Last night I read the first issue of GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE. I knew it would involve the kidnapping of Bruce Wayne's aunt. What I wasn't expecting (though in retrospect, I should have) were all the Lindbergh kidnapping echoes. There were a LOT, including such subtle ones as rumors about the child's physical condition, the disappearance being found by the nursemaid, the father's reputation for playing pranks, the ransom note by someone who was clearly not an English speaker, the mark on the note, and so on.
How do I know this stuff? Wellllll - I live in Hackettstown, NJ, about an hour and a half from East Amwell Township, where the Lindbergh house was. And for about 15 years, my lovely wife and I were involved in a re-enactment of the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, which was staged annually in the original Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington, NJ, where the real trial took place in 1995. My lovely wife played Anna Hauptmann, wife of the accused, during our entire run. I originally played Arthur Koehler (who testified about the ladder found near the crime scene), but for the last 10 years I portrayed Bruno himself. (We're going to talk about Bruno, yes, yes, yes.) It was a fascinating experience, and we learned a lot.
Tom (if you're reading this), I'm curious to know what you used for your reference. I found that Jim Fisher's book THE LINDBERGH CASE to be the best account. Some of the wilder theories, such as the one where Lindbergh hired Hauptmann to kidnap the child, are just too much.
I know that this will play out differently in your story, of course, but I wanted you to know that at least ONE person appreciated the research you must have done!
And Phil Hester's art was superb. I look forward to seeing where this story goes over the next five months!
Tom, it's unlikely that you still read these comments, but Gotham City was terrific, and I hope there'll be more. Very strong the way it built to that ending. Initially you wonder why Bruce has to be dressed up as Batman to hear a story that would work just fine without him in it at all -- did DC ask for it? But then it becomes clear that it's his story as well. The last panel is focused on Bruce as Batman and there's a NWC word balloon next to him. If Bradley is his grandfather, which is strongly implied but never nailed down, then it's got a literal meaning, but it's true in either case.
On a related theme, have you read Dashiell Hammett's "Night Shade"? It's only three pages long, and when it ends it feels all wrong, as if a piece of tonal music had failed to resolve to the tonic. It starts off like a Philip Marlowe story, so you settle in for something long and complicated, but the details don't add up, and as soon as you learn something about the protagonist it stops dead. It takes a moment to realize that the sense of wrongness is intentional -- you've been identifying with someone you expect to see out in the world doing things, and found out he's shut out from that, and you're not supposed to feel all right about it. Hammett is using the genre itself to make his point. The last line in the story has a string in its tail.
Beautiful 😍... Bradley is to DC what Daredevil is for Marvel: all the great creators eventually leave their mark on him... cant wait for King’s turn at the plate!!!!
Dear Tom (I hope this finds its way to you),
Last night I read the first issue of GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE. I knew it would involve the kidnapping of Bruce Wayne's aunt. What I wasn't expecting (though in retrospect, I should have) were all the Lindbergh kidnapping echoes. There were a LOT, including such subtle ones as rumors about the child's physical condition, the disappearance being found by the nursemaid, the father's reputation for playing pranks, the ransom note by someone who was clearly not an English speaker, the mark on the note, and so on.
How do I know this stuff? Wellllll - I live in Hackettstown, NJ, about an hour and a half from East Amwell Township, where the Lindbergh house was. And for about 15 years, my lovely wife and I were involved in a re-enactment of the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, which was staged annually in the original Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington, NJ, where the real trial took place in 1995. My lovely wife played Anna Hauptmann, wife of the accused, during our entire run. I originally played Arthur Koehler (who testified about the ladder found near the crime scene), but for the last 10 years I portrayed Bruno himself. (We're going to talk about Bruno, yes, yes, yes.) It was a fascinating experience, and we learned a lot.
Tom (if you're reading this), I'm curious to know what you used for your reference. I found that Jim Fisher's book THE LINDBERGH CASE to be the best account. Some of the wilder theories, such as the one where Lindbergh hired Hauptmann to kidnap the child, are just too much.
I know that this will play out differently in your story, of course, but I wanted you to know that at least ONE person appreciated the research you must have done!
And Phil Hester's art was superb. I look forward to seeing where this story goes over the next five months!
Sincerely,
Bill
What Phil Hester can do with a few lines is remarkable. I am so looking forward to this collaboration!
I been looking forward to this one
Looking pretty rad. Love that initial splash page!
Tom, it's unlikely that you still read these comments, but Gotham City was terrific, and I hope there'll be more. Very strong the way it built to that ending. Initially you wonder why Bruce has to be dressed up as Batman to hear a story that would work just fine without him in it at all -- did DC ask for it? But then it becomes clear that it's his story as well. The last panel is focused on Bruce as Batman and there's a NWC word balloon next to him. If Bradley is his grandfather, which is strongly implied but never nailed down, then it's got a literal meaning, but it's true in either case.
On a related theme, have you read Dashiell Hammett's "Night Shade"? It's only three pages long, and when it ends it feels all wrong, as if a piece of tonal music had failed to resolve to the tonic. It starts off like a Philip Marlowe story, so you settle in for something long and complicated, but the details don't add up, and as soon as you learn something about the protagonist it stops dead. It takes a moment to realize that the sense of wrongness is intentional -- you've been identifying with someone you expect to see out in the world doing things, and found out he's shut out from that, and you're not supposed to feel all right about it. Hammett is using the genre itself to make his point. The last line in the story has a string in its tail.
Beautiful 😍... Bradley is to DC what Daredevil is for Marvel: all the great creators eventually leave their mark on him... cant wait for King’s turn at the plate!!!!