Descrizione
BATMAN
ALBO ORIGINALE DEL 1967, ARNOLDO MONDADORI EDITORE
Detective Comics Vol 1 #347
January, 1966
La storia principale di questo numero è di produzione italiana, è lunga 24 pagine ed è stata disegnata da Sergio Tarquinio :
L’ IMPRONTA DEL FANTASMA
original italian production, 24 pages , b/w , art by SERGIO TARQUINIO
Sarà capitato a molti di voi, girando per le fiere del fumetto, di vedere tra i banchi i mitici “Albi del Falco“, che presentavano, decine di anni fa, storie degli eroi della DC in formato tascabile. Tra una traduzione e l’altra di materiale originale USA, spesso riadattato nei testi (celebre è rimasta la “Pipismobile”) e nella grafica (vedi Batman con il costume rosso), venivano pubblicate anche delle storie “Made in Italy”. In quelle occasioni a disegnare Superman, scritto da Pier Carpi, era Sergio Tarquinio, uno dei pionieri del fumetto italiano, nato a Cremona nel 1925. Visto che oramai aveva preso la mano con il fumetto made in USA, il grande Sergio non si fece sfuggire l’occasione di passare, negli anni ’60, dall’Uomo d’Acciaio al Cavaliere Oscuro, quando Batman ebbe anche in Italia il suo periodico in formato comic book. Tarquinio, anche pittore le cui opere sono esposte in molti musei d’Europa, è considerato un maestro del fumetto italiano. Ha debuttato nel 1947 con il western Luna d’Argento per poi proseguire una carriera ricca di momenti straordinari, come il periodo argentino (Alan Blood) vissuto al fianco di Hugo Pratt, o la collaborazione con l’inglese Fleetway, sino agli albi bonelliani della Storia del West e di Ken Parker. Il Batman di Tarquinio risale al periodo ingenuo/avventuroso dell’eroe, ma è sempre affascinante. Per la collana della Mondadori, Tarquinio ha disegnato storie per gli albi nn. 16 e 21, senza – come spesso accadeva all’epoca – l’onore della firma.
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- El Bolo
Other Characters:
- Beri
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are sent back to 14th century Venice to successfully verify that a painting reputedly done by the artist Verillo was indeed his work, and that museum curator John Kirk has not erred in purchasing it. But, when the time comes for their return to the present, Carter Nichol’s time machine is struck by a bolt of lighting. Batman is returned to his time of departure plus one hour, but Robin is shot forward in time three days, and picks up a newspaper whose headline tells of Batman’s death, falling from a TV tower in Bay City, while saving Robin from a villain named El Bolo. Desperately, Robin realizes that he may yet have a chance to save his mentor, if he can change history when he returns to the present. Nichols’s repaired machine retrieves Robin from the future, but he refuses to tell Batman about the headline, realizing his guardian would not be stopped from sacrificing his life for Robin. The heroes do encounter El Bolo twice, resulting in the bolo-wielding villain’s escape each time. But, when Robin, acting on his own, is trapped by El Bolo on his TV-tower hideout in Bay City, a Batman-costumed figure swings toward them–and falls after his Bat-Rope is cut in two by El Bolo’s bladed bolo. A reporter, seeing the fall, hurries to call in the story of Batman’s apparent demise. But, seconds later, the real Batman swings onto the TV tower, having distracted El Bolo by a costumed dummy, and apprehends the villain with a bolo of his own. Robin reveals all to Batman, and they pass by a newsboy later who holds the erroneous report of Batman’s death, more than slightly exaggerated.
“Holy Smoke”
Batman Vol 1 #193
July, 1967
Inkers
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Forest Ranger Osbourne
- Joe
- Neil Gage
- Mary Bruff
Villains:
- Roger Kale
Other Characters:
- Charley Bruff
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis
Batman and Robin
join a forest ranger on his daily patrol when they are suddenly
prompted to stop a wild fire. After the danger is averted, the heroes
learn about a former pyromaniac living nearby and they pay a visit to
the man. The young man claims to be reformed, but all the evidence
points to him as the responsible for the fire. When the forest rangers
take the man away, they are suddenly attacked and the arsonist is
nowhere to be found. When a second fire starts, Batman and Robin hurry
to save some trapped people in a small shack. To their surprise, one of
the victims was the former arsonist, and Batman finally learns that the
man has been framed. Following the clues and evidence, Batman and Robin
find the responsible of the crimes and they stop him for good, clearing
the name of an innocent man.
Notes
- The story is reprinted from the Batman Sunday comic strip by the McClure Syndicate (1945.01.07 – 1945.02.18)