This is where D.C. and I parted ways. Giffen & Co. may have thought this was funny (and kept referencing it to death), but the Batman I grew up with wouldn't resort to physical violence against a colleague and teammate. Even Guy Gardner. Then again, the Guy Gardner I grew up with wasn't a one-dimensional creep played for laughs in the pages of JLI.
This is where DC was growing some balls again. This was returning Batman back to his roots. The Batman that Bill Finger and Bob Kane created would punch Guy Gardener. The Batman that was a vigilante and punched cops (Detective #35 (1940), Batman #1 (1940), Detective #50 (1941), gave Robin a spanking for his birthday (Batman #10 (1942), broke appoints bones (Detective #35 (1940). He was no softy.
Guy Gardner was a reckless, arrogant bullying antagonist rather than a loyal teammate. He needed a humbling after he got way out of line.
The Silver Age Guy Gardner was a one-dimensional wholesome do-gooder devoid of an individual personality just like the other corny square DC heroes in the Silver Age under the censoring Editorial Advisory Board at DC and the strict 1954 Comics Code Authority restrictions (as the William Dozier Batman show adapted and the Super Friends under the Action for Childrens Television restrictions).
This is where D.C. and I parted ways. Giffen & Co. may have thought this was funny (and kept referencing it to death), but the Batman I grew up with wouldn't resort to physical violence against a colleague and teammate. Even Guy Gardner. Then again, the Guy Gardner I grew up with wasn't a one-dimensional creep played for laughs in the pages of JLI.
ReplyDeleteThis is where DC was growing some balls again. This was returning Batman back to his roots. The Batman that Bill Finger and Bob Kane created would punch Guy Gardener. The Batman that was a vigilante and punched cops (Detective #35 (1940), Batman #1 (1940), Detective #50 (1941), gave Robin a spanking for his birthday (Batman #10 (1942), broke appoints bones (Detective #35 (1940). He was no softy.
ReplyDeleteGuy Gardner was a reckless, arrogant bullying antagonist rather than a loyal teammate. He needed a humbling after he got way out of line.
The Silver Age Guy Gardner was a one-dimensional wholesome do-gooder devoid of an individual personality just like the other corny square DC heroes in the Silver Age under the censoring Editorial Advisory Board at DC and the strict 1954 Comics Code Authority restrictions (as the William Dozier Batman show adapted and the Super Friends under the Action for Childrens Television restrictions).