BATROC versus DEADPOOL
Justice, Order & Luck or...
Skinless Drooler's Day Off! (Marvel)
Where: Deadpool #20 When: September 1998
Why: James Felder & Joe Kelly How: Pete Woods

The Story So Far...
Back before everyone jumped on the bandwagon and the comics started sucking lame from cash cow's teat, there lived a merc' with a mouth named Wade Wilson! Known as Deadpool to his friends and victims alike; Wade lived a simple life of cash for killings and torture for fun - that is, until the intergalactic holding company Landau, Luckman, and Lake told him he was destined for greater!

A reluctant sort of hero (read; homicidal maniac); Deadpool was convinced of his destiny only by the realisation of several personal precognitions shared by LL&L's resident seer, Montgomery. Finally beginning to believe that beneath his crispy disfigured exterior and lethal lunacy there might lurk the trappings of a hero; Deadpool dedicates himself to walking the straight and narrow as best he can -- but not before taking "Monty" on a balls-out (literally) field trip to Monte Carlo, to thank him for the precognitive vote of confidence!

The life of the hero can be a hard one, however, and whilst enjoying the fruits of Monty's predictions in the casino, Deadpool runs afoul a fiend most foul indeed! Georges Batroc, aka; Batroc the Leaper, has the gift of fortune both in pocket and hand, but when the pompous villain dares call Monty a cripple, his financial fate is sealed. Burned by the loss of his money and suite, Batroc takes his disguised adversary up on an offer of a hotel room showdown, knowing not that the man who bares suspicious resemblance to Ricardo Montalban is in fact the merc' with a mouth and destined saviour of all -- Deadpool!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deadpool 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deadpool 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Batroc 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Deadpool 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batroc 5 (Martial Arts)
Energy: Deadpool 4 (Arsenal)


- Georges Batroc is a French-born former soldier of the French Foreign Legion whose skills and physical prowess were turned to the self-serving occupation of international mercenary. Hiring himself out as an assassin, thief, and smuggler, Batroc has come into the service of THEM and HYDRA, Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil, Klaw's Wakandan coup, and was even forcefully drafted into the United States' government funded super-group, the Thunderbolts. These agencies have brought him into conflict with the likes of Captain America, Hawkeye, Spider-man, the Avengers, and Captain America's replacement, Bucky Barnes.

Possessing a rare mastery of the martial art savate and physical conditioning to rival any Olympian; Batroc's powerless talents have been sufficient enough to induct him into the super-villain fraternity. His savate kicking offensive and impressive leg strength earned him the monikker known the world over, Batroc the Leaper. Despite his legitimate skill, Batroc's humiliations and defeats have greatly reduced his standing, regarded by many as a joke.

- The exact details of Wade Wilson's early life remain a mystery, perhaps even to him. During his adult life he became a mercenary who, upon learning he had developed cancer, gave up on his life to submit himself to experimentation with the top secret remnants of the Weapon X program. The project experimented with altering Wilson on a genetic level, attempting to treat him with a healing factor developed from the genome of former subject, Wolverine. However, Wilson's cancer interacted with the process in unforseen ways, reducing the effectiveness of his healing powers, and rendering him hideously disfigured.

Deemed a failure after several missions, Wilson was discarded by Weapon X to the care of The Workshop -- a facility for rejected subjects who could be tested upon until their death. Wilson's healing factor, however, kept him alive, allowing him to eventually escape and resume his career as a mercenary, adopting the ironic codename of Deadpool. Wilson's fantastic healing abilities, expertise with conventional weaponry and munitions, and hand-to-hand fighting skills help him earn a reputation as a gun-for-hire despite being mentally unstable.

Math: Deadpool Ranking: Deadpool (#56)

What Went Down...
Once upon an evening dreary, while Monty pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quart and volume of liquor he'd forgotten to pour,
When Wade nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As if room service gently rapping, rapping at his chamber door.
"We're running out of pillow mints," he muttered, reaching for his chamber door.

The culprit was not room service, but rather the notorious French mercenary, Batroc the Leaper, whom Deadpool and Monty had fleesed for millions at the baccarat table, earlier in the night. His polite invasion of Deadpool's suite inspires only amusement in the merc' with a mouth -- which is quickly stuffed with an orange boot belonging to the deceptively skilled savate master!

The challenge is made, and Deadpool responds the only way a mercenary can -- by losing the bottom third of a few bottles of vino and going Shang-Chi with that mofo! A fair approach, but one that doesn't quite mesh with the savate style...

Recognising a need for adaptation, Deadpool shifts gears toward his strengths, opting to go toe-to-automatic with the martial arts monsieur. A light shower of ammunition is swiftly avoided by the fleet-of-foot Frenchman, however, who takes great offense to the corruption of fairness in their fight.

Seeking righteous balance (and the removal of "ugly things" in his flat), Batroc stoops to a level he feels fitting of the merc' with a mouth, by turning his attentions toward Deadpool's helpless, hapless, and skinless pal, Monty!

With a strong thrust of savate-styled legs, Batroc sends sage Monty plummeting toward his doom in the hotel foyer below. Deadpool interrupts the exchange of blows long enough to race to Monty's rescue, but he finds not the shattered body of a sickly psychic, instead, a man liberated by defying the odds. Monty is alive and well, despite the overwhelming statistical likelihood that his trip down the fifteen-storey road of plummetsville, via a plate glass window, and final destination in a water feature below, should have left him more soup than man!

Secure in the knowledge that his pal will live to see another second-place prize in a Calista Flockhart look-alike contest -- Deadpool returns to finish the fight with the self-proclaimed Leaper. This time around he opts for a more tactically suited lamp-based assault, using it to take the Frenchman out mid-leap!

Using the lamp chord as a makeshift rope, Deadpool binds Batroc tighter than Mick Jagger's pants, and fashions him into a human wrecking ball!

Having forced the Frenchie to suffer the brunt of an entire room's ruin, Deadpool decides to cut Batroc a break, if not the lamp chord. In exchange for liberating Monty of his introverted fear of the world, our hero spares Batroc the career-destroying effects of decapitation, to instead have him test his nickname.

Thus; bound helplessly and dangling above the same fifteen-storey drop already traversed by Montgomery -- Batroc is forced to leap! Although, not to disagree with Deadpool's judgment of the situation, or anything, but technically it was really more of a fall than a leap. I mean, usually you propel yourself when you leap. All Batroc did was plummet 150" and break both his legs...

The Hammer...
The winner of this bout via ironic conclusion, Deadpool!
[Ironic because Monty only helped Deadpool win baccarat with his psychic powers because Batroc callously called him a cripple; and then Batroc himself wound up in a wheelchair. See the symmetry? Yeah, I know, that's some sweet justice.]

We are running so unbelievably, atrociously behind schedule right now, you wouldn't even begin to believe it. Those future generations stumbling across this instalment of the Infinite Wars will assume, as per record, that this was the July 14 entry. In truth, however, I'm writing this paragraph on December 20, which gives you some indication of just how far things have gone to the shit. Pardon the French. Pardon my language, also. (Comedy!)

July 14, 2009 was -- much like every other year -- Bastille Day!
I ask you: what self-respecting/loathing comics blog could let such an occasion pass without putting together an obligatory Batroc-themed post? To be honest, the fact that it was a slow week for comic fights didn't hurt things, either, but I have had this issue on the top of my to-do stack for quite some time. There were other options, but considering Deadpool sort of made his cinematic debut in 2009, this seemed like the back issue to go with.

Deadpool's a bit of a staple when it comes to online silliness these days, but unfortunately, much of that humor has come from later years in the Merc' with a Mouth's career. Ask anyone who was around for the 1997 launch of the very first Deadpool on-going series, and I'm sure they'll tell you the work of Joe Kelly is a top contender for best writing in a Deadpool comic or musical. I cerainly will!

By the time Ryan Reynolds was saddled with role that ruined the character's legit opportunity to star in a feature film -- Deadpool had already seen a significant decline in the balance between comedy and character. I personally subscribe to the theory that comedy on the whole was shot nine times in the chest right around the end of Seinfeld. At least one of the bullets might have come from the 'good samaritan' season ender, but I think you can look moreso to your Family Guy's, your Futurama's, and your Vince Vaughan's for the real lethal injection.

The early Joe Kelly issues contain high quality comedy throughout. Kelly's sense of balance is one of the most obviously missing components in the current series, which fails to mimick his equal parts formula for laughs and action.

Batroc might be a walking-talking French joke, but when you read between the lines of an issue like this, there's still plenty of effort made to fully realise the legitimate threat he was in inception.
Likewise -- Deadpool, for all the quips and gags, also maintains a capacity to be taken seriously as a character and pseudo-superhero.

The referencial comedy is a good deal smarter under Kelly, also.

His work errs more on the side of classic Simpsons episodes, implying humorous references via the context of a scene, rather than contemporary meme/Family Guy-style writing that plonks a tongue-in-cheek reference to something that isn't quite cool, and waits for Gen Y numbskulls to giggle out of ignorance. Cast in point: Bea Arthur, contrary to popular belief, is not an all-powerful comedic reference unto herself. The mere presence of Bea Arthur on stage, or television, did not immediately cause all present to burst into hysterics. The same can be said of her name printed in a comic book.

As shameful as it is for neophytes to believe the character began life in Cable & Deadpool; fans of the now classic and definitive Joe Kelly run can at least rest assured that the legacy is secure. Increased popularity brought about by DP's less than impressive cinematic debut (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and a guest-role in the Hulk Versus animated project, have made the character's history a more prevelant issue. Marvel have begun trickling out a "Classic" trade collection scheme, which gives new readers an accessible opportunity to seek out the early glory days of T-Ray, Siryn, and the Great Lakes Avengers, and offsets the tripe being shovelled out in Wolverine-scaled guest spots across the Marvel Universe.

Kelly returns to the character he helped set into motion when the Merc' with a Mouth guest stars in Amazing Spider-man, later in the year. You'll have to wait quite a while before that turns up, but while you wait, there are three DP Classic trades ready and waiting to be snatched up. They also include the pre-Kelly years, which differ slightly from the now definitive take.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5

The Deadpool Classic collections haven't yet reached #20, but you'll find plenty of other Joe Kelly written issues, including the first handful drawn by Ed McGuinness, in volumes 2 and 3 of the collections. You'll find books like these, and other collected editions containing issues reviewed in the Secret Archives, in the Infinite Wars Online Gift Shoppe. By using purchase links provided there, or on any review page, you help sponsor future entries on the site.

ZSASZ versus BATMAN/ROBIN
... And Red All Over. (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #796 When: September 2004 Why: Andersen Gabrych How: Pete Woods

The Story so far...
When Jack Drake discovers his sons secret identity as Robin; the boy wonder is forced to reluctantly retire the mantle in order to prevent his father exposing all involved with Batman's troupe of crime-fighters.

Stepping into the void is Robin's on-again/off-again girlfriend, Stephanie Brown, who is better known to the Gotham underworld as the vigilante, Spoiler.
In the tradition of the industrious Tim Drake; Spoiler dons a makeshift Robin costume and infiltrates the stronhold of the Batcave, successfully compelling Bruce Wayne to accept her as his newest sidekick.

So begins the ill-fated career of the fourth Robin, and first girl wonder!
Stephanie is included in Batman's patrol routes, but as he will soon find, the new Robin bares some striking resemblences to a former ward. A solo career has bred a stubborn Stephanie Brown, and as Batman will soon come to realise, her inexperience may prove deadly...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Zsasz 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Batman 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Batman 4 (Arsenal)


- After the death of his parents; wealthy industrialist, Victor Zsasz, finds himself in a downward spiral of depression and gambling. Gradually he whittles away at inhereted and self-made fortunes in casinos around the globe, eventually finding himself quite literally on the brink of suicide after taking heavy losses in a casino showdown with Oswald Cobblepot in Gotham City.

Accosted on a bridge by a knife wielding homeless man, Zsasz is wrenched from his despair by a realisation that no man truly lives life in a world that no longer matters. He turns the tables on the vagrant, killing him with his own knife as a gift of liberation. It is the first in his self-mutiliating tally, and the beginning of Zsasz' life as a serial killer intent on 'freeing' people from self-made prisons.

- When the costumed criminal Cluemaster is released from his most recent stay in incarcertain, his daughter, Stephanie Brown, is soon disappointed to learn her father's claims of rehabilitation have been a fallacy. In truth, the Cluemaster merely overcame a prediliction for leaving clues, and resumes his criminal career without reprieve, or so he thinks.

Disappointed by her father's actions, Stephanie becomes the ultimate foil to the Cluemaster, replacing his obsession with her own mission to become the ultimate Spoiler. Her career begins leaving clues to lead to her father's capture, but soon continues after her first mission saw a team-up with Bat-sidekick, Robin, with whom Stephanie came to develop a personal relationship.

- When he witnessed the street murder of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne's destiny was forever shaped to be one dedicated to an ideal. Having spent his formative years studying the various sciences, martial arts, and crime fighting techniques, Bruce is ultimately inspired to become the one-man war on the criminal element in Gotham City: Batman.

Perhaps Batman's greatest power is the millions inherited from his industrialist parents, and the various facilities that came with that. They prove crucial in the design and construction of his many weapons, which are typically non-lethal, and have a variety of uses.

Complimented by his keenly strategic mind is Batman's expertise in the martial arts. He is extensively trained in multiple fighting styles, and commonly regarded to be one of the greatest hand-to-hand fighters in the world. He is also extremely proficient in general urban warfare.

The Math: Batman/Robin Ranking: Batman (#2)

What Went Down...
Routine patrol becomes a murder investigation when Batman is fed GCPD intel gathered by Oracle, his stationary technical ally. Batman's fears become self-evident when a lesson in detective work uncovers a second blood sample outside the train car murder scene. An on the spot DNA analysis matches the sample against known criminals, leading the dynamic duo to Victor Zsasz, a murderer whose serial killings defy conventional pattern.

Having already relented to allow his new sidekick a presence during his investigation, Batman orders Stephanie Brown to retreat when they discover Zsasz is not only maintaining a presence at the scene, but likely watching them.
Robin's retreat is interrupted when Zsasz snatches her, unseen by Batman, who uncharacteristically falls for audible misdirection.

Dragged to a candlelit service room deep within the labyrinth of subway tunnels; the girl wonder gains a new appreciation for the aggitating combination of an aluminum/fibreglass weave in her specialized costume. It protects her from Zsasz' blade as he attempts to slit her throat, allowing a vital opportunity.

With her life in danger, Robin foregos grace, instead biting at the hand smothering her mouth. The young crime-fighter defiantly spits Zsasz' own blood in his face, but suffers a lightning quick backhand for her troubles.

The blow sends her falling backward, and with a burst of dust Robin collides with a nearby wall, only to be knocked unconscious and at the mercy of the killer.

Zsasz' satisfcation is his undoing as Batman emerges from the gloom, tackling the knifeman in order to prevent yet another killing blow. The two nemesis' tumble to the ground, but it's Zsasz who recovers first, nailing Batman with an elbow that sprays blood from his mouth.

The Dark Knight is slow to recover, but he turns Zsasz' own momentum against him with a kick that prevents the villains' attempts to recover his blade.

The punt gives Zsasz a moments pause as he doubles over on all fours, likely suffering at the very least, a broken rib or two. The killer's infamous focus, fixated on the young Robin, suddenly shifts, redirecting toward the Dark Knight.

Zsasz is on his feet in a split-second, and despite the Batman's best effort to curb his attack, Zsasz connects with a wild clash at Batman's face. The move leaves thin scratch marks on the exposed part of Bruce Wayne's face, but also leaves Zsasz open to a retaliatory kidney punch.

Zsasz appears unaffected, retaliating with his own rapidfire exchange of a flexible back kick, followed with a stiff left, that again leaves an airborne trail of Batman's blood.

Batman responds with his own combo to enter the fight, but Zsasz easily evades the leading right, and blocks with a trap. Showing incredible speed and a savant-like penchant for fighting, Zsasz embarasses Batman, using the trap to dislocate the soulder with a focused uppercut.

With a broken wing and a tonne of pressure, thoughts of lethal one-armed attacks creep into the Batman's inner monologues. Suffering a stiff right, Batman maintains a focus to stop Zsasz without stooping to his level. He can do it, too.

Batman makes a play, using his good arm to catch Zsasz and pull him in for a devestating headbutt. The blow breaks the killer's nose, and is probably complimented by the under structure of the Batman's cowl.

Zsasz recoils, but his reaction is joyous provocation, with no sign of grimace.
He lunges at Batman with a straight shot, pounding his fist into Batman's chest with enough force to push the fight to the ground. There, at mat level, he wraps his hands around Batman's throat, slamming his head into the ground while doing his best to choke the life out of him.

Batman begins to fade, making pathetic attempts to free the killer's grip with his one good hand. Even as he feels himself losing the fight, Batman thinks only of protecting Stephanie Brown...

... It seems, however, that Batman has underestimated his new protégé.
A black leather glove reaches over Zsasz' head, snatching at his broken nose. The move finally forces the madman to acknowledge his pain as his body curls away from the Batman, who gasps for breath.

Robin snaps back at the nose, and leaps over her assailant with the acrobatic intentions of retrieving the stray knife. She challenges Zsasz to take it from her, but just as he motions to do so, a rising Batman ends his charge with a tap to the neck -- the pressure point blow drops Zsasz like a sack of potatoes.

Batman pops his shoulder back into place to avoid complications of swelling.
When Robin comes to his aid, she comes face-to-face with the stern paternity that comes with the role of girl wonder. Her actions have been met with disapproval, and the beginning of the end for Stephanie Brown has begun.

The Hammer...
This was to have been the first entry of another packed February week, but as it would happen, I'm finishing this Monday post Sunday after bumping it back to the standard Friday Fight Night (not to be confused with the meme we unfortunately missed this week, Friday Night Fights).
To those few regular readers, apologies and thanks for your patience in the delivery of this, a victory for Batman and Robin!

There are a lot of issues surrounding this issue, not the least being the on-going debate of Stephanie Brown's right to a memorial case in the Bat-cave. It was the events of a recent issue of Batman, detailing a near-death series of hallucinations penned by Grant Morrison, that initially prompted me to dive into the longboxes to find a previous adventure. While writing the summary, however, I was somewhat ambushed by another pressing matter concerning, of all things, violence in comic books.

Not too long ago a controversial debate broke out concerning the treatment of the Marvel heroine, Tigra, who in the pages of New Avengers, was brutalized by the villain-on-the-rise, The Hood. One need only look to the comments section of our own take on that particular issue to see some points raised concerning violence in mainstream comics, and whether or not there are implications to placing this kind of scene in comics potentially in the young readers domain.

This issue of Detective, I would probably have to say, marks one of the most violent scenes I've reviewed in two years of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.
Unlike the Tigra issue of New Avengers, Detective bares no recommendations of an age cap, and features the far wider recognised branding of Batman. Issues like this are anything but uncommon, yet, one has to feel you don't really hear much about these kinds of comics, even from the people objecting on a base level to Tigra's manhandling.

I don't think anyone has accused the feminist movement in comics of being particularly mindful of gender equality, but I suppose that's inevitable of any movement motivated by a singular cause. Remarks about men's recoil from feminist brow beating starts to take some weight when you think about the potential effect these arguments have on the creative process. A process potentially hindered when it comes to extreme violence against female characters, and the more intrusive points raised than the gender opposite.

A popular theme for adding weight to the negative response to Tigra's beating was the subtext of a sexual assault. If one really wanted to look hard enough, you could find the same sort of subtext in this very fight, particularly a homoerotic exchange as Zsasz leans over the floored body of Batman, with the specifics of their bodies obscured, and retorts "Oh, yes," with a smirk as Batman squeezes out a "no" from his collapsing larynx.

I don't personally regard either scene as including sexual subtexts as a motivated part of the fight, but for those that do, I question the merits of these arguments for their one-sided relevance. The issue completes the gender reversal as Stephanie Brown comes to Batman's rescue, and if you happen to have specific hang-ups about agism, this makes for a double-reversal of standards, refuting the infamous tradition of 'the boy hostage,' but I digress [into silliness].

I particularly enjoy this issue.
If you're an avid Infinite Wars reader, you'll have seen vague references to a great period of Detective Comics, and this issue immediately preceeds the end of the dream run. I proudly include this issue, complete with Stephanie Brown, as one of those fantastic issues. For my tastes in Batman, it has everything!

Contributing greatly to the severity of the violence is the artwork.
It became evident recently that I typically overlook artwork when discussing and reviewing comics, but this has to be acknowledged. Pete Wood's pencils are just a little inconsistent in this issue, but vaguely mirror the contributions of other artists that maintain clean, simple lines, but include more photo-realistic detail than comaprable 'animated series' style artists. Wood's work, in some panels, veers a little more over-the-top, occasionally undermining the seriousness of the tone, but that's a minor quarrel.

Colourist, Jason Wright, and inker, Nathan Massengill, are vital to the presentation. Without rummaging through my back issues, I can't say how long they were involved with Detective, but their work bares similarity to all the great artists that contibuted to this stellar period in the title.

It's the balance between realism and fiction that slathers pages with a grey classic to my vision of Gotham, and blacks that make up the uncompromising shadow of this city of corruption. It's these that supply literally, and figuratively, the tone of a Gotham city that is mature and jaded, evoking a 'musk' that I've previously attributed to it's citizens [such as Martian Manhunter].

I found myself really enjoying the visual presentation of 'Zsasz vision,' which not only paints a muted image of the scene, but depicts Zsasz' view of the world by highlighting his chosen victims with bursts of painted colour. These qualities all go lengths to typify what I desire from the title that specifically distanced itself from the other Bat-books, doing so with a mature and urban driven asthetic. In particular contrast, these issues, to the superhero adventures of Batman, such as the more colourful villain-driven arc, Hush.

Though important to the violence of this particular issue, this all gets away from the subject matter of equality, and whether or not we need to be concerned.
Part of me really wants to say there isn't an issue here. I look back to similar issues I read as a younger child, and recognise that though they were scary, they were depicted with a very vivid message of 'good versus evil.' As someone liberally minded, but fairly staunch in basic morals, I feel these kinds of tales were vital to instilling that uncompromising sense of right and wrong.

On the basis of it's ratings, Marvel recommends the Tigra issue for readers no younger than nine. If that benchmark was ever debatable, I think it's become less so in a modern age when children are becoming more savvy, and are introduced to a lot of these crimes through headlines and reports that make vague allusions. To the latter, I almost think it's beneficial that these comics use the violence to explain and denounce it, but as should always be the case, discretion and judgment needs to be exercised on an individual basis.

Given the strength of personal opinion, it can be difficult to seperate the lines between protecting young readers, and fostering a creative environment that might otherwise be compromised by excessively sensitive readers.
I certainly wouldn't want to stop this kind of comic. I enjoy it, and building on the fundamental basis of Batman as a force against crime, I think this severity only enhances the purpose of this character. Batman needs this kind of reality to explicitly describe what it is that he's opposing, and as I've said in the past, I think it would be crass and naive to attempt to deny the existence of certain crimes, just because they are repulsive.

Death is a big part of maintaining the threat of this world, and while I could probably dwell on points concerning violence and the lax arguments and opinions of other sources, I might just use that as a segue to move to the final subject.

As is evident here, I can be pretty critical of the feminist argument in comics.
I suppose you could say I have the luxury of being under the radar, because despite having hundreds of folks passing through every day, I'm very rarely called to task on anything. With that in mind, I try to remain self-aware, and it's a point like the contested Stephanie Brown subject that helps me feel comfortable with the thought that I am presenting a well considered point of view.

It's a subject that's been floating around the feminist blogs for a long time, and for many, the appearance of such a tribute, in future echoes and hallucinations in Grant Morrison's Batman #673, have been cause for personal triumph.
As much as I want to barrel down on the same side as the feminists, I have to pause to express empathy, and draw some creative deductions, because on the whole, there's a subtext to the issue that's far broader than feminism.

Stephanie Brown should have a memorial.
There really aren't any two ways about it, and I want to make that clear.
To the best of my knowledge there's never been any printed requisite for earning such a case. In fact, a fond memory of Tim Drake's rise to the mantle were scenes featuring not only the memorial to the deceased Robin, but also a case containing the abandoned suit of the very much alive, Dick Grayson.

In keeping with this very period of Detective Comics, of which I'm very fond, we have to note a particular creative shift. As Batman darkened and became more serious over the past twenty years, the mythology of the character was reshaped and whittled to increasing degree. Popular oversized Batcave stalwarts like the penny, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Joker card were all moved off the page, along with a great many other trinkets, often including the Grayson suit case.

As Batman became a more modern and minimalized exercise, the Batcave was one of the most effected elements of the fantastic, and that has continued to be the case. Where brightly coloured mementos once stood, there continues to be only darkness, storage space, and design utilitarian in design both on, and off, the page. No room is afforded for any memorial not baring specific resonance to the stories and emotional journeys of the Dark Knight -- something carried from character driven pathos, through to the unlikely return of a corrupted Jason Todd.

As someone very fond of this creative logic, complete with it's narrow sighted flaws, I can't totally begrudge DC editorial for the lack of Stephanie Brown memorabilia. That said, of all the trinkets in the Batcave, the costume cases seem like the most likely to exist, even if pushed to a side room as some stories have shown them. With that in mind, there seem to be very few logical arguments to deny Stephanie Brown such a case.

Short-lived and disastrous as Brown's career as Robin was, one might consider that her trials only make for a stronger case of inclusion. The Batman's penchant for responsibility has often been described as the motivation for the omnipresence of the Todd memorial, and it's place as a reminder of Batman's greatest failure. Even if Todd had remained dead, there's no way Batman's character would obsolve himself of responsibility for Brown's death, no matter how self-orchestrated it may have been.

War Games, in my opinion, was the immediate destruction of Detective Comics. It was at that point I stopped buying the title, and feel it never fully recovered from that intrusion, never the less, I feel I remain uncompromised on the subject of Stephanie Brown. Her career as Robin was unimpressive, but it was, and should therefore be acknowledged. Batman does not make omissions or exceptions, it simply isn't in his nature. A memorial case is just logical.

The Fight: 7 The Issue: 6

Carrie Kelly fan? Missed out on Stephanie Brown's tenure as Robin, and want to catch-up? This issue, along with many other precursors to the War Games crossover, are collected in a convenient DC tradepaper back! By using Amazon purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths -- so go forth, and purchase! While I sleep!

QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Out of the Bag
HAMMER versus CAPTAIN COLD
The One You Love Conclusion (DC)
Where: Catwoman #49 When: January 2006
Why: Will Pfeifer How: Pete Woods

Quick Fix...
So, we dared to touch upon the nasty subject of Amazons Attack [Wander Woman], a series that has done absolutely nothing for the otherwise rising star of writer, Will Pfeifer.

In light of that, I thought it was probably worth zooming in to check out some of Pfeifer's much better work, namely picking up the slack on Catwoman after fan favourite writers Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker left the title reinvigorated. Tag neglecters might also like to backtrack to the only other entry from Pfeifer's catalogue, the first issue of Captain Atom: Armageddon, reviewed earlier in the year.

But back to Catwoman. For those not terribly interested in the character or the title, it's probably hard to appreciate the situation Pfeifer was put in. The pressure almost certainly didn't come from the company, as this was among several maneuvers that really positioned Pfeifer as one of the up-and-comers at DC, but for fans and an industry, this was potentially a recipe for disaster!

The title had languished in a decade of reality-defying purple bodysuits, and equally unfathomable boobs, the result of Frank Miller's Year One contribution decaying as it passed through filter, to filter. Such a prominent character was undeniably calling out for a revamp. Fortunately for all concerned, it was masters Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker who ultimately answered in a series of short back-ups in the pages of Detective Comics.

The duo were able to steer Catwoman back to the light with a sexy and smart approach to the characterization, that was achieved through Cooke's fun, chic pencils, and an overall intelligent script. Likewise, fleshing the supporting cast out to include golden age Detective Comics character, Slam Bradley, was a stroke of genius, and the finishing touch to sustaining Catwoman as a property.

Cooke left the book, but Brubaker continued to enjoy success with the visually similar collaborations that followed, most prominently stories with Cameron Stewart. Fill-in writers and artists would follow, while the book ebbed and flowed after suffering War Games crossovers, marking the end of Brubaker's run (#37).
With Brubaker presumably fatigued, and Marvel-bound, the time had finally come to find a replacement on the sleeper-hit of the decade.

Enter: Will Pfeifer and Pete Woods.
Stand-ins filled the void, but it was with issue #45 that the next chapter in the renewed Catwoman's saga began. Pete Woods' visuals departed totally from the cartoony approach initiated by Cooke. Pfeifer represented a slightly less radical shift in the writing, but still delivered what could be described as a less cute, stylized approach to the character, opening her up more to the urban sprawl of Gotham's moving parts, and the super-elements of the Infinite Crisis Society.

It wasn't all about Catwoman, though, and Pfeifer did well to borrow and continue elements established by the previous creative teams.
In issue forty-nine, occasional Catwoman co-hort, Captain Cold, is perturbed to learn of Catwoman's apparent demise at the hands of Angle Man.

The Society quartet of Hammer, Angle Man, Hugo Strange and Cold see to the body's dismemberment, scattering it across Gotham City so as to reduce trace evidence. They are of course, completely unaware of Catwoman's gambit involving the calling in of a favour from a shape-shifter.

Content with a less brutal way of crime, Captain Cold opts out of maintaining his association with the villains, considering Catwoman's murder "unnecessary."
Displeased with Cold's dated consideration of the criminal fraternity, Strange sets his Russian super-solder on him.

Though far out of his weight-class, the seasoned Cold proves more than enough brain for the brawny Hammer. Reaching quickly for his ice-blasting gun, the Captain fires off a massive blast that encases Hammer from the waist-down, in solid ice.

Cold presses his seniority, taunting the super-powered Russian with the information that he chose to use the gun only on medium -- not enough to be lethal. The show of strength not only immobilizes the deadly Hammer, but punctuates a point that he is not a man to be meddled with.

With this first storyarc, the relatively untested Pfeifer quickly established himself as a man more than suitable for the job. Though broadly different from the more isolated adventures of the first twenty-five critically acclaimed issues, Pfeifer continued Catwoman's legacy appropriately, meeting the editorial requirements of a DC Universe becoming increasingly interconnected.

Woods maintained a visual style that complimented everything established previously, like the revamped Catsuit, while paying a respect to reality that also served characters like the villainous duo, Hammer and Sickle.
It would be the two Russian characters, who first appeared in Outsiders in 1986, that would continue to plague Catwoman in later issues, establishing the book as a conscious, on-going story in the same vein as projects such as Judd Winick's run on Batman, oft discussed here on the Secret Earth.

The Fix: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5
Winner: Captain Cold

[The existence of supporting characters, regular and cameo, continues to prove to be crucial to the on-going success of Catwoman as a series. Pfeifer does well here, highlighting his ability to handle just such a task. Not as isolated or stylistic as previous portions of the run, but still a very honorable continuation.]

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TRIPLE THREAT versus CATWOMAN
Paperweight Part 1 (DC)
Where: Catwoman #63 When: March 2007
Why: Will Pfeifer How: David López

Quick Fix...
So, as you may have gathered, Will Pfeifer has remained on the book, continuing his run to now and beyond. Next week issue #71 hits stands, so if you're reading now and are getting jazzed up for Catwoman, rest assured that a familiar product is readily available. We are celebrating the better side of Pfeifer, but I'd also recommend the Brubaker/Cooke/Stewart trades, if you're in the market.

So, Pete Woods departs after the first chunk, paving the way for David López to step in. Like Stewart to Cooke, or Allred, the shfit between Woods and López is minimal, making for a smooth reading experience as Pfeifer continues his story across the issues.

It's probably worth noting the fantastic covers the series has enjoyed post the minimalist approach of the earlier issues. Adam Hughes' efforts on covers have ranged everywhere from action packed stills, insinuative story previews, and super-sexy pin-ups that just scream Catwoman.

Among my favourites would have to be the recent red-background simple cover to #70; the panda-eyes of #51; and the sheer menace of #45, complete with Deathstroke, the character who was believed to have killed Catwoman by the end of her previous series, disguised as on-again-off-again love interest, Batman!

Of particular note on these covers, Catwoman's voluptuous figure, that represents the sexy, sassy confidence of the character, but also manages to portray her as something resembling a real woman. Absent are, dare I quote myself, 'the defiant hips of a fifteen year old,' regularly showcased on inhumanly busty characters suched as everyone's favourite, Powergirl.

One Year Later, life is beginning to crunch on Selina Kyle, who has taken a most unlikely path over the missing year. Now a mother; Kyle's young protégé has represented the mantle of Catwoman while the original take time to recover.
Unfortunately, things get hairy for this young Catwoman as she becomes wanted for a murder commited by her predecessor, and gets caught-up in the pressure of increasing unrest in the unified criminal underworld.
Back in action, Kyle tackles these problems head-on.

Hoping to protect herself and her ward, Catwoman reaches out to The Calculator, the brilliant hacker crucial in facilitating the unification of villainous efforts. She opts for his services in erasing police data, rather than enlist the aid of former Batgirl, Oracle, in an effort to avoid revealing her part in a murder to Batman.

The Calculator, apparently displeased over Catwoman's wavering allegiance, offers her up to a trio of young criminals hoping to put their new genetic enhancements to the test in the name of bigger fish. He diabolically pits the Triple Threat against an unsuspecting Catwoman, as a test of initiation.

The trio catch Catwoman unawares as she swings toward the Calculator's digs on the assumption he will help her with her problem.

The team-leader snatches Catwoman up and uses his powers of flight to take her airborne with the presumed intent of dropping her from a great height - but things go south, quickly.

Resorting to a less than graceful out, Catwoman throws her leg up, striking the unprotected crotch sufficiently enough to send them earth-bound. She offers some friendly costume advice, recommending padding.

Landing in the snowy ground with the agility of a cat; Selina is again taken by surprise by the super-strong member of the trio. He wraps her up in a sleeper hold, proposing they test her reflexes to see if they're as quick as her wit, holding her for his fellow who sparks with electrical energy.

Once again the Catwoman's feet do the majority of talking for her.
She uses the hold to swing both her feet up, knocking the electrically charged villain's hands up to narrowly avoid being blasted with raw electricity.

Tired of the amateur assault, Catwoman opts to pull out all the stops.
She snags the lightning-shooting threatster's hand in a scissor lock, again using the leverage afforded by the hold of the other villain, to lift her entire body into snapping the newbie's wrist.

With two of the three down, she makes a confident insinuation, prompting the final of the super-powered upstarts to run for his life.

In light of the message of our last feature [Wander Woman], it's perhaps some kind of irony that Catwoman represents the morally grey area. Unlike a Wonder Woman, Selina Kyle has enjoyed success in the modern age without any real characterization hiccups or restraints. Her status as neither hero nor villain has certainly contributed to this success, but I think overall she's managed to remain an interesting character through the mounting developments made over the years.

I think it's almost fair to say it took until 2001 for the character to finally be honed to perfection. Brubaker and Cooke refined the character down to it's strongest parts, which has benefitted many-a story since, including tangential tales like Jeph Loeb's Hush. A clearer definition of the character in contemporary continuity made for a thoroughly interesting and successful affair between long-time rivals, Catwoman and Batman.

I think it's fair to say Pfeifer's work on the character has waned slightly in more recent stories. Such may be the nature of the project as it becomes something of a Daredevil style book, to the DC Universe. I'd like to think even at it's lowest points, Pfeifer has earned his place among the "young" guns of comics writers.

Before we wrap this one up, I have to shoot-out a thank you to the ever-so relevant When Fangirls Attack, who have again included one of our features in their regular reference lists. Theirs is a support that is always greatly welcomed, and I hope those of you visiting the site for the first time might get something out of it, and continue to return for more of our fist-shaking antics.

Lots of stuff going on, but we'll be back for the usual Friday hits, with a little bit of a twist for the break while Bahlactus takes a couple of weeks off. Be here!

The Fix: 4.5 The Issue: 4
Winner: Catwoman

[Despite the questionable efforts of Amazons Attack, Pfeifer continues his run on Catwoman with relative success. Characters Hammer and Sickle continue to be of relevance as he builds on the reality of Gotham's East End through the tried-and-true method of continuing stories, and recurring themes and characters.]