Friday, September 30, 2011

Friday Night Fights: Smokin' Joe - Round 9: The Butler Did It!



Tonight's round of Friday Night Fights: Smokin' Joe comes from Batman Family#13, written by Bob "The Answer Man" Rozakis and illustrated by Don Newton and Bob Wiacek. Here, Batgirl, Robin, and Man-Bat face off against The Outsider, a supernaturally-powered villain who is the alternate personality of another member of the Bat-Family.


Who? Let's find out.


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Why, it's none other than Bruce Wayne's faithful butler, Alfred!


And now, Alfred must face off against his own evil alter-ego.


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 So Alfred flat-out punches his other self off the side of a bridge and kills him. And ol' Alf is none the worse for wear!


And that wasn't even the craziest part of this whole story. This is a story where Alfred, after getting hit on the head two issues earlier, is taken over by a hidden evil personality called The Outsider who hates Batman and his entire "family". Alfred's personality is strong enough to keep The Outsider from attacking Batman directly, but not strong enough to keep him from attacking other Bat-Family members, including, strangely enough, his own surrogate grandson Dick Grayson. He also has spotted chalk-white skin and Mxyzptlk-type mystical powers, which he uses to make Batgirl and Robin's Bat-Cycles come alive and split Man-Bat into a were-jaguar by grabbing the moon from the sky and throwing it at him, after which he attempts to destroy Manhattan by turning all the buildings into giant burning candles. (For the whole story, click here at the Diversions Of The Groovy Kind site. This story also includes art by Marshall Rogers.)


No, really!


Bob Rozakis: Proving once again that Haney and Kanigher weren't the only crazy-ass Bobs working at DC!


Tonight's fight music is by Johnny Mathis.


For more city-melting insanity, click here. And don't forget to vote! Or The Outsider will come back turn you into a were-jaguar!