Batman 328 (2)

Batman 328

Oct 1980

A Tale of Time Past

by Marv Wolfman, Don Newton, Kim De Mulder, Adrienne Roy, Milt Snadinn, Paul Levitz

Batman helps Commissioner Gordon solve a decades old mystery. It involves the murder of Hank Weber, a childhood friend of Gordon. The murderer was caught by Gordon but the jewels he stole from Weber were never found.

Thoughts

Hank Weber was murdered 35 years before Batman steps in to help Commissioner Gordon find the missing jewelry, according to Gordon. 

This story takes place during the era when Bruce Wayne relocated to downtown Gotham. The Batcave during this era was located on an abandoned subway tunnel. 

At one point during this story Batman drives the Batmobile through a wall in the Batcave which is right next to an in use subway tunnel. I’m not sure how he plans to get that wall fixed without revealing the location of the Batcave. 

There is an editor’s note which indicates that the placement of the Batcave in an abandoned subway tunnel was first revealed in Detective Comics 470 (Jun 1977). That issue was part of the Steve Englehart written run of Detective Comics which has been reprinted a few times. I first read those issues in Shadow of the Batman (1985) 1-5, but I read them much more recently than 1985. 

I really like the look of this story. The pencils, the inks, the colors all work together quite well. The flashback moments are for the most part colored slightly differently plus the corners of the flashback panels are rounded. 

Bat Signals

Three letters from fans about Batman 323 (May 1980) fill most of this letters page. 

One of the comic books highlighted in the Now On Sale section of this page is DC Comics Presents 26 which is best known today for including the first appearance of the New Teen Titans in the New Teen Titans Preview “issue”.