Batman #10 continued
The Princess of Plunder!
Catwoman (or the Cat-woman as she is often referred to in this story) is back with various schemes to commit theft. Catwoman is named Marguerite Tone in this story, a member of high society, and it's not clear if that's meant to be her real name or just an alias she's adopted. She sends her men out on a "scavenger hunt" as a pretext to steal and to give them an alibi. When Batman breaks up that scheme, she tries another, and then finally one last scheme before Batman busts up her gang and captures her. She uses the old "kiss Batman to distract him" trick and gets away yet again, though as Dick later reminds Bruce, he never seems to try very hard to capture her. I like these early Catwoman stories, silly cat-head mask aside. Unlike the Joker and the Penguin, Catwoman is not a killer or a psychotic, she's just a thief, and usually doesn't like to see people hurt. And female villains are rare in these stories, so her appearances offer a nice bit of variety.
The Sheriff of Ghost Town!
We've got another Western tale in this story about a small town that needs Batman's help. Old prospector Cactus Tom settles in an old abandoned town, and soon more and more people pass through and find a reason to stay. They name the place Sunshine Town as it's a place where new beginnings are made. The town grows and thrives until crooks move in and start terrorizing the residents. An appeal is made to Batman for help, so he and Robin take the Batplane out west. Batman is elected sheriff, and he and Robin break up the gang's activities, with the gang leader proven to be a coward who begs Batman to stop hitting him. Cactus Tom has been killed over the course of the story, and the grateful citizens put up a statue to him at the end.
Retro Comics are Awesome
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andersonh1
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Detective Comics #63
May 1942
A Gentleman in Gotham
European thief and con-man Michael Baffle escapes death by Nazi firing squad when he bribes both the officer in charge and the squad so they'll fire blanks. He escapes to America, and is almost immediately robbed by two small-fry crooks, Fish-Eyes and Egg-head (not Vincent Price, sadly). Baffle has nothing, but manages to convince the two crooks to join him in his plans to rob the wealthy of Gotham City. His first stop os Bruce Wayne's house "on the edge of town", but he's interrupted as Batman and Robin return and enter the house. Baffle decides that he's going to have to be extra careful, since he can't figure out how Batman learned of his attempted robbery. He assumes the alias of Charles Courtly, society reporter for the Gotham paper, and is thereby able to case the houses of the rich. At a party to which Bruce and Linda Page have been invited, Baffle's gang attempt a robbery, and it's Linda who figures out who Baffle is. He and Batman engage in a fencing duel, and Baffle is forced to retreat, promising to return. Not a bad little story, and I wonder if the "gentleman villain" idea is where the Cavalier ultimately comes from.
Detective Comics #64
June 1942
The Joker Walks the Last Mile!
We can't go more than a few months without a Joker story, and he's back yet again, unhappy that despite the fact that he has amassed a lot of wealth in money and jewels, he can't enjoy any of it. He can't even leave his hideout unless he's in disguise. He comes up with his craziest idea yet: turn himself in, confess all his crimes, get the death penalty, and then have his men revive him with some unspecified serum. Professor Radium's serum, maybe? No connection is made in story, and no explanation is given for where the Joker got this life-restoring drug. Regardless, the Joker turns himself in, fills up whole volumes with confessions of all his many crimes, does indeed get the death penalty, and is executed by electric chair. And then his men steal his body from the morgue, inject it, and the Joker revives. Having paid the supreme penalty for his crimes, he's free and clear. The Joker has great fun rubbing it in Batman's face that he's a law abiding man, while he's secretly directing his gang in crime. He gives himself away when he still has a pocketwatch that was publicly stolen at a hockey match, leading Batman and the police to realize that he's still working with his men. At the end of the story the Joker is back in hiding, reflecting that he at least had a holiday. This is a crazy story, but it's a lot of fun, and of all Batman's villains, I can buy the Joker trying a stunt like this.
Batman #11
June-July 1942
The Joker's Advertising Campaign
I wasn't kidding when I said the Joker turned up all the time. It's to the point they've abandoned the effort of trying to pick up where they left off last time, because while the last story ended with the Joker free and in hiding, this one opens with him escaping from jail. His scheme is to place ads in the paper that help him commit his crimes, such as having a traffic jam of old vehicles on a Gotham street when he robs a jewelry store, preventing police pursuit. The plot isn't all that compelling, but some of the character moments are pretty good. Batman is out cold at one point, but the Joker tells his men not to kill him, because Batman is too much fun. Joker has no such compunctions when it comes to Robin, who he leaves to suffocate to death. Batman rescues him, and is so enraged that when he catches the Joker, he beats him so badly the Joker ends up in the hospital. Pretty dark stuff for Golden Age Batman at this point.
May 1942
A Gentleman in Gotham
European thief and con-man Michael Baffle escapes death by Nazi firing squad when he bribes both the officer in charge and the squad so they'll fire blanks. He escapes to America, and is almost immediately robbed by two small-fry crooks, Fish-Eyes and Egg-head (not Vincent Price, sadly). Baffle has nothing, but manages to convince the two crooks to join him in his plans to rob the wealthy of Gotham City. His first stop os Bruce Wayne's house "on the edge of town", but he's interrupted as Batman and Robin return and enter the house. Baffle decides that he's going to have to be extra careful, since he can't figure out how Batman learned of his attempted robbery. He assumes the alias of Charles Courtly, society reporter for the Gotham paper, and is thereby able to case the houses of the rich. At a party to which Bruce and Linda Page have been invited, Baffle's gang attempt a robbery, and it's Linda who figures out who Baffle is. He and Batman engage in a fencing duel, and Baffle is forced to retreat, promising to return. Not a bad little story, and I wonder if the "gentleman villain" idea is where the Cavalier ultimately comes from.
Detective Comics #64
June 1942
The Joker Walks the Last Mile!
We can't go more than a few months without a Joker story, and he's back yet again, unhappy that despite the fact that he has amassed a lot of wealth in money and jewels, he can't enjoy any of it. He can't even leave his hideout unless he's in disguise. He comes up with his craziest idea yet: turn himself in, confess all his crimes, get the death penalty, and then have his men revive him with some unspecified serum. Professor Radium's serum, maybe? No connection is made in story, and no explanation is given for where the Joker got this life-restoring drug. Regardless, the Joker turns himself in, fills up whole volumes with confessions of all his many crimes, does indeed get the death penalty, and is executed by electric chair. And then his men steal his body from the morgue, inject it, and the Joker revives. Having paid the supreme penalty for his crimes, he's free and clear. The Joker has great fun rubbing it in Batman's face that he's a law abiding man, while he's secretly directing his gang in crime. He gives himself away when he still has a pocketwatch that was publicly stolen at a hockey match, leading Batman and the police to realize that he's still working with his men. At the end of the story the Joker is back in hiding, reflecting that he at least had a holiday. This is a crazy story, but it's a lot of fun, and of all Batman's villains, I can buy the Joker trying a stunt like this.
Batman #11
June-July 1942
The Joker's Advertising Campaign
I wasn't kidding when I said the Joker turned up all the time. It's to the point they've abandoned the effort of trying to pick up where they left off last time, because while the last story ended with the Joker free and in hiding, this one opens with him escaping from jail. His scheme is to place ads in the paper that help him commit his crimes, such as having a traffic jam of old vehicles on a Gotham street when he robs a jewelry store, preventing police pursuit. The plot isn't all that compelling, but some of the character moments are pretty good. Batman is out cold at one point, but the Joker tells his men not to kill him, because Batman is too much fun. Joker has no such compunctions when it comes to Robin, who he leaves to suffocate to death. Batman rescues him, and is so enraged that when he catches the Joker, he beats him so badly the Joker ends up in the hospital. Pretty dark stuff for Golden Age Batman at this point.
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Back to Superman vol. 1.
Action Comics #16
September 1939
Superman and the Numbers Racket
Superman rescues a man who is attempting suicide because he stole money from his employer and lost it all at the gambling tables. He determines to do something about it, so as Clark Kent he approaches his editor and asks to go after the gambling interests in town. When Kent confronts the police commissioner, who protests that he has more important crimes to deal with, Superman starts waging a one man war on gambling in Metropolis. It's back to watching Superman tackle problems that plague society, and I always enjoy these stories.
Superman #2
Fall 1939
The Comeback of Larry Trent
This feels too much like the story in Action Comics #4 where Superman takes the place of a college football player to expose the crooked coach. Here, Superman takes the place of Larry Trent, a washed-up boxing champ who was duped by his manager. Trent's manager threw the match by drugging Trent, cleaning up on betting against his star. And Trent was about to commit suicide, just like the guy in the opening of the previous story. I will say that this one was far better than the football story, given that Superman secures the cooperation of Trent, rather than drugging him like the college student. And when it comes down to make or break time, Trent wins his title bout himself, though only because Superman keeps the crooked manager away and keeps the fight fair. There are familiar themes and incidents here, but it's a better-written story.
Action Comics #16
September 1939
Superman and the Numbers Racket
Superman rescues a man who is attempting suicide because he stole money from his employer and lost it all at the gambling tables. He determines to do something about it, so as Clark Kent he approaches his editor and asks to go after the gambling interests in town. When Kent confronts the police commissioner, who protests that he has more important crimes to deal with, Superman starts waging a one man war on gambling in Metropolis. It's back to watching Superman tackle problems that plague society, and I always enjoy these stories.
Superman #2
Fall 1939
The Comeback of Larry Trent
This feels too much like the story in Action Comics #4 where Superman takes the place of a college football player to expose the crooked coach. Here, Superman takes the place of Larry Trent, a washed-up boxing champ who was duped by his manager. Trent's manager threw the match by drugging Trent, cleaning up on betting against his star. And Trent was about to commit suicide, just like the guy in the opening of the previous story. I will say that this one was far better than the football story, given that Superman secures the cooperation of Trent, rather than drugging him like the college student. And when it comes down to make or break time, Trent wins his title bout himself, though only because Superman keeps the crooked manager away and keeps the fight fair. There are familiar themes and incidents here, but it's a better-written story.
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Batman #11, continued
Payment in Full
I really enjoyed this story about two men who had been childhood friends, but whose lives had taken very different paths. District Attorney Lee Benson is faced with a tough choice when Batman captures thief and killer Joe Dolan and brings him in. Lee Benson and Joe Dolan had grown up in the same neighborhood, and Joe had saved Benson from being hit by a car when they were kids. After that, Dolan looked after the thin and meek Lee, and the two became friends. But as time went on they grew apart as Benson went towards the law, and Dolan drifts towards crime, loving the thrill and the easy money. In the present day, Dolan escapes from jail, and Benson makes the decision to help Batman track him down. During the chase, which starts on foot and ends up as a car chase, the DA is shot in the arm. Dolan crashes his car and ends up in Gotham Bay, with the wounded Benson unwilling to let him die, and diving in after him. You might think at this point that there's going to be some sort of reconciliation between the two men, but no... Dolan shows how truly far gone he is by trying to kill Benson. Batman stops him, and the D.A. ends up prosecuting the killer, who is shown at the end of the story walking the long hall to the electric chair, bemoaning his wasted life, while Benson is nominated for governor.
Bandits in Toyland
In a welcome bit of page time for his civilian identity, Bruce has jury duty. A man has been accused of stealing jewelry from his employer, while at the same time Muscles Malone's gang have been going around stealing certain toys. It doesn't take much to figure out that Malone had the employee framed, and hid the stolen jewels in various toys in the toyshop next door, only for many of them to be sold, forcing the gang to track them down. Bruce sees two of the gang in the courtroom, and being able to read lips, has his suspicions confirmed. He's the lone "not guilty" holdout on the jury, forcing the jury to be sequestered in a hotel for the night. Naturally he sneaks out as Batman, while Robin decides homework is boring and sneaks out as Robin, with the two of them able to get a confession and have the case dismissed.
Payment in Full
I really enjoyed this story about two men who had been childhood friends, but whose lives had taken very different paths. District Attorney Lee Benson is faced with a tough choice when Batman captures thief and killer Joe Dolan and brings him in. Lee Benson and Joe Dolan had grown up in the same neighborhood, and Joe had saved Benson from being hit by a car when they were kids. After that, Dolan looked after the thin and meek Lee, and the two became friends. But as time went on they grew apart as Benson went towards the law, and Dolan drifts towards crime, loving the thrill and the easy money. In the present day, Dolan escapes from jail, and Benson makes the decision to help Batman track him down. During the chase, which starts on foot and ends up as a car chase, the DA is shot in the arm. Dolan crashes his car and ends up in Gotham Bay, with the wounded Benson unwilling to let him die, and diving in after him. You might think at this point that there's going to be some sort of reconciliation between the two men, but no... Dolan shows how truly far gone he is by trying to kill Benson. Batman stops him, and the D.A. ends up prosecuting the killer, who is shown at the end of the story walking the long hall to the electric chair, bemoaning his wasted life, while Benson is nominated for governor.
Bandits in Toyland
In a welcome bit of page time for his civilian identity, Bruce has jury duty. A man has been accused of stealing jewelry from his employer, while at the same time Muscles Malone's gang have been going around stealing certain toys. It doesn't take much to figure out that Malone had the employee framed, and hid the stolen jewels in various toys in the toyshop next door, only for many of them to be sold, forcing the gang to track them down. Bruce sees two of the gang in the courtroom, and being able to read lips, has his suspicions confirmed. He's the lone "not guilty" holdout on the jury, forcing the jury to be sequestered in a hotel for the night. Naturally he sneaks out as Batman, while Robin decides homework is boring and sneaks out as Robin, with the two of them able to get a confession and have the case dismissed.
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andersonh1
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Batman #11 concluded
Four Birds of a Feather!
Three Gotham crooks, Buzzard Benny, Joe Crow and the Canary (a blonde singer whose real name is never given), decide to leave town and try their luck elsewhere. They run across the Penguin on the way out of town and take him along. He offers the money he made in his previous appearance to fund the new venture: a club in Florida where gambling is allowed. They name it "The Bird House" and do what they can to keep it appearing legitimate, while they find various ways to fleece the customers. As it happens, Bruce and Dick are on another of their vacations, and they're in Florida as well, so they investigate the club and figure out the game. Batman is shot over the course of the story, and the Canary helps Robin remove the bullet, in repayment for Batman saving her from a giant squid earlier in the story. The other crooks are rounded up and it looks like the Penguin has finally been captured, but he hooks his umbrella on a passing truck and escapes.
World's Finest Comics #6
Summer 1942
The Secret of Bruce Wayne!
This may be the first story not drawn by Bob Kane, at least according to GCD. The story opens with a "real life crime stories" program on the radio, which depicts a racket that Batman helped to end. Batman himself is watching the production and gives a statement at the end of the show, which the general audience loves, but which fails to impress the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman, all of whom get cameo appearances listening to the radio. Meanwhile reporter Scoop Scanlon is eager for a raise so he can get married, and his boss gives him an assignment: uncover the true identity of the Batman, and he'll get that raise. Scoop goes to work, contacting Batman and offering to follow him along on a case and write an article, which goody-two shoes 1940s Batman allows. Scanlon follows Batman and Robin as they go after a gang commiting crimes that mirror those on the radio drama.
Scanlon ultimately double crosses Batman, ambushing him with hired thugs so he can unmask him, but the crooks don't care about Batman's identity, they just want to take the opportunity to kill him, and Scanlon for knowing too much. Robin gets them out of that mess, but Scanlon is determined. After researching old news article, he puts two and two together and decides that Bruce Wayne must be the Batman. Like the crook in Batman #4 who guessed that Wayne was Batman because he hung around with Gordon so often, Scanlon has stumbled on the truth, and he makes the accusation live on-air. It takes washed up actor Mark Loring, wounded when the crooks invade the radio studio, playing Batman while Bruce "plays" himself to save the day. It's no surprise when the producer of the program is secretly behind the crime spree. Loring dies, and Bruce's secret ID is safe.
Detective Comics #65
July 1942
The Cop Who hated the Batman!
In a nice touch, this story opens with a "five years ago" flashback to Batman's solo days, when the police were still after him. It even dates the events to 1937 (which I guess would count as a retcon, making Batman's first published story in 1939 not his first adventure after all), but sadly does not depict him in his original costume design. He's shown in the blue and gray, short-eared costume. Batman is attempting to capture two crooks who are holding off the police: Mike Nolan and Nick Rocco. Batman punches out Rocco and Nolan surrenders, tired of his life of crime and ready to confess. Rocco kills him and disappears, and Batman can't figure out how. He's forced to run when the police enter the room.
Back to the present day, and Gordon invites Batman and Robin to accompany him on a two week trip to work with state troopers up north. They agree and go along. I can never get used to Batman essentially being a policeman in his bat costume, but that's what he is here as he's introduced to all the troopers and they're all star struck by the famous hero. All except young Tom Bolton, who clearly hates Batman and wants nothing to do with him. It turns out that Bolton's last name was Nolan. He's Mike Nolan's son, and believes that Batman killed his father. Over the course of the story, it turns out that Nick Rocco is also hiding out in the area, and the truth comes out that Rocco killed Nolan and escaped down the dumbwaiter. Tom takes in his father's killer, and he and Batman bury the hatchet.
Four Birds of a Feather!
Three Gotham crooks, Buzzard Benny, Joe Crow and the Canary (a blonde singer whose real name is never given), decide to leave town and try their luck elsewhere. They run across the Penguin on the way out of town and take him along. He offers the money he made in his previous appearance to fund the new venture: a club in Florida where gambling is allowed. They name it "The Bird House" and do what they can to keep it appearing legitimate, while they find various ways to fleece the customers. As it happens, Bruce and Dick are on another of their vacations, and they're in Florida as well, so they investigate the club and figure out the game. Batman is shot over the course of the story, and the Canary helps Robin remove the bullet, in repayment for Batman saving her from a giant squid earlier in the story. The other crooks are rounded up and it looks like the Penguin has finally been captured, but he hooks his umbrella on a passing truck and escapes.
World's Finest Comics #6
Summer 1942
The Secret of Bruce Wayne!
This may be the first story not drawn by Bob Kane, at least according to GCD. The story opens with a "real life crime stories" program on the radio, which depicts a racket that Batman helped to end. Batman himself is watching the production and gives a statement at the end of the show, which the general audience loves, but which fails to impress the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman, all of whom get cameo appearances listening to the radio. Meanwhile reporter Scoop Scanlon is eager for a raise so he can get married, and his boss gives him an assignment: uncover the true identity of the Batman, and he'll get that raise. Scoop goes to work, contacting Batman and offering to follow him along on a case and write an article, which goody-two shoes 1940s Batman allows. Scanlon follows Batman and Robin as they go after a gang commiting crimes that mirror those on the radio drama.
Scanlon ultimately double crosses Batman, ambushing him with hired thugs so he can unmask him, but the crooks don't care about Batman's identity, they just want to take the opportunity to kill him, and Scanlon for knowing too much. Robin gets them out of that mess, but Scanlon is determined. After researching old news article, he puts two and two together and decides that Bruce Wayne must be the Batman. Like the crook in Batman #4 who guessed that Wayne was Batman because he hung around with Gordon so often, Scanlon has stumbled on the truth, and he makes the accusation live on-air. It takes washed up actor Mark Loring, wounded when the crooks invade the radio studio, playing Batman while Bruce "plays" himself to save the day. It's no surprise when the producer of the program is secretly behind the crime spree. Loring dies, and Bruce's secret ID is safe.
Detective Comics #65
July 1942
The Cop Who hated the Batman!
In a nice touch, this story opens with a "five years ago" flashback to Batman's solo days, when the police were still after him. It even dates the events to 1937 (which I guess would count as a retcon, making Batman's first published story in 1939 not his first adventure after all), but sadly does not depict him in his original costume design. He's shown in the blue and gray, short-eared costume. Batman is attempting to capture two crooks who are holding off the police: Mike Nolan and Nick Rocco. Batman punches out Rocco and Nolan surrenders, tired of his life of crime and ready to confess. Rocco kills him and disappears, and Batman can't figure out how. He's forced to run when the police enter the room.
Back to the present day, and Gordon invites Batman and Robin to accompany him on a two week trip to work with state troopers up north. They agree and go along. I can never get used to Batman essentially being a policeman in his bat costume, but that's what he is here as he's introduced to all the troopers and they're all star struck by the famous hero. All except young Tom Bolton, who clearly hates Batman and wants nothing to do with him. It turns out that Bolton's last name was Nolan. He's Mike Nolan's son, and believes that Batman killed his father. Over the course of the story, it turns out that Nick Rocco is also hiding out in the area, and the truth comes out that Rocco killed Nolan and escaped down the dumbwaiter. Tom takes in his father's killer, and he and Batman bury the hatchet.
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Detective Comics #66
August 1942
The Crimes of Two-Face!
Two-Face makes his debut. District Attorney Harvey "Apollo" Kent (not Dent) has Boss Moroni on trial. He calls Batman to the stand to testify, but his final piece of evidence is Moroni's lucky coin, found at the scene of the crime. Moroni knows he's caught, but determined to get revenge, he throws a vial of acid in Harvey's face. Medical care is given immediately, but it's no good: Harvey ends up with terrible scars and discoloration on half his face. The only plastic surgeon who can repair the damage, Dr. Eckhart, has been arrested by the Nazis and put in a concentration camp. That's pretty much word for word what the story says. Harvey draws stares and fright everywhere he goes, even from his poor fiance Gilda, and it's too much for him. He snaps, and disfigures one side of Moroni's coin, which he will now flip to make his decisions, and he enters a life of crime.
The coin toss makes a lot of his decisions for him, so while he and his gang might steal money, they might give half of it to an orphanage or pay off someone's mortgage. Kent even talks about how if he was still the DA, he'd arrest his men for the crimes they're all committing. Batman appeals to him as a friend when they meet, but to no avail. The story ends on a cliffhanger as Batman corners Harvey in his hideout, and Harvey flips his coin to decide if he'll surrender. The coin lands on the floor and rolls into a crack, standing on its edge. To be continued in a future issue of Detective Comics....
Finger and Kane have created another strong villain, and while I knew about the acid scarring Harvey's face, I didn't realize the coin he always flips originally belonged to Boss Moroni. The friendship between Batman and Kent is a nice touch, adding a layer of complexity to the story as Batman tries to appeal to his former friend.
August 1942
The Crimes of Two-Face!
Two-Face makes his debut. District Attorney Harvey "Apollo" Kent (not Dent) has Boss Moroni on trial. He calls Batman to the stand to testify, but his final piece of evidence is Moroni's lucky coin, found at the scene of the crime. Moroni knows he's caught, but determined to get revenge, he throws a vial of acid in Harvey's face. Medical care is given immediately, but it's no good: Harvey ends up with terrible scars and discoloration on half his face. The only plastic surgeon who can repair the damage, Dr. Eckhart, has been arrested by the Nazis and put in a concentration camp. That's pretty much word for word what the story says. Harvey draws stares and fright everywhere he goes, even from his poor fiance Gilda, and it's too much for him. He snaps, and disfigures one side of Moroni's coin, which he will now flip to make his decisions, and he enters a life of crime.
The coin toss makes a lot of his decisions for him, so while he and his gang might steal money, they might give half of it to an orphanage or pay off someone's mortgage. Kent even talks about how if he was still the DA, he'd arrest his men for the crimes they're all committing. Batman appeals to him as a friend when they meet, but to no avail. The story ends on a cliffhanger as Batman corners Harvey in his hideout, and Harvey flips his coin to decide if he'll surrender. The coin lands on the floor and rolls into a crack, standing on its edge. To be continued in a future issue of Detective Comics....
Finger and Kane have created another strong villain, and while I knew about the acid scarring Harvey's face, I didn't realize the coin he always flips originally belonged to Boss Moroni. The friendship between Batman and Kent is a nice touch, adding a layer of complexity to the story as Batman tries to appeal to his former friend.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
That's an interesting coincidence. The actor that played Harvey Dent/Two-Face in "The Dark Knight" is Aaron Eckhart. I always found this origin story interesting, in that Batman was actually in the court room to testify.andersonh1 wrote:Dr. Eckhart,
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Yeah, the Two-Face origin story is a good one, and holds up fairly well. I still have a problem with a masked and anonymous Batman giving court testimony, but that's typical for the day. In the "Cop Who Hated the Batman" story, one of the state troopers even calls him "a brother officer", so Batman is in many ways just a "freelance policeman" in a weird costume, if I can phrase it that way.
Batman #12
August-September 1942
The cover proclaims "Anniversary Issue", but it's a pretty low key drawing of Batman and Robin driving a jeep with no real background.
Brothers in Crime!
Written by Don Cameron with art by Jerry Robinson. I really like Robinson's artwork on this story, and it's honestly refreshing to get a break from Bob Kane's art, and see how other artists of the day drew Batman. Robinson has much more diverse and imaginative layouts, and he's just a much more skilled artist than Kane. The story is very strong too, and it introduces Batman's trophy room, where he keeps souvenirs from his many cases. Unlike later on, these aren't in the as yet nonexistent Batcave, but appear to be in a room in his house. For those who think there's no continuity in Golden Age DC, here's another story that disproves that as Batman and Robin review a few of their past cases by way of trophies, including the wooden duck that the Joker used to escape from prison, and the painting of Bruce Wayne from Detective Comics 42. And then they come to a new trophy, a bullet proof vest that calls to mind the story of three brothers who all died because of the vest...
Peter Rafferty gets out of prison and intends to go straight, but his two brothers, hardcore criminals both, commit robbery and murder while he's in the car, forcing him back into a life of crime. All three wear a bulletproof vest that appears to be almost like chainmail rather than kevlar or some such material, and it leads to the death of all three men. The first brother dies when he's caught up in a gunfight in a junkyard, and is grabbed by an electromagnet and dropped into a hopper full of scrap. Nasty. The second drowns as the heavy vest pulls him down in Gotham Bay. Peter is the only one left, and he's done with crime, but he ends up on the run. He removes the vest and one of his gang shoots him as revenge for walking out on them, with Peter expressing his regret about being unable to go straight to Batman as he dies. It's a solid story, well drawn, and establishes Batman's habit of collecting trophies. Good stuff.
The Wizard of Words!
The Joker is back AGAIN. As always, he's looking for a gimmick for his crimes, and based on a chance remark by one of his gang, decides to commit crimes based on slang phrases. He promises to dump a ton of dough on a banker, for example. The banker is thinking money, but the Joker uses actual dough. All of this is a cover for using this behavior to commit crimes. There's not a lot that's distinctive about what is a pretty standard Joker story at this point, other than to note he appears to die at the end, once again. Honestly, the Joker has worn out his welcome at this point. There is a nice cutaway drawing in the story showing the Wayne house, the old barn, and the underground tunnel/hangar with the Batmobile and Batplane, which is interesting. The ideas that will eventually become aspects of the Batcave continue to be developed.
Batman #12
August-September 1942
The cover proclaims "Anniversary Issue", but it's a pretty low key drawing of Batman and Robin driving a jeep with no real background.
Brothers in Crime!
Written by Don Cameron with art by Jerry Robinson. I really like Robinson's artwork on this story, and it's honestly refreshing to get a break from Bob Kane's art, and see how other artists of the day drew Batman. Robinson has much more diverse and imaginative layouts, and he's just a much more skilled artist than Kane. The story is very strong too, and it introduces Batman's trophy room, where he keeps souvenirs from his many cases. Unlike later on, these aren't in the as yet nonexistent Batcave, but appear to be in a room in his house. For those who think there's no continuity in Golden Age DC, here's another story that disproves that as Batman and Robin review a few of their past cases by way of trophies, including the wooden duck that the Joker used to escape from prison, and the painting of Bruce Wayne from Detective Comics 42. And then they come to a new trophy, a bullet proof vest that calls to mind the story of three brothers who all died because of the vest...
Peter Rafferty gets out of prison and intends to go straight, but his two brothers, hardcore criminals both, commit robbery and murder while he's in the car, forcing him back into a life of crime. All three wear a bulletproof vest that appears to be almost like chainmail rather than kevlar or some such material, and it leads to the death of all three men. The first brother dies when he's caught up in a gunfight in a junkyard, and is grabbed by an electromagnet and dropped into a hopper full of scrap. Nasty. The second drowns as the heavy vest pulls him down in Gotham Bay. Peter is the only one left, and he's done with crime, but he ends up on the run. He removes the vest and one of his gang shoots him as revenge for walking out on them, with Peter expressing his regret about being unable to go straight to Batman as he dies. It's a solid story, well drawn, and establishes Batman's habit of collecting trophies. Good stuff.
The Wizard of Words!
The Joker is back AGAIN. As always, he's looking for a gimmick for his crimes, and based on a chance remark by one of his gang, decides to commit crimes based on slang phrases. He promises to dump a ton of dough on a banker, for example. The banker is thinking money, but the Joker uses actual dough. All of this is a cover for using this behavior to commit crimes. There's not a lot that's distinctive about what is a pretty standard Joker story at this point, other than to note he appears to die at the end, once again. Honestly, the Joker has worn out his welcome at this point. There is a nice cutaway drawing in the story showing the Wayne house, the old barn, and the underground tunnel/hangar with the Batmobile and Batplane, which is interesting. The ideas that will eventually become aspects of the Batcave continue to be developed.
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
They Thrill to Conquer!
A protection racket is going after stuntmen, and killing them if they don't pay up. The story opens with Batman and Robin watching over Ben "Fearless" Ford play a "human fly", climbing a skyscraper to promote war bond sales. Some thugs intend to kill him, but Batman and Robin intervene to save Ford's life. The incident causes Ford to lose his nerve, and the poor guy is told by Batman that he needs to "be a man" and get over it. Even Robin calls him a dirty coward at one point. Yikes. Ford can't just get over it, and so Batman takes his place in the next few jobs that Ford had signed up for, trying to draw out and capture the crooks. The big boss makes his escape via plane, with Batman trying to stop him. Naturally, Ford gets his nerve back just when he needs it, and dives from the Batplane to the other plane, helping Batman bring in the boss.
Around the Clock with the Batman!
This story is largely a series of vignettes that follow Bruce and Dick through a typical day, showing how they do what they do. Gotham City holds a Batman Day parade to celebrate their hero, and Bruce (as Batman) is writing a book about crime fighting. A lot is packed into this 13 page story, and it's actually fun to watch Bruce and Dick get up early, work out, work on memorizing their criminal files (and they always know who the gangsters they're fighting are, so this is a nice way of showing how they manage that), and then work on multiple cases.
World's Finest Comics #7
Autumn 1942
The North Pole Crimes!
A band of criminals from Gotham working for "Angles" Bigsbee decide to quit the city and try their fortunes elsewhere, and they head north. The set up a clever base inside an (artificial?) iceberg (shown with a cutaway drawing) from which they rob nearby towns and trading posts, always leaving a snowman as their calling card. Batman and Robin head north, staying warm in the snow by means of heat-generating electrical fibers in their costumes (but how does Robin keep his arms and legs warm?!?). After some initial success, they're betrayed by an inside man working for the gang and left to die in the snow. After a bout with snow-blindness and a narrow escape from a polar bear, they are rescued and recover, and this time locate the crooks and bust up the gang. The snowman concealed the payment always left for their man on the ground. Batman and Robin adopt all-white camoflage costumes at one point.
I like adventure stories set in northern Canada or Alaska, because it's a great setting for isolation and plenty of danger, but Batman and Robin don't really fit. Robin in particular with his bare legs and arms should not be out in the snow and ice. I guess his costume doesn't really make sense under any circumstances for fighting crime, but for whatever reason putting him out in the cold really kills that suspension of disbelief.
A protection racket is going after stuntmen, and killing them if they don't pay up. The story opens with Batman and Robin watching over Ben "Fearless" Ford play a "human fly", climbing a skyscraper to promote war bond sales. Some thugs intend to kill him, but Batman and Robin intervene to save Ford's life. The incident causes Ford to lose his nerve, and the poor guy is told by Batman that he needs to "be a man" and get over it. Even Robin calls him a dirty coward at one point. Yikes. Ford can't just get over it, and so Batman takes his place in the next few jobs that Ford had signed up for, trying to draw out and capture the crooks. The big boss makes his escape via plane, with Batman trying to stop him. Naturally, Ford gets his nerve back just when he needs it, and dives from the Batplane to the other plane, helping Batman bring in the boss.
Around the Clock with the Batman!
This story is largely a series of vignettes that follow Bruce and Dick through a typical day, showing how they do what they do. Gotham City holds a Batman Day parade to celebrate their hero, and Bruce (as Batman) is writing a book about crime fighting. A lot is packed into this 13 page story, and it's actually fun to watch Bruce and Dick get up early, work out, work on memorizing their criminal files (and they always know who the gangsters they're fighting are, so this is a nice way of showing how they manage that), and then work on multiple cases.
World's Finest Comics #7
Autumn 1942
The North Pole Crimes!
A band of criminals from Gotham working for "Angles" Bigsbee decide to quit the city and try their fortunes elsewhere, and they head north. The set up a clever base inside an (artificial?) iceberg (shown with a cutaway drawing) from which they rob nearby towns and trading posts, always leaving a snowman as their calling card. Batman and Robin head north, staying warm in the snow by means of heat-generating electrical fibers in their costumes (but how does Robin keep his arms and legs warm?!?). After some initial success, they're betrayed by an inside man working for the gang and left to die in the snow. After a bout with snow-blindness and a narrow escape from a polar bear, they are rescued and recover, and this time locate the crooks and bust up the gang. The snowman concealed the payment always left for their man on the ground. Batman and Robin adopt all-white camoflage costumes at one point.
I like adventure stories set in northern Canada or Alaska, because it's a great setting for isolation and plenty of danger, but Batman and Robin don't really fit. Robin in particular with his bare legs and arms should not be out in the snow and ice. I guess his costume doesn't really make sense under any circumstances for fighting crime, but for whatever reason putting him out in the cold really kills that suspension of disbelief.
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andersonh1
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Re: Retro Comics are Awesome
Detective Comics #67
September 1942
Crime's Early Bird
The Penguin uses trained birds to commit crimes, usually theft. There's honestly not a lot to say about this plot. It's entertaining enough, and the Penguin's scheme works pretty well for a while, as these things usually do. It is a bit shocking to watch the Penguin just casually gas a wealthy man to death, joke about it and then rob his safe. It shows just how brutal the Penguin is beneath his mannered and well-dressed exterior.
Detective Comics #68
October 1942
The Man Who Led a Double Life!
This story picks up right where Detective Comics #66 left off, with Batman and Two-Face watching Kent's coin land, roll into a crack and stand on its edge. Batman urges him to try again, but Two-Face insists he only throws the coin once, and now fate will decide. A policeman enters the apartment and shoots at Harvey, who is saved when the bullet hits his coin, on the scarred side. Two-Face escapes and returns to crime, but the tragedy of his life is not forgotten. At one point, he uses makeup to cover his scarred side and goes to see Gilda, his former fiance, because he misses her. The makeup is ultimately ruined and he runs, and continues his life of crime until Batman finally captures him, and he ends the story in jail, vowing to escape. After appealing to their friendship earlier in this story and the last, it looks as if Batman has given up on trying to reach him.
I'm very interested in Civil War history, and there is an actual incident of a man's life being saved when a bullet hit the gold coin in his pocket. Lt. George Dixon, a Confederate officer, was shot during the battle of Shiloh, but the gold coin his fiance gave him was hit, leaving him with a limp and unfit for combat, but his life was saved. He later was the final commander of the submarine Hunley when it sank the Union ship Lousitania outside Charleston harbor, and died with the rest of the crew of the sub, cause still undetermined. His damaged coin was found in the sub, confirming the story as true. It's on display at the Hunley museum, and I've seen it with my own eyes. So it has happened in real life, and is not as unlikely as it may seem.
Batman #13
October-November 1942
The Batman Plays a Lone Hand!
Bruce rather harshly fires Dick as Robin, telling him that from now on Batman works alone. The angry and confused Dick Grayson decides that he doesn't need Bruce's money or pity, and leaves the house, heading out into the city to find a way to make it on his own. He spots Batman swinging from the rooftops, fighting gangster "the Thumb" and his men with what appears to be another boy acting as Robin, so Dick figures he's been replaced. Of course, it was all an act by Batman to get him temporarily out of danger since the Thumb had sent Gordon a note threatening Robin's life in order to keep Batman from interfering with his operations. Dick, who has obtained a job cleaning up in a restaurant, overhears two of the Thumb's gang talking about how they've captured Batman, and he follows them back to their hideout and saves his friend, after which the whole situation is explained and the two patch things up.
To me, even for a story written in the 40s, the characterization in this one doesn't quite work. I guessed pretty quick what Bruce was doing, but a stunt like this is bound to break the trust that these two have in each other. They mend fences far too quickly and easily. And is the Thumb really so much more dangerous than Joker or Penguin?
September 1942
Crime's Early Bird
The Penguin uses trained birds to commit crimes, usually theft. There's honestly not a lot to say about this plot. It's entertaining enough, and the Penguin's scheme works pretty well for a while, as these things usually do. It is a bit shocking to watch the Penguin just casually gas a wealthy man to death, joke about it and then rob his safe. It shows just how brutal the Penguin is beneath his mannered and well-dressed exterior.
Detective Comics #68
October 1942
The Man Who Led a Double Life!
This story picks up right where Detective Comics #66 left off, with Batman and Two-Face watching Kent's coin land, roll into a crack and stand on its edge. Batman urges him to try again, but Two-Face insists he only throws the coin once, and now fate will decide. A policeman enters the apartment and shoots at Harvey, who is saved when the bullet hits his coin, on the scarred side. Two-Face escapes and returns to crime, but the tragedy of his life is not forgotten. At one point, he uses makeup to cover his scarred side and goes to see Gilda, his former fiance, because he misses her. The makeup is ultimately ruined and he runs, and continues his life of crime until Batman finally captures him, and he ends the story in jail, vowing to escape. After appealing to their friendship earlier in this story and the last, it looks as if Batman has given up on trying to reach him.
I'm very interested in Civil War history, and there is an actual incident of a man's life being saved when a bullet hit the gold coin in his pocket. Lt. George Dixon, a Confederate officer, was shot during the battle of Shiloh, but the gold coin his fiance gave him was hit, leaving him with a limp and unfit for combat, but his life was saved. He later was the final commander of the submarine Hunley when it sank the Union ship Lousitania outside Charleston harbor, and died with the rest of the crew of the sub, cause still undetermined. His damaged coin was found in the sub, confirming the story as true. It's on display at the Hunley museum, and I've seen it with my own eyes. So it has happened in real life, and is not as unlikely as it may seem.
Batman #13
October-November 1942
The Batman Plays a Lone Hand!
Bruce rather harshly fires Dick as Robin, telling him that from now on Batman works alone. The angry and confused Dick Grayson decides that he doesn't need Bruce's money or pity, and leaves the house, heading out into the city to find a way to make it on his own. He spots Batman swinging from the rooftops, fighting gangster "the Thumb" and his men with what appears to be another boy acting as Robin, so Dick figures he's been replaced. Of course, it was all an act by Batman to get him temporarily out of danger since the Thumb had sent Gordon a note threatening Robin's life in order to keep Batman from interfering with his operations. Dick, who has obtained a job cleaning up in a restaurant, overhears two of the Thumb's gang talking about how they've captured Batman, and he follows them back to their hideout and saves his friend, after which the whole situation is explained and the two patch things up.
To me, even for a story written in the 40s, the characterization in this one doesn't quite work. I guessed pretty quick what Bruce was doing, but a stunt like this is bound to break the trust that these two have in each other. They mend fences far too quickly and easily. And is the Thumb really so much more dangerous than Joker or Penguin?