FLASHBACK: BATMAN R.I.P. THE FIRST TIME

[MattBrady]

by Matt Brady

Batman will die.

A hero’s secret identity will be magically erased from the minds of all that knew it.

No – the name of the feature is “Flashback,” so we’re not talking about the upcoming Batman R.I.P. or last fall/winter’s One More Day. We’re talking about the first time Batman died. Well, a Batman, anyway. But let’s start with the present and move to the past.

The concept of “Earth-2” has been coming up more and more in DC comics, specifically in the neighborhood of Justice Society of America, whose Annual, later this year, bears the title, “Return to Earth-2.” But from the glimpses we’ve seen of the post-52 Earth-2, there’s no Batman on it. Where is he?

Dead.

Cast your mind back, back through the mists to 1978-1979, no, not back to the then-recently revived All-Star Comics - that was cancelled by then. Look instead to Adventure Comics #461-#463 where the Justice Society was one of a handful of strips running in the double-sized series. The Society, while experiencing something of a revival, was far from the heights of its original popularity, and nowhere near as popular as it is now. All-Star Comics was given second life in 1976 by avowed Golden Age fans Gerry Conway and Paul Levitz, with art by the likes of Joe Staton, Keith Giffen. Ric Estrada and the legendary Wally Wood. Knowing that the Golden Age characters needed some hook to entice modern readers, the creators during this period introduced Power Girl (Earth-2’s answer to Supergirl) and the Helena Wayne Huntress (daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle).

An aside –the “younger” heroes, i.e., Robin, Power Girl and Star-Spangled Kid formed the “Super Squad,” a hipper version of the group when compared to the “parental” JSA. This, of course, would be echoed again with the JSA in the formation of Infinity Inc. 1984.

Anyway - as mentioned, All-Star had folded – part of the legendary “DC Implosion,” but like a handful of other characters who saw their respective series end, the Justice Society lived on as a feature in Adventure Comics by Levitz and Staton.

Let that sink in for a moment.

A major, iconic (albeit Earth-2 version, but hey, when Earth-2 Superman got married, he got his own issue of Action Comics - #484) character’s death handled as a strip in a mid-selling anthology title, and told not as a special issue, but spread across three issues. Okay, to DC’s credit, the story was the first Justice Society story in Adventure, but still…

Cue today’s editors and marketing staffs at Marvel and DC to cry, “Oh, the humanity! The lost hype! The lost mainstream media stories! The lost sales!”

Think that’s bad compared to how things are handled now? Just wait until we get to the how part of Batman dying.

As for the story itself – eerily, it’s a primer on the future in many ways. It’s title: “Only Legends Live Forever.” DC’s first tagline for this summer’s Final Crisis? “Heroes Die. Legends Live Forever.”

In the story, Bruce Wayne has retired from being Batman and is now the Gotham City Police Commissioner. His wife, Selina Kyle, was killed a year earlier, and his daughter, Helena, has recently taken up the identity of The Huntress – something Bruce has yet to clue in on. The story’s main threat shows itself early – escaped murderer Bill Jensen. What, you’ve never heard of Bill Jensen? Don’t worry, no one else had either.

Jensen climbs to the top of Gotham’s Twin Trade Towers, and demands Commissioner Wayne come to him. The Society (well, Power Girl, Green Lantern, Robin, Huntress and the Flash) show up and try to stop him. Thing is, Jensen is channeling some unknown power that stops them all, from the weakest (looking at you Huntress) to the strongest (Power Girl). With the Society defeated (and Jensen threatening to level the towers), Wayne shows up, is as confused as everyone else as to Jensen’s beef and his claim that Wayne framed him to bolster his reputation so he could be named Commissioner. Oh – and the best part about Jensen’s powers? He woke up with them one morning in prison.

As Jensen is about the deliver the killing blow to Wayne, Dr. Fate appears, stops him, and then is felled by Jensen’s power. Wayne, still confused about who the guy is, why he believes he framed him, and where he got his powers, heads down to the City Museum to grab a Batman costume and then take Jensen on as the Caped Crusader. Batman’s masked is ripped during the battle, Jensen realizes Wayne and Batman are one in the same, and Jensen’s hate consumes him, “with a fire not seen on this earth since creation…and the Batman dies with him!” – taking up maybe a fifth of the final panel in that part of the story.

The funeral. As a result of Batman dying as Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Helena’s secrets were easily figured out (although this much was unstated by the story in a direct manner that today’s readers have come to expect), and the two are now operating without masks. Then, on a hunt for the real source of Bill Jensen’s power, Dr. Fate leads the Society to Frederic Vaux, the conduit, who is seeking to destroy all the heroes (Jensen was just the first tool he was using) as a way to gain power from the lords of chaos. As part of his plan, Vaux casts a spell so that all the people of earth will forget that the heroes ever even existed.

Of course, the Society stops him, but as Dr. Fate reveals – the fabric of reality is weak due to Vaux’s spell. He can repair it, but does so with one caveat – in doing so, he erases the knowledge from the public that Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same man, giving Grayson and Wayne back their secret identities, and literally putting masks back on their faces.

So – got that? Major hero killed – barely a panel-long death scene in an anthology. Hero-killer? The terrifying Bill Jensen. Reason for death? Er…part of some larger scheme…or…something. Identity revealed – magic invoked, identity forgotten. Yikes. To say that comics were a different business in 1979? Yeah, that’s a bit of an understatement.

All told though, and possibly a tad romanticized, as I still have these issues picked up from the stands of the Ellwood City Newsstand, back in the day, “Only Legends Live Forever” is a hoot – big and loud, kinda, but not quite making sense, something actually happens, and in the end, at least I look back on the story and think it was big, corny fun. A throwback to when comic books weren’t necessarily “Comic Books,” deaths weren’t “events,” and by god, a kid would most likely roll the thing up and stick it in their back pocket so they could ride their bike some from the store with two hands, the way their mother told them to.

It’s definitely a type of story we’ll never see again in comics, either in content or execution.

Oh – want one more nugget from this era of Adventure Comics? Prince Gavyn, the Starman of space, debuted just four issues later, in Adventure #467. He’s gone on to bigger things.

Where can you find “Only Legends Live Forever?” The back issue bins are a safe bet – the story was originally in Adventure Comics #461-#463, and the issues can probably be found on the cheap (and will smell like old people feet) – although you might find one or two mustache-twirling retailers advertising them as “the first” Batman R.I.P., and subsequently jacking the price. The story, along with the some of the revival issues of All-Star can also be found in the Justice Society volume 2 trade, with the earlier issues of the All-Star restart in volume 1.

And yes, in that cover to #463 above, Wonder Woman is fighting off bees. My God. Bees.

[jlawesome]

yeah, that's a pretty crappy way to kill Batman

[wordballoon]

I remember being so sad that they killed off the earth-2 batman. I liked the idea that he had become the police comissioner of gotham, and seemed much less consumed by his bat-persona, than the earth-1 version.

it's a shame that the two bruces never got together, so earth-1 bats could see the potential "happy ending" to his career, that earth-2 bruce did.

[I-Ching]

My god...those bee's!!...how ever did Diana survive!?

What story is that?

Secret Infestation
Cross Pollination of Infinite Earths
The Bug Bites Returns
Watchbees
300

Oh the 70's and the bee swarming flicks...have to admit...they scared the honey out of me as a kid!

[dadthedude]

Originally Posted by wordballoon

I remember being so sad that they killed off the earth-2 batman. I liked the idea that he had become the police comissioner of gotham, and seemed much less consumed by his bat-persona, than the earth-1 version.

it's a shame that the two bruces never got together, so earth-1 bats could see the potential "happy ending" to his career, that earth-2 bruce did.

If my memory serves me correctly, it later came out that Bruce Wayne was framing the Justice Society for some kind of crime (can't remember exactly what), and as commisioner had morphed into someone who was against superheroes. Turned out he was dying of cancer, and his death was inevitable.

[coolmvm]

You guys forget to mention that old Earth-2 Batman was briefly mention within the pages of Infinite Crisis.

[coolmvm]

Also at least the MC-2 Universe Captain America died alittle better in the Last Hero standing mini-series.

[leahcim]

I remember seeing that cover with Donna vs. Diana in some old comic advertisements and I was SO excited and when I finally tracked it down..it was HIDEOUS! The art was bad and the story was worse and I don't think that scene even appeared! Ah..the good old days..woo woo.

[Kolimar]

Another interesting history lesson to refresh my senile memory.

[wjclark01]

You want sad? I actually have that Adventure comic. I remember reading it and the first thought was - "I'm a kid and I don't believe this crap." Sad day in comics, indeed.

It's a good thing that no comic company would dare to pull such a hair-brained...wait, oh, I forgot.

Never mind.

[JeffCapo]

Originally Posted by dadthedude

If my memory serves me correctly, it later came out that Bruce Wayne was framing the Justice Society for some kind of crime (can't remember exactly what), and as commisioner had morphed into someone who was against superheroes. Turned out he was dying of cancer, and his death was inevitable.

You are thinking of America vs the Justice Society. A 4 part mini. His diary was actually a clue for the JSA to get Per Degaton, the time traveling villian. Bruce figured he would be dead by the time Degaton would re-appear.

[Amoebas]

That was a great story way back when. And not to mention that you got FIVE features for a buck!

That's the magic from the old days - you didn't need hype. Yes, Action #484 got some press, but iirc, that was the press finding out about it rather than DC holding a news conference (or whatever it would have been at the time).

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

And yes, in that cover to #463 above, Wonder Woman is fighting off bees. My God. Bees.

Heh....

[Dynamite Kid]

Man, I loved reading those JSA stories where Bruce Wayne was police commissioner. One of the best was where Bruce (under outside influence) had believed the JSA had gone rogue and gathered some old comrades in the form or retired JSAers (WW, Hourman, Robin, etc) to take on the then current JSA. And what a crappy way for the man who was basically the 2nd greatest hero of the Golden Age to go out. I always thought that he got the raw end of the deal in that one. I truly enjoyed the Superman/Batman issue that featured the Earth 2 versions having their bodies switched with Power Girl and Huntress by the Ultra Humanite. Talk about nostalgia!

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

a kid would most likely roll the thing up and stick it in their back pocket so they could ride their bike some from the store with two hands, the way their mother told them to.

Kids were dumb back then. Bah, they still are.

[aric_dacia]

I loved the 1970s JSA run... both in All-Star and Adventure. That will always be the way I remember the Justice Society on Earth-2.

[Dalarsco2]

I'm sure it was good for it's time, but I'll always take one good story or part thereof for $3 over 5 pieces of crap for $1.

[TheMightyGeek]

I remember trading a couple of comics to get this one. My gods. Batman. Dying. Of course, only when I went in and actually read the story did I realize it was the Earth-2 Batman. Being a kid, I didn't twig to the fact that the funky costume Robin was wearing was because he was the E2 variety.

Still, it was kinda fun, kinda goofy.

Later on, in an issue of The Brave and The Bold, Batman would team-up with the E2 Robin, and I still remember the line "do you have any idea what it's like to be on a world where an older version of you is dead?"

[JeffCapo]

Originally Posted by Dynamite Kid

Man, I loved reading those JSA stories where Bruce Wayne was police commissioner. One of the best was where Bruce (under outside influence) had believed the JSA had gone rogue and gathered some old comrades in the form or retired JSAers (WW, Hourman, Robin, etc) to take on the then current JSA. And what a crappy way for the man who was basically the 2nd greatest hero of the Golden Age to go out. I always thought that he got the raw end of the deal in that one. I truly enjoyed the Superman/Batman issue that featured the Earth 2 versions having their bodies switched with Power Girl and Huntress by the Ultra Humanite. Talk about nostalgia!

All-Star Comics 68-69 Bruce Wayne and other JSAers were under the influence of the Psycho-Pirate!

[little kon-el]

I remember that story. It was actually quite touching, along with the Secret Diary issue of Batman, where we find out how Catwoman and Batman of E2 got married. It was a great story with a lot of heart and more of a fitting end to Batman's career. We learn why he gave up his identity and why he and Selina didn't need masks anymore to live their life.

I think it was reprinted in the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told.

As for Bill Jensen, we actually got a reason for what his deal with the JSA/Battman in 1999 int he JSA Returns series. Jensen, during WW2, brought the Stalker to this Earth and imprisoned many of the mystics (like Tor and even the Spectre). I believe Jensen was able to escape (or maybe become one of the vessels of the Stalker). I don't know if he died during the battle, but we can assume that that's why Jensen hates Bruce Wayne (or possibly the JSA), how he can have so much power (because he was a conduit of great magic before), and why he was in jail in the first place (because he was part of a group of Nazis that were trying to bring down the world through Armageddon).

- l.k.

PS: This isn't the crappiest way to go. The crappiest way to go would fall to the death of Mr. Terrific where the GA Flash snaps his neck. And we don't even get a solved mystery until years and years later in the Spectre comic book.

[Spaz_Monkey]

I have to buck the trend here, and say that I actually like how Bruce was killed. Someone like Batman, even after his retirement, couldn't be killed by one of his major enemies. That would make them too powerful. Joker? Penguin? Riddler? And of them actually killing the Batman would not only be too much, but wouldn't make sense after all the times Batman had defeated them.

No, the only person who could kill the Batman HAD to be just some dude. Some guy nobody had heard of, who meant absolutely nothing in the long run, that's the only person who could kill Batman.

[little kon-el]

Originally Posted by Spaz_Monkey

I have to buck the trend here, and say that I actually like how Bruce was killed. Someone like Batman, even after his retirement, couldn't be killed by one of his major enemies. That would make them too powerful. Joker? Penguin? Riddler? And of them actually killing the Batman would not only be too much, but wouldn't make sense after all the times Batman had defeated them.

No, the only person who could kill the Batman HAD to be just some dude. Some guy nobody had heard of, who meant absolutely nothing in the long run, that's the only person who could kill Batman.

I always thought of it like John Wilkes Booth or Pat Garrett...people who aren't "arch enemies", who were practically nobodies, that go into history as being the "man who shot someone famous."

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by little kon-el

I don't know if he died during the battle, but we can assume that that's why Jensen hates Bruce Wayne (or possibly the JSA), how he can have so much power (because he was a conduit of great magic before), and why he was in jail in the first place (because he was part of a group of Nazis that were trying to bring down the world through Armageddon).

Well, according to the original story, Jensen was a murderer, an ordinary man who killed his business partner, in what was, as Bruce said, an open and shut case. 20 year after the fact retcons to the contrary, of course.

MattB

[JeffCapo]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Well, according to the original story, Jensen was a murderer, an ordinary man who killed his business partner, in what was, as Bruce said, an open and shut case. 20 year after the fact retcons to the contrary, of course.

MattB

Of course, we're talking about an Earth-Two story and the "New Earth" update

[Not From Around]

I loved the Earth-2 characters, but missed most of their stories the first time around--including this one. I do remember knowing that it had happened. Much later I found this and other stories I'd missed in back issues.

It wasn't that great of a story, really. The comics writers of the time weren't that far removed from the golden and silver ages, when the main thing was to get the stories out in time for the kids to read, and the kids usually didn't have extremely discriminating tastes. Reading comics was just fun, and if only a few of the stories were really well-crafted that was enough. Today's stories are usually much more carefully crafted. Whether they are really as much fun is open to debate.