“What do mean the Grey Ghost movie is still in development hell?”
The Batman Adventures #36
FINAL ISSUE
DC Comics (October, 1995)
“The Last Batman Adventure” WRITER: Ty Templeton ARTISTS: Mike Parobeck & Rick Burchett COLORIST: Rick Taylor LETTERER: Tim Harkins ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Darren Vincenzo EDITOR: Scott Peterson
Robin tries to retrain Batman but without the memories that made Bruce into the Dark Knight (or anything past 7 years old) he’s less than useless to Robin. Their old friend Rossum tries to repair Strange’s device but they need the diamond Catwoman stole, which has all of Batman’s memories in it. Batman is able to talk Catwoman into giving it to him but she makes him agree that he has to look the other way when she commits a crime. He says he’ll never like her anymore and leaves. They’re able to restore Batman’s memories and they go after Doctor Strange, who used the machine to erase the memory of Rupert Thorne’s man killing his son, David, because Hugo refused to help them on a project. The Dynamic Duo arrive to save Strange from Thorne but not before Strange has his revenge on the man who killed David. Later, Catwoman returns to Batman the ring he stole during his amnesia, revealing he doesn’t know what happened during that time, which includes the promise to look the other way, which even she’s surprised makes her happy. (Maybe because he also forgot to hate her forever and ever.)
What they got right: This is the first time I’ve seen Thorne in the tie-in comics and (sorry, no other way to say it) wow is he a bastard. the man had David murdered and when Strange arrives he assumes Strange has decided to work with him, referring to the death of his son as “unpleasantness”. Batman’s reaction to having the memory of his parents’ death was also well done. Finally, there’s Hugo Strange. He zapped his memory over and over because he didn’t realize he had already eliminated David’s murder (and thought he was still alive when this arc began) and the returned memory (because I guess the treatment was temporary) drove him mad. You kind of feel sorry for the guy, which considering how he was introduced to the show is a difficult task.
What they got wrong: I don’t remember if Doctor Hugo Strange showed up again in The Adventures Of Batman And Robin (I know he doesn’t return in the Kids WB show) but that’s quite a risk for an admittedly good story if the show itself makes it impossible. Sure it wouldn’t be the first, or last, time the tie-in comics would do that but at least the story was worth the risk this time.
Recommendation: These last three issues were a great story arc to end on, so you should pick it up. Although it doesn’t actually end here. As I mentioned The Adventures Of Batman And Robin replaced Batman: The Animated Series, with the same everything except giving Robin equal billing and more to do in the series (although there were episodes that Batman went solo again and a lot of episodes were just repeats with the new intro attached). Next week begins Batman And Robin Adventures.
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