Episode 32: Dreadful Birthdays and Caramel Apples
Welcome to the thirty-second 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 one episode they will talk about Bat books from the late seventies and early eighties. In another episode they will talk about the animated Adventures titles that DC published in the nineties. Sometimes they talk about whatever strikes their fancy.
Up for discussion this time out is one of the greatest Joker stories ever published. And that’s not hyperbole. Batman #321 has been reprinted in The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told, Stacked Deck: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, Batman in the Eighties, Joker: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, and Tales of the Batman: Len Wein. And for good reason. This is a classic tale of the Harlequin of Hate by Len Wein and Walter Simonson that Andy and Mike…don’t have much to say about. It’s weird. It’s a fantastic story, but they don’t have much commentary. Likewise they have little to say about Brave and the Bold #160, which guest stars Supergirl and is a fun, little story. There is also a brief but substantive conversation about Kylie Minogue.
Below is a gallery of images from the books discussed in this episode.
Andy and Mike want your feedback on this episode so they can read it on an upcoming show! You even have options in how you leave your feedback. The most direct way is to leave a comment right here on the site. You can also send all questions, concerns, fears and trepidations to overlookeddarkknight@gmail.com. Then there’ the Facebook page, where you can also leave a Batman related question for Andy and Mike to answer at the beginning of the show. If you talk about this show on the social medias please include a #overlookeddk so the guys know where to find it.
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Next Time: The year long celebration of Batman’s 80th birthday begins!
Great episode, as usual, gentlemen. I must say, I was so relieved when you both finally “got” the Hembeck cartoon. I was at a gas station while listening to this episode on my headphones, and I was literally shouting, “Batman : Man-Bat :: Alfred: Fred-Al!” People were beginning to look at me funny.
Bought both of these right off the rack. I just want to hear Michael say “Did Chris start reading comics out of the womb” again. It’s becoming a running gag, almost like the episodic “Leverage” references. I swear every time you mention that show, you guys should hum the theme like Andy and Steve used to do for Airwolf on Fantasticast. I’ve honestly never seen a single episode. I feel like I must have missed out on something.
“Dreadful Dear Birthday Dear Joker” is indeed, a bonafide classic. Even as a wee lad, I could tell this was one of THE definitive Joker tales. One of the many stories which point toward the Joker’s incredible vanity, which is why I never bought for one minute that the Joker would allow himself to have his face cut off during that HORRIBLE New 52 era crap. Garbage.
The B&B was fun. Never made the Kylie Minogue connection, but I can see it now. I remember both of her “breakout” hits here in the US fondly. Not as fondly as Andy and Michael French, though. I won’t tell Xum about the whole Sam discussion.
Great show fellas!