Silent but deadly . . . For Real!

This issue: Max Allan Collins makes his lasting addition to The Batman's rogues gallery. You guessed it, she's a mime! The Mime! This is actually a pretty fun issue, but c'mon, don't cover-blurb it like it's a new villain we will ever care about seeing again. We really won't. Before I move, Kevin Nowlan once again draws someting really well. That guy's great!

To begin: Someone robbed a church. That's low. The Batmobile has a swell novelty plate. Wait, that's on the back. That's a real license plate. I guess it helps to have friends in law enforcement . . .

Turns out, it's the Mime's been doin' crimes! Not the biggest revelation, really. Why do comics even have covers, if all they do is spoil surprises? Anyhow, I think Collins only wrote this so he could use all the mime jokes in his repertoire. Funny thing is, I get the impression Batman is being dead serious right now.

Not so much here. Here he's just chillin' in the commish's office while Gordon laments having to round up a bunch of literal clowns for the witness to identify. Didn't work out. Where's Batman's toothpick? He needs a toothpick here.

And that repertoire of mime jokes is exhausted already. Seriously, the oldest mime joke in the world is "Mime's are lousy." Come on. Batman offers some sage words of wisdom.

In the end, they save heavy rock group "Blister Twister" from the Mime's insidious acts of quiet terror and let them get on with covering Simon & Garfunkel (seriously). Then Batman questions everything he stands for in order to illustrate the generation gap.

thanks to Batman # 412 (Oct. 1987) Written by Max Allan Collins, penciled by Dave Cockrum, inked by Don Heck