Batman Family Reunion #9 – Devilish Daughters from the 13th Dimension!

Shawn and Paul are thrilled to welcome our Bat-Cousin Dan Greenfield of The 13th Dimension to the Reunion, mostly because of the dishes he brought! (You will have to listen to find out what they were!) This month we get to discuss the conclusion of the Joker’s Daughter Saga, the return of Blockbuster, and another charming Golden Age Alfred tale.  Join us for the hijinks but whatever you do, be careful that you don’t let your mom give your comics away to Dan!

This month's Bat Family History Links for Ernie Chan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Chan

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=208

https://www.nerdteam30.com/creator-conversations-retro/an-interview-with-ernie-chan-a-go-to-cover-artist-for-dc-marvel

BONUS Bat Family History for Jack Schiff:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Schiff

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/jack-schiff/4040-46689/

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Schiff

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11 responses to “Batman Family Reunion #9 – Devilish Daughters from the 13th Dimension!

  1. Great show guys! Glad Dan got to drop by! He’s the one boss I don’t mind coming to a family reunion I’m attending! 😉

    I’m honestly surprised Scarecrone isn’t a thing now. Seems like a perfect legacy character for DC to exploit.

    As for how Duela could be Harvey Dent’s kid…DC published some WEIRD notions on the passage of time in this era of comics. JLA #144 posits that comic events actually happened when they were published, time just flows differently in the DCU! Does this explain the Duela plot holes? I don’t even understand it enough to guess!

    The pajama art is indeed all Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, with every image from the 1976 Super DC Calendar!

    Was Blockbuster DC’s first real acknowledgement of Marvel? I know books like The Inferior Five would lampoon the House of Ideas in a few years, but the very Hulk-like Mark Desmond may be the first analog from the company Stan and Jack built. He and Bruce Banner even have the same taste in pants!

    I’m glad the letter column told us who designed that Robin logo we all love! I hope that guy got some compensation!

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      1. True, him and Arnold Drake over on Doom Patrol were channeling a lot of the Marvel feel. Okay, so is Blockbuster the first time the BIG super hero editors of the time (Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger) acknowledged Marvel?

  2. Hey fam!
    I know how Robin figured out she was two face’s daughter. He went to earth prime read the comic code and figured out the married villian had kids. I for one am glad it was not Penguin. No one needs that in there heads

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  3. While this Joker’s Daughter trilogy was an exciting story with the Batman Family, it didn’t make the case for the Daughter to become a hero or get sponsored as a Titan. In the story, I feel that Duela is concentrating too much on the *trappings* of superhero-ness and not enough on what superheroes *do* — because that’s what determines whether you are one. Surely the Teen Titans don’t admit new members on the basis of a cape, gadget, cool codename, or (of all things) whether you’ve outed another Titan. Did you use your talents, Duela, to help someone in trouble at any point during this trilogy? Because that would be the sine qua non of heroes: the thing you have to do.

    But then Alfred gets it, for sure. No powers, utility belt, or such, but he got the job done in a four-page story. Sponsor Alfred for the Titans!

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  4. Impressive podcast most impressive. It’s cool seeing the jokers daughter in this comic again. And having her fight batgirl. As well as Robin. It is true that the wig could probably be removed if Babs pulled hard enough. Then again that is the most awkward circumstances that ever seen anyone use when trying to fight. And Barbara is out fighting crime in 3 inch heels so there’s that. Still it is fun to see Dulea disguised as a daughter of every one else. And no assault charges for punching someone. Were not like they are now. So the jokers daughter would not be arrested for hitting batgirl. This was after all in the 70s. Still there is a worse crime murder. And Barbara committed it. Why? Why….. Did big bird have to die so Barbara Gordon could have that jacket and Ascot? Jeez that is just bright freaking yellow.

    Chinese food is definitely awesome. I had some just the other day. And a few weeks ago when we went to a comic convention. The nicest guess there was Clint Howard. All in the Flash Gordon guy was there to. So let me get this straight. Mr. Buns of steel. Dick Grayson, has a utility belt with all sorts of weapons. A van with a motorcycle in it. All sorts of bat gadgets. But somehow he doesn’t have a spare mask? He even has small scissors is utility belt to cut it. But, he can’t bring a spare domino mask? Also I don’t think those handhelds are big enough to fit a human head. The rapid over his ears? And little of the fight a paper mask is not going to survive. Moving right along it to the double identity exposed thing. One, it kind of works like how Batman figure it out the river was behind the hush thing. He was the only one of his rogue’s gallery not acting different from how he normally did. So again Robin used process of elimination just as his father will decades later.

    As for Ms. Dent, well again her mother was also a super villain. So it is possible that she was that child from the whole question. Since crisis rewrites things later. And this isn’t Robin of our earth. This is earth one Robin. I think. Any rate, her mother having been the villain holiday probably was one of the things she was atoning for. Along with her father becoming to face. It is possible that she legally changed her name. She may have not been originally named Dula. Or she might of been. As we’ve learned from the BTAS Harvey always had a second personality. That it once I be called big bad Harve. Before the accident made them become to face. Maybe the psychological issues that were floating on the back of his mind that made him create that personality. Mayhem subconsciously named his daughter Duela.

    They were living in a world where the step son of one of the richest men in the city. Can run around in a domino mask and no one recognizes him. And a TV anchor can remove his glasses and wear blue spandex and no windows him. And you can wear a full cow will with giant bat ears on it. And it fits under a mask. So that’s probably one of the least suspend disbelief moments of her being named Duela. After all Harvey and holiday did have a kid before their divorce. So it is possible that child was Ms. Duela Dent. Or Kent depending upon which continuity your following. Moving right along the Alfred story was fine. Though I am glad they changed him to the new Alfred. However it is interesting that they just kind of glossed over that Bigley was there Butler before the movies. I.e. the movie serials that had Batman in them. In this version of Alfred look silly he does because the actor in those cereals looked the way he did. Thus the first recon. The story itself was fine. Though I definitely like the newer version of Alfred.

    Though I was reading before crisis, so I remember him having a daughter who had a thing for Batman while Batman was dating Vicki Vale as Bruce Wayne. And then crisis happened in his daughter disappeared till she came back decades later. As for them busting his chops about the meal. It was probably just good-natured ribbing. I’m pretty sure the world’s greatest detective can figure out how to make a peanut butter sandwich if need be. Moving right along.

    So both Batman and batgirl have had unconventional ways of beating blockbuster. That’s used his secret identity. And later a hologram of his brother. Close enough. While batgirl beating by kissing him on the lips. Him being feebleminded believed they were dating. So he could not fight her. Granted at the time she had to go through pretty much for entire rogues gallery. As she was chasing Through a jail. I forget who it was that released all of them. I just remember it was drawn by McGuire. This is pretty cool. But, I mostly remember Carmine from his flash run. So this is a bit different for me. For whatever reason that is still my preferred version of Carmine work. I never had the evil thing. But, when it was repurposed to the team America thing the bike was the maiden actual toy of the The Marauder. That was made from the same mold. The bike was the toy was one of those standard made to sit on a bike plastic toys. But you can take them off the bike and his arms moved.

    You can still do the rev up thing and sending bike flight across the room. As long as flat surface. Idea putting a Spiderman action figure on the bike later. Including the marauder to the site. Still it was a pretty cool bike. But, basically what they did was took the in the bike. Painted it black and shelved a new plastic toys on it. So it worked pretty much as the evil Knievel one. Note I’m talking about the Marvel comics team America, not the movie. By the South Park people. Weight is that a kit bash mego head? Or did they make an actual jokers daughter action figure? looks pretty cool. It reminds me of some of the kit bashing I have done on my YouTube page. To bolster my action force collection. I still collect toys from that line that is put out by Bobby Vallah. The official ones are pretty cool. But, sometimes I like to add mild stuff and sometimes I will and the characters from the original Palatoys version.

    I have no connection to the actual action force line nor the original. Still there fun to collect and to kit bash some other action figures to make them fit within the group. Anyway can’t wait to hear the next podcast.

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  5. Great hearing Dan on the show!

    Looking at the Alfred solo story pages, it’s kind of amazing that he never got his own title, considering how much DC was publishing books like that in the late 1940s and 1950s.

    As you mentioned last month, Duela is really a glutton for punishment when it comes to wearing multiple masks on top of one another. Related, I LOLed every time Paul said “ScareCRONE.”

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  6. You know I have said a few bad things about Bat Girl and her fashion. And I feel bad… I like Bat Girl. She’s a fun character and I have read her comics over the years. And hey ls her in the jacket she ware in his issue singing to children.

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  7. Hi Bat-Cousins, sorry I’m late for the latest reunion, but I’m on a cruise to Canada’s Maritime Provinces and New England. I shall be meeting Bat Cousin Anj along the way! It’s not all pleasure, I’m scoping out the ship for a possible Batman Family Cruise in 2023. Unfortunately, I can’t get peace to sleep because of the comings and goings in the next stateroom, some playboy and reporter have been forced to share, and they make sooooo much noise.

    Anyway, thanks for a great show, it’s fab that the guests have started appearing. Dan’s 13th Dimension is such a great website!

    I also bought this issue when it came out and loved it. The conclusion the Joker’s Daughter story didn’t disappoint even if, as pointed out, it didn’t make a lot of sense – if you want to prove you can be a superhero, why make a nuisance of yourself? You could always do heroic things. Heck, look at Kathy and Betty Kane, the original Bat Queens!

    Uncle Irving’s art really is the best – has Babs ever had such great hair? And look at the overwrought expression on Dick’s face as he realises the mask has gone, it’s like Harvey Dent’s reaction to his tragic assault.

    Wouldn’t it be great if Babs had taken up Lori’s lettercol challenge and Bob had written ‘Battle of the Boy Wonder’s Babes’? I’d buy that for 50 cents… Babs seems the obvious winner but maybe Uncle Frank had taught Lori a few moves…

    I won’t comment on the logos for the reprints as you’ve done it for me. So kind. The Alfred strip was another delight, I could read about the original battling butler all day – the modern version is so much duller.

    Blockbuster is a fun character, the idea that it’s the charms of Bruce Wayne which soothe this savage beast is a hoot. The modern, second version is so much less fun… and he has terrible hair. (Oh dear, last time I was bemoaning the modern Jason Bard, now I’m slagging off the modern Alfred and Blockbuster; I’m right though!)

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  8. Hey, Bat Cousins, sorry I’m late for the latest reunion. I brought some good mustard. Uncle Steve always brings the extra-sized store brand yellow stuff because he’s a monster. Great Batgirl/Robin story. Gotta love Dick’s groovy van being decked out with white wall tires and the fringe from Dr. Strange’s cape. I hope they didn’t get any rotten fruit stains on his shag carpet interior on the way back to campus. And, of course, finally the mystery of the Joker’s daughter is revealed! Turns out she’s actually a disturbed young woman with an evolving jawline and unlimited funds. Good for her. Definitely Teen Titan material.

    The most 70’s moment in the story was definitely Riddler’s Daughter making trouble in the restaurant kitchen. As a former bartender I can promise you, these days if you disrespect the kitchen in front of a bunch of burnt-out, coked-up chefs on their third open/close in a row, you’ll end up in the fryer.

    I found the Blockbuster story from Detective Comics on DC Universe. I agree, great fight images. I’m not the biggest Carmine Infantino fan but I always liked his patented “jogging through” punch like batman lands on Blockbuster. It always looked like a fun way to clock somebody. By the way, the other story in that Detective issue is an insane Elongated Man story where he pokes a guy in the eye with his nose and then stretches out his kneecaps to knock out two other baddies. he also stretches out his ears twenty feet behind him and wags his nose at alarming speed. Iris must have a really strong stomach.

    Okay, gotta run. Cousin Elvin and his wife went to Nashville for a weekend and are now really into line dancing. They’re starting the music, so I’m going to go make a paper towel mask so I can sneak away without anyone recognizing me.

    Also, my god, those Duela Dent Mego dolls. Thanks for the nightmare fuel.

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  9. Another great episode!

    But I do want to show some Jack Schiff love. He actually resisted introducing sci-fi elements into Batman, but sales on the Bat books had been steadily declining, and DC decided the solution was to make him “more like Superman”. So, in addition to the aliens and interdimensional menaces, we got Ace the Bat Hound. But Schiff had said in later interviews that he had been pushing hard instead to return Batman to being more of a creature of the night, a la the Shadow…something that wouldn’t happen until around 1970 or so.

    Schiff was also largely responsible for all of those PSAs which DC ran in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. His bosses didn’t have much interest in them until they started to receive awards and recognition for providing a public service, at which point they loved them.

    The lawsuit with Kirby was a bit of a sordid affair. As the story goes, Schiff had actually set up the deal with the syndicate for “Sky Masters”, and hired Kirby and Wally Wood to draw it, and the Wood brothers (no relation to Wally) to write it. In exchange for this, and some vaguely understood ‘creative contributions’ which Schiff would make to the strip, he would receive a percentage of all profits. Unfortunately the strip, although acclaimed, never picked up enough newspapers to be more than a minor success, which meant the profits which Kirby and Woods earned were fairly meager, and hardly worth the efforts they put into it. Their payments would have improved enough to be worthwhile if Schiff wasn’t getting his cut (and he apparently contributed nothing beyond setting up the initial deal), so Kirby sued to have him removed from the contract. Of course as we know, Jack lost the suit, and as a result, he became persona non grata at DC, which is what ultimately drove him full-time into the arms of Marvel.

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