Detective Comics #470
Published and © by DC, June 1977
Title: “The Master Plan of Doctor Phosphorus”
Synopsis: Batman battles Doctor Phosphorus inside an offshore nuclear plant; meanwhile, Silver St. Cloud enters Bruce Wayne’s life.
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciler: Walter Simonson
Inker: Al Milgrom
Review: Steve Englehart continues to settle into what would become one of the defining runs of the middle Bronze Age. His first villain, Doctor Phosphorus, offers a subtle twist on the Joker’s origin; instead of chemical exposure, the new villain’s backstory plays off the nuclear anxieties of the 1970s. It’s also tied to corruption in Gotham politics, an underlying theme that served a backdrop for Englehart’s tenure. As with the previous issue (see review of Detective Comics #469), Walter Simonson’s potential-laden pencils are once again wasted, his signature style blunted by the overpowering inks of Al Milgrom.
Grade: B
Second opinion: Included on Alan Brightmore’s “Individual Comics That You Should Not Be Without” list, from “A Consumer’s Guide to D.C. Comics, Part 2,” Comics Unlimited #51, October-November 1979.
Cool factor: Hello, Silver. Thanks for bringing a hint of romance to ’Tec.
Not-so-cool factor: Mr. Milgrom, we’re going to need you to step away from those pencils.
Notable: First appearance of Silver St. Cloud.
Character quotable: “I moved to the city to be more accessible – but I left my soul behind at Wayne Manor!” – The Batman, Gothamite
Editor’s note: This review was written June 12, 2026.
