Kite-Man glides into the Oddball of the Week, and the word on the internet is that he has an animated series in the works.

Mainstream audiences seem to love off-brand, irreverent silliness from their superheroes. The quirkiness of those Golden and Silver Age parodies is ripe for the big and small screens, and it makes collecting their keys more profitable than ever. This week, we have one of the lamest Batman villains ever created (which says a lot), Kite-Man.

DC fans have been waiting for his moment to shine ever since Peacemaker alluded to the character. In the fifth episode, Peacemaker told a classroom of elementary children how he took down the evil Kite-Man with only two rocket launchers. That had viewers waiting for the villain to surface in the show. While Kite-Man didn’t get his spotlight in Peacemaker, Variety reported that HBO Max is developing the animated series Noonan’s, which will star Kite-Man and Golden Glider, and it should introduce plenty of obscure characters to the DCAU. 

What exactly is a Kite-Man, anyway?

Created in the early years of the Silver Age, the inept burglar was meant to be a joke from the beginning. After all, his real name is Charles “Chuck” Brown, a clear play on the famous Peanuts character, Charlie Brown. Being a villain with a giant kite for a superpower and named after Charlie Brown, it’s easy to see why no one takes him seriously. At one point, Deathstroke tossed Kite-Man, sans kite, off a building, so he’s not exactly earning respect among the rogue’s gallery. But with the chance to become a star, his key issues are more enticing than ever. Take a look.

BATMAN #133

The first time readers met Kite-Man was in 1960’s Batman #133. Clearly aimed at children as this was the height of the Comics Code Authority’s oversight, he was a non-threatening villain that younger audiences could appreciate. Obviously, he didn’t catch on, and he quickly fell into obscurity. Now that he is starring in his own cartoon, things are turning around. This issue also happens to be the first appearance of Bat-Mite, which adds to the collectability. 

There have been few graded sales for Batman #133 as of late, but the prices have been going up. One of the more recent transactions was for a 6.5. On March 15, it sold for $302.40, which is up from 2021’s high of $264.

BATMAN #315

How unpopular was Kite-Man? It took almost 20 years before he made his second appearance. In Batman #315, legendary creator Len Wein dusted off the character and gave him a one-off in “Danger on the Wing.”

This 1979 tale saw Kite-Man and his gang make an elaborate payroll heist. Of course, Batman foiled the scheme, and the entire crew landed in jail. 

Since this is not a major key issue in any sense, there’s no reason to overpay. Even if you want a graded 9.8, they sell for under $200. 

BATMAN #27 (2017)

It took nearly 60 years before someone finally took Kite-Man seriously. 

During Tom King’s run during the DC Rebirth era, readers were treated to a proper origin that was so tragic it was worthy of Batman himself. King told the story of how Chuck Brown was an engineer working as a nameless Joker henchman when he’s caught in the Joker-Riddler turf war. When he inadvertently catches Batman’s attention, things go awry. After Riddler catches wind of a double-cross, he murders Brown’s family. With nowhere to turn, Brown creates the Kite-Man persona and helps the Joker wage war on Riddler and Batman.

If you opt for a graded copy, you are in luck. The last time a 9.8 traded hands, it went for just $40 in 2020. Looking to save money? The raw copies sell for less than $10 on eBay.

FLYING HIGH

Will we see Kite-Man in live action? Nothing has been announced, but the Peacemaker teases hint that Chuck Brown will make an appearance in the next season. With his dark and gritty backstory, he could get the Vigilante treatment and be elevated to main character status by the end.

Keep up with the Oddballs!

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.