Episode 43 – Starlin’s Batman Part 5: The Cult Part 1
Welcome to the forty-third 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. Back in episode 39 they started a series covering Jim Starlin’s run of Batman and they are going to continue with that until they get through all of his issues, up to and including Batman: The Cult.
Speaking of Batman: The Cult…
This time out Andy and Mike discuss the first two issues of the Prestige Format series Batman: The Cult. Because of the subject matter, this episode is different from other episodes the guys have done. The themes and events of this story resonated with Andy and Mike in a way they never have before given current events. As such, topics that the guys would normally stay away from are dealt with head on.
This is a long winded way of saying there is about twenty or so minutes of heavy political talk at the beginning of this episode.
So…content warning; EXTREME POLITICAL DISCUSSION AHEAD.
After getting some things off their chests, Andy and Mike talk about the first two issues of The Cult. They discuss the art by Bernie Wrightson and they talk about the way Jim Starlin crafted the story. They also go into how certain events of the story have a weird kind of “now” feeling despite being published thirty years ago, how Robin is pretty dang awesome in this story, and how Andy and Mike both remember the trade paperback of this series being available in 1989 even though it wasn’t put out until 1991.
Below are the covers and select pages of the comics 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: Andy and Mike’s coverage of the Jim Starlin run continues with the final two issues of Batman: The Cult!
something just occurred to me and I wanted your opinion.. For well over thirty years we’ve referred to Batman as the Dark Knight. Prior to Dark knight Returns he was always the Caped Crusader. or in some instances the Masked Manhunter. How did the Dark Knight come into being? Well I was watching the World’s Greatest super Friends today and I think I might have found a possible answer to that question
in The World’s Greatest Super Friends episode “Space Knights of Camelon” Batman uses a hologram projector to distract the guards. The Hologram introduces himself as “Sir Batman!” Is this how Batman Became the Dark Knight? what do you think?
never mind. Siskoid answered my question in the comments thread for the latest Knightcast episode. Turns out Batman was actually referred to as the Dark Knight in Batman #1. I honestly never recalled Hearing it until DKR and afterwards it was all over the place.