This story really is a treat, you gotta remember that Joker, Catwoman, Robin, even Alfred don't exist yet. Nor does Wayne Manor nor the Bat Cave. While the basic "my parents died at the hands of a gunman as a child" has been established, the golden age Batman isn't the eternally tortured soul that we know, he really treats being a vigilante as a neat lil hobby to keep from being the bored millionaire playboy he is. (Billionaire is sooo 21st century.) This makes some sense when you consider that Bob Kane put in a lot of fantasy and self wish fulfillment when designing the character and world. The Batman that would straight up murder bad guys dies with Robin's appearance though, he only makes one last appearance in Batman #1 in a hold over story from before Robin was introduced. Later comics would straight up lie (even the editor himself at times speaking to the audience) saying that Batman had never carried weapons nor killed. The story dosen't end here though there is still a really trippy journey home and the Bat Gyro would shortly thereafter be sacrificed before being replaced by newer and better vehicles like the Batmobile. Both The Mad Monk and Dr. Stange's original appearances were remade some years ago in a more modern take and they are great reads if you can find em.
Dear God, Michael, thisis one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life and your telling of it only adds to it all (as you know you amuse me to no end)! Thanks.
I know characters get left behind all the time but this character fits so well with Batman, that I can't believe he is so rarely used. I have always been intregued by him and would love to see him in a movie.
Little did Bruce know that the Doctor routinely recommended a trip to Hungary to all of his patients because he was secretly employed by the Hungarian Board of Tourism.. You're right about Batman being influenced by The Shadow and Zorro; I would also mention Doc Savage. Also, Batman may have been the first hero to use a boomerang, but he wasn't the only one; the original Daredevil used one, and so did the Guardian at least once. It's a nitpick, but technically Gyroplanes can't exactly hover because the rotor is unpowered, but they can fly very slowly and land almost vertically - what Batman is flying appears to be more of a compound helicopter. But at the time the term helicopter would have been meaningless to almost everybody. ANother question is how he refueled it.
I loved those old comics my old man used to get me when Batman was a lot like a dark version of Sherlock Holmes or something. I’m almost 57 so my recollection may be hazy. Anyway, I loved those old late 60s early 70s DC comics. Just Makin’ conversation. 😊
An entertaining story, Michael. Not silver bullets, but heart-targeted wooden stakes for vampires. Now I'm reading about another Monk... _The Monk: A Romance_ by M. G. Lewis (1796). A righteous Monk tempted by a cross-dressing female novitiate. Happy Halloween! 🦇
Describing Bob Kane's artwork as "crude but atmospheric" seems accurate. I believe these were some of the few comics he actually drew as oppose to using a ghost. I think Gardner Fox was the writer. Silver killing vampires actually appears a lot. It was part of the Blade movies for example. It actually may be part of folklore. Silver killing werewolves was made up for the Lon Chaney movie. In folklore regular lead worked fine. Actually, you could get a werewolf to change to human by getting it to bleed three drops of blood. So all you really need is a big stick. I've been reading the Golden Age Green Arrow stories. At this point he's a rippoff of Batman not the smart alecky liberal he would become. He also fights ripoffs of Batman villains. There were a group of acrobats dressed as devils like Batman would later fight, modern day pirates similar to a Golden Age Batman story, and up coming an evil clown. Of course, the ripoffs go both ways. There's a story where Green Arrow goes back in time to meet Robin Hood. A later story, written by the same guy Don Cameron, would have Batman meet Robin Hood. The artwork by George Papp is pretty good though and they are fun.
The cover has been homaged so many times, and deservedly given the mood Bob Kane creates in that image. I love that Kane simply added elements to these early Batman stories to propel the plot along regardless of whether they make sense, and often without any authorial signalling that they are going to be introduced. "he's got to do it quick because there's only one page left in the story", "they could be low-rent monsters": Michael, you always crack me up.
Can we talk about melting the silver statue with a candle? I remember a story a few issues later where he’s driving and he actually stops to ask for directions 🤭
One of the things I find interesting about this is that it was written by Gardner Fox, who as far as I know didn't write another for about 20 years. Had Finger fallen behind? Was Kane contemplating replacing him with Fox? Did Fox come up with the Batplane and batarang or did Kane or Finger invent them and tell Fox to include them? Surely he didn't give Bats a fiancee without squaring it with Kane? It's also Batman's first encounter with the supernatural, the previous horror elements all being the products of mad scientists, and again, as far as I recall, there were no genuine supernatural elements for a long time after.
Been a long time since I read that story, golden age comics are a hoot, good stories and entertaining on many levels. That comic reading adventure .. would that be your World's Finest ongoing marathon?
There is a really good varation done in the 80's of this story with comic legend Gene Colan doing the artwork . It is really good. If you haven't seen it check it out. Also Matt Wagner did a version of this story also. Its worth checking it also. Again Thank You for doing a epsiode on the orginal classic.
Tec #31,Suspense #3,Shock SuspenSories #6 The golden age was plagued with evil monks. The lack of sinister religions in the 21st century has unfortunately made the devil’s acolytes obsolete.
In the Hammer movie "The Satanic Rites of Dracula", Chris Lee's last Hammer Dracula, it is mentioned that silver can kill a vampire. Peter Cushing casts a silver bullet in the movie and of course misses the shot.....firing it out of the cheapest looking Derringer you have ever seen! Late Hammer horror is hardly Canon tho'.
The Mad Monk is surely an intriguing character. He has been used again by Gerry Conway during his run on both Batman and Detective Comics like many other forgotten, for the time, Golden Age Batman villains like Dr.Death or the original Mad Hatter. Then Matt Wagner wrote a remake of this story in 2006 called "Batman and the Mad Monk": it was an overall better version of this story. I guess being Batman's second ever villain has his perks, moreover he has a good design and having an actual vampire in Batman's rogue's gallery is something every Batman fan craves. The only problem i have with this guy is that every time we got a story about him it's another "first match" against the Batman, can we please have a new Mad Monk story set after their first confrontation? P.S. I never understood why Matt Wagner never worked on other Golden Age Batman remakes like the ones for the Mad Monk and the Monster Men. Clayface first appearance seems made for this exact purpose
Good Evening Sir Michaelm, Roger and Mr Clock Great story sir, but talking vigilants, nobody discusses the Phantom, surely a template for many of the our Golden Age Heroes, ironiclly the most common comic book in Australia still, and still a newsstand staple. The Phantom!Sir Michael fellow viewers please consider Lee Falk as a great creator. Oh and the Phantom still his pair of pistols. And he is the Ghost who walks!! Cheers Al TheGoldKeyfourcolorkidownunda
Billionaire believes the laws of society do not apply to him. Happily breaks any law he choses to get his own way. Uses vast inherited wealth to achieve these goals. And Batman is supposed to be a role model? No wonder America is so drokked up!
“This is Batman early in his career. He’s not all that great of a vigilante “. Gotta love golden age comics! Good stuff Michael.
‘batman and the mad monk’, one of my favourite Batman comics
Love those early Bat-Man stories
This story really is a treat, you gotta remember that Joker, Catwoman, Robin, even Alfred don't exist yet. Nor does Wayne Manor nor the Bat Cave. While the basic "my parents died at the hands of a gunman as a child" has been established, the golden age Batman isn't the eternally tortured soul that we know, he really treats being a vigilante as a neat lil hobby to keep from being the bored millionaire playboy he is. (Billionaire is sooo 21st century.) This makes some sense when you consider that Bob Kane put in a lot of fantasy and self wish fulfillment when designing the character and world. The Batman that would straight up murder bad guys dies with Robin's appearance though, he only makes one last appearance in Batman #1 in a hold over story from before Robin was introduced. Later comics would straight up lie (even the editor himself at times speaking to the audience) saying that Batman had never carried weapons nor killed. The story dosen't end here though there is still a really trippy journey home and the Bat Gyro would shortly thereafter be sacrificed before being replaced by newer and better vehicles like the Batmobile. Both The Mad Monk and Dr. Stange's original appearances were remade some years ago in a more modern take and they are great reads if you can find em.
“World’s Finest”, I see what you did there. :)
Great episode!
Dear God, Michael, thisis one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life
and your telling of it only adds to it all (as you know you amuse me to no end)! Thanks.
Some Doc Savage as well as The Shadow influence.
Fun video Michael.
I know characters get left behind all the time but this character fits so well with Batman, that I can't believe he is so rarely used. I have always been intregued by him and would love to see him in a movie.
Welcome back Michael and Roger. Call me Ishmael. The Golden Age Batman is a favourite of mine. Thanks again.
Little did Bruce know that the Doctor routinely recommended a trip to Hungary to all of his patients because he was secretly employed by the Hungarian Board of Tourism..
You're right about Batman being influenced by The Shadow and Zorro; I would also mention Doc Savage. Also, Batman may have been the first hero to use a boomerang, but he wasn't the only one; the original Daredevil used one, and so did the Guardian at least once.
It's a nitpick, but technically Gyroplanes can't exactly hover because the rotor is unpowered, but they can fly very slowly and land almost vertically - what Batman is flying appears to be more of a compound helicopter. But at the time the term helicopter would have been meaningless to almost everybody. ANother question is how he refueled it.
I bet that Monk dude is one tough customer.... You gotta love the cowl on the bedpost....
You just did my favorite Batman story of the golden age. Thank you.
I loved those old comics my old man used to get me when Batman was a lot like a dark version of Sherlock Holmes or something. I’m almost 57 so my recollection may be hazy. Anyway, I loved those old late 60s early 70s DC comics. Just Makin’ conversation. 😊
I wondered why you weren't dressed for Comic Book Wednesday, but see that you are dressed for the stately Wayne manor, as well as your own.
An entertaining story, Michael. Not silver bullets, but heart-targeted wooden stakes for vampires.
Now I'm reading about another Monk... _The Monk: A Romance_ by M. G. Lewis (1796). A righteous Monk tempted by a cross-dressing female novitiate.
Happy Halloween! 🦇
I have that on my reading list
Describing Bob Kane's artwork as "crude but atmospheric" seems accurate. I believe these were some of the few comics he actually drew as oppose to using a ghost. I think Gardner Fox was the writer.
Silver killing vampires actually appears a lot. It was part of the Blade movies for example. It actually may be part of folklore. Silver killing werewolves was made up for the Lon Chaney movie. In folklore regular lead worked fine. Actually, you could get a werewolf to change to human by getting it to bleed three drops of blood. So all you really need is a big stick.
I've been reading the Golden Age Green Arrow stories. At this point he's a rippoff of Batman not the smart alecky liberal he would become. He also fights ripoffs of Batman villains. There were a group of acrobats dressed as devils like Batman would later fight, modern day pirates similar to a Golden Age Batman story, and up coming an evil clown. Of course, the ripoffs go both ways. There's a story where Green Arrow goes back in time to meet Robin Hood. A later story, written by the same guy Don Cameron, would have Batman meet Robin Hood. The artwork by George Papp is pretty good though and they are fun.
Gotta Love Gardner Fox
Yes!
Great stuff. I had that Archive but also the paperback Batman Chronicles volume also. Crude yes, but gotta love early Batman. 😊
The cover has been homaged so many times, and deservedly given the mood Bob Kane creates in that image.
I love that Kane simply added elements to these early Batman stories to propel the plot along regardless of whether they make sense, and often without any authorial signalling that they are going to be introduced.
"he's got to do it quick because there's only one page left in the story", "they could be low-rent monsters": Michael, you always crack me up.
I'm kicking myself that I missed out on picking those archive editions up years ago when they came out. Good books. Thanks for another great episode!
The Golden Age Omnibus's are getting a second printing
@RogueDragon05 Nice! That's good to know. Maybe I'll be able to pick some up this time. Thanks!
Golden Age Batman, aka, "The Batman with a Gat, Man!"
I love your videos! You are comfort food for the soul! Reading is life! Thanks for your contribution to the joys of literature!
I'm reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which is set in the Golden Age of comics, very interesting.
Yeah, I liked that book.
That was a really cool telling of the story. Similar to the way I do it, but yours is funnier.
You do it best!
Can we talk about melting the silver statue with a candle? I remember a story a few issues later where he’s driving and he actually stops to ask for directions 🤭
And just happens upon a dastardly crime being committed in so doing none the less!
One of the things I find interesting about this is that it was written by Gardner Fox, who as far as I know didn't write another for about 20 years. Had Finger fallen behind? Was Kane contemplating replacing him with Fox? Did Fox come up with the Batplane and batarang or did Kane or Finger invent them and tell Fox to include them? Surely he didn't give Bats a fiancee without squaring it with Kane? It's also Batman's first encounter with the supernatural, the previous horror elements all being the products of mad scientists, and again, as far as I recall, there were no genuine supernatural elements for a long time after.
Been a long time since I read that story, golden age comics are a hoot, good stories and entertaining on many levels. That comic reading adventure .. would that be your World's Finest ongoing marathon?
Something a bit different actually.
Excellent review, Mike 🤘🏻
Got that exact book brilliant reading for any batman fan's
There is a really good varation done in the 80's of this story with comic legend Gene Colan doing the artwork . It is really good. If you haven't seen it check it out. Also Matt Wagner did a version of this story also. Its worth checking it also. Again Thank You for doing a epsiode on the orginal classic.
Batman plane come from istanbul 1553 something steal from galata tower
Batman says it's okay to ice some fools if you catch them napping in a coffin.
Tec #31,Suspense #3,Shock SuspenSories #6 The golden age was plagued with evil monks. The lack of sinister religions in the 21st century has unfortunately made the devil’s acolytes obsolete.
In the Hammer movie "The Satanic Rites of Dracula", Chris Lee's last Hammer Dracula, it is mentioned that silver can kill a vampire. Peter Cushing casts a silver bullet in the movie and of course misses the shot.....firing it out of the cheapest looking Derringer you have ever seen! Late Hammer horror is hardly Canon tho'.
I really need to watch that movie.
I love those Golden Age comics.
The Mad Monk is surely an intriguing character.
He has been used again by Gerry Conway during his run on both Batman and Detective Comics like many other forgotten, for the time, Golden Age Batman villains like Dr.Death or the original Mad Hatter.
Then Matt Wagner wrote a remake of this story in 2006 called "Batman and the Mad Monk": it was an overall better version of this story.
I guess being Batman's second ever villain has his perks, moreover he has a good design and having an actual vampire in Batman's rogue's gallery is something every Batman fan craves.
The only problem i have with this guy is that every time we got a story about him it's another "first match" against the Batman, can we please have a new Mad Monk story set after their first confrontation?
P.S. I never understood why Matt Wagner never worked on other Golden Age Batman remakes like the ones for the Mad Monk and the Monster Men.
Clayface first appearance seems made for this exact purpose
Good Evening Sir Michaelm, Roger and Mr Clock
Great story sir, but talking vigilants, nobody discusses the Phantom, surely a template for many of the our Golden Age Heroes, ironiclly the most common comic book in Australia still, and still a newsstand staple. The Phantom!Sir Michael fellow viewers please consider Lee Falk as a great creator. Oh and the Phantom still his pair of pistols. And he is the Ghost who walks!!
Cheers Al TheGoldKeyfourcolorkidownunda
You are right. We need to talk about The Phantom!
Billionaire believes the laws of society do not apply to him. Happily breaks any law he choses to get his own way. Uses vast inherited wealth to achieve these goals.
And Batman is supposed to be a role model? No wonder America is so drokked up!
It’s all Batman’s fault!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I blame Superman. He could sort it all out if he wasn't so lazy :D