Classic Appearance: Batman #64

 

It's time for another classic Killer Moth comic appearance! This time we look at the SECOND appearance of the Killer Moth (I have already outlined his first appearance further down on the blog) from Batman #64!


 
The story is a direct sequel to Killer Moth's first appearance (Batman #63) which starts with a recap of the Killer Moth's last mis-adventure and his defeat at the hands of Batman.

But we learn that Killer Moth - in the traditional of all great Batman villains - has narrowly escaped death. However, he's now the "laughing stock" of the underworld. Look at how pathetic he is in that last panel. Somebody give our buddy a hug!

Killer Moth swears revenge on Batman and vows to regain the trust of the underworld... by stealing a valuable moth statue from the museum. Batman realizes that one of the benefactors of the museum must have done it... but which one?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stealing one moth statue isn't enough for the Killer Moth and he returns to the scene of the crime, only to find Batman waiting for him! (Killer Moth, don't you know you should NEVER return to the scene of the crime?!)

Killer Moth narrowly gets away and thanks to his crimes, has regained the confidence of the obviously fickle underworld. The crooks summon Killer Moth to a robbery and as Killer Moth swoops in, he is interrupted by Batman and Robin! The villain makes a hasty escape!

Correctly assuming that Killer Moth hasn't learned his lesson and will return to the museum to steal yet another Moth statue, Batman and Robin track Killer Moth to the "Hall of Electricity".

...where they use a giant light bulb to stun Killer Moth! The Dynamic Duo track the dazed villain to his Moth Cave and reveal his true identity of Cameron Van Cleer! The jig is up!

I have to admit, this story is pretty dumb and Killer Moth acts too impulsively in it. He's not the clever and calculating villain from his previous story. If he had only been content to steal one idol, he would have gotten away from it. Oh well, those golden age villains never learn!

Classic appearances: Batman Family 10 (1977)

The National Moth Week celebration continues! The Killer Moth has been a major villain of the Bat-Family for decades. Lets look at one of his more memorable appearances in Batman Family 10 from 1977.

In this story by Bob "The Answerman" Rozakis with art by James Bruce Brown III, "Those were the bad old days", the Killer Moth teams up with an unlikely partner, the Cavalier, to bedevil Batgirl and Batwoman.

If you read the caption boxes, Cavalier and Killer Moth are referred to as an "old timers" - which is ironic because the Killer Moth's previous appearance was only eight years earlier in Batman 208 from 1969! Maybe time worked differently back in the "old days"?

There are a few silly "moth related" gags in this story, like KM biting his way through Batgirl's silken cord...

... and when the Killer Moth commands a giant moth to attack the police department, a trick that doesn't come back until Killer Moth's appearance on the Teen Titan cartoon show!

Of course, the Killer Moth is eventual caught by the Dynamic Damsels in a cocoon-type net and sent back to jail. However, Rozakis must have really liked writing the Killer Moth because he returns in the very next issue!

While overall it's a silly comic, it's fun to see the Killer Moth back in action! Stay tuned for more Killer Moth classics during National Moth Week!