Friday Night Fights--Dynamic Duds Style!!

Batman in the 70s wasn't quite the always-wins, prepared-for-anything, can-take-down-God-in-unarmed-combat dude he became post-Dark Knight Returns. Nope, Batman could be taken down by you or me (provided we were, like, not completely out of shape and sitting in front of our computers).

Bruce and Dick are snooping around a circus, because why not, right? But for someone who has to go up against the likes of Two Face and Killer Croc and the League of Assassins...





...Robin is taken out preposterously easily by an unarmed, non-powered assailant. And yes, I showed you every panel of his takedown. Boy Wonder, indeed...

And when Batman sees Dick being held in the tiger pen...




Holy Siegfried and Roy, he goes down pretty easily.

Now, I know what you're thinking: whips, tigers...it must be Catwoman who took them down. Wrong. She does show up in this story, in the most godawful costume EVER:

But she's not the villain. So who's the bad guy? Who is the dangerous crook who managed to take out both Batman AND Robin single-handedly, without even working up a sweat?

Bernie Byrd, the tightrope walker. Really. Just an ordinary guy (albeit circus folk). He's not even crazy...well, OK, he's crazy, but he's not Arkham-crazy, if you get my meaning.

Batman and Robin, taken down by a dude named Bernie...even Spacebooger is shaking his head at that one.

Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano leave us wondering exactly how the Dynamic Duo got their reputation for being so tough in Batman #256 (1974).

I'll leave you with a vision that will haunt your dreams: A poorly-dressed Selina Kyle riding away on a white tiger...

Vote, people...or the evil acrobats win!