Batman #501 - DC Comics

BATMAN [1940] No. 501, November 1993

Apparently “the first issue of Mike Manley's run as penciler and inker on Batman”, this twenty-three page publication’s plot certainly seems to show just how markedly different Jean-Paul Valley’s brutally brusque incarnation of the titular character is compared to Bruce Wayne’s much more intelligent crime-fighter. Indeed, the cape and cowl’s latest incumbent even angrily derides his predecessor’s more mentally acute attitude towards solving investigations by destroying the Bat-cave’s chemical analysis equipment; “I’ve never cared for clues. And detective work bores me.”

Instead, Doug Moench pens an intriguing piece where the Caped Crusader foolishly relies upon his new frightfulness to scare a local mob boss into doing his bidding, and inadvertently brings the majority of Gotham City’s underworld leaders together against him – including a well-armoured assassin who will apparently stop at nothing in order to kill his quarry. This mishandling of Don Mercante proves a terrific example of Azrael’s disagreeable overconfidence, and arguably adds an extra, enticing element of uncertainty as to just how events will actually pan out between the various rival parties.

Of particular note though has to be the appearance of the “self-made perfect assassin” Mekros – who, donned in a somewhat clunky-looking suit of bright armour, initially comes across as a bit too gimmicky a villain to be taken all that seriously. However, by the time the clearly deadly killer has started wading through Santos Verona’s numerous bodyguards with bloody aplomb, this opinion should have changed, and the “former mercenary in covert operations that got interested in the potential of MK-Ultra” can swiftly be seen as being just as savage and vicious as the vigilante he’s being paid one million dollars to mercilessly murder.

Helping the American author sell Batman’s various mis-steps throughout this story is the aforementioned Manley, who pencils a stunning introduction to Mercante’s evil empire inside an Italian diner, courtesy of a sense-shattering, though ultimately unsuccessful, shooting. The Detroit-born artist is also very good at pencilling the pensive attitudes of the various crime family heads as they discuss just how to rid themselves of the Dark Knight, as well as withstand any further moves by Verona’s hired guns to lift him to the very top of the high table.

Writer: Doug Moench, Artist: Mike Manley, and Colorist: Adrienne Roy