Comics
March 2009
Weird Discovery
It was quite the surprise. I was reading Bat-Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan by Chip Kidd, and again, I ran into the Monkey King!
Bat-Manga! is a collection of Batman comics from 1966-67 that were written and drawn by Jiro Kuwata, a manga master according to book’s dust jacket. I read about the book in The New York Times Book Review and thought it would be a good addition to the Library’s graphic fiction collection because it shows a side of Batman that isn’t often seen—Batman as he’s portrayed outside of America.
I had come across the Monkey King in cartoon form before, when I read American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang where the Monkey King is central to Yang’s tale. The Monkey King is a magical, rebellious and cunning being who fights the gods in the sixteenth century Chinese novel, Pilgrimage to the West by Wu Cheng’en.
The Monkey King isn’t in the manga. He shows up in the back of the book in a sampling of Chinese Batman comics. And if you’re thinking that a Japanese Batman might be unusual, here are some captions from the Chinese version:
- Superman, the Monkey King, the Great Drunk, and Pig Warrior have been studying daily since their return from the East.
- Batman rushed out from the mountains and began to fight.
- Batman challenges Superman to a duel to see who is the mightiest. The battle lasted for three days.
- The Monkey King decides to help Superman fight Batman.
- But Batman was not frightened at all.
I also have to note that Batman is flying throughout the strip, that in one panel a force beam appears to be shooting out of his chest and that, on the cover, Superman’s costume is yellow with red briefs and a pink cape. If you know Batman and Superman, none of that seems right.
After reading the Chinese comics, the manga seems positively normal—even the story featuring the villain Lord Death Man—although in truth, it’s twisted too. Chip Kidd has done a great service for those of us who think we know comics because there’s always more to be discovered. This is a very interesting collection, and I recommend checking it out and having a look.
Wil Gregersen
Community Services Librarian
