REMEMBERING BATMAN COMICS MEETS HALLOWEEN
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINOWhen I was younger, I looked forward to Halloween to see what might happen in some of my favorite comic books. Of course, you rarely saw Batman and Robin trick-or-treating or the New Mutants dressing up for a school party; but, occasionally, you did get one helluva a story that chilled you to the very bone and helped you get your spook on. Today, though, aside from the random issue of
Scooby Doo, Archie, Simpsons or
Looney Tunes comic, there doesn't seem to be a lot of specific Halloween issues. Sure, you can find zombie comics just about every month, and undead rising in current superhero comics; but it's not like the good old days when you'd look forward to the month of October to see just what
might happen! My favorite stories happened when the Rutland Halloween Parade made an appearance in many
Marvel and
DC Comics, especially
Batman # 237.
I love it when "real life" appears in other medias. (I was thrilled when my name was mentioned on an episode of
Eli Stone!) So, I couldn't wait to see where the Rutland Halloween Parade and uber comic book fan
Tom Fagan might appear next. Although I never got to see the actual parade, I enjoyed seeing mentions of it in places like
Batman, Justice League of America, Avengers, Thor and several others. It was kind of cool to see something like this recognized in so many different comic books, especially when some of the comic writers were in the issues, heading to Rutland.
I always dreamed of meeting superheroes in real life, so it was fun to live vicariously as the Beast came across
Len Wein. It was kind of like a company crossover to see this event appear at both the House of Ideas and the Distinguished Competition. I miss it that the parade hasn't been mentioned for so many years. It would be cool if some of the characters talked about it again … maybe next Halloween.
My favorite of all these Halloween Rutland appearances is from
Batman # 237 called "Night of the Reaper". That story has Batman, Robin, an ex-Nazi war criminal, a Grim Reaper, a ton of people in superhero costumes, Tom Fagan, and lots of chills and thrills. I remember seeing Robin's disgust when he saw someone dressed as Robin had the snot beat out of him and his horror when the Teen Wonder thought Batman was dead, staked to a tree. It was a very powerful story, with a lot of things to get a pulse pounding. Why was someone trying to kill Batman and Robin? What did this setting have to do with it all? Why can't I go to a cool parade like this?
I remember freaking out when Batman found the real Robin unconscious (or worse … could he be dead?) by a stream. I was little, I didn't realize then that superheroes wouldn't really die, even if the cover said, "Robin Dies At Dawn!" So, I didn't know what might happen to him. Of course, he was ok, but it was still traumatic for my little heart to read (As a reprint in
Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest The Batman Family #51).
My favorite parts of the issue were the ones inside Tom Fagan's mansion, where you saw people dressed as
DC and
Marvel characters talking and joking around, especially seeing Fagan complimenting Batman on his "costume" and real "muscles."
The ending was one of the ones that stuck to me to this day, as the villain realized the true horror of his situation, and Batman watches as the inevitable happens. I really don't want to spoil the story, because I think it holds up well today, even if some of the dialogue is a little outdated.
Batman # 237 isn't just my favorite of the Rutland/Tom Fagan appearances, it's one of my favorite Batman stories of all time. If you've never read it and are looking for something to really get you into the Halloween spirit, I suggest trying to track down a copy for next Halloween, if you can't find it for now! It's been reprinted a lot of times through the years, so you should be able to find it without giving your wallet a shock!
What was your favorite Halloween themed issue? Why?
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