The Brave and the Bold #93 Dec-Jan 1970-71
"Red Water Crimson Death"
Denny O'Neil - story Neal Adams - Cover and art
Up front, I bought this off the rack (or maybe it was from a comic book vending machine) because of two things: Batman & Scary Stuff. I was 10 when this hit the stands and those were big things on my kid-list of awesome stuff. Now, into the story:
We see a man running down some alleys, splashing through puddles and he comes upon a house. He grabs the doorknob, rattles it and shouts to the man standing in the house to let him in, if he values his life. The man, Cain, the caretaker of the House of Mystery. He replies that he hasn't had one to value in years and he runs an exclusive 'pad' (those hip hip 70's).
Cain, being who he is, breaks the fourth wall and addresses the readers, saying THEY can stay and watch Batman take care of things.
Batman runs up on to the porch and trips, the crook aims and fires, but the gun jams and Batman recovers and knocks him out cold. Gordon and the GCPD show up and Batman confesses that if Beefy's gun hadn't jammed, he would be dead, like an amateur. Gordon says that Batman is worn out, he needs a vacation. In fact, Gordon has booked passage on a steamship to Ireland for Batman and it leaves at noon tomorrow.Batman protests, but Gordon says Batman is no good to anyone if he is dead. Batman throws his hands up, grabs the ticket and walks off into the night.
Cain tells us that we will all tag along and as we turn the page we are now on the ship with Bruce Wayne. Bruce is lost in though at the railing when a rubber ball bounces against his leg. He picks it up and tosses it to a young boy named Sean. The captain announces over the PA system that they are approaching a storm and everyone needs to stay in their cabins. Bruce and Sean head off to their respective berths.
In Bruce's cabin, he looks out the port hole and sees Sean on deck, shouting into the storm "UNCLE, UNCLE!!!" and just then a massive wave sweeps the young boy overboard. Bruce sprints out onto the deck, sheds his jacket and dives in as a crewman shouts "Men overboard". Somehow (He's the Batman, that's how) Bruce makes it to the boy and as a huge wave looms over them Sean shouts "Here I am, Grand-Da.." and the wave has the face of an old man. Bruce is shocked and amazed because he sees the face too. As he starts to succumb to the icy water, a preserver is tossed near him and he and Sean are hauled aboard.
They are both taken to the infirmary, treated and released back to their quarters. Bruce makes his way back to his cabin and opens his suitcase to change into some pajamas only to find that his Batman suit is in his luggage. He knows he told Alfred NOT to pack it so he walks to the stern of the ship and tosses it overboard.
Eight hours later, the ship has stopped and Bruce queries the steward as to why. He is told that Sean lives on the island and they are putting him ashore in the launch that is about to leave. Bruce grabs a small case, and then clambers aboard the launch. They shortly end up in Kennemora, a very small fishing village. When they disembark, Sean explains to his Uncle Derry that Bruce Wayne is with him and that Bruce saved his life. Derry welcomes Bruce and says that he will be staying with them.
Later that night, as Bruce and the family are eating, Cain sits outside explaining the current state of affairs and marveling that Bruce, who is accustomed to much better fare, is really digging into plain Mulligan Stew, but we now have to skip forward a few hours...
Sean is sitting in front of the fire reading and Derry says it is time for bed. As Sean leaves for his bedroom, Derry says that since the boys parents were killed, he has lost himself in the books, especially tales of King Hugh, who used to rule Ireland. Bruce asks how Sean's parents died and Derry replies that none can say, except they died as others have.... by the Red Sea! A years ago the water around the island turned blood red killing fish and folk alike. After they died Derry sent Sean to visit relatives in America. After they are finished talking, Bruce excuses himself for the night.
As Bruce is readying for bed, he thinks that the red water could have been caused by Dinoflagellate Poisoning. He thinks the problem is that Derry said the water has been red for a year but dinoflagellates normally vanish in days. Bruce quickly pivots and realizes that he's on vacation and jumps into bed.
Later than night, a ghostly hand touches Bruce, bringing him awake. He sits upright, seeing a ghostly warrior pass through the wall. When he gets out of bed he is WEARING THE BATMAN COSTUME!!!!
He realizes that he must have gone mad and looking out the window, he sees Sean walking into the dark saying "You'll help me find Mom and Dad's killers, King...". Batman bolts outside and is seen by several locals who are standing watch in the night. They mistake Batman for "One of them" and attack him. Batman fends them off, karate chopping a 4x4 in two and breaking another one with his elbow. He disarms them and says that he dresses as he does for "personal reasons" and the men believe him. They ask that he is not from the castle then?
They point to a castle on a hilltop, saying it has belonged to King Hugh who died three centuries ago, (so around 1670, meaning that King Hugh is Hugh O'Neill) and has been empty until last year. That was when the Torment came. They explain that is when the banshees and ghosts started appearing and then the red tide appeared as well. Batman chortles to himself about the superstitious locals and then.....
A huge red demon appears in the sky and Batman sees that Sean is running towards it. He decided to let the villagers go after Sean because, after all, he is sick and in no condition...
He turns and starts chasing after Sean just as a storm erupts. He can't call out to Sean because the thunder is overwhelming. As he tops a hill, the demon appears again. Batman picks up a rock, throws it, and destroys the holographic projector that created the demon. Batman spies Sean running into the castle and as Batman starts to cross the drawbridge, the gate starts to drop. Batman lunges across just in time.
Cain shows up again to explain that Batman is in the castle. A castle is a house. Batman doesn't know what he is in for, so it's a mystery therefore Batman is in the House of Mystery!!!!
Back to the Caped Crusader, he realizes that he can't cross the open courtyard without risking being seen in a lightning flash. He suddenly feels a tap on his shoulder and when he spins he sees a trap door on the ground!
Cain then explains that while we were turning the pages, Batman has traveled about 120 feet underground. Batman hears voices above, two men wondering why the hologram screen was messed up, but it was probably just the storm. They wonder how much longer they have to stay in the castle, probably until the boss can scare away the locals and corner the fishing rights to the island. Finding the boy's body in the bay in the morning will be the thing that drives them all away.
Batman lunges up from the trapdoor and beats both men into submission. He demands of one to know where the boss is. The thug rats out him employer and Batman knocks him out. He sadly realizes that one of the thugs had cut his arm deeply with a sword that he was swinging around.
Batman comes to a fork in the corridor but doesn't know which way to go. He feels a tugging to the right, and even though it makes no sense, he goes that way. He comes to an open door and sees two men holding Sean, trying to pour poison down the boys throat. Batman tackles all three, punching one thug out, but not before the poison had splashed into Batman's open wound.
Batman confronts the boss, Aloysius Cabot, owner of a fishery. Batman explains that he knows all about the plan to scare off.... the locals.... and take over, but that's all.... and Batman collapses to the floor dizzy and sick. Cabot says he noticed the cut on Batman's arm and that the poison got into it. Cabot says that in less than a minute Batman will be dead but Cabot will give him a chance. On the table there are two beakers, one contains water, the other, the antidote. Batman can choose only one.
Batman, the poison coursing through his veins can't focus on the beakers, he can only see a large painting on the wall of King Hugh and the King is pointing to a test tube on the back of the table. Batman stands up and lunges for the table, grabbing the test tube and gulping it down. Cabot is aghast, there is no way Batman could have known that both beakers contained toxins and the test tube was the cure.
Even so, Cabot still has time to put a bullet into Batman but just then the painting falls from the wall, resulting in the massive frame breaking Cabot's neck and killing him. Batman recovers, picks up Sean, and takes him home in the dawn. Batman still can't figure out all the weirdness that happened but Cain knows, because King Hugh can't stand anyone disturbing his eternal rest.
I have read this story over and over and over again. When I was a kid I couldn't figure out why Cain was colored green throughout the story (He never appeared that way in House of Mystery) and I thought there was a printing error in the panels where Batman was poisoned (I realize now it was artistic license to show the impact of the poison on Batman). Why was Sean calling for his Uncle, and then his Grand-Da, and then talking to King Hugh? That was confusing to me even as a kid. And upon rereading it now, Gordon just bought a ticket on a boat and handed it to Batman. Wow, such simpler times, when anybody could show up with a ticket and get on a boat/plane/train without any identification.
Speaking of identification, folks in Ireland don't know who Bruce Wayne is, or even BATMAN!?!?!?
On top of that we got advertisements for:
Mean Maverick Monogram model car
SSP Racers
House ads for The Forever People and the New Gods and Mister Miracle
House ad for Son of Tomahawk and Action Comics
Zingers model kits
Skittle Pool with Don Adams
ALL of that for 15 cents!!
Hope everyone has a great Halloween.
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