It took till the early ’90s for Batman to get his first Outdated West journey. When it did lastly arrive within the type of 1993’s “Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat,” it noticed Abraham Lincoln himself entrusting Batman to neutralize a risk to the Union. On his mission, the Darkish Knight encountered Outdated West legends like Samuel Clemens and Wild Invoice Hickok, and in a controversial transfer, appeared as a full-fledged gunslinger. It was a foolish and unusual outing that, looking back, is an enchanting second within the historical past of the Caped Crusader.
Batman has been round for nearly 80 years, and in that point, he is had just about each journey possible. There was the time writer Jack C. Harris and illustrator Bo Hampton reimagined the “Frankenstein” story as a Batman comic, or the various instances Batman faced off against the bizarre, sci-fi inspired villains of the Silver Age comics. In fact, when Bats first arrived on the scene in 1939, sci-fi wasn’t but the cultural drive it could later turn into. As an alternative, this was the yr that John Wayne shot to shock stardom after being solid in John Ford’s “Stagecoach.”
In that sense, Batman and the Western style ascended to popular culture dominance collectively. After a decade of “Poverty Row” footage had confined the Western to B-movie standing, it instantly turned Hollywood’s greatest style. In the meantime, by the Forties, Batman and his fellow comedian ebook heroes had been capturing the nationwide creativeness. With that historical past in thoughts, it was solely proper to offer the Darkish Knight a Western journey in some unspecified time in the future. But it surely took greater than 50 years for it to truly occur.
Batman’s first main Outdated West journey sees Bruce Wayne working for Abe Lincoln
Batman and Robin did journey again to 1854 in 1940’s “Batman” #89, however the first time we acquired a real cowboy model of the Darkish Knight within the comics was in 1993. “Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat” was an Elseworlds story set within the Outdated West and written by Elliot S. Maggin, with illustrations by Alan Weiss and José Luis García-López. The story begins in 1863, following the invention of gold within the Nevada territory. Abraham Lincoln is keen to safe the gold for the Union and forestall it from falling into the palms of the Confederates, Native American tribes, or aggrieved Mexicans. Along with his armies engaged in battle, his finest hope is Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce Wayne of the thirteenth Massachusetts Cavalry.
On this story, Bruce appears to have taken on the Batman persona merely because of the undercover nature of Lincoln’s mission and the actual fact a bat flew in his window the identical evening the President despatched for him. That is removed from probably the most egregious deviation from established Bat-lore, nonetheless, as we later discover out this model of Bruce is a full-on gunslinger.
At this level, if the title’s awkward try and evoke the spirit of “The Good, The Dangerous, and The Ugly,” hadn’t tipped you off, you could be getting the sense that “Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat,” is not one in all the best Batman comics. Certainly, this one-shot is not wherever close to as highly effective and profound as, say, Batman’s best and darkest story, “Night Cries.” However it’s a completely attention-grabbing learn, partly as a result of so many components of it seem so misguided, and partly as a result of it was the primary time Batman was given a correct Western journey.
Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat was a missed alternative that is nonetheless value studying
Somewhat than making an attempt to make use of the Western setting to discover a brand new side of the Batman persona, “Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat” was only a foolish Western journey. It featured a hero who rode a black, Bat symbol-adorned horse named Apocalypse and apparently thought nothing of donning his full costume within the warmth of the desert. It additionally did not do a lot to tie itself into the Batman mythos. We do get a quick Alfred look when he helps Bruce board his Nevada-bound carriage, however he disappears completely after that.
One character that ought to have arguably disappeared altogether was the problem’s Robin analogue, Redbird. This Native American boy trails Bruce’s carriage earlier than it is revealed that the pair are working collectively. The stereotypical Native American dialogue is among the most regrettable components of the story, as is Bruce Wayne’s fondness for weapons. When Batman first seems to take down a gang of outlaws, he does so whereas dual-wielding six-shooters in a transfer that Elliot S. Maggin absolutely knew would rile up readers.
In a single sense, “Batman: The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat” appeared like a missed alternative to lastly acknowledge the connection between the Darkish Knight and Western heroes of the previous. However this Elseworlds story is finest loved as a little bit of enjoyable and nothing extra. It is value studying for being an odd little second in Batman historical past, and a really unusual approach to lastly convey Batman to the Outdated West. If you need a extra critical various, “Batman: The Animated Series” transformed the show into a Western for one of its most memorable episodes two years after this comedian got here out.
