August 31, 2011
Do you think Batman just woke up one day and decided to be Batman? No, it took years of training in various martial arts, years of acquiring the mental and deductive skills of master detectives, years of gaining the technology and physical prowess to perform at the peak of human ability. And also the horrible murder of his parents.
However, Bruce Wayne wasn’t the only one to wear the cape and cowl. At various times he was replaced by Jean-Paul Valley, by Dick Grayson (twice), and even Alfred.
Chief O'Hara is skeptical that this arthritic old man could defeat the Bookworm.
And then there is Mark Wayne Williams (no relation to Bruce Wayne, I suspect.)
This paunchy potential protector of the public was found hanging- yes, hanging- off the wall of a Detroit business. He had apparently hooked his Batrope on the roof and was, well, details are sketchy on what he was doing there. Perhaps he was on patrol. And although there is no indication, I like to think that he was hanging upside-down like a bat.
I feel very sorry for the police who had to hoist him back up to the roof because he was really weighed down, and I’m not just talking about his gut. According to other reports, he was carrying a virtual arsenal in his utility belt, which had better have been reinforced.
Something tells me that “Batman” is in for a long stay at Arkham Asylum.
Mark Wayne Williams seems to really live the superhero lifestyle. Unfortunately, his not-so-secret identity is known to the police. Here he is posing at the police station for, he probably believes, his public commendation from Commissioner Gordon.
Given that Mark Wayne Williams is no Bruce Wayne, and that Detroit is certainly no Gotham City, I have to figure that every city gets the crime fighter it deserves. However, I have to wonder about his dedication to the Bat.
The Crow? Sheesh, just let me know when he starts dressing like Wonder Woman and runs down the street with his arms spread wide pretending to be in his invisible jet.
SECRET ORIGIN OF A SUPER-VILLAIN UPDATE!
Remember Johnathan T. Pinney, AKA Doctor Mayhem, the convict who wanted his own island, access to the world’s technology, and a secret volcanic lair? It seems that he is now looking for love. He wants that special woman with whom to share dominion over the planet. Or any other planet.
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
This is too good! Just full of wonderful tidbits. Like I didn’t know that it is a felony to possess a sandbag. But I’m confused about the lead lined gloves. Did he have them or didn’t he?
Pinney is a hoot. An alien with similar attonomy! He probably expects his island nation to be anatomous.
BTW when you wrote: “Something tells me that “Batman” is in for a long stay at Arkham Asylum.” Did you mean Gotham and “Arkham” was a slip of the pen? Just wondering because I’m almost finished with the Case of Charles Dexter Ward. The jury is still out as to whether it beats Shadow Over Innsmouth but it’s definitely a winner. Thanks for pointing me to it.
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No, I meant Arkham because Arkham Asylum is the place just outside of Gotham City that all the Joker-types get sent. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is a comics geek like I am.
RE: Lovecraft. I think (at the momenet anyway) that Shadow Over Innsmouth and At The Mountains of Madness are my favorites, but Charles Dexter Ward is right up there too. One of my favorite mythos stories in by Robert Bloch, “Notebook Found in a Deserted House.” It is in several collections of Cthulhu Mythos stories. I don’t have it handy but it starts off with (I hope I have the right story) a great opening line, just a short declarative “this is what happened.” And even if I am wrong about that line, I am not wrong about how great the story is.
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This is scary–my favorite mythos story written by someone other than Lovecraft is Notebook Found in a Deserted House. In fact, as I was reading Charles Dexter Ward I was thinking of that story because Dr. Allen reminded me of the creepy cousin who strong arms the kid.
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I just went to check that opening line. It actually goes like this:
First off, I want to write that I never did anything wrong. Not to nobody. They got no call to shut me up here, whoever they are. They got no reason to do what I’m afraid they’re going to do either.
Now I have to read the rest of the story!
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Yeah, that’s a great opening too. I just checked and “This is what happened” is the first line of Stephen King’s The Mist, a great story too. Both those lines really draw you in, don’t they? And if memory serves the ending line is just as strong.
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And now that I read this thread in order I see that you did read it! And wasn’t that a great ending? I really think this was one of Bloch’s best.
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Yes! “The door is bursting o_______________”
Poor kid.
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We need to start a book club.
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I think your tastes are more eclectic than mine so I’m open to all suggestions!
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Two good sites I’d suggest to you and Daniel are http://www.vintagehorror.com which is about horror literature and movies and http://www.relicradio.com which is an old time radio site that I and a lot of people who post here spend time on. A lot of talk gets to books and movies with an enphasis on horror.
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& vintage horror / mystery movie club. Oh ! Remember Rod Serling’s Night Gallery ?
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Thanks I’ll check those out!
Finished Charles Dexter Ward last night–definitely gives Shadow Over Innsmouth a run for it’s money. Aside from the writing and the basic premise being so totally cool there is the way he structures the story. In the first part in the 1700s the reader is educated about the problem. Int he second part in the 1920s the reader knows the problem and the suspense is Dr. Willet and Mr. Ward trying to understand what’s happening. Then after Willet knows everything the reader doesn’t have a clue and the details get revealed little by little. Great writing.
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HPL is a master, no doubt. Really glad you liked it.
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This is what happens w / superheroes alter – egos start doing drugs & fall on hard times…..
Blaargh !!
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I wish I could find out more about how how he was hanging from the wall of the building. And I get the feeling any hard times this guy has fallen on are all of his own creation.
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What’s scary is that this could be any of us, or our family members or friends if we smoked enough weed or got hold of some Colombian nose candy / booger sugar & let ourselves slide far enough.
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Yet somehow I am sure some level of careful planning went into this. But he is nowhere near Pinney’s level.
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Remembe w / these 2 guys dressed as Batman & Captain America ” took over ” the Lincoln Memorial ? THAT took planning. & I think one of the guys was Australian.
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Great catch – this sort of thing was inevitable, and I love that he was caught up in his own bat-rope.
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First the Crow then Batman. I am officially putting in a request for Black Lightning for his next patrol. Think about it- afro wig and D batteries. Make it so.
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Platypus – Man !! Or Radioactive Man, both from ” The Simpsons “( That show has never gotten really old, at least to me ).
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A few years ago I really thought that The Simpsons had run its course but the last few years it has redeemed itself in my eyes.
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The Simpsons isn’t as much into ” pushing the envelope ” of good taste, political correctness / incorrectness & edginess as ” Family Guy ” has been, but it’s still doing a good job.
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Relic Radio & Vintage Horror. Hmmmm. Making notes, making notes. CBS Radio used to have a suspense / horror show back in the mid – to – late 70’s that did some ” pulp ” – style stories. & I have a collection of audio books on – tape from ” The Mind’s Eye ” studios ( Horror, sci – fi, suspense ).
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CBS Radio Mystery Theater! A big favorite of our on Relic Radio. Come on over, take a peek, and if you jump in tell them I sent you. (Seriously, mention my name.) Mac, Jim, Skinner, and some others who leave posts here comment there all the time.
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Consider it bookmarked ! Since you were discussing HP Lovecraft, one story of his I remember is ” Cool Air “, about a Spanish physician in NYC who was kept ” alive ” ( more or less ) by his in – apartment refrigeration unit. Then it fails on a warm October day, &, you can guess the rest.
Hulu has the entire story in an episode of Rod Serling’s ” Night Gallery “. Altered a bit, but basically intact.
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Early Stephen King is full of Lovecraft homages, especially (I think I remember the title correctly) “Gramma,” about a young child and his dying grandmother.
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True, but Stephen King is a whole ‘ nother critter.
Oh, yeah, you should see if you lay hands on Harlan Ellison’s ” Paulie Charmed the Sleeping Woman “.
A bereaved down on his luck jazz artist goes to the family mausoleum of his late girlfriend from a wealthy family after she dies in a nasty auto accident, gets blotto – drunk, blows some of the most angelic, sensuous notes of his life, & afore – mentioned high – class lady is charmed out of her crypt in a scene from a Lovecraftian nightmare. Yeah, I just gave away 95 % of the plot, but it’s a helluva story. 😉
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Ever since I was a kid I’ve read in bed at night and King and Lovecraft are the only two writers whose stories scared me enough that before I turned out the light I put the book in another room!
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Ever read Poe?
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Every word–there is a direct line from Poe to Lovecraft. But he didn’t scare me the same way.
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Me neither, but they have so much of the same atmosphere, don’t they?
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I read Poe, once upon a midnight dreary, while I was trying to drown out the sound of that Tell – Tale Heart, after I came home & took of my Masque of the Red Death….. 😀
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clap c lap clap!
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” For the love of God, Montressor ! “. ” Yes. For the love of God “.
As I put the last brick into place.
Then I went to polish the Pendulum.
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Meanwhile, right before I approved this, I approved a couple of “Paul Sr. is a jerk” comments on an American Chopper thread. Interesting contrast.
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Some of Lovecraft’s stuff makes King look like ” Fun With Dick & Jane ” & ” Curious George ” !!!
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Especially later King. Although Full Dark No Stars was a bit of a return to form for him
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” The Moving Finger ” – A truly whacked – out short story published in a small magazine. Crazy but awesome.
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Have you ever seen this:
http://www.eatliver.com/i.php?n=2626
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Gotta love the honesty.
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I have a 3 volume set of contemporary horror stories. That is, they were contemporary when the set came out in the 1930’s. I will at some point dig it out for some obscure tales to suggest.
In the meantime, track down The Invisible Host. It is a mystery novel from 1930 and written by Gwen Bristow and Bruce Manning. It is basically Ten Little Indians in a modern (for 1930) penhouse apartment but remember- this was written decades before Agatha Christie’s story and makes you wonder if she was a plagerist. It is long out of print but I’ve seen copies on ebay.
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Wow! Some people just never evolve past a certain level, right?
Great Bat-share!
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