DETECTIVE COMICS #512

"THE FATAL PRESCRIPTION OF DOCTOR DEATH!"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dan Adkins
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Doctor Death reveals to Batman that everyone in Gotham was dosed with his dust, and that the city must pay him one billion dollars for the antitode. He then departs, leaving Batman and the unconscious Robin hanging by their wrists from the bridge. Later, Mayor Hill takes a call from Doctor Death and refuses to negotiate with him. At dawn, following three hours of hanging, Batman takes a desperate chance and manages to free both himself and Robin. He then spends the day at the overwhelmed Gotham General hospital by Robin's bedside and helping doctors in their search for an antidote. Elsewhere, a Gotham SWAT team reaches Relief Island, but finds Doctor Death is gone. Batman then heads to the estate of Death's alter ego, Doctor Karl Hellfern, and finds the doctor there. Death sprays Batman with a concentrated dose of his dust, then attempts escape, but Batman takes down his helicopter and captures the doctor.

Death himself is dosed with the dust, and Batman takes him to the hospital. The next morning, the city is sprayed with the antidote to Death's formula, saving the lives of everyone in Gotham.

Continuity Notes: Vicki Vale develops her photos from the party in the prior issue of BATMAN, and finds that Dala's image is curiously blurred beside a perfectly in-focus Dick Grayson.

Doctor Death later references that same issue as he confesses to Batman that he killed Archie Keswick.

My Thoughts: This is a weird one. The story itself is fine, if perhaps uninspired. Airborne pathogen, ransom for the antidote, etc., etc. But I like Doctor Death himself; he's a normal guy but has a cool visual, and he feels like an appropriate villain for Batman. (You may recall from my prior look at the Darknight Detective that I am an avowed fan of Batman tangling with "normal" villians most of the time, going up against the costumed rogues sparingly.)

But the timing of the narrative and some of the choices made by Batman are utterly mystifying. First, he watches Death and his entourage leave, then just dangles there for three hours, waiting for help (which the narration tells us he knows will not come) before he finally decides to take a chance at freeing Robin and himself. It's implied, but not outright stated, that Batman waits this long for fear of Robin plunging to his death in the escape attempt. And I get that. But three hours is an awfully long time to hang by your wrist in a handcuff! Wouldn't you expect the cuff's chain to break or something in all that time? And I don't even wanna know how chafed the Caped Crusaders' wrists will be when they take off their gloves!

Then, Batman takes Robin to the hospital -- which is fine; his ward's welfare is his first priority and I'm okay with that -- but afterward, he spends the entire day just sort of loitering around the hospital, looking after Robin and searching for an antidote, rather than going after Doctor Death. And it's only at the end of the day that Gordon's SWAT team goes to Relief Island! What were they doing for the previous twelve or so hours?? There's no way it would take them that long to mobilize.

And beyond that, we have the kicker; the bit that makes everyone in this story look like an idiot: upon finding Death is not still on Relief Island (and why would he be a dozen hours on?), Batman decides, "Gee, maybe I should go check his supposedly abandoned house which no one has bothered to examine or even stake out all day!" I mean, come on! Regardless of whether everyone thinks Death has left the house, Gordon should have at least sent some cops to check the place out, if only to search for clues. Yet we're told, by both narration and Batman, that the house has been untouched all day until the Masked Manhunter arrives and, sure enough, finds Death hanging out in his study.

So the first part of this story was great; an excellent setup, a good plot; I was really expecting a solid, engaging conclusion. But sadly, it was not to be. Part 2 is an untter letdown in terms of writing. But what I can say for it is that the entire story is beautuflly drawn by Gene Colan and Klaus Janson! This is a 2-parter told across an issue of BATMAN and an issue of DETECTIVE COMICS, released only a couple weeks apart, but the artwork on both chapters comes from the same brilliant team. So that, at least, is pretty cool.