Man-Bat Pt. 11: Detective Comics #459

Dr. Thanatogenos explains why he’s captured Kirk and Francine. Part of this returns to a plot point I didn’t include last week…

The mad doctor’s role in all this has not yet been explained, though, until…

Ultimately, Kirk throws the clapper into the fire and everything returns to “normal.” At home, Francine wonders if she and her husband possess mystic powers of which that aren’t aware. Kirk responds:

I don’t know, honey – I just don’t know… and, frankly, Francine, it scares the life out of me!

Notes

.

Last month’s simplicity becomes very complicated in the Man-Bat story in Detective Comics #459. I could barely follow the tale that Dr. Thanatogenos tells over the course of more than one full page. I attempted to get to the gist of it in my plot summary above.

.

Separately, the two chapters of the story are uneven (this one and the first part in Detective Comics #458.) I did read them one right after the other, but I still wonder how it might have felt different as one complete story in one Man-Bat comic book.

.

While Man-Bat seems to be struggling in his new fictional home, he’ll once again make a move to a new literal home. His next appearance will be in Batman Family #11 and he’ll find some stability as he remains a part of that series for ten issues.

---

Title: Detective Comics

Issue #: 459

Cover Date: May, 1976

On Sale Date: Feb. 26, 1976

Writer(s): Martin Pasko

Artist: Pablo Marcos

Editor: Julius Schwartz