adapted more times than I can list. It set the stage for the homicidal maniac Joker that we all know and love.

The problem here is that DC’s ad campaign didn’t do this reprint series any justice - this house ad only took up a third of a page and seemed like it was included as an afterthought. I guess readers were supposed to see Englehart’s name and recognize that it was good? The art in this ad doesn’t even begin to hint at the true artistic beauty of this series. It contained forty pages with no ads, featured higher quality paper stock/coloring, and was illustrated by Walt Simonson, Al Milgrom, Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin (not all at once). From the point of view of a Batman fan, this is a very entertaining reprint series: Bruce Wayne/Batman was now operating out of a swingin’ downtown penthouse in Gotham City (as opposed to Wayne Manor), Dick Grayson Robin makes a few appearances, Silver St Cloud (a fan-favorite love interest for Batman) is introduced, and a terrific assortment of Batman rogues are featured (ex: Joker, Deadshot, Hugo Strange, Dr Phosphorus, Penguin and Clayface III).

Englehart has stated in the past that his aforementioned work on Detective Comics (which he has nicknamed 'the Dark Detective’ run) was pivotal in the development of Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film. Englehart has always remained officially uncredited for his contribution to the 1989 Batman film. Englehart’s run has also been collected in 1999’s Batman: Strange Apparitions TPB.

On an interesting side note, I wanted to comment on DC’s decision to reprint the two stories from Weird War Tales #51 - #52 in this series. Upon first inspection, the stories have much ado about nothing - it’s a story about animorphic dogs living in a post-apocalyptic London, England. Upon further research I discovered that they’re a part of a Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth prequel storyline called Tales of the Great Disaster. Kamandi was an ongoing series (created by Jack Kirby) that was published by DC comics from 1972 to 1978. Crisis On Infinite Earths pretty much retconned this storyline out of existence, and Kamandi would end up becoming Tommy Tomorrow. 

*Note: Detective Comics #478 - 479 were written by Len Wein.

It should also be noted that each issue in the 5-issue Baxter reprint series had an impresive wraparound cover by Marshall Rogers. That's "tape-inside-your-locker" poster-worthy right there!

This article first published in January 2014.