WHAT IF...WEDNESDAY WITH BRUCE WAYNE'S WEIRD FANTASY

Here's one of those stories that feature a well-used plot device to show us what could have been; a strange device that allows one to see into alternate realities (this device is so overused that they even have one on the FUTURAMA cartoon). As preposterous as such an invention might be, it's established enough to be accepted by most as a standard plot device.
You either love or hate the cliche, but I'm sure we'll all be seeing it again, sooner or later.
So....
What if Bruce Wayne's parents weren't killed by a criminal?

by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang
from BATMAN #127, October 1959









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NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA BATMAN!!!

We all love to get free comics, right? Of course we do, that's why the first Saturday in May is the most popular day to go to the comic store.
But if ya keep your eyes and ears open, there's lots of other times and places to score a free comic or two. This particular issue comes from the 2001 International Auto Show. And it has Batman.

by Joe Staton and Rodney Ramos
from ONSTAR BATMAN AUTO SHOW SPECIAL EDITION, 2001






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Transcribed from an actual OnStar call:
ONSTAR: Hello. Onstar. What's the nature of your problem?
BATMAN: I need a location on the batcycle. Robin's been kidnapped.
ONSTAR: What, again?
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HEMBECK DOES HAWKMAN

by Fred Hembeck
from HEMBECK 1980, February 1980

As promised in the title of this post, here's Hembeck's take on Hawkman:




Even Mr. Hembeck himself freely admits that he is not afraid of running a gag into the ground (how many Brother Voodoo spoofs did he do at Marvel?). He takes a second shot at Hawkman & Hawkgirl in this same issue, throwing in a few Marvel characters as well:






There were a lot of good parodies in this book, but I'm going to finish off with this crazy look at the many different Spidermans, and what would happen if they all had to catch the same bus:



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Also check out this link:

Neil Polowin's collection of Hembeck comic strips
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Sunday Funnies: GOLDEN AGE BATMAN

NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA leader BATMAN!

There's not a whole lot to say about this. It's Batman. It's from the Sunday newspaper comic section.

What more do you need to know?

by Bob Kane, Charles Paris, and unknown writer (believed to be either Don Cameron or Joe Samachson)
from BATMAN: THE SUNDAY CLASSICS 1943-1946 (ISBN: 978-1-4027-4718-2) 2007








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The Batman In Canada

Here's another one of those free giveaway comics that we look at from time to time.

This issue was sponsored jointly by Canadian department store chain Zellers and ABC Canada (the foundation to support literacy in Canada). As you could probably guess, the underlying message here is that it's important to read. So after you finish reading this comic, GO READ A BOOK!

by Len Wein, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson
from BATMAN "A WORD TO THE WISE", 1992




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