Batman Plus Arsenal #1 (1997)

Note: Article originally written in May, 2007.

“Beauty and the Beast”
Writer: Devin Grayson
Pencils: Rodolfo Damaggio

In 1996 and 1997, DC released a series of “PLUS” books. Slightly larger than normal, they featured characters with established titles teaming up with other random heroes who were without a title. Sort of a modern version of “Brave and the Bold”. Other “PLUS” titles included “Superman plus the Legion of SuperHeroes”, “Green Lantern plus the Ray”, “Azrael plus the Question” and a few more that escape my memory. The idea seemed like a compliment to the annuals, but apparently didn’t prove too popular, as only Robin and Superboy made it to a #2 and the “PLUS” books died out by the end of 1997.

This issue features Batman teaming up with Arsenal– Roy Harper, the former Speedy/Checkmate agent/CBI agent/ drug addict/coincidental Led Zeppelin song subject, who was fresh out of a book after “New Titans” had folded. He’s received a picture from the KGBeast, who’s holding Cheshire hostage. Cheshire’s the assassin who Arsenal knocked up and produced a little girl with. She also nuked the country of Qurac sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s (oft-referenced event, but I can’t recall where that happened– maybe in an issue of “Checkmate”?). Now, KGBeast has arranged to sell her to a group of Quracis, at an airport outside of Gotham City. Arsenal goes to his old Titans buddy Nightwing for assistance. Nightwing’s busy with Blackmask’s False Face Society and refers Arsenal to Batman.

Batman and Arsenal sneak into a Federal building, where they run into some Checkmate agents and a high-strung agent Kostmayer, who apparently has a tumultuous history with Arsenal. In a humorous moment, Arsenal whips out his cell phone and orders 17 pizzas to Kostmayer’s office, while distracting the Checkmate knights. Arsenal also calls his apartment to check on his daughter and babysitter– the babysitter is being held at gunpoint and gives a reluctant “okay”— be sure to remember this plot point as we go forward, campers. Back in the Fed building, Batman is able to sneak some information on the KGBeast’s whereabouts. The heroes then track the KGBeast to the always convenient abandoned construction site for a quick brawl. KGBeast manages to escape, with the help of a “mysterious” assistant.

Later, they try to catch the Beast at the airport, during the actual exchange. Both heroes notice that the Beast isn’t really in possession of Cheshire– he’s using a corpse dressed up as her. The Checkmate agents are there as well, but Batman manages to throw them off the trail, by blowing up KGBeast’s plane. With the agents written out, Batman and Arsenal instantly pursue KGBeast into his Ultra Secret Underground Base, located right under the airport. After evading some lame death traps, the heroes find out that the villain has escaped again. Batman clues Arsenal in to the fact that Cheshire is really working in cahoots with the KGBeast. So they fly to Zurich, home of Cheshire’s bank account.

It turns out that KGBeast was actually holding Arsenal and Cheshire’s daughter, Lian, hostage. Cheshire was working with KGBeast under duress. While Arsenal dukes it out with the Beast, Batman and Cheshire have a little chat. Arsenal electrocutes KGBeast with a taser and a lucky puddle. Lian instantly pops up, safe and sound. Cheshire turns herself in, and the heroes are happy. Now, Cheshire is supposedly a deadly assassin and dangerous supervillain. So it’s perplexing why Cheshire wasn’t able to stand up to, or take out, the fairly dim-witted KGBeast and his few flunkies. Hey, I understand that he had the kid stuffed in a duffel bag…but it apparently wasn’t that far away. Why not just shoot the big Russian lummox with your poison finger nails, grab the kid and go home? Plus, remember that call to the babysitter earlier? Arsenal had recently left his daughter at home with a babysitter, before he left for Gotham for the night. He had JUST SEEN HER, at home, before this story began.

Soooo..how would the Beast have held Lian hostage and coerced Cheshire’s cooperation over the past few days? The timing and geography don’t line up.

Either way, Arsenal must have a huge babysitting bill. He gets a sitter for the night, then hops an international flight to Zurich.. and the babysitter’s still waiting at home. Heck, Arsenal should borrow a page from the Lazy-Bum’s Guide to Babysitting: all you need is a hammer, some nails and duct tape. Nail one of the kid’s feet to the floor and tape his/her mouth shut with duct tape. Problem solved….no need for a sitter and you’ve got the entire night to yourself.

There’s no way this entire story took place over one evening. It’s possible the first three parts took place over the course of two hours, but the international flight to Zurich probably took longer. Maybe it was one of those “chronal anomalies” from Zero Hour and Infinite Crisis?! Wow, they’ve planned this for YEARS! I dunno’… you really have to fill in the blanks to explain Logic in Comics.

Creatively, things are about par for the course. The “New York Baseball Connection” art team of DaMaggio and Campanella does an adequate job.
Not flashy, but not awful. DaMaggio had a fair run on Green Arrow in the mid 90’s and had a draftsmans-like feel to his work, making some of his characters appear too rigid at times. He disappeared from comics in late ’99 and I’m not sure what became of him. The coloring is very dark and threatens to smother the art in certain instances.

The scripting is a mixed bag. Batman sparsely speaks, but when he does it’s usually important. At one point, he mentions to Arsenal that he misses Oliver Queen, as well. He comes off as quiet and strict, yet also shifts into thoughtful and compassionate mode when the need arises. Batman’s a tough guy to get to know and it’s hard to earn his respect. But once you’ve earned his respect, he’s your loyal buddy. He helps out the
annoying Arsenal with family matters– partly out of respect for the deceased Green Arrow, but mostly because it’s the right thing to do.
Batman was usually written well up until late 1999, and in this story he’s not the brooding, paranoid asshole he became in 2000. He doesn’t attack Cheshire– he simply stops her attack and talks with her.

Arsenal’s dialogue is well below average. He babbles alot and his attempts at humor aren’t even remotely amusing. A poor low-level version of Spider-Man. Garbed in orange shoulderpads and carrying a crossbow, he looks like a GI Joe action figure from 1993. He whips out firearms on occasion, but no mention of Batman’s stern anti-gun rule is included. Finally, KGBeast is your stereotypical Russian Bad Guy. A battlecry of “you are both to be dying” is a prime sample of his Boris Badinov script.

A quick team-up story, but don’t get too involved with the plot. It plays out a little bit like a superhero version of a mid-90’s action “buddy” movie. However, the title should’ve’ added a fair warning saying: “Batman Plus Arsenal plus Devin Grayson equals Loss of 3 Bucks”.

Oh yeah…also wanted to mention that this is my favorite Bat-suit. The all-black suit with the distinctive yellow emblem. Obviously inspired by the movies, but I think all-black works better for Bats. Plus, the Bat-symbol was the traditional yellow-on-black version with the tipped wings.. not the bloated, inconsistent emblem that’s been appearing in the comics since ’99.

Summary: Arsenal and Batman fight KGBeast, ride in Batmobile and hop to Germany. Lian harper reveals her seldom used Instant Global Teleportation Power.
Cover price: 2.95
Rating: .50