Agreed. Those kiddos must’ve loved getting to meet V. Vale. Good stuff, and good on her.
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How’s everyone doing this week?
It’s time to check in with Vicki again.
Vicki’s next appearance is in World’s Finest #57. It’s so brief, and as of this writing it’s not on her chronology list from DCUGuide or Mike’a Amazing World. There’s a rumor going around (for the flimsiest reasons) that Bruce is a crime boss. Vicki, Gordon and a few other friends show up to support him.
Vicki is blonde again! Boy, it didn’t take much for people to turn on their best friends back in the Golden Age. Bruce’s name is cleared at the end of the story, and we see his friends return to apologize…except for Vicki. Chalking that up with artist oversight though.
Next is Batman #73, one of my favorite early Vicki stories.
The first time I read this, I was annoyed by this scene. The Vicki we met in her first few appearances so FEARLESS. She would never act like this. It turns out there’s an explanation…
DANG! I love her making herself at home in Wayne Manor, and lighting up a cigarette in satisfaction. Batman and Robin capture the crooks, and return to a very happy Vicki…
Check out Dick’s collar yank!
I LOVE this page so much. Dick’s freakout in panel 2, Vicki looking positively EVIL in panel 4 (is that a Hitler portrait behind her???), and Dick’s expression in panel 5. It turns out Batman swapped the recording when Dick wasn’t looking. He made Dick nervous because he wanted to teach him a lesson about being observant.
I hate Bruce talking to Vicki like that….even if she went a bit overboard this time. To be honest, everyone’s behavior is a bit jerkish (Batman to Robin, Vicki to Batman, Bruce to Vicki).
Vicki appears next in Batman #75, with a new look I’m not crazy about.
Vicki is now working for Vue Magazine. I knew this was going to change at one point. There will be a few more name changes over the years. On the next page, we actually see the Vue offices and a sample magazine cover.
As you can guess, there’s something evil afoot, so Batman and Robin get involved to put a stop to it. Vicki goes blonde again, and appears in World’s Finest #65. The world thinks Batman is dead, and Vicki grieves with Gordon and Robin.
Everyone takes turns recounting their story, and Vicki loses it during hers…
I like Gordon comforting Vicki. Because they’re the only two supporting cast members (aside from Alfred) during this period, there’s lots of scenes of them together in this era. I haven’t shared all the images, since I’m only doing a few pages or panels per issue…but if you’re reading from the beginning there’s a lot of Gordon and Vicki hanging out and comforting each other.
Next time I’m only covering one issue…because it’s a big one…a crazy one!
Vicki Vale and Batman get engaged in Batman #79!!
Don’t miss it!
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That always goes well. Batman has been defaulting on engagements since 1941!
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@JoshuaLapinBertone, you should do a Vicki… wiki… Check out the BOP wiki I’m working on linked in my user card thing! I hope more people do amazing research like this and share it!
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That always goes well. Batman has been defaulting on engagements since 1941!
@AlexanderKnox that made me laugh! I still haven’t forgiven him for the whole Elva Barr affair either!
@Mae a Wiki sounds time consuming…I don’t know if I could do that to myself. I’ll check out yours though!
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Josh, this has been a great read! I had no idea Vicki has been blonde in the comics! Off the top of your head, do you remember what happened to her in the 90s? I remember they brought her back post movie, even hyping up an issue where Batman was going to reveal his identity to her, but then she just seemed to disappear from the books. Keep up the fantastic work, my friend! Vicki Vale>Betty Brandt!
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She was phased out in the stories leading up to Knightfall. The writers decided to give him a girlfriend who could magically heal his spine instead. 
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Yea once she and Bruce broke up (after the id reveal thing) there wasn’t much reason to have her around in the books. She had sporadic appearances until becoming a regular presence again in the Batman Reborn era.
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HOLY MATRIMONY READERS! Our Vicki Vale adventures continue!
This time we’re only focusing on a single comic, Batman #79, because it’s a big one….in terms of Vicki. Batman and Vicki Vale get engaged. Not Bruce Wayne and Vicki….Batman and Vicki. Yea, it’s weird.
Here’s the cover…
Unless they’re shopping for rings at night, I have questions about how Batman is able to see the Bat-Signal. And now the glorious splash page…
The narrative of the splash page is based around the premise that a married Batman can’t fight crime. Gordon has a wife and son (they’re another crazy Golden Age story), and nothing stops him. Same with everyday firefighters and police officers. Yet everyone takes it as a given that Batman can’t.
The Shah of Nairomi is visiting Gotham and it’s a super big deal. The State Department meets with Gordon and Batman to say EVERYTHING must go super well. They have to pull out all the stops for this dude. Vicki meets the Shah briefly at a society party…then the next day…
I have a huge problem with the State Department telling Vicki how to handle a marriage proposal. The Shah’s feelings are super important but screw Vicki I guess?
And her editor threatening to fire her….ugh
Vicki catches up to Batman to make her case.
“Only because of the seriousness of the world situation.” Is this actually happening??
The Gotham Gazette photo is hilarious. Batman is MAD. And that headline is practically a paragraph.
The guys making fun of Batman buying flowers. Sheesh. These comics were brainwashing young boys to think that showing affection was somehow emasculating. Vicki’s reaction at the end of the page didn’t make it easier. Who wrote this, the Little Rascals?
One of Vicki’s rivals suspects the engagement is fake, so she decides to turn the heat up by placing an anonymous tip…
The State Department is still here? Days, if not weeks, have passed. Why are they so invested in this? Go back to Washington. I love Batman’s reaction to the newspaper. Look at Dick when he sees the circus. Shaking from PTSD?
“I want to be Mrs. Batman” is such a ridiculous statement. This feels like a Superman story. Believe it or not, Lois Lane used the phrase “Mrs. Superman” a lot during this era, and I feel like this was their way of trying to capture that setup.
It’s interesting to note that this is the first super overt declaration of love Vicki has made for Batman. In past stories she’s definitely held him in high regard, and fawned over him, but this is the first time it’s been discussed. A shift starts to begin here, with Vicki chasing after Batman romantically.
I have to wonder if Vicki’s thoughts ever drift to Bruce Wayne. Is she wondering what he thinks about this engagement news? Obviously Bruce and Batman are the same person, but Vicki doesn’t know that for sure. Either way, she doesn’t seem to give Bruce’s feelings a thought here.
Why are the State Department guys STILL HERE?! Go away!
I love how empty the early version of the Batcave is. Once again everyone assumes married men can’t pal around with their buddies. Dick, you’re still his ward. It’s not like Vicki is sending you to boarding school. Although that last statement does raise questions about how a marriage would work. Vicki can’t move into Wayne Manor, at least publicly. Would she just change her address to the Batcave? Funnily enough, the conclusion of the story somewhat addresses this dilemma.
I’m bothered by the fact that Vicki is largely silent on this scene as everyone argues over her fate. “Vicki will call off the wedding.” “Who will she marry?” “Will she marry the Shah?”
She’s standing right there guys, maybe let her answer these questions. Either way, it comes off as her fate being decided for her.
Vicki doesn’t come off the best in this story, with the lying and scheming, but such was the way for Golden/Silver Age love interests. I’m not sure if I can classify this as Silver Age yet…but this feels like a Silver Age story for sure. The plot beats here are identical to SO MANY Lois Lane stories of this era.
Next time:
Vicki takes Dick on a date in Batman #81!
Vicki hosts a Batman cosplay party in Batman #85!
Batman shames Vicki publicly in Batman #87!
Vicki spots an imposter Batman in Detective Comics #216!
Don’t miss it!
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Howdy folks! Are we ready for some more vintage Gotham fun?
Let’s dive in with Batman #81!
A mysterious burglar called the Phantom has been eluding Batman and the police. Vicki and Batman find a miniature polar bear figurine at the scene of one of his crimes.
Silly Grayson. He forgot that Vicki has a brain too.
Vicki begins to suspect that the Polar Bear Club resident magician/psychic is connected to the Phantom, so she calls on Dick for help.
Vicki, this is not ok. Don’t involve your (sometimes) boyfriend’s teenage ward in your dangerous criminal catching scheme. Especially without clearing it with said boyfriend first. If I was Bruce, I’d be ticked off. Imagine finding out that your girlfriend took your son on a dangerous adventure without asking for your permission first. Luckily Batman stops the Phantom, saving Vicki and Dick.
Vicki’s next appearance is in Batman #85. She’s still working at Vue Magazine, and makes a pitch to her editor.
After this initial set-up of getting the Batmen together, Vicki is absent for the rest of the story. She next appears in two different stories from Batman #87. During the first story Batman is being honored on one of those “This is Your Life” shows that were popular during the era.
It’s interesting that Vicki identifies herself as Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend given how the narrative has started to shift. Did she have any of this consideration when they were fake engaged recently? Vicki appears in another story that same issue.
Remember Batman #49 and Batman #50 when Vicki was an aggressive go-getter who flirted with danger and had no time for romance? Now she’s being written as a lovesick supporting character. Batman is assigned to be Magda’s bodyguard, and Vicki doesn’t take it too well.
This is rough stuff. Probably more sexist than the engagement issue. I’m not going to mince words here, this was another era and the creators at the time weren’t good at writing females. It’s sad because the early Vicki stories made her so dynamic and smart. Now she’s throwing herself at Batman without dignity.
Batman begins publicly dating Magda, and the couple have a romantic montage around Gotham.
I have so many questions about how this scene happened. Did Robin and Vicki make plans to meet at the park to cry their eyes out together? “I’ll look for you at bench 3” or something like that? Or was this a chance meeting? Did they just happen to wander to the same park spot together? It’s so weird.
So yea, the whole thing was a hoax in order to draw out a villain. Even Robin was tricked. As for Vicki…her plan was to break into Magda’s apartment to assault Batman for picking someone else? UGH. Batman catches the crook and proceeds to publicly humiliate Vicki.
How undignified. And all Batman, Robin, and Gordon can do is stand by and laugh. “Let’s publicly humiliate Vicki. Who needs to respect women?” And she stands there and takes the punishment with a smile on her face, while making another Mrs. Batman reference. I just checked and this story was written by Bill Finger. I hate to disrespect one of Batman’s fathers this way, and I’m sorry if I’m being hard on this story, but we need to call out the things that haven’t aged well. We’ve learned and grown as a society, and DC has some of the strongest and most dynamic women now. The road to get there wasn’t easy though.
Vicki appears next in Detective Comics #216, where Bruce identifies her place of work as Vue Magazine. Bruce injures his arm publicly, and is forced to get a substitute Batman. Since John Paul Valley won’t be created for another few decades, he calls on Brane Taylor, the Batman of the future who had been established in a previous story. Taylor immediately gets flirty with Vicki.
Luckily Vicki has a brain in this story, and she’s quickly able to deduce that this isn’t the Batman she knows. Naturally Robin gaslights her.
As the adventure progresses Batman keeps missing clues that are obvious to Robin, giving Vicki confidence that this is an impostor.
That was a welcome change! Vicki is back to being smart and observant. The story could’ve easily had her swoon over the impostor Batman’s flirting, but instead she was more calculated and cunning. I’m glad to be ending this post on a high note.
Next time:
Vicki’s shoes and nails are almost her undoing in Detective Comics #221!
Vicki has a photograph Batman REALLY WANTS back in Batman #98!
Vicki Vale meets Lois Lane in World’s Finest #85!
Vicki Vale stabs Jim Gordon in Detective Comics #245!
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