This Golden Age DC villain deserves his time in Batman: Caped Crusader

With Batman: The Masked CrusaderPrime Video has proven that they too can tell remarkable superhero stories through animation with such popular characters as Batman himself. But what makes Crusader with cape is particularly noteworthy the way the cartoon series portrays its villains. Layered and complex, full of inner turmoil, anger and a desire to take what they can’t have, Batman’s villains have always been the most iconic of all comics, whether from DC or elsewhere. But while we wait for a possible second season of this Prime Video series, there is one Golden Age Batman villain who Bruce Timm and Co. should really consider visiting again in the future: The Mad Monk.

Batman: The Masked Crusader (2024)

In Gotham City, where corruption and crime are rampant, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne is transformed into Batman after a personal tragedy. His relentless pursuit of justice earns him unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but also has deadly consequences. This series reimagines Batman’s mythology through the creative lenses of JJ Abrams, Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm.

Release date

1 August 2024

Creator

Bob Kane, Bruce Timm

Seasons

1

Franchise(s)

Batman

This classic villain drove Batman insane

Before Robin, the Joker and Catwoman arrived on the scene in 1940, few Batman characters made a real name for themselves, but one of those villains was the Monk, also known as Mad Monk. This occult foil first appeared in Detective Comics No. 31 in 1939, just a few issues after the Batman (occasionally stylized as Bat-Man). In addition, the Monk proved to be such a threat to the Caped Crusader that it was also the first multi-part story of the Dark Knight, with Detective Comics No. 32 and picks up where the previous issue left off. Although Doctor Death was Batman’s first supervillain to make the jump from one issue to two, the Mad Monk’s appearance is a single adventure (Batman’s fifth overall), while Doctor Death appeared in two separate stories. To make things even more interesting for Batman, the Mad Monk was also the first of his enemies to be labeled “supernatural,” which changed Batman’s entire paradigm.

In this story of the Golden Age The monk is described as both a vampire and a werewolf (though he is now considered only the former) and hopes to create an army of werewolves at his disposal. Batman only gets involved after the Monk – dressed in his red robe with a hood and a skull symbol on his forehead – turns his hypnotic attentions to Bruce Wayne’s lover and former fiancée Julie Madison. While the Monk kidnaps Julie and takes her to his native Hungary, Batman pursues the fiend. It is important to note that in many of Batman’s earliest adventures he had no problem killing his enemies if it was deemed absolutely necessary (or let them die gruesomely). The same was true of the Monk here, though, since he’s technically undead anyway, maybe that doesn’t really count. (We should also note that the Monk’s assistant, Dala, was also Batman’s first female antagonist.)

In Detective Comics No. 32, Batman saves Julie and kills both the monk and Dala while they sleep in their coffinswith the popular silver bullet trick. Despite being one of Batman’s most stylish enemies, with a distinctive look that can be recognized from afar, the Mad Monk is one of those Batman characters who has largely been forgotten. In the Silver Age, the character was reinvented as Louis DuBois of New Orleans, who, along with his sister Dala, were cursed by former slaves after the Civil War and became vampires. This version was created by Gerry Conway and first appeared in Detective Comics No. 515 in 1982 (he even turned Batman into a vampire for a while), but was replaced a few years later by the upcoming Crisis on parallel earths. In 2006 Mike Wagner would retell the original Bob Kane, Bill FingerAnd Gardner Fox History with its modernized remake, Batman and the Mad Monk. Between the events of Batman: Year One And Batman: The Man Who LaughsThe monk was renamed again (now he was called Niccolai Tepes, a direct reference to Dracula) and Dala was no longer a vampire.

The Monk has real potential as a supernatural counterpart to Batman

Aside from the likes of Solomon Grundy, Nocturna, and Ra’s al Ghul (depending on the version), Batman doesn’t have too many enemies that directly wield supernatural forces. Sure, he exists in a universe that includes plenty of other magic-based characters, but Batman generally strays from that side of the DC cosmos. But it’s interesting that one of the Dark Knight’s very first and arguably most personal enemies was a vampire, a clear and clever contrast to the assumptions of many that Batman himself was a member of the undead. But The Mad Monk is unique because it combines the supernatural ideas of vampires and werewolves with the concepts of cults and psychology. (in his first story he poses as Julie’s psychologist), which makes him a bit more three-dimensional than the average vampire, even though he is usually portrayed as a fairly one-dimensional character. He is smart, patient, and insane by nature, making him the perfect opponent for Batman himself.

Other incarnations of Batman, such as Kevin Conroy‘s from Batman: The Animated Series And Rino Romano‘s from The Batmanhave done well when facing supernatural opponents. The latter even played the main role in Batman vs Draculaan animated film that pits the Dark Knight not only against all the most famous vampires in literature, but also against a vampire Jokerand other undead acolytes (and, believe it or not, it’s awesome). The idea of ​​Batman fighting vampires has existed since almost the beginning of the character’s comic book history, and what better way to honor that strange tension than by bringing back the Caped Crusader’s very first vampire villain?

It’s true that the Mad Monk is often seen as a forgotten Batman villain, one that only diehard Bat-fans are really interested in or want to see brought to life somewhere other than the original comics. That’s not to say he doesn’t have potential, of course. No, he’s not the Joker or Two-Face, but he’s single-minded and just as devious, with an instantly recognizable costume that makes him stand out. His influence on the Batman mythos was felt until recently Thomas Koenig‘S Batman run, as well as the DC vs Vampires limited series that ran between 2021 and 2023. (Dala is also in the Batman: The Bold and the Brave Episode “Shadow of the Bat!”) No matter which version of the character – Golden, Silver or Modern – you use, there is enough material to transfer this B-list Bat-villain into the big time for Batman: The Masked Crusadera show that prides itself on adapting both well-known and lesser-known Batman antagonists.

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The mad monk deserves a proper adaptation and “Caped Crusader” is the perfect place for it

In the Batman: The Masked Crusader Episode “Night Ride”, Batman (voice: Hamish Linklater) arms himself against the Gentleman Ghost (Toby Stephens), a truly vengeful spirit who has returned from the grave to “finish the job”. With this episode Crusader with cape firmly establishes the supernatural, not just as an idea that Batman can wrestle with, but as a tangible (if intangible) concept that cannot be contested or denied. In the same episode, Alfred (Jason Watkins) is even possessed by the ghostly enemy, and Batman needs supernatural means to defeat (and imprison) the evil spirit. Even “Nocturne” deals with the paranormal, with Mckenna GraceNocturna literally sucks the life force out of others to increase her strength. When Season 1 of Crusader with cape is doing everything it can to tell more exciting Batman stories in the future, it is actively interested in the unknown and supernaturaland prepares the series for a character like the cultist Monk mentioned above.

In view of this Crusader with cape is set in the 1940s, deals with the paranormal and has already adapted some of Batman’s most famous early adventures (such as the portrayal of Clayface in “…And Be a Villain”). So it doesn’t seem far-fetched that the two-part story of the Mad Monk could be appropriately adapted in this Prime Video series. “The fearsome master of crime” not only fits well within the boundaries of Crusader with capebut it could also prove to be one of Batman’s finest hours if done right. Frankly, there is not much in the original story that the authors would have to changeand maybe it is better that way. This Golden Age Detective comics The story is still well-known and beloved for good reason, and while the Mad Monk himself could benefit from a little more introspective viewing, Bat-fans around the world would probably jump at the chance to see it properly on screen. While an animated film would probably do the trick, a show as well-prepared for the concept as Crusader with cape should not miss the opportunity to bring this long-forgotten Batman villain to the animated screen.

Batman: The Masked Crusader is available to stream on Prime Video in the US

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