Writer: Alan Grant Artist:Arthur Ransom Publisher: DC
In the mid-fifties, Phantom Stranger fought crime as a trench-coated, behatted figure who appeared more like a pulp hero than a wizard to ordinary people and solved a baffling puzzle usually by exposing magical trappings as trickery. In the psychedelic sixties and the equally perplexing seventies, the Stranger evolved--pun intended--into the classic model. With black fedora shadowing his silver hair and haunting white eyes and black cloak concealing a white turtleneck, plain, gold medallion and a mod dark suit--though I don't recall the Stranger ever succumbing to the evils of bell-bottoms, the Stranger became a powerful--but not omnipotent-- sorcerer who aided the JLA and other heroes. In the eighties, DC made a huge, huge mistake. They revealed not one but four different origins for the Stranger thus destroying his mystique forever.
Alan Grant despite his talent cannot bring back the enigmatic question of the Stranger, but what he accomplishes in the Batman team-up can be found in the Stranger's dialogue. He regains the sense of humor he often displayed to his one-time blind girl-friend from his older series. In addition, he complements the Batman as much as he did in previous partnerships.
Mr. Grant is one of the few writers who do not portray the Batman as an obsessed loner--which he never was. Bruce Wayne simply died when his parents were shot. From that day forward, there was only the Batman. Bob Kane shows the Bat-man in his first adventure in the guise of Bruce Wayne actively seeking Commissioner Gordon's friendship. He even sticks around to make sure the innocent victim is all right. This steeple-eared vigilante also romances the vivacious Julie Madison. Later, though Batman is still mighty grim and hunted by the police, he adopts Dick Grayson. Even if we discard the sixties models, the gritty Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams re-fit still maintains ties to the JLA and Superman. Furthermore, the reading of these adventures do not seem quaint or out-of-character for our Dark Knight, nor does his friendship with the Outsiders.
The truth in the psychology of the Batman is that he doesn't want to be alone. Loneliness is one of the major feelings he experienced when Bruce Wayne's parents were shot. This is the last moment in time he wishes to re-live. So, why all the guff toward the Huntress? Bad writing, I suspect.
Alan Grant shows the Batman accepting other heroes, once they prove themselves in his battle . Mr. Grant's stand alone Black Canary team-up in Shadow of the Bat is memorable for the respect he shows both characters, not to mention Barry Kitson's stunning artwork. He also enjoyed teaming Bob Kane's Zorro with someone closer to Robin Hood and in so doing created one of the few bright spots during the Knightquest debacle. When Mr. Grant loads the Huntress into his writing bow, the Batman does not seem so patronizing, and any half-hearted attempts to shoo her away is more to please continuity than the character.
This week we see the Phantom Stranger and Batman working side by side as easily as they did in Brave and Bold. The bar scene particularly entices with a lack of cliche' and a plethora of wit. The Stranger acknowledges Batman's intellect and his camaraderie by discarding the usual games of find the meaning in the riddle. Instead, he explains that "he cannot interfere." Boom. I'd like to tell you. I simply can't. Those are the rules. It's not my fault.
Mr. Grant also smoothly knits together the crime genre and the mystical New Age. As an agnostic I despise such goobledy-gook, but as a critic and a writer, it's easily to recognize the skill in facilitating the suspension of belief. Mr. Grant, seemingly aware of the skepticism that can maim believability, mixes the myths of Lemuria with an evolutionary time scale and an Arthurian theme pertaining to a returning character.
Arthur Ransom etches the new/old tale, and his modem realism does not impede the storyshowing. Batman appears as a cloaked crime-fighting mortal, but he moves like animated oil in an exciting fight scene toward the denouement. In addition, Mr. Ransom chooses to avoid cliche posing, yet his novel designs still capture the mystery of the Dark Knight. I found his Phantom Stranger somewhat sterile, but I think this is largely due to the Vertigo version now being touted by DC. I prefer the classic model. Finally, Mr. Ransom's climactic storyboarding emphasizes what should be a predictable ending. We know the Batman cannot die since this isn't an "elseworld," but each "timed" panel persuades you to believe otherwise.
