Batman #398
August 1986
Cover art by: Tom Mandrake
Story: About Faces!
Writer: Doug Moench
Art: Tom Mandrake
This takes place during an era of Batman I really haven't read a whole lot of. Apparently, DC toyed with the idea of making Batman and Catwoman partners romantically and, uh, for lack of a better work professionally. Catwoman isn't sure either relationship is going to work though, because the Caped Crusader is too secretive around her. I rather like the dynamic. The little bit we get to see here, anyways.
Also, Jason Todd has given up being Robin for the time being as he has school, and he feels likes a third wheel around the Bat and the Cat.
Well getting on with it. A woman calling herself Circe has offered to help Batman try and bring Two-Face back to the side of angels permanently. She herself had her face disfigured by Black Mask, and Batman is unsure if her offer is real. The New Dynamic Duo meet Bullock and Gordon at police headquarters, and the Caped Crusader is rather embarrassed when Catwoman discovers they know more about Bruce's plan to save Two-Face than she does.
The idea is that Circe and Two-Face will the steal the sarcophagus of an Egyptian pharaoh. Inside is a mask that will “heal” Harvey's face, when in fact Circe will use hypnosis to turn him good.
Everything seems goes according to plan, and during the hypnosis Two-Face excuses himself to think it over. All of the time he he is away makes Batman worry. When he emerges his face is completely normal. It is all a ruse and he attacks Circe. He knows the name of the pharaoh they used wasn't real (they couldn't use a real one?), and that she was trying to hypnotize him. He begins to choke her when Batman and Catwoman come to the rescue. Robin decides it is time for him to show up. (What a short retirement!) The three heroes take care of Harvey, but Circe has escaped. They still don't know whose side she is really on.
Catwoman leaves, telling Batman that she isn't sure if she will return or not. Claiming the return of Robin is a bad sign though.
A pretty decent comic, and you don't see Tom Mandrake do straight superheroes very often. I rather liked it.
The weird part is how much make-up or masks Two-Face was wearing. He wore one that looked like his original face over another one that made his face look fully scarred, over his regular two-face. I guess that is why he was gone so long: all of the cosmetics.
Replies
I haven't read Batman #398, but according to Newsstand Time Machine Frank Miller's Batman The Dark Knight #1 went on sale in March 1986. Batman #398, which sounds like it also had imagery of a fully scarred and fully un-scarred Harvey Dent went on sale two months later in May 1986.
There was a period in, I think, the late 70s/early 80 when Selina was portrayed as reformed, no longer Catwoman, and dating Bruce Wayne. I think this started while Denny O'Neil was writing for the titles, but I don't know just when. I don't think she knew his secret ID at that point, but I don't know when she learned it. I see from the covers that during this period she did appear as Catwoman sometimes, but I missed all those stories: apparently she also appeared as Catwoman in a solo back-up story in Batman #332, and another with Robin the next issue that led into the title's following Batman storyline.
During Gerry Conway's run on the titles she left Gotham. My recollection is she explained this in "It's not you, it's me" terms. Bruce then became involved with Vicki Vale. Apparently Selina next appeared as Catwoman in back-up stories in Batman #345-#346, #348-#351 (which I also missed) and Detective Comics #520 (in which she helped a former henchman catch some crooks). Later in Gerry Conway's run she came back as Catwoman and tried to force her to give him up. (She was lucky she didn't go to jail for running Bruce and Vicki off the road.) By this point she did know Bruce was Batman. She returned again in Detective Comics #526, Gerry Conway's last issue, in which she and Talia assisted Batman against a mass attack by his enemies.
Doug Moench's run followed, and that I entirely missed. In Detective Comics #526 Jason Todd discovered the Batcave, put on a costume (but not a Robin one), and subsequently helped Batman defeat Killer Croc on he learning of his parents' murder (which had happened between issues). He was obviously being set up to be the new Robin, but I don't think he got the identity right away. Still later, as part of the titles' post-Crisis shakeup, his background and characterisation were redefined.
Pre-Crisis, of course, it was also part of Earth Two lore that the Earth Two Batman had married his Catwoman. I think this was first established in DC Super Stars #17, the Huntress's debut.
I have read quite a bit of the (first) Moench run on Batman (Batman 360-400, Detective 527-566) and he added Catwoman to the supporting cast in his final year on the titles. As Luke said, Conway used her in his run and in his last issue, Detective 526, but Moench didn't bring her back for nearly two years - Detective 548. She aided Batman against some terrorists in that story, which was continued in Batman 382. She wasn't seen again until Batman 389, but appeared in almost every issue afterwards of both Bat books until Moench left. Moench had quite a soap opera going in the books: Catwoman and Nocturna were vying for Batman's affections; Vicki Vale and Julia Pennyworth competed for Bruce Wayne's.
As for this particular issue, while I haven't read it in a while, going by Travis' synopsis and my recollections, I think the cover is a bit deceiving, but not entirely. Batman didn't fully trust Catwoman, and she could tell. This was the conclusion of a four part Two-Face story that I thought was pretty well done. Sometime Moench's dialogue is unrealistic, but I thought he had a really good handle on Two-Face. It was certainly much better than other writers who used Harvey like a low-rent Riddler after Moench in the late 80s.
As for Catwoman, she wasn't really used a lot in the 1970s. After Batman 210 (Mar 69), she didn't appear again until Adventure 419 ( May 72) where she took on Black Canary. Next, she showed up in Wonder Woman 201-202 (Aug, Oct 72), and then Batman 256 (June 74), followed by Batman 266 (Aug 75). She was a villain in these stories, all written by Denny O'Neil. Other writers handled her subsequent appearances: Joker 9 (Oct 76), Batman Family 8 (Dec 76), Brave & Bold 131 (Dec 76, vs Batman & Wonder Woman), Batman 291 (Sept 77, "Where were you on the night Batman was killed?, Part 1), Batman Family 17 (May 78), Detective 479 (Oct 78). This is all according to the Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.
Len Wein added Selina Kyle to the supporting cast in the second issue of his Batman run, in Batman 308 (Feb 79), saying she has been paroled and has given up being Catwoman. Selina shows up a lot during his stint (Batman 307-327), and doesn't appear in costume as Catwoman until Batman 323. Again, going by memory, this is the start of Selina dating Bruce Wayne. Marv Wolfman also used Catwoman in a four part Ra's Al Ghul story in Batman 332-335, and she appeared in 8 page backups in #332 and 333.
John Dunbar (the mod of maple) said:
This was the conclusion of a four part Two-Face story that I thought was pretty well done. Sometime Moench's dialogue is unrealistic, but I thought he had a really good handle on Two-Face. It was certainly much better than other writers who used Harvey like a low-rent Riddler after Moench in the late 80s.
I haven't read this run. The best Two-Face story I've read was "Half an Evil" by the O'Neil/Adams team, originally published in Batman #234 (AUG71).
It had Two-Face about to drown Batman, who was lashed to the mast of a sinking ship. The coin came up un-scarred. Harvey saved Batman and then was captured. This really impressed me with the uniqueness of the character.
Thanks for the info guys. I was buying comics at this time, but I wasn't reading any Batman, so most of the comics from this era are completely new to me. It helps that you can get these on the cheap.