TITLE: Detective Comics issue #451
YEAR: September 1975
COMPANY: DC Comics
Script: Denny O’Neill
Art: Ernie Chua (Chan)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
The turbulent ’70s, while comics provided an escape from all the politics and troubles that took place in the United States, even during the ’70s, you saw a little of that darkness creep into comic books.
In September 1975, for “Detective Comics” issue #451, Batman was sent by Commissioner Gordon to travel to the Carribean Island of San Lorenzo to find a man named Baldy Amber with connections to a crime mob and they sent a hitman to San Lorenzo, during the Charity Backgammon Match and he is to assassinate a celebrity, athlete or perhaps a millionaire, like Bruce Wayne.
Needless to say, Batman heads to San Lorenzo and Bruce Wayne hangs out with Cumming Streeter, international ski champ Molly Post. But when Bruce spots Baldy Amber, he leaves them to change out of his outfit to become Batman and go after Baldy.
But as Baldy tries to use fear and intimidation towards Baldy, Molly comes to the old man’s defense to confront Batman for brutalizing an old man.
Batman tells her to mind her own business and when members of the US Navy see what is happening, they go to confront Batman.
Needless to say, Batman takes on sailors of the US Navy and to go after Baldy in order to get a name of the hitman and who they may be after.
It’s a simple story that is unlike anything I have read before in a Batman related comic. Mainly because Batman is taking on sailors of the US Navy, sailors who were trying to come to the defense of Baldy (not knowing why but thinking Batman is brutalizing an old man).
Needless to say, Batman kicks their butt but this story tries to showcase Batman discussing how he loathes coming on like a monsters and selling fear but it’s what is necessary to save lives.
And this is a comic that really stood out to me, to show the difference between Superman and Batman. Superman would never hurt innocents, while Batman, he’s done a lot of hurting in order to save lives.
As Molly tries to make sense of Batman hurting an old man, she is the emotional person that is hurt for various reasons, one is the fact that she looked up to Batman but then lost faith in him because of his treatment towards Baldy and hurting others.
But Bruce tries to set her straight of why Batman does the things that he does.
Meanwhile, there is a second story involving Robin, trying to catch a serial bandit.
But what’s interesting is the cheesy grin that Dick Grayson gives to his girlfriend, Lori when she asks him what he has in mind for the night. Without having to say sex…we see a circle with his cheesy face with a big grin which says it all.
The comic was written by Denny O’Neill and artwork by Ernie Chan. What’s interesting is that the legendary Ernie Chan is listed as Ernie Chua. Back then, he had to use Ernie Chua because immigrating from the Philippines and migrating to the US in 1970, the U.S. immigration documents had him down with a wrong last name, so until he became a citiizen (in 1976), he would have to use the name Ernie Chua.