The Rocklopedia Fakebandica now has a podcast.
Listen now!
The Maestro (Batman)
When temperamental classical concert pianist Payne Cardine starts getting terrible reviews, he turns to... crime? Well, it's Batman comic book #149 from August 1962, so yes.
Like other Batman villains, he can't help but leave clues to his next crime to taunt the hero. In this case, musical clues, because, of course. Shockingly, Batman admits his ignorance, and finds musical expert Ambrose Weems (author of An Encyclopedia of Music, no less!) to decode the clues. To protect Weems' identity, Batman puts him a bird costume and he becomes "The Sparrow!"
Thanks to the help of "The Sparrow," they figure out the Maestro's next target (Madame Pouselle) ahead of time and set up an ambush to take down the Maestro and his henchmen.
The Maestro had no superpowers, but did have some gadgets: a violin tuned to shatter building windows via sympathetic vibration, a trumpet loud enough to blast people's eardrums, and miniature tubas with... uh... guns in them. You know, tuba guns.
Almost as weird is Batman had to fight ANOTHER, completely different villain also named "The Maestro" just a few months later in Justice League of America #16 (Dec. 1962).
See also
