Category Archives: GOTHAM CITIZENS

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

6 Batman breakups

Posted on February 9, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and all the schmaltzy faux-romantic mood in the air, I guess this is the time to have a look at half a dozen times when Bruce Wayne said goodbye to the women in his … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, Greg Rucka, Rick Burchett, Todd McFarlane | Leave a comment

On The Outsiders

Posted on February 2, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

Between all those Robins and Batgirls, Batman does seem to have a thing for sidekicks. In the 1980s, the Dark Knight took this to the extreme when he brought in all the weirdos he could find and put together his … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Adrienne Roy, Alan Davis, Cold War, Jim Aparo, Mike W. Barr, Outsiders, politics | 1 Comment

6 villains you definitely won’t find in Batman v Superman

Posted on January 19, 2016 by I.M. Baytor

This is Gotham Calling’s 100th post, so I’m celebrating by focusing on one of my favorite aspects of Batman lore, namely the unbelievable amount of obscure, silly villains the Caped Crusader has faced over the years. In Gotham City, it … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Bill Finger, Carmine Infantino, Charles Paris, David Vern, Denny O'Neil, Dick Giordano, Eric Jones, Gardner Fox, Joe Giella, Landry Q. Walker, Michael Gilbert, Neal Adams, Sheldon Moldoff, villains | Leave a comment

5 kickass Jason Todd moments

Posted on December 28, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

The world of superheroes can sometimes be seriously dark and sick (as anyone who watched the first season of Jessica Jones can attest). A couple of months ago, I mentioned how the version of Jason Todd, the second Robin, introduced … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Jason Todd, Jim Starlin, Robin | 2 Comments

Batman’s X-mas spirit

Posted on December 22, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

By all accounts, the Dark Knight should seriously hate Christmas. It’s bad enough having to put up with that annoying alternative version of ‘Jingle Bells,’ but the worse part is that, as eccentric as Gotham City’s criminals tend to be, … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, Christmas, Gotham City | Leave a comment

Batman, the urban legend?

Posted on December 1, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

There have been many wrongheaded decisions in the history of Batman comics (often involving the use of guns). A particularly puzzling one was the notion, in vogue in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that the Dark Knight is perceived … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, Charles Paris, David Vern, Dick Sprang, Ed Brubaker, Gotham City | 2 Comments

On Jason Todd, Robin

Posted on October 20, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

One way to look at the second Robin, Jason Todd, is that he started out as a well-executed bad idea and ended up as a poorly executed great idea. Another way to look at the character is that DC at … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Denny O'Neil, Doug Moench, Jason Todd, Jim Starlin, Mark Waid, Max Allan Collins, Mike W. Barr, Robin | Leave a comment

On Barbara Gordon, Batgirl

Posted on June 22, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

Leave it to comics to take a completely perfunctory and derivative concept and actually do loads of fascinating stuff with it. The best example I can think of is Batgirl, aka Barbara ‘Babs’ Gordon, who … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Alan Moore, Babs Tarr, Barbara Gordon, Barbara Randall, Batgirl, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Doug Moench, Frank Robbins, Gail Simone, Gardner Fox, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Julie Schwartz, Karl Kesel, Kelley Puckett, Kevin Somers, Matt Haley, politics | Leave a comment