The "Editor's Note" thread, Batman Edition

[Batman Fan 31593]

For those of you who don’t know, an “Editor’s Note” appears in a comic book when a reference to past continuity is made.

Unfortunately, editor’s notes are not as common today as they used to be. This can prove difficult for newer readers when trying to jump into ongoing storylines. The absence of editor’s notes might also cause readers to miss checking out some worthwhile back issues.

I though it would be a good idea to start a thread where more experienced readers could post their own editor’s notes. This could be a great place for all Batman fans to share our collective knowledge. If you happen to come across a continuity reference while reading the newest issue of whatever comic book you just bought, feel free to post here! Personally, I have been reading Batman comic books or over 16 years now and I have quite a bit of accumulated knowledge. I am sure there are others out there than can put my knowledge to shame!

Also, to the newer readers: this thread would be a good place to ask questions about the issue you just bought, too. I’m sure someone here will know the answer.

I’ll get the ball rolling:

[Batman Fan 31593]

Batman: Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum #1
Page 14, Panel 3:

Narration, Jeremiah Arkham: “The box smelled of paper. I readily identified the contents as the journal of my uncle, Amadeus Arkham. The journal I myself consigned to the flames, when I inherited the position of director of Arkham.”*

* This is a reference both to the graphic novel, “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” (1989), and to Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (1992). (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4 were collected in the “Batman: The Last Arkham” trade paperback.) Excerpts from Amadeus Arkham’s journal are featured in the graphic novel “Arkham Asylum”. Later, in Shadow of the Bat #1, when Jeremiah Arkham becomes director of Arkham Asylum, he burns Amadeus’ journal. “What I do is burn the past. Arkham starts with a clean slate!”

[Batman Fan 31593]

From the recent Robin #183 (Apr, '09):

Page 13, panel 4:

Dialouge, Robin: (To Lady Shiva) "Yes, that was hard. I first met 'Lovely Death' at the St. Germaine Hotel in Paris." *

* This is a reference to the second issue of the first Robin miniseries (Feb '91). Tim had gone to Paris to complete is training, and had just checked into the Hotel St. Germain when he first meets Lady Shiva ("Lovely Death"), who comes in thru the window of his room.


Also from Robin #183:

Page 4, panel 1:

Narration, Robin: "Only one person would call me "little bird" in the context of "finding my song". A compliment from the first time we met. Lady Shiva." *

* This is a reference to the fourth issue of the first Robin miniseries (Apr '91). Shiva has begun to train Tim by this point. Tim is unable to land a blow. He eventually carves an indentation in his bo staff, which creates a whistling sound to distract Shiva. Tim is finally able to land a blow. Shiva says "So, the little bird has found his song."


(The first Robin miniseries was collected in the trade paperback, Robin: A Hero Reborn)

[Constantine Drakon]

"Editor's Notes" implies continuity, which is a bad word these days.

[Batman Fan 31593]

Originally Posted by Constantine Drakon

"Editor's Notes" implies continuity, which is a bad word these days.

I know. God forbid a new comic book should refer to an older comic book!

But some writers still respect what came before. You can still find some continuity if you look for it.

[Batman Fan 31593]

Batman: Battle for the Cowl - Commissioner Gordon #1 (May '09)

Page 8, panels 3 & 4:

Mr. Freeze: "I intend to finish what we began the night of the commencement."

Gordon: "You mean, the night you tried to murder an auditorium full of college kids?" *

* This event occured in Gotham Central #2 (Feb '03). Reprinted twice, first in the trade paperback "Gotham Central: In the Line of Duty", and more recently in the hardcover by the same name.

[Batman Fan 31593]

Batman: Battle for the Cowl - The Underground #1 (June '09)


Page 4, panel 4:

Riddler: "I generally don't take on clients who have tried to kill me before."

Penguin: "And I saved you afterwards, so by any account we're currently even." *

* See the Gotham Underground miniseries issues #7 and #9 (Jun '08 and Aug '08). The entire mini was collected in trade paperback.


Page 16, panel 2:

Catwoman: "I killed him. I killed Black Mask." *

* See Catwoman (Vol. 2) #52. (Apr '06)


Page 18, panel 2:

Riddler: "Holly Robinson. She wore the Catwoman costume for a while, and ended up a fugitive..." * "...And now she and Harley are roommates." **

* See Catwoman (Vol. 2) #53-68. (May '06 thru Aug '07)

** See Countdown to Final Crisis #1 (Apr 23, '08)


Page 18, panel 5:

Poison Ivy: "I told you what would happen if I ever saw you again."

Riddler: "You...did?" *

* Ridder and Ivy last met in the three part backup story "Low", from Detective Comics #797-799. (Oct '04 thru Dec '04). Riddler's reaction "You...did?" seems strange to me. I can think of a couple explanations:

1) Poison Ivy actually didn't tell Riddler what would happen if she ever saw him again. In Detective Comics #799, her last words to him were "Go....Leave and never sully my gardens again...It's finished. Goodbye, Eddie."

2) Riddler possibly doesn't remember his last encounter with Poison Ivy. In Riddler's first One Year Later appearance (Detective Comics #822, Oct '06), Batman says (via narration): "Riddler spent most of the last year in a coma. When he came out of it, he barely remembered his own name..."

[Batman Fan 31593]

Azrael: Death's Dark Knight #3 (July '09)

Page 12, Panel 4

Nightwing: A cocktail of D-Galactose, Catalpol, and Piracetam should make him forget what we want him to ... like it did for some recent lady gate-crashers." *

* The "lady gate-crashers" being Public Enemies No. 1, 2, and 3, or "Dragon Fly, Silken Spider, and Tiger Moth. After first appearing in Batman #181 (June '66, also the first appearance of Poison Ivy), the trio returned in Batman #670 (Dec '07). The incident referenced in Azrael: DDK #3 occured in Nightwing #138 (Jan '08), part two of "The Ressurection of Ra's al Ghul.

[Batman Fan 31593]

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 (July '09)

Page 15, Panel 2

Jason Todd: "Turn it off. I already heard what he had to say." *

* Jason first viewed this message from Bruce in Robin #182 (March '09).

[Batman Fan 31593]

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 (July '09)

Page 9, Panel 6

Vicki Vale: "I have with me renowned Batman and organized crime expert, Batman Jones." *

* Batman Jones first appeared in Batman #108 (June 1957), "The Career of Batman Jones!". To quote from Michael Fleisher's Batman Encyclopedia, "A young boy, probably a few years younger than Robin, who was named Batman by his parents in gratitude for Batman's having saved their lives when the brakes on their automobile failed as they were driving home from the hospital with their then newborn son... young Batman Jones, attired in his own Batman costume and eager to become a great criminologist like his namesake, pesters Batman and Robin into letting him accompany them on a criminal investigation and actually uses his ingenuity to solve a pair of baffling crimes. Just when the Dynamic Duo have begun to fear that they may be stuck with Batman Jones for good, however, Jones, like many a youngster, loses interest in criminology and develops a passion for stamp collecting." Obviously, as of Battle for the Cowl #3, Batman Jones has regained his interest in criminology.