Year One: Batman 405

Batman #405 (March 1987)
"War Is Declared"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Karen: Although this four part series is called "Batman Year One," it could easily be called "Jim Gordon Year One" because the future commissioner Gordon gets equal time with the new-born Dark Knight. This issue opens with Gordon racing to a hostage situation. A mentally ill man with a gun is holding three children hostage. No one can really figure out what he wants, as he's not making any sense. As Gordon speeds through a downpour to get there, he hears over the radio that the SWAT team is on its way too. Like the rest of the Gotham police, the SWAT team is a collection of violent hooligans and Gordon fears that if they get there first, it'll be a massacre. Gordon pulls up quickly and by force of will, backs the SWAT leader off.
Doug: Miller does a good job of portraying Jim Gordon's personality -- his hopes and fears, his mental state as he speeds to this call. And is there no end to the corruption of the GCPD? So many twists and turns as Gordon feels his way through his new department. Mazzuchelli's pictures as Gordon floors it and then screeches to a halt at the crime scene are quite effective. Watching the bystanders scatter as Gordon careens nearly out of control adds a real sense of urgency to this situation.

Karen: Gordon looks up at the window where the gunman stands and pointedly drops his gun, so the man will see he is unarmed. He enters the broken-down tenement and approaches the crazed man, who is spouting nonsense while holding a gun to the head of a young girl. Gordon easily disarms the man and everyone survives. But he's made a lot of enemies on the force with his "white hat" behavior, and he knows it. He practices his marksmanship, all the while thinking how he hates his gun and he hates his job. At home a few nights later, his pregnant wife Barbara gives him a back rub, when suddenly he gets a phone call from the Commissioner. It's something about a giant bat.

Doug: This particular scene, in the way it plays out, definitely rocks a "parallel lives" vibe. If the artist had silhouetted Gordon's figure and left only the action and the speech balloons, it would be difficult to distinguish Gordon's disarming of the man and his driven determination at the shooting range from that of the Batman. And it's no secret that this is what Miller is going for, two sides of the same coin, wanting to do the right thing albeit with different approaches. Both meting out justice, one step at a time. It's interesting that as the commissioner keeps getting complaints from within the force, he is for the moment supporting Gordon -- after all, the press is on Gordon' side, and you don't mess with people who buy their ink by the barrel.

Karen: That 'giant bat', obviously our young Batman, is out testing his costume, and himself. He confronts a group of three young thieves on a fire escape. "The costume works," he thinks, as his appearance causes the three to freeze momentarily. Unfortunately, as he bounds into them , one falls over the rail, and Batman - thinking "I'm no killer" - has to grab the boy by the ankle while the other two pound on him. After getting bashed on the head with a TV, Batman finally manages to disable the two and pull the boy up. But it's obvious he has a long way to go in perfecting his methods.
Doug: This is a well-choreographed scene. I could really feel the tension as the battle escalated. But Batman held onto the kid's ankle, even while dispensing some pain. I'm not sure I was buying the last couple of panels that played out before the dropped television hit the concrete (20 stories below!).

Karen: A month later, Gordon is briefing a room of detectives. Three drawings on the wall behind him depict various descriptions of Batman -- one looks like Man-Bat, another is almost Zorro-like, and the third looks a lot like how Batman appeared in his earliest appearances. Gordon says that Batman has committed 78 acts of assault in five weeks -- so it's safe to say, he's been busy. This is also where we first meet Detective Essen -- a tall, attractive blond. We also see that Flass, the dirty thug cop that Gordon beat up in the last issue, is sitting in the briefing room with a cast on his arm and a neck brace. A smiling Gordon says that the Batman has graduated to taking down drug suppliers and any cops that might be helping them -- and then asks Flass to describe his encounter with the vigilante. Flass' narrative of what happened and the illustrations that accompany are of course at odds with each other. He claims he was about to take down some drug criminals when he heard "giant wings flap. It flew down from the sky... the wings were about thirty feet across..." The other cops chuckle at him. He says the 'creature' was hit point blank by bullets and just laughed. He describes how it took out the criminals and himself and his fellow cops just roast him.
Doug: This scene with Flass' narration of his exploits was really humorous. He was right in the thick of the dirty deed when the Batman showed up! What do you think of Miller's typical depiction of the Batarang as a small throwing star-type of weapon? It's sure a far cry from the old boomerang-type of Batarang that was hinged to fit in the utility belt.

Karen: Different, and probably more deadly. I assume it was due to Miller's fascination with martial arts movies. Four nights later, Batman lurks outside the Mayor's mansion. His Honor is hosting a party. After ensuring that the chauffeurs waiting outside will sleep through his coming activities, he hunkers down and listens to the guests inside. The Commissioner, seated at the dining table, gets a phone call from Gordon and afterward complains about the man. Batman keeps hearing that name -"All the right people seem to hate him" he notes. Besides the commissioner, crime boss Falcone is another guest, and he complains that Batman is hurting his business. He also complains about assistant district attorney Harvey Dent. Suddenly the lights go out, the room fills with smoke, and the wall opposite the diners blows apart, with the dark figure of the Batman standing there. "You've eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. Its spirit. Your feast is nearly over. From this moment on -- none of you are safe."

Doug: The smoke, the subterfuge, the fear tactics -- all of this became hallmarks of the Batman persona after Miller's handling of the character. We saw elements of this in the 1989 Batman movie as influenced by this very story. I liked the way the Batman moved along the circle drive in front of the mansion, disarming (!) chauffeurs left and right. It was pretty obvious even before we the readers got a peek inside that this was a shady gathering.

Karen: The commissioner is demanding that Gordon catch Batman, or he'll be axed. Gordon sets up some traps, using decoy cops apparently committing crimes, but Batman is on to him. While Gordon tries to catch him, he humiliates the crime lords. Gordon pays a visit to Harvey Dent,whom he suspects is actually Batman. But he can prove nothing. However, unknown to Gordon, Dent is working with the vigilante; the extent of this relationship is unclear.

Doug: I guess I was unaware "back in the day" at how noble a soul Harvey Dent was before he became Two-Face. Miller plays it up here, and of course the recent Christopher Nolan flick The Dark Knight was rife with this characterization of Harvey Dent, a "white knight". Miller must have had a soft spot for Dent, as he was a major player in the first issue of The Dark Knight Returns. I wonder why he never did a full-on Two Face story?

Karen: Gordon and Detective Essen are on patrol, cruising round, and it's clear there's some attraction, at least on Gordon's part. A delivery truck swerves in front of them and they go to chase it down. There's something wrong with the driver. Just as it appears that the truck is about to run down and old woman, Batman comes out of nowhere and grabs her, pulling her out of the way. At the same time, Gordon has jumped into the cab of the truck to bring it to a halt. Essen jumps from the car and pulls a gun on Batman. But as soon as she glances back to see how Gordon is, Batman disarms her and disappears. Other cops show up and Gordon points them down the alley where the vigilante just went, all the while thinking about how the mystery man saved the old woman. The police fire repeatedly at Batman and manage to wound his leg, and he makes his way into an abandoned building, heading for the roof and freedom. However, despite Gordon's protestations, the commissioner orders in the SWAT team. A helicopter appears and drops a bomb on the derelict building, creating a huge fireball, with Batman still inside.
Doug: I think the subplot with Gordon and Sarah Essen further adds to the parallel lives aspect of the story. As Bruce Wayne is driven and flawed, we now see Gordon with feet of clay. Through most of these first two issues, he's lamented bringing his pregnant wife and unborn child to live in Gotham City. Mazzuchelli draws Barbara Gordon as very attractive, even sexy. Yet Gordon talks about tasting Essen's lipstick on the cigarette she's lit for him, and how as they drive along her fingernails dig into his knee -- both of these things obviously turn him on.

Doug: The GCPD, and indeed the political machine that runs the city, is a mess, isn't it? We've gone, in the space of half of this book, from the guys in charge wanting to preserve Gordon to now doing whatever they can to embarrass him. And the Batman? From drawing public attention away from the corruption of Gotham to messing with the wrong people and now on the extermination list. The second half of this story promises to be exciting!

Karen: Doug and I have frequently complained that today's comics take all of five minutes to read. Well I have to tell you, this took me about 40 minutes to get through! There's so much going on here. It's amazing to see the story progression. The events in this issue alone would easily fill three issues in our current era of decompression. All in all, an exciting story, with some nice character introductions, and some real growing pains for Batman.

Discuss: Whatever the 1st Commenter Says We Should Discuss!

Doug: Veterans of this site know we've from time-to-time thrown open the doors of the Open Forum for our users' use. Today it's "Discuss". First one in -- give us a word or short phrase (character name, comic-related topic, genre-sort-of-thing, whatever) that we can chew on today. If you want a list of things we've already talked about in this feature, you can check out this link.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Karen: Rather than the usual leprechaun stuff, how about this lovely John Romita Sr. rendition of the mysterious Medusa, in the appropriate colors?

 

So, About This Bad Art Thing...

Doug: Last Monday's introductory post on the Frank Miller/David Mazzuchelli classic "Batman: Year One" brought about some discussion on line art and coloring, and to be honest it got a wee bit contentious. We've had these sorts of art/artist discussions in the past during various post-commenting, but what the heck -- let's have it again! Maybe some of you have updated thoughts, or just want the opportunity to put all of your opinions regarding comic book art down in one place. Certainly we hope to have some newcomers participate in the conversation. Overall, you know this may branch off in some tangential direction, and isn't that the beauty of a bunch of pals sitting around talking four-color shop?

Doug: There's no doubt that once the cover of your favorite mag is peeled back you're going to be faced with what some of us consider a better-than-50% element of the story, and that's the pictures. As I've remarked many times, the art is slightly more important to me than the writing. I've said that I can still look at and admire the pretty pictures, even if I don't want to read the story again. A great case would be the first issue of Neal Adams' recent effort Batman: Odyssey. After reading the premiere, I didn't care if I saw issue #2 or not -- Adams' writing was off-putting to me, and I did not at all care for the graphic violence. But there are panels and pages in that book that are wonderful!

Doug: Many of you sing the praises of Gil Kane; you also like John Buscema and Jack Kirby. These masters' work, laid side-by-side, couldn't be more different. Yes, there are similarities in terms of cinematic storytelling, but the detail of the figurework is what separates them. All quality, but all recognizable in their uniqueness. But there are others of you who dig Kane yet don't like Ross Andru. For me, there are definite similarities!

Doug: So today we want you to lay it all out -- what do you like and not like? How important is coloring? Who can surpass any inker's line, and who needs some help? Do certain artists excel at creating moodiness, or do others suffer in that regard? Why is Sal Buscema "steady" and many of us denigrate Al Milgrom? Today is "put your money where your mouth is" day on the BAB.

Discuss: Let's Play A Game!

Karen: Ah, the joy of pulling out that cardboard box and setting up the board, picking out your playing piece...what were some of your favorite board games as a kid?

Karen: We had several in my house. There was the completely insane Mousetrap, which was more about setting up the Rube Goldberg-like plastic contraption than actually playing the game. In a similar fashion, the Planet of the Apes game had a great deal of set up (but really cool pictures on the box!). My brother had the Amazing Kreskin game, which seemed less like a game and more like a talent show. I loved the ESP cards and the pendulum, even though we never managed to hypnotize anyone.

Karen: Games I always wanted included the Green Ghost game, which you knew had to be cool because it glowed in the dark! I also desperately wanted Battleship, which Hollywood has somehow turned into a movie. What's next, a big budget Uno? A friend of mine had Clue and I really enjoyed playing that.

Karen: Of course we played Monopoly and Life, but they were never terribly exciting to me. And forget Candyland! That was for babies!

Karen: What games did you love? Which ones did you long for?

You Suggested...

Doug: Way back on January 2 2011 Karen and I opened up a "suggestion box" and put a link on the sidebar. Several of you have taken advantage of it to offer criticisms and a "want list" for posts you'd like to see on this blog. Admittedly, we're not always right on top of replying to your missives and questions, so we thought we'd take a pause today to see if we've met any of those expectations... and tell you why we haven't met others! So, here goes --

Doug: Edo Bosnar suggested several great ideas for series we could do, including the JSA/JLA crossovers. We actually did get to a fun one that also included the Legion of Super-Heroes. I have one of the "Crisis" tpbs, so perhaps we can do another one sometime. Edo also suggested the "Nights of Wundagore" arc from the Avengers -- let's make a deal: the next time we do an Avengers tale, we'll do this one. Great suggestion. As to Marvel Team-Ups #'s 82-85, I don't have those issues so that one will have to be on hold.

Karen: If we have the same "Crisis" tpbs, let's clear a spot on the calendar for another JLA-JSA team up. Those books still feel like summer to me! Unfortunately I don't think I have those issues of MTU either.

Doug: Trevscan suggested Incredible Hulk Annual #7. While that sounds like a fantastic Giant-Size June suggestion, I don't own it. I think Karen does, so maybe we can work something out. Our G-S June/July feature has been a favorite of ours for the past two summers, and we'd like to do it again here in a few months.

Karen: I'm pretty sure I have that Hulk. I'll have to do a little digging to be sure. Our Giant-Size reviews are always fun so count on more of those.

Doug: Rick J. offered up a request for some Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans. Karen and I have each recently purchased the new NTT graphic novel, Games. Look for a review in the future. We've also batted around "The Judas Contract" in our editorial meetings (david_b, you suggested that one specifically). So far it hasn't made the cut, but that doesn't deny its significance.

Karen: I wouldn't be opposed to looking at some of the early issues as well.
Doug: david_b also suggested Dr. Who a looonggg time ago. Check.

Doug: Sean Strange suggested an Open Forum on favorite future worlds. Check.

Doug: Erik Monroe suggested we review Marvel Premiere #31, the first appearance of Woodgod. At present, neither of us have this book. However, if it shows up in one of the coming Marvel Firsts volumes, we may get to it. No opposition here.

Karen: I actually used to have this, but it was a part of "The Missing Longbox" that disappeared between California and Arizona.

Doug: david_b wanted us to visit the X-Men in the interim period. He wrote, "I'm sure there's more, but the ones I'm aware of are Amazing Adventures #11 and 12 (3/72 and 5/72), MTU #4 (9/72), Incredible Hulk #172 (2/74), Captain America #172 – 175 (4/74 to 7/74) and Avengers #110-111 (4/73 to 5/73). Might seem interesting how the House of Ideas kept our rascally mutants in the reader's radar until sufficient interest was built back up." We've actually done some of those recently with our look at the Beast and a guest-appearance by Havok and Polaris in the Hulk. Also, see the old "Two Girls..." blog for a review of the "Secret Empire" storyline.

Doug: Sith Master Sean invited us to look at some Star Wars, Star Trek-type posts. We've gotten several of those in. Want more?

Doug: david_b is a fan of The Big Bang Theory. Apparently many others are, too! Check. Additionally, he requested a look at audio adventures from the Bronze Age. We're not sure about that one at present.

Karen: Yeah, that one is unlikely, at least for now.

Doug: Lastly, Garrett wants to see some Master of Kung fu. Garrett, I don't have any -- none at all! I was never a reader, not even casually. However, I'm not saying it's a dead idea. As long as this blog continues, we've certainly got plenty of fodder for future discussions!

Karen: I only have a handful of MOKF, so this one's on the backburner, I'm afraid.

Doug: Thanks to everyone who leaves comments daily, who's left us something in the suggestion box, and even to you lurkers. We appreciate your presence, and we really do read your thoughts and ideas. Keep 'em coming!

Karen: What he said!

Discuss: Space:1999

Karen: I'm sure most of you recall this late 70s British science fiction show. I remember eagerly anticipating its arrival in the U.S., as I was already a fan of two other shows produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (Thunderbirds and UFO). Unfortunately it was shown late on Sunday nights in my neck of the woods, making it difficult for me to see regularly. It only lasted two seasons. It certainly had its own style and the Eagle spacecraft are quite memorable. But the episodes I saw always left me a bit cold. Did you watch Space:1999? What did you think of it?

Year One: Batman 404

Batman #404 (February 1987)
"Who I Am, How I Came To Be"
Frank Miller-David Mazzuchelli

Doug: From Batman: Year One through the events of The Dark Knight Returns, did the Batman make a difference in Gotham City? That's a question we'll ask you again at the conclusion of this 4-part series of posts. Beginning today, we'll spend a month with Frank Miller's and David Mazzuchelli's stand-out mini-series that gave the post-"Crisis" Batman a detailed backstory. At the conclusion of this run, we'll also give a review of the feature-length DVD by the same name that came out shortly before Christmas 2011.

Doug: We've discussed Frank Miller around here before, both the man and his work as well as his most famous book, the aforementioned Dark Knight. Everyone knows his penchant for writing noir tales, of crime and criminals at their seediest. When going back through Batman: Year One, it's pretty obvious the seeds that were being planted that would grow into Miller's notorious Sin City series. The Gotham City that we meet on the first page is torn right from Miller's later Dark Horse work.

Karen: Just want to say here that I dug out my copies of these books and I realized I haven't read them in probably over a decade.

Doug: We begin with a dual narrative, of two men arriving in Gotham City at the same time, with the same mission -- to clean up the corruption, crime, and general hopelessness of one of America's largest morasses. Lt. James Gordon arrives on an elevated train, wishing he were in an airplane and pledging to make sure his wife does indeed fly in when she comes to join him. Twenty-five year old Bruce Wayne arrives on an airplane, and while impressed with the scope of the city wishes he were on a train so he could be closer to the filth. Gordon seems a reluctant hero, second-guessing himself and all the while wondering what he's gotten himself into. Wayne exudes ambitious self-confidence, and is eager to get to his work. Wayne is greeted by the media who question where he's been the past 13 years; Gordon is met by a Detective Flass, a cop worth keeping an eye on.

Karen: It's an interesting contrast. One thing I noticed was how Gordon's narration is written in very orderly, basic block letters, while Wayne's are in a tight cursive. It adds a little more depth to the story, although it's kind of surprising to see Wayne using the more personal handwriting. The letterer was Todd Klein, who has always treated his lettering as another aspect of the art.

Doug: The early part of the story deals a lot with characterization. Gordon meets Commissioner Loeb, and Wayne meets Alfred (again). Wayne describes Wayne Manor as a "fortress", Gordon goes on patrol with Flass -- and watches him virtually destroy some street punks. Police brutality? You betcha. Bruce works out on the grounds of his estate, obliterating a pile of bricks and halving a full-grown tree with a series of kicks -- yet he's not ready. Gordon begins to clean up his department, punishing rogues and making rules. Wayne prepares to go on his first patrol, to the worst part of Gotham. And both men will meet their matches.

Karen: At this stage, I'm actually more interested in Gordon than Wayne. We're given a lot of clues as to what's going on with him -he's not happy about his wife's pregnancy, he had some trouble in the past that involved bringing down a fellow cop - and he's obviously not going to fit in with this corrupt Gotham police force.

Doug: Bruce shows what we've known about him for years -- that he is a master of disguise. In yet another mask episode, Wayne applies make-up and a fake scar to his face and then wades into the Lower East Side of Gotham. It's a land of strip joints, bars, and hookers. Bruce is hit on by what appears to be a 12-year old girl, whose pimp is none-too-happy that she doesn't score the way he taught her. As he talks down to her, Bruce gets agitated and picks a fight. When I was reading this, I kept seeing the hitman from the Costner/Connery flick The Untouchables -- anyone else see that film and think the guy pictured (see below) looks like him? Observing all of this is some dominatrix with a crew cut... named Selina. Wow. So much for the socialite jewel thief from 1940!

Karen: It's been a long time since I saw The Untouchables, so I don't recall the character you mention. What I thought of was the Joker! In the original comic, the guy has white skin; not the pink that denotes caucasian, but milk-white flesh, and a purple suit! I can't help but think this was done on purpose, yet I don't think it's supposed to be the Joker, either. I recall being shocked that Catwoman was depicted as a possibly lesbian dominatrix too.

Doug: Yeah, as we go through the story, Selina's relationship to the child prostitute in this scene is somewhat ambiguous. Say, did you happen to notice the homages to the Golden Age Batman creators as Bruce Wayne enters this quagmire? Various landmarks are named Robinson, Sprang, and Finger. Nice touch. No Kane, though?

Karen: I did indeed notice that. And yes, Selina and Holly's connection is worrisome, if Holly is as young as we think she is, and their relationship is more than friendly.

Doug: James Gordon is also getting some trouble. Leaving his apartment for work, leaving his newly pregnant wife, Gordon's accosted by four men in ski masks -- with baseball bats. Gordon's no fool -- he recognizes mannerisms and voices and knows who his assailants are, why they're there, and what they're in for. Holding his own, Gordon gives out some punishment. But he succumbs to the superior numbers, who beat him within an inch of the hospital and leave him with a warning. Their mistake.

Karen: They've established that Gordon won't be corrupted, so we're rooting for him. He's a brave man but he's no Batman, and four men with baseball bats are nothing to laugh at. It's interesting that most of the violence here is really suggested, rather than shown.

Doug: The creators get a ton of mileage out of the coloring in this series. It really is a color version of Sin City.

Doug: Bruce is now in a full-fledged melee. Selina has hit the ground, and she's tough. A knife to the thigh limits Bruce's mobility, and when the heat shows up, Bruce is winged. Down, he's cuffed and put in the squad car. Drifting in and out of consciousness, he musters enough of his senses to threaten the cops and tell them to pull over. They don't and it's their trouble now. Bruce snaps his cuffs and creates enough chaos in the car to get it to crash. As the vehicle bursts into flames, Wayne rescues the cops and deposits them a safe distance from the inferno. He then finds his way back to his Porsche (really? You're going undercover, in a Porsche?) and winds back toward the Manor.

Karen: It's pretty impressive how he snaps the chain on those cuffs! I kind of doubt an unenhanced human could do it, actually. The panels where Bruce is climbing out of the flaming car are really well done.

Doug: On the way home, Wayne's in really bad shape. Swerving all over, he has a chance encounter with Gordon and about runs him off the road. Gordon's on a mission of his own. He's called into the station for Flass; Flass is out, with the boys. Gordon goes to one of his cop's house and waits. Flass is the last to leave. Gordon tails him, and when the time is right he runs Flass into a tree. Gordon gets out of his car with a baseball bat and a gun; he drops the gun, as does Flass. Gordon tosses the bat to Flass and then proceeds to kick the crap out of him. Flass is big, and with Green Beret training; Gordon's just bad. Flass ends up naked, bound by his own cuffs. He'll tell no one.

Karen: Gordon's 'justice' was definitely cathartic, at least for me. He doesn't kill Flass, he utterly humiliates him, which might even be worse for Flass. Again, most of the panels are in silhouette so the violence is really more suggested than shown.

Doug: Bruce has made it back to Wayne Manor, crashing his Porsche in the garage. Staggering up to his father's study, he bleeds. And bleeds. And laments calling Alfred, who could make it all better. Bruce seems to pray to his father, asking him for a sign, wanting to do this right. We see the scene yet again, of the Wayne family at a showing of The Mark of Zorro, and of Joe Chill's double homicide. As Bruce broods, dangerously close to passing out, a giant bat bursts through the window and lights on a bust. I shall become a bat...

Karen: He must have 20 gallons of blood in him, to have an arterial bleed and still be alive after two car rides and two car crashes. The one page recap of how Bruce's parents were killed is a great example of how concisely a story can be told -5 panels! And that closing page is extremely cinematic.

Doug: I really liked this issue. After I read it, and as I began to type this I decided to revisit our previous Miller/Dark Knight posts. Many who left comments moaned that Miller caught lightning in a bottle with Dark Knight and never gathered it again. But I think here we have all of what was good about that first issue of Dark Knight -- the pace is fast, the dialogue snappy, the situations grim but not too much. David Mazzuchelli's minimalist art seems perfect here, and the coloring really adds to the mood. This book is a near-perfect meshing of all of the integral elements of a good comic book.

Karen: It still holds up. It's still sort of jarring to me to see streetwalker Catwoman, but it's a well-told story and it nice to see Gordon getting some development. Hard to believe it has been 25 years since this came out!

Not Fade Away

Doug: The attention around John Carter, Warlord of Mars has me thinking about other "timeless" characters. Since we're all pop-o-philes around here, I'm wondering today about a very broad discussion of characters -- comic, film, literary, pop-culture -- you name it. My question to you is about staying power.

Doug: I think anyone out there would freely admit that between Edgar Rice Burroughs' two most famous creations, John Carter is pretty far down the public consciousness meter. Tarzan? There probably aren't too many folks around who could attest to never having heard of the Lord of the Jungle. Which reminds me of a thought I read many, many years ago; I believe it was in an annual almanac, and may have actually been in the preface of the section on pop culture. Anyway, the author said there were a handful of fictional characters who were known worldwide. Among those on the list were Tarzan, Superman, and Mickey Mouse.

Doug: Just this past week I saw a picture of Johnny Depp as Tonto in a still promoting an upcoming Lone Ranger revival. I don't know that I've thought too much about the Lone Ranger in the past several years. So there's our question for this Sunday -- who are the characters in our various cultures that you think will still be relevant decades from now? Who has that intergenerational staying power? And why do we keep coming back to them? As usual, thanks in advance for you participation today!