Man-Bat #1
Published and © by DC, December 1975-January 1976
Title: “Beware the Eyes of Baron Tyme”
Synopsis: Refusing to accept help from Batman, Man-Bat struggles to save his wife from the hypnotic control of Baron Tyme.
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Steve Ditko
Inker: Al Milgrom
Review: This debut jumps straight to the action, wasting little time with things like introducing and establishing characters. The result is a herky-jerky script that has writer Gerry Conway asking readers if they’re confused twice before page seven. It doesn’t help matters that the protagonists are fairly unlikable, or that the villain is an evil Doctor Strange knockoff (he even has a sanctum sanctorum!) Of course, having Steve Ditko draw a Strange-like character isn’t a bad thing; the artist’s style might look dated at post-Neal-Adams DC, but his work remains quite strong. Al Milgrom is a surprisingly good fit on inks.
Grade: B-
Second opinion: “(The first issue) features Ditko’s version of Batman, which makes it quite interesting, if not exactly too brilliant a comic.” – Alan Brightmore, Comics Unlimited #51, October-November 1979 … “The first issue … was bad.” – Frank Plowright, FantaCo’s Chronicle’s Series Annual #1, 1983
Cool factor: Steve Ditko drawing Batman!
Not-so-cool factor: The villain’s real name is Clement Tyme. Really?
Notable: This issue includes a one-page text feature, “Mystery of the Man-Bat,” recapping the title character’s origin. … Batman’s face on the cover has been retouched.
Character quotable: “Skreek!” – Kirk Langstrom, human bat and conversationalist
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on April 9, 2010.
