Batman Annual #12 Page 29 by Ross Andru, Pablo Marcos & Denis Rodier

No, it is not the classic Silver Age villain, the Blockbuster. It's one-off villain, the "Slade Monster," from the classic Batman Annual #12 from 1988!

I remember reading this story as an eight-year old and loving it. Bruce Wayne and his date go to a haunted mansion for a weekend getaway. One of the hosts is murdered and Bruce has to figure out the why's and wherefore's before more guests get killed.

On this page, my favorite from the story, Batman has been tied up and pushed out of a broken window by one of the culprits in the murder. Because he is Batman, Bruce is able to mostly undo the ropes that are binding him but is saved by the timely intervention of the Slade Monster whose real name is Hamish Stewart.

The story, which thrilled the young me, was written by Mike Baron and illustrated by two of the best artists of the 1970s -- Ross Andru and Pablo Marcos.