InsaneJournal

Reading icon_uk's post here: Robin's Worst Week! made me think about this story, so I dug it out, thought I'd share. The pages have not held up particularly well, so I tried to lighten the pics somewhat. Wish the scans were better.

It's from World's Finest 271, a novel-length story that celebrated 200 WF team-ups of Batman and Superman (and Robin, but mathematically always your '2 Favorite Heroes!'). The story tried to do almost the impossible* and include every time Batman and Superman and sometimes Robin ever met in all comics and in their very first meeting ever, on the Superman radio show in 1945. The radio show was very popular and was the original source of the concept of Kryptonite. It's a radio story where Robin gets doctored up by Superman (who IS a doctor, after all) that is referenced here.

The story is by Roy Thomas, art by Rich Buckler and Frank McLaughlin. It's 48 pages long, and I've included about 12 pages worth here. It's never been reprinted in the United States. From 1981.

Superman Question, completely unrelated to this story. Can anyone tell me some time when Clark and/or Superman went evil? Not 'Hulk Smash Evil' but Machiavellian evil?

* I was just saying that I thought I was perhaps tiring of origin stories? Even when it's a good one, like bluefall's post of Catwoman's Moench's post-ZH retcon here? And it's just now occurring to me that possibly, my feeling tired of the idea of origin story may be related to reading and cropping and scanning a mostly cractacular novel-length retelling of every Superman Batman original team-up ever.

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Clark can't sleep. He's plagued by bad dreams, so he watches a little television, sees a problem in Gotham.

My favorite in the whole deal: the first panel, below. No, Batman! HI right back at YOU! (Look at him!)


Batman: uncomfortable with Superman's sexuality or coming on to him?


I think it might be because Batman is holding you down, Superman.


Batman does some not very good smack talking:



Aw! Supes used his superbreath to blow Batman onto a comfy couch!

Supes blacks out! Dreams...

Of washing Robin.

Then they use the phone book!

To find a wax museum!

Where the dummies aren't actually made out of wax at ALL!

Punning ensues. Punning and fighting.

Then Superman has to take Batman someplace more private.

Batman reminds Supes that 'Dreams aren't obliged to be historically valid, friend!' And they decide to explore the next umpteen pages reminiscing about all the times Batman and Superman (and sometimes Robin) all met each other in the past, then forgetting about said meetings.

Professor Nichols, time travel, robots--it's all there. Here is a sampling of the crackier panels:













Um... Okay, Superman.

Cut to more fighting. Batman taunts!





Batman's dialogue in this story entertains me very much.



And then Batman must whisk Superman away to somewhere private. His apartment.



Yes, Superman. We're glad Batman didn't have to carry you over the threshold, too. More reminiscing! Lois put-downs, which those boys just used to love to do.









Then another Superman shows up.


It doesn't make much sense, but the story does, finally end.


And that's what friends are for. Yay, Superman! Yay, Batman! The end.