Crimesmith- Batman #443-#444

[thecolorsblend]

I love The Crimesmith from Batman #443-#444. This is one of those fun little two-part stories that history has already forgotten but which will always hold a special place in my heart.

The basic shtick of it is the Crimesmith plans out crimes and robberies which other people pull off. In exchange, he guts a small cut of the loot and the criminals themselves get an easy job. The beauty of the scheme is that the actual robbers don't know who they're working for and it's usually different robbers who take the contract so there's no single person to associate with this M.O., which makes it even harder to catch the actual mastermind.

But then Batman shows up.

Marv Wolfman is one of those writers who hasn't written as much Batman stuff as you'd think. And that's a real shame because I like his take on the character. Batman #443 kicks off with Batman's methods being explained to Tim (who is still in training to become Robin) at the same time that Batman demonstrates his methods. It's just about exactly how Batman would have to operate in order to survive his job.

Another cool thing is seeing Bruce as the semi-famous businessman and ladies' man. Sometimes Bruce is portrayed in public either as a corporate dilettante and other times he's a master businessman. Wolfman has a better way of handling it in my opinion.

I recommend really all of Wolfman's Batman work. Well, maybe not so much Year Three. But the rest? Gold. And in particular, The Crimesmith is a criminally underrated story.

[The Laughing Fish]

I read this two-parter a couple of years ago, but my memory of it is a little hazy. Although, I do remember the Crimesmith would inject hired goons with a chemical compound that would make them combust to stop them from ratting out to Batman and the police. A very unsettling and brutal way to control people from talking.

You have to feel for Commissioner Gordon while he is investigating the case during one moment, when he expresses his disappointment every time the city sinks to new lows when he least expects it. Even if the case doesn't involve somebody from Batman's rogues gallery. Makes you wonder if he longs for the days when he only had to deal with police corruption and Arnold Flass in comparison.

[The Laughing Fish]

I recommend really all of Wolfman's Batman work. Well, maybe not so much Year Three. But the rest? Gold. And in particular, The Crimesmith is a criminally underrated story.

I forgot to ask the question, but what was it about Year Three that you didn't like? I rather enjoyed it for how the devastation of Jason Todd's death began to take a mental toll on Batman, and how it got carried over and resolved in A Lonely Place of Dying.

[thecolorsblend]

I recommend really all of Wolfman's Batman work. Well, maybe not so much Year Three. But the rest? Gold. And in particular, The Crimesmith is a criminally underrated story.

I forgot to ask the question, but what was it about Year Three that you didn't like? I rather enjoyed it for how the devastation of Jason Todd's death began to take a mental toll on Batman, and how it got carried over and resolved in A Lonely Place of Dying.

Honestly, I think a big part of my disenchantment with Year Three is the title itself. If the title had been anything else, I probably would enjoy it more. But calling the story "Year Three" is a bit of a misnomer since the story takes places in the "current" day and only has infrequent flashback to Batman's third year.

When you move away from the doofy title, it's not a bad story.

[The Laughing Fish]

Yeah, I agree with you that "Year Three" was such a misnomer. The name of the title was even more of a blatant attempt to cash in on Frank Miller's Year One story than Year Two was. But at least you can sorta believe continuity between Year One and Year Two exists. It's not too hard of a leap to believe Gordon had climbed up the ranks from Police Lieutenant to Commissioner, and it followed up with Batman's place in society remaining questionable, which was explored further on the subject of the Reaper. If you only judged Year Three as its title and cover, you would've expected the story to spend the entire time retelling Dick Grayson's origin story and how he became Robin.

But putting that little gripe aside, I do enjoy the continuity between Year Three, A Lonely Place of Dying and The Crimesmith and how Tim Drake plays a crucial part. We see Tim witnessing the Graysons' murders in Year Three, and in ALPOD, he understands that Batman and Robin together as a symbol can't be corrupted and broken, as well as the partnership prevents Batman from falling into moral decay. The Dynamic Duo is just as important to Batman's morale as it is to Gotham City.

As Bruce takes Tim under his wing carefully and slowly, it puts an end to his recklessness and brutality from Y3 and ALPOD, and by the time we get to The Crimesmith, he returns to his detective methods and principles with a clearer frame of mind. Had it not been for Tim, Batman would've been dead by now.