EXCLUSIVE Preview: ANIMAL NOIR #4
The subversive, anthropomorphic-animal detective series returns 5/17, from IDW.
Halloween is almost here! By JIM BEARD Monsters—can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em, amirite? Speaking for myself, I don’t want to picture a childhood or a life without Monsters in them, because that’s the way I grew up and still am after all these years. Whether in books, films, TV, comics, or in my dreams, Monsters have haunted me around every turn, and I’m better for it, for sure. What’s a Monster with a capital “M”? It’s those creatures that rise above the garden variety monsters to make a name for themselves and impress who and what they are — despite the mystery that often surrounds them — upon impressionable minds to the point of cementing their infamy for eternity. They may be from the natural world or turned Monstrous by magical or scientific means, but in the end, they’re here to scare us… or make us fall in love with them. Halloween always sends me down dark paths of thoughts of Monsters and all my most favorite from among their ilk. The ones that rise up above the others are the ones that usually made themselves known to me when I was a wee lad and came on strong to form a lifelong love-fright relationship with me. The chill may be mostly gone from the affairs with a lot of them, but the thrill remains. These are the Monsters I will never forget meeting, and who travel with me, always just out of the corner of my mind’s eye. We’re going to do this chronologically, ’cause I’d never be able to rank these fantastical fiends, so strap yourselves in for a trip into Monsterland! Hope you survive the journey! — The Loch Ness Monster (6th century?). It’s cool for me that Nessie comes up first because she’s my most-favorite “real world” Monster of all. When I think of all the time as a kid I poured over Loch Ness Monster books and photos as a kid, I know it was time well-spent with one of the greatest ongoing mysteries of all time. I don’t know if Nessie’s real, but she lives rent-free in my head. — Count Dracula (Dracula, 1931). There have been many versions of Stoker’s Transylvanian titan on film, but they all have to pay homage to Bela Lugosi. Bela’s fastidious fashion sense hid...
THE JOKER’S DAUGHTER: A rogues gallery in one package… — UPDATED 10/21/26: Batman Family #9 came out 50 years ago today, in 1976! Fresh off the cover’s appearance in this month’s BRONZE AGE BONANZA, we reprint this groovy piece from September 2022. Far out! — Dan — One of the grooviest podcasts around these days is Batman Family Reunion hosted by Paul Kien and Shawn M. Myers, part of the Fire and Water Podcast Network. It’s an exploration of DC’s Batman Family, which pound for pound was the most consistently entertaining Batbook of the ’70s. Well, Paul and Shawn, fresh off an interview with Bob Rozakis, the mag’s creative force, are up to 1976’s Batman Family #9, one of the series’ highest points and one of my personal fave comics of all time. Paul and Shawn were especially gracious and allowed me to come on their new episode to wax rhapsodic about the climax of the Joker’s Daughter Saga and the rest of the nifty stuff in this 50-cent goldmine. Click here to check out the ep. I think you’ll dig it. And to get you prepped, Paul and Shawn have put together 13 GROOVY THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT BATMAN FAMILY #9. Outta sight! — By PAUL KIEN and SHAWN M. MYERS 13. Awesome Cover by Ernie Chan! Ernie Chan (Chua) was DC’s primary cover artist from 1975-1977 and this issue’s Batgirl vs. Joker’s Daughter struggle doesn’t disappoint! Listen in this month, as we also shed some light on Chan’s professional career. — 12. Three Stories for 50 Cents! Bronze Age Giants are the best, and in this issue we have the new Batgirl/Robin story “The Startling Secret of the Devilish Daughters” where we learn the Secret Origin of the Joker’s Daughter! But we also get a Golden Age Alfred adventure and the Silver Age return of the Blockbuster (and a hint of what is to come with… the Outsider)! — 11. The Ads! C’mon, kids! Pick up a DC suspense book like Ghosts, or House of Mystery! Whoa – the Challengers of the Unknown in Super-Team Family?! Get your copy of Rudolph’s treasury comic before Christmas! Ride into adventure with Evel Knievel! And of course, Green Lantern and the Fruit Pie Scene! — 10. The Dynamite Duo! Batgirl and Robin were always secondary characters, but Batman Family gave...
The subversive, anthropomorphic-animal detective series returns 5/17, from IDW.
