Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure (March, 2002)
"The Fool's Errand"
Writer - Greg Rucka
Penciller - Rick Burchett
Inker - Klaus Janson
Letterer - Willie Schubert
Colorist - Lee Loughridge
Associate Editor - Michael Wright
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $0.10
After checking in with the Cassandra Cain Batgirl yesterday, I decided to stick with the bat-books of the early 2000's... at least for today. We're going to discuss the opening chapter to the big Bat-Event of 2002, Bruce Wayne: Murderer?... which would continue into Bruce Wayne: Fugitive. It's just another reminder of how fresh and interesting the New Gotham era Batman family of books could be.
I remember the price stunt being a pretty big deal at the time... an entire Batman story... that mattered... for one thin dime. DC would revisit this novelty pricing for Superman: The 10-Cent Adventure and a few years later for Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure, though neither of which were as good as this one. Even across the street at Marvel they played the game (and one-downed their Distinguished Competition) when they released Fantastic Four (vol.3) #60 for... nine-cents. The early 2000's were a weird time in comics... much more fun, and much less serious than today, that's for sure. Anyhoo, let's get down to it.
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We open on that familiar to the point of cliche scene where a young Bruce Wayne kneels on crime alley before his fallen parents... we've got blood... we've got pearls... you know the story. That said, I really can't harsh on it all that much here. This is a 10-cent issue, and as such an invitation to new and lapsed readers to "jump in" on the caped crusader. What may be trite to seasoned comic citizens like myself, is necessary table-setting for an incoming audience. Greg Rucka's writing makes this scene more than what a lesser writer might... from that tragic night, we continue through Bruce's adolescence and ultimately to his profound meeting with a certain "rat with wings". Year One was still a thing at this point.
We move into narration from Sasha Bordeaux, Bruce Wayne's bodyguard... and latest member of the DC Universe to get "the secret". She found it odd that her client would vanish each night... and decided to follow up on some hunches. In so doing, she also found herself falling in love with him... that can't possibly end well, right?
We learn that with her newfound knowledge, she has been drafted into Batman's war on crime. This is a piece of the story that I had completely forgotten. We get a shot of the Jason Todd's Robin costume to clue new readers in to what could potentially happen to a Bat-associate.
Sasha remarks that every so often of late, Batman has been looking in on a woman called Vesper Fairchild... a former squeeze of Bruce Wayne's. She continues, stating that Bruce broke things off with her when things were "looking serious", which is pretty much what Bruce does.
Sasha struggles with whether or not she should try and talk to Bruce about Vesper... after mustering the courage to finally say something... well, there's an explosion. Ain't that always the way?
Down below, the Gotham City Currency Exchange is being raided by some masked thugs. This provides a great opportunity to present some disposable baddies for Batman and Sasha to take down in tandem. We see here that Sasha is quite adept in fighting, though I can't remember how much of her past we were privy to by this point. She'll ultimately head over to another Rucka joint, Checkmate following Infinite Crisis... which, ehh...
The next stop on their patrol is a night club called the Wyld Night. Batman is able to save all of the occupants... except one. This appears to deeply affect Batman, which isn't a surprise to us... but, remember, this is Sasha's recounting of the events. This is likely her first time seeing Batman "miss" one.
Next, our dynamic duo stops at the Zoo where a tiger had gotten out of its cage. Batman is able to sooth the savage beast and get her to retreat to her pen. Special attention is paid to Batman's words... he talks as though he's afraid someone would hurt the tiger, and not the other way around.
This is a very busy night... we've got a firefight on a bridge between the GCPD and the Russian mob. Sasha mentions here that Batman is careful to contain his rage when fighting bad guys... and more importantly, he never kills. Not sure if this is something she just knows, or something she has gleaned from her recent observations... but it's important.
Next we get to watch Sasha go solo. There's a jumper across town at the same time as a mugging nearby. Our heroes decide to divide and conquer. Sasha takes down the mugger with ease.
Later back at the Batcave, Sasha checks in with Bruce. Even though the night was a definite success, he can't seem to shake the loss of a single life at the night club. Again, this is important in illustrating how Bruce/Batman values human life... and is a great way to frame what is to come.
Speaking of "what is to come"... Bruce and Sasha head upstairs where they come across the dead body of Vesper Fairchild!
Just in time for the GCPD to kick in the doors to Wayne Manor. To be continued...
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What this issue does is pretty great. It brings elements of the past, present, and future together in an organic way... that didn't feel like we were just getting a pile of exposition dumped on us. Of course we open with the blood 'n pearls... this is a Batman story, after all. Being as though this was a 10-cent dealie, you gotta imagine this was intended as a book with which DC wanted to use to grow their readership. It has to be "new reader friendly". I definitely feel this issue was successful in that regard.
The present is represented in Sasha Bordeaux, who for a time was Bruce Wayne's bodyguard... if you can believe that. I always dug her character, she was almost a foil to Bruce in that she got a bit nosy about his extracurricular activities... and was actually able to suss out the secret. In so doing, she also... falls in love with him. You know how that be. I'd actually forgotten that she had taken on a masked identity... though without a proper superhero name, it appears. I feel she works well both in and out of the costume... and really disliked it when she was pulled from the Bat Family into Greg Rucka's relaunched Checkmate series post Infinite Crisis.
The future is pretty self-evident. We got us a dead girl in Wayne Manor. This is the perfect kick off point for a season-spanning whodunnit epic. This was a joy to read... and I remember back some, jeez, 14 years ago, this was a joy to collect and follow.
Rucka's writing is as good as you would imagine, even during pages of exposition, it isn't dull. Rick Burchett's art is also perfectly fitting for this story. I actually had to do a double take at the credits page, I thought it was Scott McDaniel at first blush. Perhaps it has something to do with the inking and/or coloring... it looks like something out of an early issue of Nightwing... which is a good thing.
Overall... even though I enjoyed this immensely, it's a hard one to recommend. It is the opening chapter to a... if Wikipedia is to be believed, thirty-nine part story. That's one hell of an investment of time, effort, and money. I personally feel it's worth it... but I'd hate to send anyone on a shopping spree. I will say that both Fugitive and Murderer? are handily available digitally... so if the mood strikes you, give it a go. If you're still on the fence... The 10-Cent Adventure itself is available digitally... FOR FREE. Enjoy!
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Coming Attractions:
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Batgirl #1 (April, 2000)
Co-Plotter - Scott Peterson
Co-Plotter & Script - Kelley Puckett
Penciller - Damion Scott
Inker - Robert Campanella
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Jason Wright
Separations - Jamison
Associate Editor - Joseph Illidge
Editor - Darren Vincenzo
Cover Price: $2.50
How crazy is it that it took until 2000 for the first volume of a Batgirl comic book to launch... unless of course, I'm mistaken... at which time I'll look quite foolish, however, to my knowledge this is the first ever ongoing Batgirl series.
This one really wasn't on my radar when it was on the shelves. The only issues in my collection were the ones that tied in with Bat-family crossovers like Bruce Wayne: Fugitive/Murderer. In the years since, I did become a bit curious about this book... but, I gotta tell ya, it isn't often I come across this series in the wild. Just today while browsing a local buck-a-book room, I lucked across this first issue. Let's give it a look and a chat.
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We open in flashback mode. A group of blindfolded thugs are led into a dojo where they find themselves faced with the threat of... a young girl. This girl is Cassandra Cain, and her "father" David is there setting up a camera to tape the "performance" to come. One of the thugs notes that they have been assembled atop a sheet of plastic... that's curious, right? Cassandra stabs a knife into the mat, and David invites any thug to pick it up and try to cut his daughter. They refuse... and, well... Cassandra brutally beats them all. I mean, it's bloody... and there's teeth everywhere.
In the present, we join a teenage Cassandra as she spars with Oracle, Barbara Gordon at the Clocktower. It's a escrima stick battle... and it's a tough one. Babs is just barely able to disarm our girl. She tells Cassandra that she needs more practice, and wheels away scoffing at the "unstoppable killing machine" reputation Batman had given her.
We stick with Barbara for awhile as she updates her Oracle computer files. She designates the name "Batgirl" to Cassandra, and updates her own file to read "Original Batgirl" or "Old Batgirl" depending on whatever caption you wanna believe. We learn that Cassandra was born to unknown parents and trained from birth to be an assassin. She ran away at age nine, and drifted from place to place. Here we also get a shot of the terrifying new Batgirl costume.
Back in flashbackland, we watch as a man with a scar swipes a bottle from a transient. This gets a bit sketchy from here... I can't quite follow it myself, but I'll give it a go. A drifting Cassandra shows up, and scarface appears to recognize her... I think. He breaks the bottle and brandishes it in her direction. After standing still for a moment, she flees. The scarred fella starts laughing... but then suddenly drops to his knees and sobs. Wha? I'll include the entire two-page bit, you be the judge. I'm guessing he was probably a guy that David had her fight... and she will likely be responsible for the scarring... but it wasn't terribly clear right off the bat (pun probably intended).
Back in the present, we observe a man attempting to sexually (?) assault a woman. I think it's a sexual thing, as he tells her not to "fight it"... and calls her "baby" a few times. Looks like we found our pitch-perfect first baddie for our new Batgirl, eh?
Or for Batgirl to distract so BatMAN can bust the dude up.
It's now daytime, and Cassandra (who I really want to call "Cassie", but I don't think that'd be right for this gal) is plucking petals off of a flower. Barbara enters and invites her out for a trip to the park. At the park, Babs tries to get into our little protagonist's head. This doesn't go all that well... Cassandra runs away.
At night, Batman comes to the Clocktower to check in on his potential new charge. We get a bit more information on Cassandra's past... or at least more detailed info. David Cain was experimenting with infants... kept them in isolation, and deprived them of human speech... with the thought that the brain would adapt so that it would view physicality as a language onto itself... which it kind of already is for people not raised by psychopaths. Anyhoo... this allows Cassandra the ability to foretell what an opponent may do before even they do. Barbara comments on her talent with the escrima sticks, which causes Batman to smile... he'd only trained her with them for five minutes.
We now join Batman and Batgirl sparring. Bruce feels that Cassandra is taking it easy on him, and encourages her to go all-out... and so she does. Following a barrage, Batman comments on the girl being "out of shape". That is, until he begins coughing up blood. This pleases him... however, there's no time to celebrate because something is about to go down.
It's an armored car robbery! Batgirl swoops in and starts scaring fools into submission... like really... she swats a dude's gun away then just scares him off. Really going for that pacifism trophy, eh? Well... no, because the next fella is one she's gonna have to fight... and wouldn'tcha know it... he's got a scar on his face! She tells him to shut up... which makes him realize who she is...
Later, Batman gives her the "job well done" shtick and they share a relatively touching moment as Batgirl touches the side of Batman's cheek. This really seems to freak our man out.
We wrap up as the film from the beginning of the issue ends. We come to find that David Cain has been taking a stroll down memory lane while his "daughter" matures into a Gotham vigilante.
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Yeah... really liked this one. Right off the bat, I'll get this out of the way... this is one that makes me feel homesick. The Bat-family at the turn of the century was such a great little (?) corner of the DC Universe. Between the main book(s), the sidekick books, and Birds of Prey... there was plenty of good reading to be had. This Batgirl fits into that mold quite well.
If I'm not mistaken Cassandra Cain first surfaced during No Man's Land, and we were not privy to her origins or motivations... though, I might be wrong there. I do know that this is most certainly not her first appearance. Here we get a bit of her backstory, and a very helpful expositional conversation between Batman and Oracle to help fill in some blanks.
Writing and pacing (outside that broken bottle scene) were well done. The fact that Cassandra is more or less mute really speaks to the quality of storytelling... again, discounting the broken bottle bit. The art... is spotty. There are pages that look amazing, and others where Cassandra's head/face looks really blocky and just not right. The Batgirl outfit, on the other hand... looks awesome. It almost has a symbiotic spider-suit kinda look... or like Spawn's cape... it's as though she's wearing liquid, and it looks really quite striking. It's almost something out of a horror book... and I really love it.
I am woefully behind in my Rebirth reading, but I believe Ms. Cain is part of the Detective Comics cast, so this is actually a book that contemporary readers may get something from... outside the great story, that is. Definitely worth seeking out, has been collected, and is available digitally. Worth a look.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Bob, the Galactic Bum #1 (February, 1995)
"The Piker, Chapter 1: And the Maggot Cried 'Death'"
Writers - Alan Grant & John Wagner
Artist - Carlos Ezquerra
Letterer - Gaspar
Colorist - Dan Brown
Separation - Digital Chameleon
Assistant Editor - Peter J. Tomasi
Editor - Dan Raspler
Cover Price: $1.95
Some days we'll discuss straightforward no nonsense superhero books... some days we'll discuss some stories from an offbeat corner of the DC Universe... then, there's days like today. Today we're discussing a book about an intergalactic bum. I've had this book kicking around the collection for quite awhile now... and had yet to sit down and read it. Guess we're gonna remedy that today.
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We open with a shot of what appears to be a train car as it floats through endless space. It's occupants are the titular Bob the Intergalactic Bum and his bosom buddie Buck Fifty... and they're hungry. They plot... well, Bob plots... all Buck Fifty seems to be able to say is "What?"... perhaps he is a Stone Cold Steve Austin fan. Anyhoo... Bob plots ways in which to get them fed, finally concluding that they might eat Buck's coat.
After reading a page from the Galactic Handbook, Bob learns that it would take a full week to properly prepare a coat for consumption. Fearing that by then they will have withered away to nothing, he decides to try sweet talking some snacks from the handy on board Vend-O-Matic machine. The machine doesn't like the cut of his jib, and feels (feels?) that Bob may not be all that great at paying off his debts, so he is turned down flat.
Moments later, a video screen illuminates to inform the duo that there is a nearby spacecraft approaching. They are engaged by the craft and soon joined by an alien critter with many tentacles hanging from its face. Bob checks the manual again, and informs Buck Fifty that the best way to greet such a creature is to shake it's tentacles. Well, Buck gets tentacles confused with... well, ya know... and shakes vigorously. This is where there is a bit of a hiccup between the writing and art. The writing makes it preeeetty clear that Buck shook one thing, but the art shows him holding on to a tentacle. Here, you be the judge...
Not long after this encounter do Bob and Buck run into a... sorta-kinda space cruise ship called the S.V. Shimoni. It's a fairly hoi-poloi craft where the elite travel the spaceways in style. They are allowed on board... and are told they'll be fed and cared for, just so long as they stay away from their passengers. So, of course... Bob bee-lines it over to start panhandling from all the wealthies on board... and he's actually quite successful. People fill his hat with cash to make him go away... on a count that he smells... bad... see, the man stinks.
While Buck Fifty inhales a young child's hamburger, Bob continues harassing the passengers. He comes across a blue-skinned fella wearing something sort of like a fez. He seems to take a liking to Bob, however, he doesn't have anything vulgar like money on his person. Bob dismisses him, calling him a "piker" (hey, that's the title of the story!) and walks away.
Bob and Buck are grabbed by the collar by a crew member, and tossed into their quarters for the evening. They fulfill their promise of feeding them, by offering maggot and pickle sandwiches... which is, ya know... kind of vile. What's worse is the maggots are still alive... and have the ability to speak! Oh well.
The cruise craft is approach by some unfriendly travelers... the Khunds... which is a word ya probably don't wanna say out loud in mixed company. Initially the baddies just pass by, however, they soon change their minds and lob a torpedo into the S.V. Shimoni.
It doesn't take the Khunds long to board the vessel, rob its inhabitants blind... and then kill said inhabitants. These guys don't mess around.
Thinking their job done, the baddies leave. Ya see, Bob and Buck hid out in a ventilation shaft. As luck would have it, bad guys never think to check there. All's well... however, our pals soon realize that they are not alone. Why, they are joined by the "piker" from earlier! How fortuitous.
The now-trio wanders through the wreckage and carnage of the Shimoni. They happen across the ships escape pods and prepare to jam out. Bob and Buck enter, and tell the Piker to go his own way. In a moment of mercy... Bob agrees to take him along. Here we learn that the Piker is actually the galactic prince Chazza of Gazza.
We begin our wrap up by checking in with Vril Dox and Stealth of the R.E.B.E.L.S. After hearing what has gone down with the Shimoni, they realize they will have to intervene... on a count of Chazza having been on board. Ya see, Chazza of Gazza is the heir apparent to five whole systems... ay yai yai. Now considering the potential difficulty of this task, Dox decides to enlist the aid of... yup, the Main Man himself.
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I feel like I'm saying this a lot, but... yeah... pretty decent issue.
The story... what there is of it, flows well... and we get a pretty decent indication of just how big a pest our man Bob can be. He's very much, and you can tell this by looking at him, in the mold of a W.C. Fields. Just more annoying... if that's something that's possible to be.
Of course this is... and we can tell by the cover... ultimately a Lobo story. I'll plead ignorance in regard to his affiliation or constitution during this time... and I am utterly clueless as to what the R.E.B.E.L.S. were up to at this point in time.
The art here is really quite nice. Kind of evocative of 2000AD. It has that clean-yet-scratchy look to it, which serves this story and these characters quite well... well, all except Lobo, who really doesn't look all that good in my opinion.
I know when I normally cover a book from the mid-1990's I often rag the muddy coloring. I think the constant, up to this point, has been Digital Chameleon having a part in it. Here, while still being a Digital Chameleon joint... the coloring looks really quite good, lush even! I guess this just tells me that the muddiness is more to do with the horrendous mid-nineties glossy paper and less to do with the colorist(s) nor separator(s).
Overall... you probably don't need to seek this one out. I have only seen this once "in the wild" and that was when I bought it. Not saying this would be difficult to find, but I'm not sure it would be easy either... and honestly, it may not be worth the time nor effort. It's a novelty to be sure, and if you love having weirdo books in your collection (like I do), I suppose you could do far worse.
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