Rhapsodies

This is one I’ve been waiting to do for a while. Not the Batmobile it’self, but the crew working on it, as part of my “Batman has a support crew” theme.

It took me a while to choose who would be working on the Batmobile and the other vehicles. I briefly considered bringing in Natasha Irons, but because of her being part of the Superman franchise, as well as her personal growth in the 52 series, that felt like a demotion to me. Fortunately, I remembered Earl Cooper and his daughter Maarva from the animated episode “The Mechanic”. The Mechanic isn’t a great episode and despite some nice bits with the Penguin, it’s pretty much just an exposition dump.I like because it introduces these two great characters.  It also answers the question of where Batman gets his work done (and one of the unstated rules of this challenge is the animated series is canon unless I say it isn’t.)

As far as our present is concerned, Earl’s slowed down quite a bit and has relegated himself to the administrative duties of the Batcave’s engineering department leaving Maarva with the position of lead mechanic.

The Magic Tupperware gave me a relatively easy and fun one today with Poison Ivy.

At first glance, you’d think Ms. Isely would be problematic in the relatively realistic no power setting I’ve been putting together. Fortunately, in her case, all it takes is going back to basics. Back in her first appearance, Poison Ivy was a femme fatale with a gimmick. Admittedly being an expert in botany and toxicology is a good gimmick, but it’s still not quite the same as manipulating monster plants.

My only problem with this one is I think I put more effort into Ivy’s greenhouse then I did working on her.

Oh, we finally get to the one I’ve been looking forward to the most, The Penguin.

Growing up Oswald Cobblepot was my favorite Batman villain. I think it’s because Burgess Meredeth totally owned the role in the 1960s television show. It’s also probably because he was pretty much the de facto leader of the Rogues Gallery because he was the only one with any brains.

Regrettably, he’s the one who aged the worst. Where all the other villains were updated. The Penguin remained this cartoon of what people from the fifties thought a stereotypical, inbred gentleman looked like.

The first time I saw him being done seriously (or at least seriously so. Was in John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad run where he planned a covert operation into the Soviet Union. Since then he’s worked much better with the writers making him going semi-legit as a fence and information broker, working both sides.

So for this sketch, he gets a makeover. What classy outfit is more up to date but still has us thinking of a penguin? Well, we can lose the necktie, replace the dinner jacket with something a little classier and a Cuban instead of the top hat. The monocle has to go… I’m pretty sure no one’s been wearing them for over twenty years.

I’ll keep the cigarette holder… he has to have some affectations.