Category Archives: GOTHAM CITIZENS

The looks of Vicki Vale

Posted on March 28, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Among the fascinating things about Batman comics is the fact that, because they have been going on for eight decades, you get to trace social and aesthetic evolutions on all sorts of fronts. One of those fronts is the … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Adrienne Roy, Alex Sinclair, Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Bob LeRose, Carl Potts, Charles Paris, Chuck Patton, Dick Sprang, Don Newton, Doug Moench, Fabien Nicieza, Frank Miller, Gene Colan, Gerry Conway, Jim Aparo, Jim Lee, Julie Schwartz, Julius Schwartz, Klaus Janson, Lew Schwartz, noir, Norm Breyfogle, Paul Gulacy, Rick Hoberg, Scott Snyder, Scott Williams, Sheldon Moldoff, Steve Bove, Tom Grindenberg, Tom Mandrake, Vicki Vale | Leave a comment

Spotlight on Aquaman / Batman team-ups

Posted on January 10, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

I tend to give DC’s live-action movies a lot of crap in this blog, so I guess it’s only fair to admit I had a great time watching James Wan’s Aquaman. It’s a fun slice of schlock that manages to … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Aquaman, Bob Haney, Brian Bolland, Cold War, Dan Davis, Devin Grayson, Jim Aparo, John Calnan, movies, Neal Adams, Rick Burchett, Sholly Fisch | 2 Comments

Spotlight on Batman’s Z-list villains

Posted on April 18, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Welcome to Gotham Calling’s 200th post! Solo #7 Back when we reached the first hundred posts, Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was about to come out and I wrote about a handful of oddball villains whom I … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Alan Grant, Alex Sinclair, Archie Goodwin, Bill Finger, Bob Rozakis, Charles Paris, Chuck Dixon, Dave Taylor, Denny O'Neil, Frank McLaughlin, Glen Murakami, Joe Giela, José Garcia-López, Karl Kesel, Kelley Puckett, Mike Carlin, Mike Parobeck, Mike W. Barr, Norm Breyfogle, Rick Burchett, Rick Taylor, Robert Campanella, Robert Kanigher, Roy Thomas, Sheldon Moldoff, Sholly Fisch, Tom Lyle, villains, Vince Giarrano | 4 Comments

The tragic fate of Sarah Essen

Posted on November 7, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

Batman #406 When people talk about the tendency for bestowing gruesome violence against prominent female characters in comic books – the ‘women-in-refrigerator’ trope – Sarah Essen is always one of the first names to come to my mind. She was … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Alan Grant, Chuck Dixon, David Mazzucchelli, Denny O'Neil, Devin K. Grayson, Doug Moench, Flint Henry, Frank Miller, GCPD, Greg Rucka, Norm Breyfogle, Sarah Essen Gordon | 1 Comment

Things you can learn from Barbara Gordon comics

Posted on June 14, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

Besides kicking ass as Batgirl, over the years Barbara Gordon has been a librarian, a member of Congress, and a first-rate hacker who – under the codename Oracle – supplied intelligence to the crime-fighting community of Gotham City. The combination … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Barbara Gordon, Batgirl, Chuck Dixon, politics | Leave a comment

Bruce Wayne, disco party animal

Posted on February 22, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

Chris McKay’s The Lego Batman Movie may be a genuinely funny absurdist comedy, an inventive visual delight with spot-on voice acting, a postmodern, good-natured spoof of superhero blockbusters as well as, at the same time, an action-packed mega-crossover adventure yarn … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, movies | Leave a comment

AzBats’ X-mas spirit

Posted on December 23, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

During this time of year, I usually address the holiday spirit of Gotham and its citizens. This season, I was going to play with AzBats’ sunny disposition by cracking jokes about how all his favorite Christmas movies are probably rather … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Azrael, Christmas, movies | Leave a comment

6 cool AzBats moments

Posted on December 8, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

One of the most infamous Batman eras was that time Jean Paul Valley – a university grad student brainwashed by a sect of the Knights Templar into becoming the assassin called Azrael – temporarily replaced Bruce Wayne as the Dark … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Azrael | 2 Comments

Batman HATES guns

Posted on June 28, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

I’ve explained before why I don’t think Batman should use firearms. Given how much attention the gun debate has been getting of late, however, perhaps it is a good time to take a closer look at how strongly the Dark … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, guns, John Ostrander, Lee Loughridge, Michael Fleisher, politics, Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, Ty Templeton, Vince Giarrano, Zylonol | 3 Comments

On Carrie Kelley, Robin

Posted on March 8, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

Of all the bare-legged kids who have given Batman a helping hand over the years, Carrie Kelley is probably my favorite. She’s this spunky teen who just goes ahead and dresses in that silly suit and totally owns it, kicking … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Carrie Kelley, Frank Miller, Peter Tomasi, Rick Burchett, Robin, Ty Templeton | Leave a comment