Pre-Crisis Primer: Not Everything Needs To Set The World On Fire

Detective Comics #533

“Look to the Mountaintop”

Gas masks. To pull the plug on an old man.

This issue is a done-in-one story. There's been a subplot running between the Batman titles for a bit now that I've been ignoring when writing articles: Sgt. Harvey Bullock is a new cop in the Major Crimes Dept. of the GCPD and he really doesn't get along with Commissioner Gordon. Bullock is either undermining or disobeying Gordon who then threatens Bullock with disciplinary action. Gordon would take away Bullock's gun and badge, he can't play by the rules after all, if only Bullock didn't always get results!

This all comes to a head when Bullock, in a fit of extreme childishness, plays a prank on Gordon that results in the Commissioner suffering a heart attack and lapsing into a coma. This story picks up with word getting out to the criminal underworld that Gordon is helpless on a hospital bed and one group wanting to make that stay permanent.

Even though the crook loses, him kicking Batman in the mug is still center-page.

Frankly, I'd ignored talking about this subplot because I thought it was poorly written and unimportant to the overall scale of these Batman stories. Whoops. I still won't say I'm incorrect in this assumption given that the plot of this issue can be boiled down thus: Criminals attempt to assassinate Gordon in the hospital, Batman stops them and Gordon comes out of his coma, hugs abound.

This is the kind of filler issue that is part of the entire continuing-publication aspect of comics in general. While the stories, like this particular story, are usually lackluster, I do enjoy these quieter stories in between all the major supervillain-of-the-month adventures. Not everything has to be world-shattering and I enjoy that.

Barbara Gordon doesn't need a costume to kick ass.

Another aspect of this issue I enjoyed was the introduction of Barbara Gordon into our selection of stories. Barbara doesn't appear as Batgirl at all but does provide the crucial role of the story, hiding Gordon from the assassins as well as providing the impetus for him to rouse from the coma. The story is framed from Barbara's point of view as she's visiting her father. She talks to him, hoping agaisnt hope that anything she say will stir him. She tells him a story of how he provided support for her growing up, not giving up and always standing by her. Barbara now has to provide that role for her father. Believing in him when no-one else is confident of recovery.

Barbara is a strong character and one of the few superheros who does, and will to a greater extent later, have greater success outside of her costumed role as a human character rather than superhero. Easily the only good part of this entire issue, but a nice breather after the three-part Joker adventure.