Wow.I mean, even if you take the context into account--the international underworld (!) was having a "Crime Olympics" in Gotham City, and Batman had spent the issue chasing around a bunch of crooks from the "Afro-Asian bloc"--it just doesn't make any sense, as the "Uncle Sam Wants You" message was directed at Americans, not foreigners.
Really--"Uncle Batman Wants YOU"!??!?!!? Writer David V. Reed, that was exceptionally lame.
Besides, he's Batman--he doesn't need catchphrases!! Spider-Man? Maybe. Batman? Uh-uh.
Still, a crime olympics...? There's some potential there...maybe there should be a Crime World Cup this year...
Uncle Batman? That's the best he could do? Isn't he rich - I bet he could hire someone to write catchy phrases for him to yell during combat.
ReplyDelete"Uncle Batman Wants You"? Woah. Maybe the camp from the Batman TV show years was still wearing off in '76. Plus, the fact that I've never heard of David V. Reed suggests that the DC brass wasn't too fond of his stuff, either.
ReplyDeleteActually, David Vern Reed was a writer for Batman back in the 40's & 50's (he created Deadshot! He wrote the story "The Joker's Utility Belt!"). He left the business for a couple of decades--reputedly because of the congressional witchhunt of the 50's--but returned to DC in the 70's.
ReplyDeleteThis issue is from early on in what would become a 3-year run on Batman. 3 years!! So someone was fond of it...
From his Wikipedia entry:
...Vern Reed chose to emphasize Batman's skills as a detective. Initially ignoring the character's large rogues gallery, Vern Reed engaged the Dark Knight in a series of bizarre mysteries such as "The Daily Death of Terry Treymane" and "The Underworld Olympics of 1976!"
...Although Robbins, O'Neil and Steve Englehart reestablished Batman as a dark avenger, their interpretation of him was stoic and often silent. By contrast, Vern Reed's version would greet his foes with a dry quip not unlike Sean Connery's interpretation of James Bond. Some readers objected that this was out of character for a "dark knight". Other fans acknowledged that deadpan humor has always been a part of The Batman's personality since his earliest appearances.
Still, Sean Connery would never say anything as remotely absurd and inane as "Uncle Batman wants YOU!"
Wow. Why do I find that so disturbing?
ReplyDelete"Gosh, would you read me a story, Uncle Batman?"