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Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Finger, Bill
Legal name: Finger, Milton
Birthdate: 1914-02-08
Date of death: 1974-01-18
Gender: male
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, USA
Place of death: New York, New York, USA
Places of residence: New York, New York, USA

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Reviews

Batman "Challenge of the Joker" by Bill Finger

As I remember it, in this comic the Joker challenges Batman and Robin with crimes based on the elements (fire, air, water, and earth.) He taunts them with a giant vacuum cleaner, an opera barge, and what you see on the cover--a Joker mask in the sky that shoots bolts of fire out of its mouth to surround Batman and Robin. Can't remember what "earth" was. Somehow they are able to trap the Joker in a giant bottle, and Batman jokes that there is a fifth element, the element of surprise.

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jollyavis | Oct 20, 2024 |

Batman: The Golden Age Vol. 1 (Detective Comics… by Bill Finger

First sentence: "Well commissioner, anything exciting happening these days?" "No...except this fellow they call the "Bat-Man" puzzles me!"

Premise/plot: Batman The Golden Age is an omnibus of original Batman (and Robin) comics which originally appeared in Detective Comics and Batman comics. The first issue in the omnibus is Detective Comics #27 from May 1939, and the last issue in the omnibus is Detective Comics #45 from November 1940. All comics predate the Second World War as you can see. There are a variety of villainous villains--including Cat Woman and the Joker--but only one sidekick, Robin the BOY WONDER.The comics are formulaic, as you can imagine, and Batman is never to be outwitted or defeated.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would. Now I don't see myself turning into someone who reads comic books--and superhero action comic books at that--regularly. I do think this is more for adults perhaps. (I wonder if kids would seek out Batman comics on their own???) I say that merely because it would be rare indeed for an entire issue--each issue has multiple stories--to not offend someone in someway these days. But there is something right in the fact that Batman rarely changes. Action with a hefty side of cheese.

Some of the stories were GREAT, absolutely worth the read. A few weren't so great. Plenty were just meh. Still I'm glad I read this one.… (more)

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blbooks | 2 other reviews | Sep 10, 2024 |

Showcase Presents: Superman - VOL 01 by Otto Binder

pleasingly goofy and enjoyable. like reading comfort food. a few really silly ones here, my fav being Jimmy Olson wishing for superman to "mate" his parents

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tombomp | 2 other reviews | Oct 31, 2023 |

Batman: The Golden Age Vol. 1 (Batman: The Golden… by Bill Finger

What a chore.

Perhaps I'm being too mean, when I read these issues, it's clear that they were made with a lot of heart. It's just the problem is that they're not very good. The issues feel clunky, with the writing and art feeling stilted and forced (Just saying, the most dynamic pose that Batman does is leaping over a fence).

The first issues truly shine this amateurism, all terrible detective stories with a very non-impressive Batman. But, as the issues went on, they improved. I saw the first issue of "Batman" being their magnum opus, introducing Catwoman and Joker, two staple characters in the series, and marking the start of recognizable villains (before it was mobs and mad scientists, now it's supervillains!) But there's a problem with stating this: while they do make their first appearance in the comic world in-name, they look and act nothing like their modern counterparts. That goes for all the characters; a common joke is to see how many people Batman kills in these early comics. I came to about 24 people although there were probably more. Point is, this comic series is a long way from being what it is today.

While I did enjoy these earlier issues, with the incorporation of Robin since "Detective Comics 38", the comics were clearly veering to a children's demographic. Batman became friendly, the art became bright and inoffensive, the antagonists turned gimmicky, and there were more stories where Dick Grayson was the focal point. After finishing this book, I felt completely disinterested in any more of the Golden-Age of the Batman comics.

That isn't to say I'm ungrateful; I'm amazed with how the series evolved from this and has become the conglomerate it is today. I have to thank its creators, but the golden age doesn't represent what it would become in the slightest.… (more)

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AvANvN | 2 other reviews | Apr 19, 2022 |

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