The TOP 13 BATMAN Countdown — #3: ENGLEHART & ROGERS
Whatever you want to name it — it’s spectacular…
AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The Amazing Amazon debuted 85 years ago in All-Star Comics #8 — released Oct. 21, 1941… By CHRIS AND CINDY FRANKLIN “All the world is waiting for you, and the power you possess…” So wrote Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel when they penned the theme song to the 1970s Wonder Woman television series. 85 years ago, the world WAS waiting for a female superhero to fight for peace and inspire a generation… or generations as it would turn out. There had been a few forgettable female long-underwear types before Princess Diana donned her golden tiara, but creator and noted psychologist Willam Moulton Marston (under the pen name of Charles Moulton) and artist H.G. Peter broke the (clay) mold with the Amazing Amazon, who entered Man’s World and changed it forever, both in the comics and reality beyond. To celebrate her anniversary, like always, I (Chris) set out to assemble a collection of 13 pieces of merchandise that represent the character’s history and her impact on pop culture. But when it comes to Wonder Woman, I will forever bow to my lovely wife Cindy, who has collected merchandise based on her favorite superheroine for over 30 years. Cindy’s enthusiasm for the character and her collection altered the course of this article. You’ll find way more than 13 examples of Wonder Woman collectibles in what follows… but we did stick to 13 entries, anyhow! So, let’s spin around in circles and see what wonders magically appear! — 1. The Golden Age (Hallmark, Chronicle Books, DC Direct, McFarlane Toys). Since little merchandise and no figural offerings of Wonder Woman were made in the 1940s, we thought we’d switch up my usual format and begin with a retroactive collection of Golden Age Diana items. Hallmark released both a statue and an ornament based on Wonder Woman’s early adventures in 1996, seen here in the center of the photograph. In addition to dozens of other Wonder Woman items in the last 30 years, they returned to her roots with the Wonder Woman #1 cover ornament in 2021. In 2001, Chronicle Books packaged Les Daniels’ Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess with the 8.5-inch figure on the left, which was designed by Alex Ross. In 2004, DC Direct released their own take in their First Appearance line...
A BIRTHDAY SALUTE bounty from the Golden and Silver Ages… By PETER BOSCH Edmond Hamilton was one of last century’s greatest science-fiction novel writers. He was also one of the best comic book scribes that ever worked for DC (for 25 years, from 1941 to 1966). In past years, I’ve written of his work on the Superman titles, as well as his Superman/Batman/Robin team-up stories for World’s Finest Comics. So, it is about time I do the same for the decade and a half he came up with some very fun, and some very serious, scripts for the Gotham Guardian in Batman, Detective Comics, and World’s Finest (before Batman and Superman teamed up). Of course, probably the most famous of his Batman stories was the introduction of Batwoman 70 years ago, in Detective Comics #233 (July 1956): However, I sincerely believe there were many others, just as entertaining, so here are 13 of my favorites in celebration of his birthday (born October 21, 1904). In chronological order, by cover date. Enjoy! WARNING: SPOILERS FOR DECADES-OLD COMIC BOOKS AHEAD! — 1. “Killer for Hire!” World’s Finest Comics #34 (May-June 1948) contains one of Hamilton’s earliest and most powerful Batman stories. The tale opens with the ending, a corpse on a slab, a toe tag saying he is “Unidentified” and “Shot by Police, resisting arrest.” The story then looks back at the life of Jim Durfee, a psychotic youth who loves using guns and dreams of killing so he can see people scream and fall over dead. It is not long after that he starts his life of crime, stealing and then cold bloodedly murdering the victims so they can’t talk. As an adult, he becomes a hired assassin at $1,000 per assignment. After Gotham’s district attorney is killed, Batman learns the assassinations were arranged by leaving the money at a specific location with a note saying the name of the person to be killed. In disguise, Batman drops off the cash with the name of the victim — Bruce Wayne. Bruce arranges it so Durfee fails, shaking the killer’s confidence. He plants an item in the newspaper that he will be opening the county fair, which the assassin reads. Durfee sets himself up in a tower — but Batman and Robin are ready for him. Realizing it’s a trap, he...
Whatever you want to name it — it’s spectacular…
