Tax Pieces

An Evening With Batman and Robin

Batman has never been to the Playboy Mansion. Despite what you may have heard.

As legend has it, the idea for the 1966 "Batman" show was sprung at a Playboy party—either at Hugh Hefner's mansion or one of the numerous clubs—where a television executive joined other revelers in watching the 1940s Batman movie serials as a lark. The image of suave, libertine gentlemen and scantily-clad Bunnies guffawing at the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder in between slurps of Manhattans has entered the Batman lore, passed on from comic-con to comic-con.

Except it probably never happened. It's a myth—but with a grain of truth. And the true story is actually more interesting. Like so many others, Batman went to college in the 60s, and got a little crazy. And then nothing was ever the same.

Examining the Batman Universe

It all started three years ago, when I thought I'd write a blog post about the Condiment King. Since then I've written more than a dozen pieces about Batman mythology, focusing on the more obscure threads sewn into the Dark Knight legend. I've collected the links here--hope you enjoy. (I've left them mostly unchanged for now, so please forgive outdated facts or references.) This also includes a piece I wrote for the Saturday Evening Post about The Shadow and its influence on Batman and the superhero genre.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Joker World

The Joker is back—if he ever left.

Oscar-winner Jared Leto returned to the role for a short appearance in the long-anticipated “Snyder Cut” of 2017’s “Justice League,” which premiered on HBO Max last month. Joker wasn’t in the original movie, or in any of the cut footage that fans had been longing to see since the dismal product hit theaters. Nor did he have much to do with the story. But director Zack Snyder said it would seem “uncool” for the Joker to never show up in his series of Batman films. He’s probably right—the Joker has reached the kind of cultural prominence where his absence would have been noticed.

Ten years ago, after Heath Ledger nailed the role in “The Dark Knight,” fans petitioned that the Clown Prince of Crime be permanently retired from cinema. Since then we’ve had two more—three if you count animated movies, and four if you consider Leto’s return to be a new character. 

“I seriously have Joker fatigue,” comics writer Gail Simone said in 2015—and that was several Jokers ago. 

If You Mite

 At long last, the Snyder Cut is here.

Three and a half years after Justice League fizzled at the theaters, HBO Max last month released director Zack Snyder’s full, four-hour vision of superheroes, swagger and CGI. Snyder, who left production midway through following his daughter’s suicide, and his legion of fans watched helplessly as Warner Brothers and fill-in director Joss Whedon reshot and recut his would-be masterpiece into incoherence. Now, thanks to years of fan pleading and petitioning—as well as alleged death threats and Elmo-booing—we all can watch the first cinematic meet-up of DC Comics’ legendary heroes just as the original director intended.

It’s either a triumph of fan passion and creative freedom over corporate studio fecklessness, or acquiescence to an entitled, aggrieved and toxic sector of fandom, driven to extremes to protect a brawny, excessively masculine ideal of superheroes. Or, possibly, both.

Beaks & Ballots

Donald Trump claims that in 2020, he was up against everyone—the media, the courts, even the vote-counters.

The Penguin would tell him to go cry a river. 

When he ran for Gotham’s mayor in 1966—with his old foe, Batman, as his main opponent—he was opposed not only by the incumbent mayor but the entire Gotham Police Department, whose officers all proudly wore Batman campaign buttons. 

In the classic Batman TV episode “Hizzoner the Penguin”—that’s “His Honor,” if you’re not familiar with early 20th century political lingo—and the follow-up, “Dizzoner the Penguin,” the villain nearly won the mayorship with a lively and ruthless campaign that would put Corey Lewandowski to shame.

And just like Trump, who we almost certainly will see again, it wouldn’t be Penguin’s last foray into politics. The dapper birder and jewel thief gained a taste for politics, going back to the campaign trail in 1992’s “Batman Returns” and later comics. While never as successful as Lex Luthor, who took the presidency in the 90s, Penguin is Gotham’s closest thing to a Trump-like figure, with no lines separating his political ambitions, his business enterprises and his illicit underworld activities. 

But it was the 1966 episode that introduced the Penguin to politics. It’s still a blast to watch today, mixing the series’ madcap camp with an edge of political satire. It’s also a fascinating cultural artifact from a time of rising anxiety about how television was upending American democracy, reflecting fears that have become so baked-in to our political discourse you sometimes need a reminder that they once seemed new.

Gotham was never the same after Penguin gained an interest in politics. Neither was politics, for that matter.

Trump and Kitsch

President Donald Trump has some odd notions about exercise.

The man who claimed, through his doctor, to be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency” and mocked his opponents as “low energy” and “sleepy” doesn’t disguise his disdain for unnecessary physical exertion. He believes that human beings are born with a finite amount of life force, and that to squander it is foolhardy. He is the first president since Ronald Reagan to avoid jogging.

Nevertheless, to keep his crowds pumped, his campaign has repeatedly used the most famous anthem to working out in the history of music -- the Village People’s “YMCA.” Trump himself can often be seen boogying to the 40-year-old tunes at the end of his rallies, apparently unworried that a few dance moves could tap his final reserves.

This attracted a few online double-takes. Could the messiah to the Religious Right and running mate of Mike Pence really be a fan of the most flamboyantly gay band to outlive the disco era?

Unbreakable Bonds

My Christmas gift to myself last year was Batman #17, a 1943 comic. The cover shows Batman and Robin riding a bald eagle, urging the reader to keep it flying by buying war bonds and stamps.

As a Batman fan, I’ve always been drawn to the World War II war bond covers--I’m not totally sure why. They don’t feature the elements usually associated with the Dark Knight. There are no dark alleys, bizarre aliens or maniacal clowns. I guess they’re just a simple reminder of Batman’s national significance, only a few years after his creation.

It was already the crown jewel of my comics collection, but it will have a whole new dimension of meaning to me now, in the age of coronavirus. Some have objected to comparing the outbreak to World War II, but I don’t know how else to think about it. It’s the only other time in our cultural memory that the U.S. government has asked its citizens to make such extraordinary sacrifices to serve a common cause and defeat a global threat.

#TheDress and International Taxes

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of #TheDress, one of the most fascinating and confounding Internet memes of the past decade. At the time, I saw a remarkable parallel to an international tax policy issue , and considered writing a blog post comparing the two. I wrote it out, but decided not to submit it to my editors—and I’ve regretted it ever since. Here it is, with minimal edits and an update at the end.

March 1, 2015

Unless you spent this weekend away from your computer, your TV, and your phone, you probably heard about “The Dress”—or as it became known on social media, #TheDress. The garment, pictured above, seemed ordinary enough, until people started to describe it. Some people said it was gold and white, others said it was black and blue, and neither group could figure out what in the world the other was talking about. Tens of millions of people on every continent spent Thursday night arguing about it, and it lasted throughout the weekend.

(I can’t see anything other than gold and white. Believe me, I tried.)

The answer, it turns out, wasn’t some social delusion, sorcery, or a mass outbreak of color-blindness. It didn’t even really have to do with eyesight or color. Experts suspect it is due to slight variations in neurology creating differences in how people interpreted the images, color, and light in the picture lead to very different conclusions about what was being depicted.

There’s a similar dynamic which sometimes occurs when governments look at complex corporate tax structures. Due to differences in laws and customs—often slight—tax authorities can come to quite different conclusions about what a structure is, and how it should be taxed. And while #TheDress just resulted in a few moments of amusing online diversion, when it comes to international taxation this phenomenon can cause a serious problem.

The Curious Case of Harley Quinn

To call Harley Quinn the most complex and interesting new DC Comics character of the past 40 years is to damn her with faint praise.

True, DC doesn’t make that many new characters who stick. But she’s making a run to be one of the all-time greats from Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery. Go to any comic-con and it’ll be dotted with tassels and colored pigtails, from her signature looks. If she’s not the most popular cosplay character, she’s in a statistical tie with the Caped Crusader himself—no small feat.

The white-faced, red-and-white checker-dressed jester—created 27 years ago as the Joker's henchwoman on "Batman: The Animated Series"—debuted her own new animated show on DC’s streaming service on Friday. In a few months, she’ll return to the silver screen in the gloriously titled “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),” Margot Robbie’s second outing as the character and proof that Warner Brothers sees her as one of its most bankable characters.

It took her a long time and a lot of tears to work her way out of the Joker’s shadow. Along the way, she became something of a feminist icon—by never, ever trying to be.

Killing the Joke

The most controversial comic book of all time won't go away

The hit movie "Joker" depicts a man descending into homicidal rage after decades of isolation, abuse and humiliation.

That's the movie version. In the comics, it only takes a day.

One really, really, really bad day.

At least, that's the hypothesis the Joker tries to prove in "The Killing Joke," Alan Moore's slim opus on the Clown Prince of Crime and an obvious inspiration for Todd Phillip's surprising (and disturbing) blockbuster.

It's one of the most revered graphic novels in the Batman canon—if not all of comics—and it's considered to be the definitive Joker story. It's a hallmark of the superhero revolution of the 1980s, when comics grew up, got dark, and prepared to take the world by storm.

It's also, to many feminist critics, a not-too-distant relic from a time when female characters in comics existed only to be mutilated, abused and discarded as signposts in the journeys of male protagonists.

It's a book so divisive that even its creators have mixed, at best, feelings about it and many of its defenders seem ready to move on. Yet, it continues to have a staggering influence on the Batman franchise, inspiring several of its movies, including this most recent hit.

As I imagine Gothamites feel about Batman, nobody's quite sure how to feel about "The Killing Joke"—but it's clear it isn't going away anytime soon.

All-in For Alfred

The Fascinating History of Batman's Batman

After decades of loyal service, Alfred Pennyworth is finally getting some time in the spotlight.

“Pennyworth,” a spy TV show about the early years of Batman’s longtime butler, premiered on Epix this past Sunday.

For Batman fans, it’s a bit frustrating that DC Comics insists on making Caped Crusader shows without the Caped Crusader. But for Alfred fans, it’s a most satisfying moment--proof that steadfast service can finally pay off.

It took 76 years, but Alfred grew from a foppish comic relief background character to an emotional core of perhaps the world’s most famous superhero franchise.

How Alfred evolved from Bruce Wayne's foil to his conscience is a fascinating look into how pop culture mythology evolves, organically covering gaps and healing its missteps with characters that develop minds of their own. But that evolution doesn't happen in a vacuum--in the Darwinian, publish-or-die world of monthly comics production the changes that stick almost always reflect something about the cultural psyche. Alfred didn't just survive, he was chosen.

With characteristic British efficiency, Alfred cuts to the core themes that draw people to Batman--wealth, loss, and family.

The Condiment King: An Oral History

You think Batman's annoyed with the Condiment King? Try his writers.

Like a ketchup stain on your favorite pair of khakis, the Condiment King just won't go away.

Batman hates him for being a nincompoop who makes just enough trouble to distract from the true baddies. But DC writers hate him even more, for being a one-note bit that persists over the years, surviving deaths and reboots with a mind and agenda of his own.

Isn't this why we love the comics?

Hope in the Stars

How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love New Star Wars Films

If you traveled back in time to 2012, I bet a Hollywood producer would have found the notion of an unprofitable Han Solo movie harder to believe than the Donald Trump presidency.

Star Wars has been, if not a Trojan gift, perhaps the quintessential good problem--it's given Disney a great return on its investment but also quite a few headaches.

4 Insane Joker Stories Much Better Than a Prequel

Is this some kind of joke?

Everyone involved in the upcoming "Joker" prequel seems sure they've stumbled onto a brilliant idea--but the rest of us are quite stumped. When Martin Scorsese decides he wants to make a Batman picture you try not to look the gift horse in the mouth, but just what the hell is this?

What creative spark got Scorsese's eye? What inspiration drove director Todd Philips and writer Scott Silver? What drew the famously picky Joaquin Phoenix, who has joked with us before and will no doubt joke with us again?

#Gates of Hell

As your faithful Condiment King correspondent, I'm obligated to supply you with an update on his delicious trail of crime. The Prince of Pickles was spotted at the Baltimore Comic-Con on Sept. 29--cavorting with comics creators, perusing some substantially but not excessively over-priced vintage comics, and generally having a blast despite some very sore ankles.

In fact, I had such a generally pleasant and enjoyable time that I almost forgot that the comics industry is supposedly at the center of a firestorm right now--the fearsome #comicsgate. I follow enough people in the comics field on Twitter to know that they've all been affected by this "gate," either being forced to deal with it head-on or take steps to actively avoid the onslaught. I'm sure it came up at some of the panels I missed. But on the convention floor--where the real comic-conning happens--you'd never imagine it existed. No angry protests or counter-protests, just goofy cosplaying.

It's the weird nature of the Internet today that controversies can somehow be gale-force and non-existent at the same time.

What is #comicsgate? I actually have no idea. It involves a lot of vitriol and apparent sexism and transphobia, provoking comics creator to condemn it as a kind of manifesto. It's yet another culture war with vaguely familiar fault lines--Social Justice Warriors on one side, Men's Rights Activists on the other--but the particulars are as confusing as they are uninteresting. It started with a milkshake selfie (I kid you not), interpreted in some corners as a Girl Power declaration within Marvel Comics. It's been percolating for a year since then, ping-ponging off of various sociocultural pressure points, and it has something else to do with authors feeling excluded from the industry. But it's not really about any of that, the same way #GamerGate was never really about whether some software designer boinked a game critic for favorable reviews. In broad terms it's about some impulse to contract as the industry tries to broaden and diversify its readership. The particulars are basically impossible to follow and barely seems worth trying. Why would I care about all of this stupid bullshit when I could just read great Batman comics?

But as hard as it is to understand, it's also getting increasingly hard to ignore. (And don't misunderstand me--despite its transparent ridiculousness, #comicsgate has appeared to cause people real harm.)

#Comicsgate is yet another bitter, histrionic battle in an endless culture war, that to outsiders feels like it's being fought in some alternate dimension which occasionally rips a portal into ours.

Did the New Yorker Break Journalism's Golden Rule?

Christine Blasey Ford Wanted To Stay Private. News Coverage Forced Her Out. Reporters Need To Wrestle With This.

There's a third rail in American journalism. Every cop and court reporter knows it.

It's the identities of sexual assault victims. You just don't go near them. You don't report them, you don't report details on them, you don't question this rule and if you're not sure you don't do it anyways. Journalism has few iron-clad rules when it comes to the reporting of true facts--almost everything is negotiable to news judgment at some point--but this rule is one of the least flexible, and the least ambiguous. In just this one case, reporters aren't allowed to do their job no matter how much they might want to.

This relates to three things which Christine Blasey Ford, a Palo Alto professor and until last week a private citizen, has claimed. The first is that Brett Kavanaugh, a nominee for the Supreme Court, attempted to sexually assault her at a party when both were in high school in the early 1980s. The second is that, while she had notified her Congresswoman about the incident, she didn't wish to come forward publicly. The third is that she felt compelled to do so, in a Sept. 16 interview with the Washington Post, because of the news coverage swirling around her story over that week.

As a 15-year journalist who cut his teeth covering cops and courts for a local Ohio paper, those three claims made me sick to my stomach once I saw them clearly. It's not that I have particularly strong feelings about the rule, or that it's obvious to me it was broken. But years of conditioning had impressed onto me that in a confusing case like this, the wishes of the victim are paramount. I couldn't quite tell if reporters had given them proper deference here.

And I also knew that Ford's life was about to become absolute hell. (And it has.)

The Taste of Death

Batman's Stupidest Foe Isn't Just Tragic--He's Lethal

Murderous mayo? Deadly Dijon? Some fatality on your French Fries?

Just what is the Sultan of Sauce's weapon of choice? Because we learned something new in Batman #54, released earlier this month--the Condiment King is a serial killer.

"King robbed seven grocery stores this week. Killed three employees," Batman tells his longtime trusted ally Richard Grayson.

This quick line penned by another King--Tom King, Batman's current writer--reveals quite a bit about the Prince of Pickles, another interesting new layer for a character who already has plenty.

And it threw me--the self-appointed historian of the Condiment King's reign of terror--back for a moment. Our lovable King, who only wanted to channel his love of additives to a useful purpose, is a blood-thirsty killer?

Batwoman in Red

The CW network announced on Tuesday that Ruby Rose, fresh from shark-hunting in this summer's "The Meg," will star as Batwoman in a cross-over event featuring its established superheroes, which may eventually develop into a solo Batwoman series.

It's been quite a few years for Batwoman. In the summer 2016 DC Rebirth event, which "rebooted" the DC comics universe, she regained her solo title, which had been canceled the previous May. She also had a major role in DC Comics namesake series, Detective Comics--where the Batman first appeared in 1939--leading the "Batmen," a dysfunctional group of superheroes he gathered to save Gotham for various outside forces.

What I'm wondering, though, is this--just how will the Batwoman TV show handle Batman? The Arrow-verse, the collection of superhero shows which began with 2012's "Green Arrow," has only sprinkled indirect references to the Caped Crusader. Technically, it has so far only confirmed the existence of Bruce Wayne, not his alter-ego. The producers have emphasized that Batman won't be coming to their universe, but left the rest of the details vague. (It's pretty clear that DC and Warner Brothers have forbid the Dark Knight from going on live TV, for fear of diluting their most valuable intellectual property--how else to explain "Gotham" and the upcoming "Pennyworth?")

Picard's Back--Keep Him Out of the Chair

Patrick Stewart up-ended the science fiction world this weekend, confirming a long-rumored return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard and the Star Trek franchise.

Trek, all but left for dead in the mid-aughts, is now likely secure for yet another 50 years.

Picard's return raises a question, though--is it believable that a 78-year-old could command the deck of a starship, hurtling through uncharted space at speeds several times what Albert Einstein thought was possible?

My answer: absolutely.

But he shouldn't.