Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #14 - July 1981

Ah, what a great theme for a digest? Who has a better rogues gallery than the Dark Knight? In fact, I can only think of one other character in the whole DCU that could even support such a theme.*

Behind the great cover by Andru and Giordano of Bats being vexed by his baddest baddies(and the Penguin) is a great collection of tales: 

"This One'll Kill You, Batman!" by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano
the classic "Half an Evil" by O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Giordano
 
"The Malay Penguin" by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin 
"Riddler on the Move" by O'Neil, Ernie Chua, and Giordano 
"The Curious Case of the Catwoman's Coincidences" by O'Neil, Novick, and Giordano 
Plus each story is followed by a one-page origin story for the villain in question, and there's a two-page spread of even more of Batman's villains, like Mr.Freeze, Killer Moth, Catman, Scarecrow, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface, and Hugo Strange, drawn by a young Denys Cowan and inked by Giordano.

Wow, in just this book alone, you've got Batman tales by Adams/Giordano and Rogers/Austin! Truly a collection worthy of the Dark Knight Detective.


*The Flash, 'natch 


 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Luthor, Bizarro, Brainiac, Terra-
Man, Parasite & Myxie humbly offer
their respects towards "the best"
rogues gallery in the DCU---
-hee-hee

;)

In all seriousness tho'. Great
entries and keep up the treasurific work Rob!

Sincerely, Hugh (huedell)

Anonymous said...

This was a particular favourite of mine back in those early days. Might have been the first place I read O'Neil's Batman stories. Plus I always liked that Villains logo on the cover.F

rob! said...

you're prob right, Hugh, but i think it says something about Superman's rogues gallery that you felt compelled to include TERRA MAN. :)

Anonymous said...

Batman has the best villains, bar none. I've heard peopel offer Spider-Man foes up as the best, but no way. Don't get me wrong, Spdiey Rogues are cool, but most lack any amount of real depth to them. They are mostly gimicks. This is why the movies had to flesh out Doc Ock and Sandman's back stories. Peter Parker's struggles with everyday life were much better foes than the actual villains.

I didn't have this digest as a kid, but I picked it up a few years back. Great collection, and the little origins are fun. I love the Riddler actually screaming "I have a mental block!" Surreal.

Whatever happened to the Getaway Genuis? I guess he finally suceeded?

Chris

Anonymous said...

Rob re: Terra-Man

Always preferred the Bronze Age
cowboy ta that more pop'lar varmit
Metallo----

Still off'rin a 22 gun salute ta dem Bat-bandits ;)

Viva La Moth Man! He's our kinda
rabble rouser! Yeeee-haw!

Hugh (under direction of Terra-Man!) :)

Doug Slack said...

Joker's gonna hurt himself if he's not careful.