Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Detective Comics #385

Detective Comics #385 (On Sale: January 28, 1969) has a cover by Neal Adams.

"Die Small -- Die Big" is by Robert Kanigher, Bob Brown and Joe Giella. This may be the only Silver Age Batman story that Robert Kanigher wrote. Mailman Herbert Small learns that he will die in less than a month from a incurable medical condition. When he overhears crooks conspiring to kill Batman, Herbert decides to sacrifice his own life to protect the Caped Crusader.

While disguised as one of the conspirators, Small tells the crooks that he has discovered Batman's secret identity, Herbert Small. Small then delivers a message to Bruce Wayne's birthday party which tips off the real Batman. The crooks track Small to his home. Batman gets there before they can kill him, but Small takes a bullet that was intended to hit Batman. The Caped Crusader grants Small a dying glimpse at his real identity in gratitude for saving his life.Reprinted in Batman #257 and Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB.

The Batgirl back-up is "Hunt for the Helpless Hostage," by Mike Friedrich, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. Continuing from last issue, Batgirl tracks down Mark Hanner who has passed out from diabetic shock. She rushes him to the hospital where he makes a quick recovery. Mark works as a private detective and has gathered evidence against gangster Web Foote. The crook has now captured Sharon, his sister. Batgirl and Mark work together to rescue Sharon and capture Foote. The next Friday at the library, Mark asks Barbara Gordon on a date. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

2 comments:

Steven Rowe said...

Kanigher wrote several Batman stories in the silver age (dont think he wrote any in the golden age) - Batman 181 with Poison Ivy being the best known.
and bring that up, brings up the question: when do you think the Silver Age ended?

-Keller said...

Thanks for the info.

That's a good question. In my opinion 1969 is still in the Silver Age and I think it goes on for a few years more at least. At DC you have to get through Kirby's return, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Swamp Thing, Kaluta's Shadow, El Diablo and Jonah Hex, the wonderful horror/mystery books to come, etc. I think you get past the arrival of the Filipino artists, but before they started predominating the books. I don't know, what about you?