Quick review: Batman Chronicles-The Gauntlet

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet

By Bruce Canwell and Lee Weeks
I’ve been going through a Batman phase lately, grabbing DVDs of cartoons, purchasing rare collectibles and reading lots of material as well. There’s such a wealth of Batman material that it’s easy to miss out on something very special which is exactly what we have here in the Gauntlet.

The plot of the Gauntlet is relatively simple; a young Dick Grayson has been training secretly under Batman’s tutelage but before he can join the dark knight as his partner, he must undergo a test of skill. Alfred deposits Robin (in costume) in a random Gotham City location and it is Robin’s task to avoid Batman until sunrise. Since Batman knows the city inside and out this is no easy task, but the cocksure boy wonder feels he is up to the task. Unfortunately, he stumbles upon a mob killing and gets involved in a caper that soon sets the entire criminal underworld after him.

Boston native Bruce Canwell may seem like a strange name to some but for fans of Terry and the Pirates and other comic strips he is a legend for his editorial essays on the medium (as associate editor and lead writer for IDW Publishing’s Library of American Comics he has played an important role in the re-issues of several classic comic strip releases). A deft hand at plotting and action lends a higher than usual quality to this yarn that makes it feel timeless and classic all at once. A newcomer of sorts to the world of Batman, Canwell eases himself into the Bat Cave with ease, making all of the familiar trapping work splendidly without feeling contrived or post-modern as they often do.

I am a big fan of Lee Weeks, one of the finest of the modern comic book artists who has graced the Punisher, Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk and the astounding Cap Lives! with his line work. His skill at page layout and character design is fantastic and his cartooning ability is so amazing that one would think he was far older than he actually is (go seek out his work noted below).

Batman has been trying to bring down local crimeboss Joe Minett, but cannot connect him directly to any of his several criminal activities. When a GPD policeman is exposed as an undercover spy in their midst, Robin stumbles upon the gang’s attempt to silence him. Too late to save the cop’s life, he does manage to pick up a vital piece of evidence intended for Jim Gordan, a pack of erotic playing cards. Unknown to Robin, a hidden microdot has been secreted into the deck with enough information to put Minett away for a long time. Thinking little of it, Robin continues to evade Batman, leaving a trail of brilliant clues behind him in a playful game of cat and mouse. As Robin becomes the target of the mob, Batman is both frustrated and in awe at his protege’s ability to avoid his hunt. But the game becomes a brutal crossfire of death as dawn approaches and Robin discovers that this is no game at all but a gauntlet of survival.

A rare gem of Batman lore, the Gauntlet is a clever tale with plenty of moments of brilliance showing off Batman’s keen detective skills and of course a healthy dose of crime noir-style drama with real dyed in the wool gangster-types. It also shows off the character of the classic Robin as an intelligent crime fighter with his joyful take on crime-fighting juxtaposing the grim Batman’s attitude toward his never-ending war.

Make sure to bookmark Canwell’s blog as well as he is an authority on the comics scene and has many insightful posts on classic material.

Thanks must also go out to my good friend Greg Moutafis for suggesting this book to me.

Batman: The Gauntlet

Daredevil: The Fall of the Kingpin

Captain America, Vol. 4: Cap Lives

Secret Invasion: Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel

Originally created for the sole purpose of retaining the rights to the name ‘Captain Marvel,’ (and why shouldn’t Marvel Comics have such a character, I ask you!) the star-born hero is as much a complicated bundle of contradictions as any found in the House of Ideas. Part of an invasion fleet sent by the Kree, Mar-Vell lives incognito on a military base gathering information that will soon be used to destroy the human beings he walks amongst. In time, Mar-Vell rebels against his villainous war-hungry superior and all but loses himself in a battle to win the freedom of the people that he would just as soon destroy.

I had always been terribly interested in this character and hunted down his first appearances, waiting until I had all of the early issues leading up to the massive series redesign… and it was pretty lousy. Not to disrespect 1960’s Marvel, which I love, but this series really had no direction to go in. Not until Mar-Vell dons the nega-bands and is bonded to Rick Jones does the comic gain some sort of identity.

With this new plot contrivance, Mar-Vell and Jones switch places, leaving one of them in a strange limbo world whenever the negabands are clashed. While they can communicate via telepathy, the two can never be in the same place… kinda like Ladyhawk.

The Gil Kane redesign of Captain Marvel was a major success and granted the series a new lease on life. The art was stunning and the mixture of Rick Jones and his free-wheeling lifestyle (and dialog) jarred in just the right way against the establishment man that was Mar-Vell. The adventures were cosmic and grand, but grounded in the streets of America, much like a later experiment tried out in the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series by Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams.

In its 25th issue, artist/writer Jim Starlin arrived and pulled the series into the annals of Marveldom where it belonged. Throughout his adventures against the Kree and Skrulls and even the dreaded Thanos (Marvel’s answer to Darkseid), Captain Marvel established himself as a major player and one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. That is why it came as such a surprise when Mar-Vell died from cancer in the groundbreaking graphic novel (yes, a real graphic novel) ‘The Death of Captain Marvel.’ A bittersweet story, the novel remains a major creative water mark for Marvel Comics.

In the 1990’s, Peter David introduced a follow up series of Captain Marvel chronicling the adventures of Mar-Vell’s son, Genis. While it saw some high points and one of the most impressive character redesigns in comics, the series was eventually canceled.

In the recent company-wide crossover Civil War, Captain Marvel suddenly found himself back in the world of the living and more than a little confused. He wasn’t alone. Mar-Vell had become lost in time/space a short period before he would die. Thinking quickly, Tony Stark hired Captain Marvel to guard his interspacial Alcatraz and he was more or less forgotten (he didn’t even show up in Avengers or Civil War proper!).

After a prolonged absence from the comic book world, the Captain has returned. This new series features the time-lost warrior operating on borrowed time before he must return to his rightful place in the time continuum and face a prolonged and painful death surrounded by his friends who must stand by and do nothing.

Newcomer Brian Reed is joined by veteran artist Lee Weeks to bring the character back into the limelight. The project is a 5 issue miniseries, but if it works, you might see Captain Marvel rubbing shoulders with his old allies like the Fantastic Four or even Captain America himself… if Cap ever returns from the dead.

First issue goes on sale tomorrow.

Recommended:

Marvel Masterworks Captain Marvel 1
The Life and Death of Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Captain Marvel: Crazy Like a Fox (Captain Marvel)