At long last, I have finally gotten around to actually reviewing this issue! (It actually arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago, I just never got around to doing this post until now.) Today we’re looking at Batman #388: “The Round-Trip Looking Glass”. It was published in 1985, written by Doug Moench, and drawn by Tom Mandrake.
The art in this issue is much, much better than the art in Detective Comics #555, which is the second half of the two-part story.
After the splash page, which features Batman, Captain Boomerang, and the original Mirror Master (Sam Scudder) fighting one another, the issue begins with Mirror Master breaking into a Gotham City museum to steal the Tien Hsu Jade Necklace through its side door. He does this by using his solar pistol, amplified by a“mirror-amplification device”, to melt the door’s lock and fuse the alarm wires.
Meanwhile, Captain Boomerang knocks out the night guard with a boomerang.
Mirror Master is about to remove the necklace from its display case when Captain Boomerang uses another one of his boomerangs to break the glass and swipe the necklace.
Sam has an amazing facial expression as Digger calls him a fool for not noticing the night guard. It is the first of many, many hilarious facial expressions to be found in this issue.
Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang discuss the fact that they both decided to come to Gotham City at the same time, with Mirror Master saying that he did so explicitly because Gotham is “the one place without a superhero like Flash, Superman, Green Lantern..”, to which Captain Boomerang replies by saying that “superpowers or not, the Batman is just as fierce as any of the others.”
Digger knows this because he’s come to Gotham and fought Batman before. (This occurred in Batman #321, another issue that I own and have previously reviewed.) Sam, who has a fantastic confused face, asks Digger why he came to Gotham if Batman is so threatening, to which Digger explains that he wants to get revenge on Batman.
Sam suggests that he and Digger should team up against Batman (with yet another terrific facial expression). He also refers to Digger “the same old hard case from Down Under” while making this suggestion.
Digger, who already has the necklace, isn’t particularly interested in teaming up with Sam, since he thinks that Sam only suggested the alliance because Digger’s currently the one holding the necklace. And while he tells Sam this, he spins the incredibly valuable jade necklace around his finger like an idiot.
Mirror Master is not happy to hear this. “Just because you scooped me here–by a sneak attack–you think you’re better than me? Well, forget it! Back in Central City, I was always the Flash’s number one foe!” I would have to agree with Sam on this point. In the Pre-Crisis era, Sam really was the undisputed king of the Rogues. Also, his angry facial expression is great.
Captain Boomerang and Mirror Master proceed to get into a hilariously petty argument.
Digger: “Maybe things are different here in Gotham. Maybe your gimmicky mirrors can’t cut it here.” (He has an amazingly smug face as he says this, and Sam is pointing a finger angrily at him. It’s great.)
Sam: “My gimmicky mirrors? What about your boomerangs?”
Digger: “Listen, ace! This boomerang was good enough to-” (And during this bit, Digger is waving his fist right at Sam’s nose. Seriously, they’re both living cartoons in this comic, and it’s amazing.)
This incredible ego competition is interrupted by Batman using his Batarang to swipe the jade necklace out of Digger’s hand. He then tells both of them that Gotham is off-limits.
Sam and Digger react to this in this most courageous manner possible: by freaking out and running away (complete with amazing facial expressions.)
Digger: “So long, mate! I’m not ready for for revenge yet!”
Sam: “Wait for me! I’m not even mad at him!”
As they bravely run away, the two supervillans duck behind a pillar in Dinosaur Hall, and when Batman follows them in, Mirror Master uses one of his mirrors to blind him. Digger then uses one of his explosive boomerangs, which collapses a T. rex statue onto Batman and allows them to escape.
The two then promptly return to their petty argument from before.
Sam: “You missed, idiot!’
Digger: “At least I stopped him! What did your mirror do? Make him see stars for a bit?”
Sam: “That does it! The team-up’s off!”
Digger: “It was never on!”
Sam: “Then mark my words, Boomerang,’cause I’m gonna make you eat yours! I’m the best criminal in Gotham, and I can prove it!”
Digger: “Yeah? Have fun looking in your mirrors, chump–after I’ve humiliated you!”
Meanwhile, Batman gets out from under the T. rex statue and goes to the Batcave, where he and Robin (Jason Todd) use the Batcomputer to view the files on Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang (after Jason notes that they still haven’t rounded up all the members of Black Mask’s False Face Society).
The files are basically just recaps of the pair’s Silver/Bronze Age origins, with two slight differences. The first is that, rather than calling himself Aussie Green as he did in the original story, Digger apparently went in for the interview as Digger Harkness. The second, and more hilarious, is that Batman’s files say that the Mirror Master’s name is Joe Scudder. Moench must have used a Cary Bates issue as reference for Mirror Master’s name.
After reviewing the files, Batman and Robin get some sleep, since Batman doesn’t think the two Rogues will be trying anything else that night.
Meanwhile, at the docks of Gotham Bay, “Joe” Scudder is trying to think up a crime when he’s approached by three men. One is wearing a skull mask, one is wearing a devil mask, and one is…wearing a Heathcliff cat mask. (Did that last guy miss the “scary masks” memo?) They demand to know if he’s “Joe Scudder”, the “Master of Mirrors guy”, to which “Joe” responds in the affirmative. He’s also clearly really, REALLY freaked out by them, which is hilarious. Apparently, he thought that he was getting jumped and/or mugged by some Gotham goons and actually thought they were a threat to him. His facial expression in the first panel where they show up is amazing.
The three masked dudes explain that they want Mirror Master to be their new boss, since Black Mask got arrested. “Joe” responds to this by putting on his mirrored sunglasses and using them to hypnotize the thugs. He tells them to go find Digger and put him in the hospital.
Once the now-hypnotized thugs leave, “Joe” comes up with the most zero-effort crime imaginable.
“There’s always that bank across the street…Yeah, what the hell? When in doubt, or just plain bored, fall back on old faithful.” A+ creativity, “Joe”.
Bruce Wayne has a brief romantic interlude with Julia Pennyworth (she’s Alfred’s niece) before he notices the Batsignal and has to leave her in the lurch. Also, even before this happens, he’s not really paying attention to her or her desire to write a book about Black Mask, since he’s too preoccupied thinking about his OTHER love interest, Vicki Vale. As a result, Julie is very upset by his sudden departure. Smooth, Bruce. Smooth.
Batman and Jason get into the Batmobile to respond to the Batsignal, but on their way to police headquarters, they almost crash into Harvey Bullock. Bullock tells the pair that the Batsignal was sent out in response to a report of a “suspicious figure at Zindorf Jewelers” and that he himself was going out to respond to another alarm across the bay.
Batman, realizing that both Rogues have struck at once, sends Jason with Bullock while he goes to the Jewelers.
Meanwhile, Captain Boomerang uses his “mini-rocket boomerang” to fly up to the building’s roof, then uses this same boomerang to break the padlock on the roof door.
Digger on finances: “The people who don’t steal are always finding ways to save it–which makes it so much easier for those of us who do steal.”
Before he actually start stealing things, however, the alarm goes off as the three hypnotized goons bust into the store to attack him.
Digger’s reaction: “Yoicks.” (combined with another hilarious facial expression.)
Meanwhile, “Joe” has just “opened the vault with my mirror-amplified laser” when he gets taken out by Harvey Bullock and Jason Todd in the span of 4 panels. Yes, Mirror Master was defeated by an overweight cop and Jason Todd in 4 panels. Not his finest hour.
Back at the jewelry store, Digger is trying to buy off “Joe’s” hypnotized goons when Batman arrives. Digger uses the distraction to tie the goons together with a boomerang somehow.
Batman tries to go after Digger but is attacked by the goons, allowing Digger to escape. I guess “Joe’s” hypnotic command to kill Digger was overridden by the goons’ desire to kill Batman.
Digger then uses his flying boomerang to break into “Joe’s” Gotham apartment.
Digger on Sam “Joe”: “Scudder’s an arrogant fool, not caring if everyone in Gotham’s underworld knew he was in town…and not even bothering to keep his hideout a secret!” How did “Joe” set up this hideout so quickly, anyhow?
Digger steals the mirror that “Joe” used for his hypnotic sunglasses.
Meanwhile, “Joe” escapes from Bullock’s police car by using a false front tooth (which he had previously captured Digger’s image on) to project an image of Captain Boomerang in the middle of the road. Bullock swerves and Mirror Master escapes.
After a brief conversation between Batman, Jason, Harvey, and Commissioner Gordon, we cut back to Mirror Master’s hideout, where “Joe” is using his solar pistol to free himself from his handcuffs.
This accomplished, he starts admiring himself in the truly astonishing number of mirrors he’s set up in his hideout.
“Joe” on himself: “Feels good enough to be back among my mirrors-where I’m still number one and look it.”
Suddenly, he realizes that his strobe mirror is missing and reacts in shock (and with another terrific facial expression).
“Someone robbed me while I was out–robbed me!!”Sam “Joe’s” repeated freakouts are easily the funniest part of this story.
Then a boomerang made of mirror flies into the room, and starts smashing all of “Joe’s” mirrors. In hopes of stopping it, he grabs the boomerang, only for the mirror to start pulsing hypnotically.
Digger’s voice eminates from the mirror boomerang, telling Sam “Joe” that he must do anything Digger says, including murder. Seemingly hypnotized, Sam “Joe” responds by saying “Y-yes…including…murder”. (As the next issue will reveal, however, he’s actually only pretending to be hypnotized.)
The issue ends withe Digger happily thinking about how well things are going for him (complete with one last wonderful expression.)
This comics is amazing, and Sam “Joe” and Digger are comedy gold throughout. It’s too bad the second half of the story had such terrible art.
Detective Comics #555 was published in 1985, shortly before Crisis on Infinite Earths, and features two stories. The first story, “Returning Reflections”, was written by “Jason Todd” (actually Doug Moench), drawn by Gene Colan, and inked by Bob Smith. It’s the second part of a two-part story where the original Mirror Master (Sam Scudder) and Captain Boomerang arrive in Gotham and get into a fight over who’s the better criminal (I’ll review the first half when it arrives in the mail).
Here’s what goes down.
The cover, which unfortunately has much better art than the story inside, was drawn by Paris Cullins, Dick Giordano, and Anthony Tollin. It features Captain Boomerang and Mirror Master fighting one another while a giant Batman looms over both them and the city. “Captain Boomerang battles the Mirror Master to the death!” Unsurprisingly, neither Captain Boomerang nor Mirror Master actually dies in this issue. In fact, nobody dies in this issue at all.
The whole story is narrated in the form of Jason Todd, the second Robin, writing down the events of the case in his journal. (That’s why he’s credited as the issue’s writer.) As such, the story begins with Jason explaining the events of last issue. Captain Boomerang and Mirror Master both arrived in Gotham City to rob a museum. After being scared off by Batman before they could get any loot, they decided to have a contest to prove who was the better criminal. In order to win the contest, Captain Boomerang stole a mirror from Mirror Master’s hideout, shaped it into a boomerang (because of course he did), and then used it to hypnotize the Mirror Master into becoming his slave.
Batman, Jason, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Bullock meet on the roof of police headquarters to discuss their plan to capture the two criminals. After commenting on the fact that the sky is red even at night (as a result of the upcoming crisis), Batman explains that he’s going to have Harvey Bullock carry a valuable jade necklace out of its exhibit in the hopes that Boomerang and Mirror Master will both try to steal it. Once they are out in the open, Batman will be able to defeat and capture them.
Bullock is so excited about getting to play a part in the case that he swings his arm widely and accidentally breaks the Batsignal, much to Jason’s annoyance.
Batman then dresses up as Matches Malone (much to Alfred’s distaste) and goes to “spread the word” about the necklace “in one Gotham sleaze-pit after another”. As Matches, he gives the phony story about the police being so scared about the potential of Captain Boomerang and Mirror Master potentially stealing the necklace that they’re going to move the necklace out of the museum before the exhibit closes. He claims that, to avoid attention, Bullock will be handling the transition alone in plainclothes, but that there will be plenty of back-up out of sight. “I’ll tell ya…if I had me any fancy mirrors or trick boomerangs, I wouldn’t hesitate a second”. Captain Boomerang, who is at one of the bars, overhears this and decides to send the hypnotized Mirror Master to steal the necklace from Bullock for him.
“I’ll use my puppet Mirror Master, and if it works, I’ll have pulled off the perfect crime…for which I’ll later make Mirror Master confess–while I abscond Down Under with the loot. And if it fails, Mirror Master will be immediately carted off to prison. There’ll be no loot, but at least I’ll still be free–having obviously proven I’m the better criminal.” Oh, Digger….
Also, Digger’s hair is super-extra-poofy in this issue, and his face is craggy even for him.
Digger uses a radio to tell Sam (and Sam’s horribly-drawn, semi-featureless face) to meet him at the museum so that they can steal the necklace. Once Mirror Master actually arrives the next night, however, Digger tells Sam that he’ll need to commit his caper on his own, then tells him to attack Bullock once he arrives to retrieve the necklace. Unbeknownst to Digger, Batman and Robin are watching the whole scene. However, because Digger didn’t show up, they have to alter their plans and allow Mirror Master to take the necklace in the hopes that this will, in turn, lure out or lead them to Digger.
Also, while he’s retrieving the necklace, Harvey Bullock references the movie Maltese Falcon, a movie which I know solely because there was a Transfomers comic from the original 80s Marvel run that took its plot almost wholesale from that movie.
“Me, I sure am glad Mirror Master an’ Captain Boomerang ain’t murderers!” An interesting comment from Harvey Bullock that serves to reflect the differences between Gotham Rogues and Flash Rogues even at this relatively early stage.
Mirror Master attacks and ends up stealing both the necklace and Bullock’s car. He also kidnaps Bullock himself. It’s also worth noting that the art in this sequence is really bad, almost to the point where you can’t really tell what’s going on.
Jason Todd is upset over the fact that Bullock was kidnapped, but tries to hide this fact by pretending to be annoyed with Bullock’s incompetence. Batman isn’t fooled and Jason has to admit his affection for the old cop.
Mirror Master takes Bullock and the necklace with him to his meeting with Captain Boomerang, who flies in on one of his flying boomerangs. Yes, he has flying boomerangs that can support his weight. Digger Harkness can do anything with boomerangs.
Mirror Master reveals to Captain Boomerang that he was never hypnotized. “Fool! You can’t hypnotize me with my own strobe mirror! When the mirror boomerang first pulsed in my hand, I simply closed my eyes!” Mirror Master played along and pretended to be hypnotized in the hopes that he would be able to double-cross Boomerang and use him as a scapegoat for the theft. When he didn’t show up, Mirror Master had to think on his feet and ended up kidnapping Bullock to ensure his getaway.
We also get more of Mirror Master’s horribly-drawn, semi-featureless face here. It’s really unnerving, but not in a way that I think was intentional.
Mirror Master then hypnotizes Bullock with the strobe mirror and orders him to “commit my first murder for me–shoot the Australian Rogue!” This is another interesting comment that seems to confirm that he, at least, had no body count at this point. This, combined with Bullock’s early comment, also highlights the fact that the Flash Rogues took much longer to become murderous than did most other supervillains.
Bullock tries to resist, but the hypnotism is too strong for him to shake on his own. Luckily for both him and Digger, Batman and Robin bust through the window (in a horribly-drawn panel), and Robin kicks Bullock’s arm so his shot goes wild and doesn’t hurt anybody.
Batman, Bullock, Robin, Mirror Master, and Captain Boomerang get into a fight that ends with both villains being knocked out and captured. We also learn that the “necklace” Bullock was carrying was actually just some of the broken shards from the Batsignal, so that there was no danger of the priceless neckace being damaged in all of the chaos. The issue ends with Jason noting that his journal entry describing all this “couldn’t even pass for a comic book”, which is really meta.
Also, the art for the final fight scene is pretty terrible. The action is really hard to follow and most of the individual figures are badly drawn.
Overall, this is an entertaining story with really, really terrible art. It’s too bad the art is so bad, because with a better artist (or maybe inker) this could’ve been a great Flash Rogues vs Batman story, in the way that the first part was.
The second story in the issue is a Green Arrow tale called “The Case of the Runaway Shoebox!” It was written by Elliot S! Maggin and drawn by Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano. It’s a fun little story with much, much better art than “Returning Reflections”.
Tune in next time for the review of the first half of this story, Batman #388!
I drew Damian and his pets! I know I forgot Goliath but I couldn’t figure out how to fit him in :(.
Anyways, he has brown eyes bc he’s half Arabian, but the green highlights come from the Lazarus pit bc I think it’s a cool design. All in all, look at my boy.
what are your guy’s thoughts on ships? what kind would you guys like to see. Some of these ships might be kind of weird but it’s mostly because I think it would be fun to mix it up to see different kinds of dynamics. Riddler bounces between liking Selina and Oswald with a temporary crush on Batman for a time.
Selina uses people she doesn’t really have interest in anybody as much as seeing what they can do for her. When batman is at his lowest point she sees an attack dog that can make smaller gangs kowtow to her. Talia is Bruce’s truest love but after a terrible event she couldn’t be with him anymore.
Joker is just unpredicatable he likes making other people’s lives worse for the hell of it. Because he’ll screw people over on a whim no one wants anything to do with him. He doesn’t feel anything towards anybody except for a mutual intense hatred between him and riddler. Riddler call him an unfunny clown and riddler hates that the media seems to always look at joker with awe.
This scarecrow is actually a massive scaredy cat too nervous to really be friends with anybody. Riddler starts off by feeling pity for the man because he doesn’t like bullies but comes to end up getting intrigued by his mystery and respecting his resourcefulness. Poor guy is forced into action when he gets harassed and nearly killed for his research.
Hush hates everybody especially the rich, Tommy Elliot is a combination of Telltale penguin and batman 2022 Riddler, with a sprinkle of Galvan in his general demenor.
There’s the little outlaws trio, Jason (robin) Lonnie (anarky) and Rose (ravager). when they’re little Jason doesn’t really understand the concept of romance and kinda thinks girls have cooties except rose seems to be the exception because she’s too cool to have cooties she’s probably just immune. Lonnie is the mom friend who has to keep an eye on these two idiots.
decided to draw the boys, Lonnie Machin is Jason’s best friend from when he was living in Crime Alley. He knows Batman’s secret identity and generally acts as a big brother and sort of a ground control/tech support to Jason’s Robin.
still experimenting with art style, here’s the family. Decided that Jason during his robin years deserves a friend, he’s Lonnie Machin (Anarky) another streetkid. There’s also Talia who is Bruce’s main love here.
Bruce saving a couple from a mugging and letting one of the men kick around their now-unconscious attacker (Legends of the Dark Knight #54). I thought this was a fun and amusingly in-character action scene to take up space while Alfred goes on an exposition monologue.
