Episode 17: Apparently Nunchucks Were Quite The Problem in the ’70s
Welcome to the seventeenth episode of The Overlooked Dark Knight. The is a non-index index show where the hosts, Andrew Leyland and Michael Bailey, look at Batman comics that rarely, if ever, get talked about. In the first episode of every month they usually talk about Bronze Age Batman stories from the late seventies to early eighties though just about everything is fair game.
This time out the guys look at two Batman stories that actually have a unifying theme, though you may want to read that as “theme” because it’s not really a theme so much as the two books have something in common and Mike thought that was funny. In Detective Comics #485 we get Batman kung-fu fighting with the Bronze Tiger after the (unceremonious) death of a former Bat ally. Lots of intense martial arts actions and all the nunchucks you can eat. Then, in Batman #315, the Caped Crusader has deal with the cream of the criminal crop. His arch-foe. The most deadly villain he faces that glides around on evil’s foul winds…that’s right…it’s Kite-Man. Also, Batman has to deal with nunchucks.
Because they were quite the problem in the late seventies…apparently.
Andy and Mike also launch a sort of new format this time out. They’re still sticking to Batman books that hardly anyone talks about but they’re mixing things up a bit.
Below is a gallery of covers and pages from the comics we discussed this time out.
The guys also talked about some neat ads this time out.
Quick housekeeping note; starting with this episode there will only be one episode posting for all of the Fortress shows and that will be here at the home base for the Network. It’s just easier on Mike to do it this way and it frees up some resources for the site. Eventually the old site will disappear completely and all of the past show postings will be here. Thank you for your understanding on this…if you are understanding and if you’re not…we have no idea what to say.
Next Time: The Not Even Close to New, Still Relatively the Same Overlooked Dark Knight continues with some decidedly…animated books. The two comics we will be covering are Batman Adventures #1 and Batman and Robin Adventures #1!
Michael & Andy,
Yes! That’s what I’ve been missing. Good work on another fine episode of IT ALL COMES BACK TO NUNCHUCKS. You guys do a fantastic-cast…no that’s another show…a Bat-aclysmic (there ya go) job of singing the praises of one of my favorite eras in the history of the Caped Crusader. From the mid ’70s to the mid ’80s were the years when I was a fanatical Bat-Fan! Between watching Super-Friends and the syndicated reruns of the Adam West & Burt Ward series on TV, to collecting every issue I could get my hands on of Batman, Detective or (my favorite) B&B, this period certainly wasn’t overlooked by me.
Your show is a joy to listen to (except when you’re doing Christian Bale impressions. Yuck!) and I look forward to each new episode. It takes me back to better times when Batman was a true hero in blue and gray who wasn’t so psychologically damaged and only scared superstitious and cowardly criminals. He was (like his friend Superman) a great role model that any young reader could aspire to be like when they grew up.
Your Old Chum,
“Groovy” Mike Decker