Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Detective Comics era

[Cain]

I really regret selling my Shadow of the Bat collection as a teen about 16 years ago; in retrospect it was a crappy idea since DC STILL has yet to collect their entire Shadow run even across multiple trades. I really needed the money at the time though.

I still got most of the 'tec and Batman runs tucked in my long boxes to this very day though.

Matter of fact I recently re-read their 'tec run. When I got to The Mud Pack I realized that I never did remove the posters that came in those issues (always was too paranoid about damaging the spine on the books while removing the posters). Anybody else still have them at home? these 2 were my favorite of the 4.

I just started to revisit their BATMAN run for the first time in over 20 years as well. I've been reading about 3 issues a day when I get the chance. So far I've gotten up to this pile here.

Spoiler

Noticeably absent is #459 but that's because it's one of my all time favorite comics and I actually keep it aside outside my long boxes because I reread it very frequently.

I've been collecting since the late 80's and usually keep my copies in pretty great condition all things considered. Of course most especially in the case of the 'tec issues the paper is old and aging accordingly. So it would be really nice to get an Absolute Omnibus of their collected bat work one day. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

 

[Mace Dolex]

^ Great minds think alike Cain, I also have Breyfogle's run of comics including those 2 comics you mentioned with their posters intact, don't know why DC hasn't collected any of this stuff in Tpb yet.

 

[The Joker]

Love your post, Cain

What is about Batman #459 in particular that draws you back to continually reading it? I'm not saying it's not a great issue because it is. I'm just curious what is it about that particular one that keeps you going back to it so frequently that you don't store it with your other comics?

Also here's a question for everyone; who's your favorite villain created during this run?

- The Ventriloquist and Scarface
- The Ratcatcher
- The Corrosive Man
- Kadaver
- Stirk
- Anarky
- The Obeah Man

I'm going with the obvious choice. The Ventriloquist and Scarface. Classics. But I honestly loved all the villains that were made during this run. They all had great psychological quirks and personalities. Some of them were downright creepy, especially Stirk and The Ratcatcher. The former cuts out people's hearts after scaring them to death so they'll be full of adrenaline, and then cooks their hearts in a stew. The latter controls rats in the sewers and was holding four men prisoner for years down there, the people responsible for sending him to jail, and they were covered in lice, fungus, all kinds of filth, and he was feeding them nothing but dead rats.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

Probably Stirk

 

[The Joker]

Because he scared the hell out of you as a kid right?

 

[Cain]

Love your post, Cain

What is about Batman #459 in particular that draws you back to continually reading it? I'm not saying it's not a great issue because it is. I'm just curious what is it about that particular one that keeps you going back to it so frequently that you don't store it with your other comics?

It's one of the most human Batman stories of the modern era and we simply don't get enough of those anymore. It reminds me of Batman #520 in that sense. It reminds the reader that no matter how many great things could happen to the residents of Gotham there is always an element of tragedy lingering around. In this case Gordon's heart attack after his fantastic reconciliation with Sarah Essen.

On top of that it also has brilliant metatext with the way it showcases the importance of the Zorro influence on Batman himself via his interactions with the family of 3 who had a gun pointed at them after walking out of a screening of the Mark of Zorro.

Also here's a question for everyone; who's your favorite villain created during this run?

- The Ventriloquist and Scarface
- The Ratcatcher
- The Corrosive Man
- Kadaver
- Stirk
- Anarky
- The Obeah Man

I'm going with the obvious choice. The Ventriloquist and Scarface. Classics. But I honestly loved all the villains that were made during this run. They all had great psychological quirks and personalities. Some of them were downright creepy, especially Stirk and The Ratcatcher. The former cuts out people's hearts after scaring them to death so they'll be full of adrenaline, and then cooks their hearts in a stew. The latter controls rats in the sewers and was holding four men prisoner for years down there, the people responsible for sending him to jail, and they were covered in lice, fungus, all kinds of filth, and he was feeding them nothing but dead rats.

I liked Anarky and The Obeah Man the most outside of Ventriloquist. Anarky because it was an interesting take on the antihero archetype. Obeah Man because like with Bond it was cool to see Batman take on a Baron Samedi like foe.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

Because he scared the hell out of you as a kid right?

That's right!

Here's a boring and uninteresting story: One of my earliest memories is about one of the Breyfogle stories, the one with Corrosive Man. I was three years old, and my brother (he's two years older than me) read it. He almost crapped his pants, and had to give it away to one of our neighbourst:

It didn't scare me, but I called the Corrosive Man "The Licorice Monster".

 

[The Joker]

It's one of the most human Batman stories of the modern era and we simply don't get enough of those anymore. It reminds me of Batman #520 in that sense. It reminds the reader that no matter how many great things could happen to the residents of Gotham there is always an element of tragedy lingering around. In this case Gordon's heart attack after his fantastic reconciliation with Sarah Essen.

On top of that it also has brilliant metatext with the way it showcases the importance of the Zorro influence on Batman himself via his interactions with the family of 3 who had a gun pointed at them after walking out of a screening of the Mark of Zorro.

Nicely put.

Reading that story you can see how chubby Breyfogle drew Gordon because he's being so unhealthy eating nothing but junk food and smoking like a chimney.

That's right!

Here's a boring and uninteresting story: One of my earliest memories is about one of the Breyfogle stories, the one with Corrosive Man. I was three years old, and my brother (he's two years older than me) read it. He almost crapped his pants, and had to give it away to one of our neighbourst:

It didn't scare me, but I called the Corrosive Man "The Licorice Monster".

You know I read the Kadaver story where he teamed with Penguin, before I read the Corrosive Man story, and I didn't get why Kadaver had a big hand shaped burn mark on his forehead. Then I read the Corrosive Man story and it all made sense.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

You know I read the Kadaver story where he teamed with Penguin, before I read the Corrosive Man story, and I didn't get why Kadaver had a big hand shaped burn mark on his forehead. Then I read the Corrosive Man story and it all made sense.

"What? Did the guy facepalm himself so hard with his dirty hand that it became a tattoo? I'm confused..."

 

[Cain]

Nicely put.

Reading that story you can see how chubby Breyfogle drew Gordon because he's being so unhealthy eating nothing but junk food and smoking like a chimney.

The attention to detail during that era was always amazing

So many nuances and subtleties all throughout their batwork that ended up being followed up or elaborated on years later that it's not even funny. Grant and Breyfogle were masters at world building.

 

[The Joker]

"What? Did the guy facepalm himself so hard with his dirty hand that it became a tattoo? I'm confused..."

You know I thought it was a tattoo at first, then I realized it was a burn, and I was like did a hot metal handed robot grab his head or something lol. Penguin should have mocked him for it, too.

The attention to detail during that era was always amazing

So many nuances and subtleties all throughout their batwork that ended up being followed up or elaborated on years later that it's not even funny. Grant and Breyfogle were masters at world building.

Absolutely. I told Grant that in so many words when I met him at Comic Con last month. One of the greatest privileges of my life.

 

[Cobblepot]

Imagine Stirk teaming up with Zsasz...
Any word on a collection yet?

 

[The Joker]

Sadly no word yet. You'd think they would have because there's definitely a demand for it.

 

[Cobblepot]

I don't understand it..he's not a person non grata anymore (DC retroactive/Batman Beyond). So why would they do that? Maybe they lost the prints?

 

[Cobblepot]

 

[evangelinus]

Sorry for bringing back this thread, but I would like to hve a help. Is this art from Norm Breyfogle? Where it was firts published? Any help will be more than welcome!

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Oh man, never knew this thread existed! Sure brings back lots of memories. The run from the late 80/early 90s were my very first Batman comics. Loved the art.

Anyone know if they sell a collection of stories? Like a hardcover or a trade paperback

 

[The Joker]

Sorry for bringing back this thread, but I would like to hve a help. Is this art from Norm Breyfogle? Where it was firts published? Any help will be more than welcome!

Try hosting your pic in something else besides Photobucket. They are charging people now for 3rd party hosting.

Oh man, never knew this thread existed! Sure brings back lots of memories. The run from the late 80/early 90s were my very first Batman comics. Loved the art.

Anyone know if they sell a collection of stories? Like a hardcover or a trade paperback

They sure do;

https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Dark-Knight-Breyfogle-Batman/dp/1401258980

 

[evangelinus]

Try hosting your pic in something else besides Photobucket. They are charging people now for 3rd party hosting.

Ok, see if the next link works, please! I really would like to know if it's from Norm Breyfogle and where it was first published.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

They sure do;

https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Dark-Knight-Breyfogle-Batman/dp/1401258980

AWESOME!

Thanks

 

[Doc Ock]

To this day, Breyfogle remains my favorite Batman artist. I don't have too much of either's work though. I probably should change that...

 

[The Joker]

Bumping this after hearing about Norm Breyfogle's untimely passing. He will be missed.

 

[Tvar10]

RIP Norm....one of the best to do it!

 

[Spider-Aziz]

It's upsetting to hear, and he was pretty young.

 

[Awest66]

Truly an excellent era of Batman comics all around. I just got a graphic novel that collects the beginnings of that era.