Detective 841 – The Wonderland Gang

Dini, Nguyen and Fridolfs craft my favourite story from Dini’s run, “The Wonderland Gang,” which begins as a team-up of the Mad Hatter and Tweedledee and Tweedledum, in Detective 841 (April 2008).

By the time Batman encounters the gang, it has already gained a new member, the March Hare, a female inmate from Arkham.  Tweedledee and Tweedledum are now identical twins.  Previously, they had been cousins, but Dumfree died, in some unspecified way, and was replaced by Deever’s twin brother.  They are the muscle, with Hatter the brains.

The gang continues to expand, with a Lion and Unicorn, and later a Walrus and Carpenter.  Batman is surprised, as these people, like the March Hare, really do not have the powers or status to be working with the Mad Hatter.

Indeed, they are not.  The Tweedles are in control.  They snagged some of the Mad Hatter’s mind control gear, and are forcing him to front their gang.

Batman suspected as much, and works his way through the crew, although Hatter is happy to see him take the rest down.  The Carpenter also chooses not to fight.  She will return a couple years down the road in an excellent story in Batman – Streets of Gotham.

Back in Arkham, and on their meds, the Tweedles apologize to Jervis Tetch for their actions.  He slaps some mind control gear on them, and send them to fighting each other.

A great one-shot tale.