Detective Comics issue #39
*Record Scratch* "Yup, that's me. About to get swing kicked to my 30 story death drop where i'll become a splattered tomato on the sidewalk. You're probably wondering how I got here, well to do that we need to go back to 1925 when I was in college..."
Now the reason this is one of my favorites is one reason; I remember there being this panel where Batman goes to visit a Chinese mayor and he lands on this huge rooftop balcony before entering the building. I remember the panel of him landing and how cool the imagery of that looked and I filed it away as one of my favorites.
The thing is, that doesn't happen in this issue.
Everything I described minus the balcony panel happens, with the Chinese guy and all. But no balcony. Now when I first read this issue it was in a "Batman: Archives" (from which this blog get's its name) collection, so I'm not doubting there isn't a 40's Batman comic where he lands on a balcony, I'm just saying it wasn't in this issue. I'll have to go back and re-read that Batman Archives collection book I have (It's worth the buy if you don't care about recoloring and continuity being out of order).
Anywho; DC #39 Trivia:
Gotham has a Chinatown...
This was already established in previous issues, but in this one it expands on the idea, including
Chinese gangsters
"I can't believe I forget the grapnel hook back at the cave tonight..."
(Or a "Tong", as they refer to it)
Chinese People
& A (ceremonial) Chinese Mayor, named Wong.
Who also happens to be one of my favorite Gothamites of all time, the real other reason I like this issue other than the before mentioned balcony scene.
Wong is a badass and a Hero in all meanings of the word. He's not even a real mayor, but he acts like one. He doesn't need to focus on being re-elected like most politicians, he focuses on problems:
He's also a martyr.
Dude literally died for his people. Most politicians have people die for them, but Wong would make himself a target of a syndicate so his people could escape something that plagued them for hundreds of years in Asia. His dying will was to reveal where to stop it:
He's like the guys from Rogue One. He dies so the hero can be a hero. Which in my book is one ticket to heaven no questions asked. He was a good guy.
Next: The Robin suit's chest? The reason it used to have those yellow stitches we always saw was because...
It's actually a Jacket!
"I hope this asshole hasn't seen Braveheart"
Where he keeps additional gadgets. Now, how many artists and writers throughout the years do you think have just drawn those on "because that's the way it's always been"? Robin's been packin' heat this whole time. No one knew cuz he keep it on the DL.
The cover to this issue was later homaged in Batman the Animated Series episode; Robins Reckoning Part 1:
Which was a nifty two-parter in that series.
And as for that "Balcony" I mentioned earlier, this is the closest thing to it:
Oh well. I'll find it one day.
Well, my rides here!
See you whenever I feel like posting next! (Or when I find that Balcony...)
