Today's colouring book is another one I had as a kid, Batman and Robin Battle the Joker in "Comedy of Tears" I borrowed the cover image from Rob Kelly's Treasury Comics website because this tabloid sized volume is too big for my scanner.While the cover is a 60's image by Carmine Infantino (which also graced the Mego Batman box) the insides reflect the Batman of the mid seventies, Robin looks to be about 18.Whitman did a nice job marrying the modern art style while making the content just a little reminiscent of the Adam West series.I must say as a kid, I really dug this book, probably why I still have it as an adult. Most of the colouring is by yours truly but I'll explain that later.
The story starts out with the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum and decides to think outside the box, instead of making people laugh, he'll make them cry. Bruce Wayne is wearing the loudest jacket he can find, no second guessing the decade here.
The Joker, who is drawn to look like an eery combination of Phyllis Diller and that "Madame" puppet, embarks on a series of seemingly meaningless crimes that make people cry, like stealing this kid's report card and swiping some schlub's petition.
Of course, the Joker wants the signatures on those documents to commit crimes which leads into his first encounter with the Dynamic Duo. Note the Joker's green nose, this is another strange colouring job by the previously mentioned Michael C. He was a menace, I remember snapping about this.
In the end, the Dynamic Duo get the best of the Joker by duping him into accepting a cheque as ransom for Robin. The dynamic duo get all dressed up to pick him up for his trip back to the asylum. Life is swell in Gotham city.
Got a colouring book you'd like to guest review? Drop me a line!
Seriously, I'm running out of stuff here, I'm down to my daughter's "My Little Pony" book.
