Batman: Gotham Knights
Art By Durwin Talon
Copyright 2001 DC Comics |
Batman: Gotham Knights
"Funny Money"
Issue 13, March 2001, DC Comics
writer, Harlan Ellison; art, Gene Ha
cover, Durwin Talon
Ellison's story in this issue is the back-up story. Part of a series
known as "Batman Black & White" these stories feature
story and art by people who don't normally work on the Batman books
and utilize Black & White art. The stories are not necessarily
set in continuity, giving these diverse creators more freedom.
The story revolves around two treasury agents bringing Batman in to
bust a counterfiting scam. Ellison explores both the detective nature
of Batman as well as his ability to just scare the hell out of a man.
Gene Ha, artist of Top Ten, provides a semi-realistic art and
produces a very interesting image of Batman.
"Funny Money" was reprinted in 2002 in the hardcover collection
Batman: Black and White Vol. 2. This collection featured
the "Batman: Black and White" stories from the first sixteen
issues of Batman: Gotham Knights, along with five
new stories. For
further details see the Future
Projects page.
Ellison's Batman back-up story was announced by him in his Summer
2000 issue of Rabbit Hole (the official newsletter of the Harlan
Ellison Recording Collection). Here are a few selections from that
item:
Ellison
writes 'Funny Money'
"Close on fifteen years after writing, 'The Night of Thanks,
But No Thanks' for Detective Comics
#567, Harlan will return to the character of Batman with a
new story. 'Funny Money' will appear in an upcoming issue of Batman:
Gotham Knights. Although the exact issue has not bee scheduled
(but soon, very very soon), one of HE's favorite graphic artists,
Gene Ha, has been assigned the black and white art chores by DC
Comics editor Mark Chiarello...
"'All through last year's "No Man's Land" arc,
Batman became concretized in the role of a humorless brute. I
[HE] have elected to go back to basics with my view of Batman
in this story. First, I let him be what he hasn't been permitted
to be–what he was created to be–for many years...a
detective.'"
UPDATE:
I wrote the following paragraphs when the issue first came out about
an inconsistency in dialouge between what HE described in interviews
and what was acutally printed. I have since been corrected, in a
way. Here was my initial, INCORRECT, statement:
An
interesting note of comparison. Before the story appeared Ellison
mentioned this piece of characterization "'There's a scene
where Batman meets Commissioner Gordon and some treasury agents,
and even though he calls Gordon by his first name through the
whole story, here you must have Batman say 'Commissioner', because
Batman isn't sure Jim Gordon wants the feds knowing how cozy he
is with a vigilante.' (Comics Buyer's Guide, #1380, April 28th)
In the story as printed the scene
plays very differently, with the Commisioner and Batman exchanging
some very paly dialogue:
Comissioner
Gordon: So What's New Kiddo?
Batman: Same Old Same Old
CG: Some Coffee? A Soft Drink? A Little Herb Tea?
Batman: C'Mon, Jim. I'm Tired. It's Been A Long Night.
I'd Like To Pack It In And Get Some Sleep.
I
don't know if HE changed his interpretation of the relationship
between the two characters, at least in this public form, or if
it was requested by Editorial. The back-up does come at the end
of two months of exploration of that very relationship and comes
as the back-up in the final story in a cross-over dealing with
a shooting of Gordon in the line of duty.
UPDATE
(continued):
In fact, according to an email I recieved from HE, the exchange
where Batman calls "Commissioner Gordon" instead of "Jim"
took place a page earlier, on the second page of the story, where
Batman lowers some criminals onto the roof. As the email reads:
"To
clarify the seeming inconsistency between what I wrote in CBG,
and the finally published version . . . there actually is no glitch,
because you picked the wrong exchange between Gordon and Batman.
"The initial exchange occurs as Gordon stands on the rooftop
with the two feds. Above them, Batman is lowering the trussed
hoods to the street below. It was in THAT scene that I had Batman
address Gordon as "Commissioner," rather than more familiarly
as "Jim," as he would if they were alone . . . and which
he does, later, in the scene in the office.
"In fact, that was the ONLY editorial change DC made, and
I suppose they did it because they hadn't thought it out as fully
as I did. On the roof, Batman doesn't know who these other two
strangers with Gordon are, so he plays it formally: "Commissioner."
But when he comes into the office, he understands that Gordon
is allowing the feds to see that he has a personal liaison with
Batman, and the two of them make smalltalk, "Jim," in
their usual manner.
"I wish DC had left it the way I wrote it, but it's such
a picayune alteration, the pique-factor is moot."
HE
also mentions that the story will probably be collected in a Trade
Paperback collection of the various Batman: Black-and-White stories.
UPDATE
08/02:
This has infact come to pass with the publishing of Batman:
Black and White Vol. 2.
For further details see the Future
Projects page. |
