Man-Bat doesn’t like Batman’s rent increase.
Batman: Gotham Adventures #18
DC Comics (November, 1999)
“Like A Bat Outta Gotham”
WRITER: Scott Peterson
PENCILER: Craig Rosseau
INKER: Terry Beatty
COLORIST: Lee Loughridge
LETTERER: Tim Harkins
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Joseph Illidge
EDITOR: Darren Cincenzo
Investigating a lab break-in Batman finds Man-Bat wrecking the place, but he escapes. Batman and Batgirl investigate and learn that Langstrom is being forced to help his crooked boss, who holds the cure to his wife’s condition. Except the doctor was being blackmailed into faking her illness and Langstrom couldn’t find the research he was forced to steal because of his reduced intelligence as Man-Bat. Batman cures Kirk, exposes the bad guy, and all is set right.
What they got right: Anything that restores Kirk and Francine’s DCAU happy ending and gets Man-Bat out of the cave is fine with me. I’ve logged my dislike of that scenario every time it’s been referenced during these issues. And we get to see Batman and Batgirl investigate and do detective stuff, which is a dying art in Bat-tales.
What they got wrong: How did Kirk’s boss get his hands on the Man-Bat serum? And is this what Man-Bat has been doing all this time? The comic doesn’t even mention him living in the far area of the Batcave all this time. I think this story needed a few more pages that allowed.
Recommendation: I’m happy to see the Man-Bat thing done with but otherwise there isn’t as much to the story as I’d like. Mildly recommended.
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