Only Legends Live Forever, part 2
Adventure Comics #462
Cover Dated: March / April 1979
Released: 14th December 1978
Released: 14th December 1978
Now I’m not sure if it’s obvious from the covers but someone very important dies in this issue! And apparently all the floating heads of the Earth-1 heroes, except ironically Deadman, seem really happy about this fact. And get used to Power Girl looking sad at funerals (well variations of the same one) because that’s all she does in this issue with her underwater for the actual fight. Though I’ll give the JSA a pass as they spend most of the issue unconscious. In case it’s not obvious this is a story very much about the Waynes (actual and adopted) or at least half a story as it’s obvious that the story has been cut into two to fit into the comics page count.
After a splash page showing the grave of Bruce, and number two weepy Kara, we open proper with a quick summary and a neat little picture looking down at the top of one of the towers, including a pretty subtle bat shadow. Then with a maniac, apparently called Jensen, having the JSA at his mercy and showing some instability Bruce talks SEVERAL MINUTES going to
the JSA trophy room to pick up his spare Batman costume. Okay so apparently there just happens to be a Batman museum inside the Tower, but it’s still a weird flex when the man is screaming for Wyne. I assume spare as he apparently burnt the original, no more than a year ago, at the death of his wife Selina. It’s a strange choice as Jensen has been calling for Bruce the whole time and it would make sense for Bruce to show up as y’know Bruce and try and talk the man done. This isn’t the master planner of later Earth-1 iterations. It’s a shame as the rest of the page is really a really touching summary about the loss of his wife and him giving up the cowl.
Even then he doesn’t put on the best of showings as all he does is rescue Flash who’s thrown of the building, because the man is fed up waiting for Bruce, and does the startling tactics of walking towards the man causing his power to build up and kill the two of them. Between that is a little tussle with the JSA but it really doesn’t go anywhere as they’re still getting their arse handed to them. And talking of the actual moment Bruce dies is ruined because the artist felt the need to show Huntress, who is watching her dad die remember, watch the scene unfold in such a way that we can see her butt. Instead of maybe her tear-filled face at the whole senselessness of his death.
The rest of the issue is the epilogue that is mostly around Bruce’s grave (Kara at his grave number three) and concentrates on Helena and Dick (the only two not in costume, Wonder Woman wrapped in a rather cool blue cloak with a star pattern). They talk about the legacy of Batman and that neither of them can ever take on the mantle of Batman, though it seems that both think the others want to take up the title. And a Helena Batwoman would have been interested, as long as we still get our Kat obviously! And yes I know technically Eath-2 should have a Kate Kane Batwoman, but everyone forgot at this point and when they remembered it didn’t end up to well. We then close out the issue with the JSA watching the two, the final non-graveside appearance of Kara, and a reminder that some give Jensen the powers and a setup for the next issue.
It’s not a terrible issue, suffering a little from being the tail half of a cut-down story, but it’s a weird little story to kill off one of DC’s big two even if it’s “only” the Earth-2 versions. Maybe I’m spoiled by the modern way of killing of a major character with the whole issue setting up the death and maybe another issue dealing with the funeral and fallout of the event.