Matthew Sunrich Presents... Detective Comics #404
Detective Comics #404
By Matthew Sunrich
When it comes to storytelling, it's hard to go wrong with a plot
involving a "cursed" film production.
Other than the fact that some people believe this is a real thing (see Poltergeist), it's just inherently
entertaining. We savor the idea of someone's spirit's having been disturbed or
angered by the perceived audacity of a filmmaker who wants to explore a story
that is apparently better left alone. Superstitions like this one fascinate us
because they ostensibly indicate the influence of mysterious forces that
somehow manipulate the world as we know it and imbue it with a species of logic
that we can never possibly understand. They let us peek behind the curtain, but
we only see shadowed figures moving about, and their movements are inscrutable.
This idea predates the invention of film. After all, who can forget the
taboo of saying Macbeth in a theater?
It's just that movies are now an indispensable aspect of our culture and are,
as such, always in the public consciousness. I have no idea where this idea
first showed up, but the first time I encountered it was, like so many things,
in an episode of Scooby-Doo. It's
been ages since I've seen it, and all I can remember about it is that a
monstrous gorilla was trying to wreck a movie. I don't recall what was supposed
to have pissed the gorilla off, but, as with all Scooby-Doo episodes, it turned out that there was an ulterior
motive and that the gorilla was just used to distract people from what was
really going on. It was disappointing, if predictable, when the gorilla was
unmasked as the stuntman or something, but it was undeniably interesting before
the "reveal."
In Detective Comics #404, "Ghost
of the Killer Skies," Bruce Wayne is in Spain overseeing the production of
a film that he is helping finance. (We accept this premise because Bruce has an
insane amount of money and probably gets bored from time to time.) It becomes
clear right off the bat (no pun intended) that things are not going as planned
when a plane being used in the movie crashes into the side of a mountain and
bursts into flames. Batman (for reasons that are not entirely clear) witnesses
the crash and pulls the pilot out of the fiery wreckage, only to find that he
has been strangled.
The director, Anson (I assume this is his surname, as it is the only
name he is ever given), and the cameraman, Gavin, quickly arrive on the scene,
and, regarding the burning plane and dead pilot, the former remarks that there
has been "nothing but trouble since [they] started."
"Props," he continues, "are missing…film-stock catches
fire…sound tracks get accidentally erased…and now this." (You know: the
kinds of things that directors get upset about.) Having changed back into his
civilian identity, Bruce proposes that a meeting be called to assess the
situation and see what steps can be taken to get things back on track.
The film, tentatively titled The
Hammer of Hell, concerns German pilot Baron Hans von Hammer (known to
Silver-Age DC fans as Enemy Ace). Over budget and facing competition from
similar productions, Anson considers abandoning the film, but Bruce maintains
that it's a unique story that needs to be told.
During the meeting, Heinrich Franz, the film's "technical expert,"
shows up, suggesting that the film should be shelved, as he believes von Hammer's
ghost is plaguing its production. Bruce goes back to his hotel to do some
research and finds that Franz is a dead ringer for von Hammer. Donning his
costume, he heads to the set under the cloak of darkness to investigate and finds
a group of men trying to destroy the planes with dynamite.
After dispatching the perpetrators, Batman realizes that Gavin is
behind the sabotage attempt and confronts him in his trailer, revealing that he
knows a rival film company paid him off. Suddenly, shots ring out, and Anson
collapses in the doorway, claiming that the ghost of von Hammer fired on him.
Gavin absconds, but Batman subdues him just in time to hear the roar of plane
engines. Turning around, the Dark Knight finds the "ghost" holding him
at gunpoint.
It comes as no surprise that the mastermind behind the attacks is
Franz. A descendant of von Hammer, he believes that the film is an insult to
the memory of his ancestor. Rather than shoot Batman outright, Franz agrees to
engage in an aerial dogfight with him. It becomes clear in short order that
Franz is the superior pilot (coupled with the fact that he has a Luger), but
Batman relies on his instincts and quick thinking. Leaping from his plane, the
Caped Crusader latches on to the wing of Franz's craft and attempts to wrench
the gun from his foe's grasp. The struggle concludes when Franz's scarf gets
snagged in the propeller, and he falls to his death.
Batman lands and ruminates on how the love of war, with which Franz was
clearly inflicted, is a destructive thing indeed.
Written by Denny O'Neil and illustrated by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano,
"Ghost of the Killer Skies" is really a love letter to the Enemy Ace
stories of Joe Kubert and Robert Kanigher and is frequently considered a classic
in Batman's canon. Adams' dynamic storytelling and photorealistic renderings
give the story a cinematic feel (appropriately enough) that synthesizes the
essence of its source material and pushes it to levels never believed possible.
Bear in mind that while Adams' art still impresses us today, when it was new it
was nothing short of revolutionary. The amount of detail he packs into each
panel is staggering, and the characters seem so real that they virtually leap
off the page. No other artist could have done this story justice.
This story has been reprinted in numerous places, including Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams volume 2, The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, and Showcase Presents: Batman volume 5.
This story has been reprinted in numerous places, including Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams volume 2, The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, and Showcase Presents: Batman volume 5.
Labels: Batman, comics, Detective, Guest Blog, Matt Sunrich
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home