History Literature / Northwestward

* FramingDevice: The FancyDinner and grilling provide a location and characters to hear about the mystery second-hand, allowing the [[PhoneInDetective deductions by Henry the waiter]] to be more impressive.

** Conan, from Creator/RobertHoward’s ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' stories.

* ShoutOut: Dinner conversation, before the grilling, is focused around {{Heroes}}:

* ProtoSuperhero: DiscussedTrope during the dinner. The as-yet unnamed guest argues that [[{{Comicbook/Superman}} the hero Superman]] is an insult to the supernormal powers of previous heroes. He compares [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Hercules]] to Superman, and says there’s too much of an imbalance of power. [[BoringInvincibleHero Nothing can be exciting or suspenseful with Superman’s powers.]]

Trumbull is host tonight, and his guest is Bruce Wayne, the inspiration behind the character of ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}''. Though VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory, Mr Wayne is an accomplished criminologist, collector of ''Batman'' memorabilia, and faithfully assisted by his butler, Cecil Pennyworth (Alfred’s nephew). While Rubin is grilling him, a mystery naturally reveals itself. The mystery is why Cecil told Mr Wayne he was going northwestward when he had arrived at the house in New York, rather than North Dakota.

* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: This story’s premise contains a Bruce Wayne who was an actual person assisting the police by solving crimes, creating the basis of the comicbook character from ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}''. That is only true within the fictional world of the Literature/BlackWidowers.

* MacGuffin: Mr Pennyworth is carrying the most valuable part of Mr Wayne’s ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}'' memorabilia in a single suitcase. Although he doesn’t lose it, he does have a couple of close calls.

* NonPoweredCostumedHero: InvokedTrope, because Mr Wayne, tonight’s dinner guest, claims that the character Batman (of ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}'') is "restricted to entirely human abilities" because of his insistence.

** The ''{{Series/Batman}}'' television series is mentioned, although only Creator/JulieNewmar is named.
** Mr Wayne claims to be the inspiration behind the story of ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}''.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: InUniverse, Bruce Wayne claims [[{{Comicbook/Batman}} the comics]] and [[{{Series/Batman}} the television series]] are exaggerated versions of real events and people he encountered.

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The story has been reprinted several times; ''Magazine/AlfredHitchcocksMysteryMagazine'' (April 1990), ''{{Literature/Magic}}'' (1996), ''Literature/TheReturnOfTheBlackWidowers'' (2003), and ''Literature/TalesOfTheBatman'' (1995).

* MacGuffin: Mr Pennysworth is carrying the most valuable part of Mr Wayne’s ''{{Comicbook/Batman}}'' memorabilia in a single suitcase. Although he doesn’t lose it, he does have a couple of close calls.

* PoorCommunicationSkills: Mr Wayne's mystery comes from his butler (as a servant) being well-mannered enough not to question why his master suddenly flew across the country for no explained reason, and Mr Wayne not asking for clarification when his butler failed to explain why he seemed to lie about his destination. Fortunately, Henry is present to clarify matters.

The story has been reprinted several times; ''Magazine/AlfredHitchcocksMysteryMagazine'' (April 1990), ''{{Literature/Magic}}'' (1996), ''Literature/TheReturnOfTheBlackWidowers’’ (2003), and ''Literature/TalesOfTheBatman'' (1995).

* MrSmith: Mr Wayne reveals that he has a house in North Dakota, northwest of the convention in Minneapolis, where the people who care for the place in his absence know him as a ‘Mr Smith’.

* SatchelSwitcheroo: We are informed of several offscreen attempts at robbery, as one or more people may have tried to steal/swap the suitcase containing Mr Wayne’s [[MacGuffin emerald Batman ring]].