BATMAN #127
October 1959
Cover: Thor vs. Batman and Robin //Curt Swan / Win Mortimer
FIRST STORY
"Batman's Super-Partner" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Batman (last chronological appearance in flashback in Justice League
Of America #9 and 97)
Robin (last seen in World's Finest Comics #104)
Supporting Character
The Eagle (Alfred Pennyworth; first and only appearance as The Eagle;
last seen as Alfred Pennyworth, in issue #125; next appearance in third
story of next issue)
Villains
The Joker (last seen in issue #123; next appears in issue #136)
The Joker's gang (first and only appearance of all to date)
Doc Cranium (no appearance; name only mentioned; first and only appearance
to date)
Other Characters
Mr. Sedgewick (first and only appearance to date)
Citizens of Gotham City
Synopsis
When the Joker tricks Batman and Robin into being locked
up in an armored car so that he and his gang can loot a book fair, the
heroes are liberated by a new super-hero, the Eagle, who rips off the doors
off the vehicle. He expresses his wish to become their third partner,
but the Joker manages to make a clean getaway thru a specially-prepared
exit. The Eagle leaps away, but Batman and Robin meet him later that
night in the Bat-Cave when he unmasks himself and proves to be Alfred,
their butler. Alfred explains that he was accidentally struck by
a ray bombardment form a criminal scientist's machine in the Bat-Cave,
refracted through a space-crystal prism that Superman brought back from
outer space. It had the effect of giving him tremendous strength
and leaping power, plus invulnerability. Alfred petitions to join their
team, and Batman repliew that he sees no other choice. But privately
he confides his doubts in Alfred's crime-fighting ability to Dick, who
shares his misgivings.
The Joker makes a second appearance, stealing a
puzzle solver's prize money, and the Eagle tries to aid Batman and Robin
in capturing him. But Alfred manages to bungle by miscalculating
his strength and leaping power, and instead ends up netting his employers
while the Joker goes scott free again. On the next day, the Joker
pulls a museum robbery, but the Eagle is finally successful in one of his
endeavors--blocking the getaway car with a thrown statue. Unfortunately,
as he closes with the Joker, the Eagles's strength and powers fade away
and the harlequin is easily able to kayo him. However, Batman and
Robin bear down on him in Roman chariots, dodge spears thrown by the Joker
and his men, and apprehend the gang. Later, in the Bat-Cave,
Alfred proudly states that he might have even surpassed Batman and Robin
with a little practice, and Batman, wisely, concurs, while Robin, behind
Alfred, slaps his forehead in dismay.
SECOND STORY
"The Second Life Of Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (do not appear as Batman and Robin in
this story)
Supporting Character
Prof. Carter Nichols (last seen in issue #125; next appears in World's
Finest Comics #107)
Cameo Appearances
Batman (Bruce Wayne of an alternate universe; first and only appearance
to date; origin revealed in this story)
Superman (Clark Kent of an alternate universe; first and only apperance
to date)
The Blue Bat and his gang (first and only appearance for all to date;
all inhabitants of an alternate universe)
Citizens and Police of an alternate Gotham City (first and only appearance
for all to date)
Comment
Though the characters listed under "Cameo Appearances"
make more substantial appearances than cameos in the story, they are listed
thus because of their fictitious nature.
Synopsis
Professor Carter Nichols invited Bruce Wayne and Dick
Grayson to test another invention of his--a machine which can create mental
visions of an alternate universe which might have resulted had one event
in the user's past been changed. Bruce wonders what would have occurred
if the killing of his parents, which inspired him to become Batman, had
not taken place. He sees himself as a young playboy whose parent
have died the previous year in a car crash. Though lazy, the other
Bruce is still an accomplished athlete. He is invited by friends
to a masquerade ball at Metropolis Airport, where everyone is required
to attend as a flying creature. Aptly, Bruce wears a Superman suit.
But the party is crashed by the Blue Bat, a criminal gangleader who wears
the same uniform as the Batman of Earth-One universe. Superman appears
and tries to take in the gang, but the Blue Bat activates a plane and sends
it straight at the crowd,requiring Superman to break off his fight and
stop the plane. Bruce, costumed as Superman, is stung into action
by a friend's joke that he "act like" Superman; he leaps into action and
brings down several of the Blue Bat's gang, though the costumed criminal
himself escapes. A day later, the Blue Bat and his gang accost Bruce
Wayne, knock him down, and warn him never to interfere in their rackets
again. Irked by treatment, Bruce uses his detective skills to track
down the Blue Bat's lair, only to find it deserted. But there is
a spare Blue Bat costume, and a diagram of the interior of a new dam being
built outside town. Bruce, hitting upon a plan, dons the Blue Bat
uniform, drives to the dam, and maks sure to pass by police so that they
pursue him. He and the Blue Bat have a final confrontation, and he
kayos the villain and prevents him from dynamiting the dam. As Bruce
taks his leave, he overhears the police behind him prasising the work of
"that Bat-Man!" And , once home, Bruce Wayne resolves to use the
Blue Bat costume and the name the policeman gave him in the cause of justice,
as Batman.
Back in the real world, Bruce removes the machine from
his head and tells Nichols that his destiny would have been the same, no
matter what happened.
THIRD STORY
"The Hammer Of Thor" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Lew Schwartz
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Superman #132)
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon (between Detective Comics #271 / 272)
Villains
Thor (Henry Meke; first and only appearance to date; not to be confused
with the Earth-Two villain who appears in Adventure Comics #75 and All-Star
Squadron #18, nor the Norse god who appears, among other places, in Captain
Action #1 or Wonder Woman Spectacular {DC Special Series #9})
Two safecrackers (firstand only appearance for both to date)
Other Characters
Citizens of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin visit Superman to learn
what his life would have been like if Krypton had not exploded, in Superman
#132.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are startled, to say the least,
when they behold a red-bearded man, dressed like an ancient Norseman and
wielding a hammer, claiming to be Thor himself, and using his mallet to
smash through the metal doors of the National Bank of Gotham. The
hammer, once thrown, comes back to his hand, and Thor's super-strength
is proof even against Batman and Robin. He heists a sack of money
from the bank and smashes down a lamppost to block the Batmobile, ensuring
his escape. The next day, Commissioner Gordon introduces Henry Meke
to Batman and Robin. Meke is proprietor of a small museum featuring
replicas of mythological curios. He has lately noticed the hammer
of Thor missing from his collection, and wonders if the real Thor has to
come to reclaim it.
Two nights later, Thor appears during a thunderstorm to
wallop the daylights out of two safecrackers at an electronics factory.
Batman and Robin try to capture Thor, but are outclassed by his power,
and break off the attack when Thor accidentally endangers the two thieves.
The thunderer once again escapes.
A night later, Batman and Robin visit Meke, who
finally remembers an incident: some nights past, a meteorite smashed through
his window, hit the hammer of Thor, and disintergrated. The hammer
began to glow, and he reached out to examine it. Meke breaks off
his narrative as another storm brews outside, and the thunder seems to
put him in a trance. Meke opens a floor panel, takes from it the
hammer and costume of Thor, and, after touching the hammer, is transformed
into the mighty Thor himself. A thunderbolt crashes nearby, and Thor
answers it verbally, telling Odin he will now go to prepare him a temple
after finding more wealth to finance it. Batman comments on
the phenomenon. Angered at being interrupted in his conversation,
Thor vows to wallop Batman and Robin. The heroes are out-powered
again, but Batman cons Thor into throwing his hammer at an electrical fuse
box behind him, causing a great electrical spark which short-circuits the
hammer. Thor returns to being Henry Meke. Batman later explains
to Meke that the meteorite had been subjected to cosmic forces in space
that enabled it to transmit strange powers to the hammer, and then to Meke
when he touched it. Since the incident occurred in a thunderstorm,
Meke thought that he was Thor himself. Batman assures Meke that the
reward for nabbing the two safecrackes will pay the damages he caused
as the Asgardian avenger. The next day, crowds of people line up
outside the museum to see the hammer that transformed a weak, unassuming
mortal into the mighty Thor, and marvel at it.
Detective Comics No. 272
October 1959
Cover: Crystal Creature vs. Batman and Robin //Curt Swan / Stan Kaye
Story: “The Crystal Creature” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in SUPERMAN
#132; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #105)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#127)
Villains: The Crystal Creature (first appearance; destroyed in this
story), Black Patch and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Khalex in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #105.
Synopsis: Nuclear waste mutates sea life into a “Crystal Creature”
that consumes metal, and Batman and Robin must save Gotham City from its
menace.
Detective Comics No. 273
November 1959
Cover: Batman unmasked by Dragon Society members //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Secret of the Dragon Society” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (in flashback; last appearance for
both in issue #269; both next appear in BATMAN #125)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in BATMAN #128;
also appears in flashback, between BATMAN #124 / 125)
Intro: Tom Fogarty (only appearance)
Villains: The Dragon Gang (Chief Dragon, Dragon One (Harvey Straker),
Dragon Two, Dragon Three, Dragon Four, Grimes, and Mack Hodges; in flasback;
first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: In an address to a group of police academy graduates, Commissioner
Gordon tells the story of Batman’s and Robin’s battle against the multi-state
Dragon Society gang of criminals.
BATMAN #128
December 1959
Cover Credits
Artists: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
FIRST STORY
"The Interplanetary Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #105)
Villains
Kraak and other interplanetary criminals (first and only appearance
to date for all)
Other Characters
The Ergon Police (first and only appearance to date for all)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin, in their Batmobile, stop to answer
a cry for help--a cry from an alien being. They are hardly out of
the car when other aliens, not from the same world as the first one, paralyse
the first alien, whom they call Kraak the space pirate, and Batman and
Robin, whom they mistakenly believe to be Kraak's partners. All were
taken to a prison on an alien planet's moon. During an exercise period,
Batman and Kraak get into a fight after Kraak takes a poke at Robin.
The two separated and Batman and Robin taken in for questioning, then returned
to Kraak's cell. Batman informs Kraak that they intend to break prison.
Kraak offers to be their guide on the unfamiliar alien moon, and, after
breaking jail, the threesome endure deadly natural perils and the efforts
of the authorites to recapture them. They make their way to a spaceport,
where they hijack an unattended space cruiser and escape from the moon.
When Earth comes into sight on the viewport, Kraak infroms them that they
are not bound for Batman's home planet, but for the Claw Asteroid, where
he hid his loot. After they disembark, Batman and Robin are seized
by Kraak's gang, but the heroes break free and Batman subdues Kraak with
judo. Shortly after, the Ergon police arrive in another space cruiser.
Batman reveals that he convinced the police, during questioning, to let
him prove his innocence by getting Kraak to show them the hiding place
of his loot. The Ergon leader shakes hands with Batman, calling him
the greatest crime-fighter of two solar systems.
SECOND STORY
"The Million Dollar Puzzle" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in Detective Comics #273; next appears
in Detective Comics #274)
Villains
Hillery, Burke, Sloan,Joe, and other criminals (first and only appearance
to date for all)
Other Characters
Sawyer, Logan,and Cora Dale (first and only appearance to date for
all)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin respond to a call for help from Sawyer,
a wealthy man who has been assaulted and robbed--but only of an ordinary
vase from the Thaddeus Moore auction. The two heroes recall two earlier
burglaries of a clock and a thermometer, both bought at the Moore auction.
Later, they check with Logan, a lawyer handling the Moore estate, and his
aide Hillery, and learn that Moore had said he would leave a million dollars
to his nephew, but would have to work hard for it and take care of his
possessions. A fourth burglary, of a desk of Moore's now owned by
Cora Dale, leads Batman and Robin to hear a poem Moore had left in his
desk: "Mr. Field laid down a chain / Another Cyrus gave us grain
/ James knew all the whats and whys / If you know how you'll win the prize."
Batman, realizing that Moore build models of great inventions, prompts
Robin to guess the meaning of the riddle: Cyrus Field, the man who
laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable, Cyrus McCormick, the inventor
of the reaper, and James Watt, who invented the steam engine. This
leads them to a series of adventures against crooks hired by an unknown
mastermind to steal Moore's models, resulting in the discovery of a key
to a secret deposit box of the Gotham City Bank containing Moore's million
dollars. Hillery, the lawyer's assistant, proves to be the power
behind the thefts, but is captured by Batman and Robin when tries to recover
the key.
THIRD STORY
"The Batman Baby" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Detective Comics #274)
Supporting Character
Alfred Pennyworth (last seen in first story of last issue; next appearance
in issue #131)
Guest Star
Batwoman (last seen in World's Finest Comics #104; next appearance
in Detective Comics #276)
Villains
Baron Karl (no actual appearance; behind the scenes; first and only
appearance to date)
Lekkey, Bruno Groft, and enemy agents (first and only appearance for
all to date)
Other Characters
The prince, princess and crown prince of Morania (first and only appearance
for all to date)
King Rudolph of Morania (no actual appearance; behind the scenes; first
appearance; dies in this story)
Synopsis
Kathy Kane appears at the Wayne mansion with a startling
gift--a baby boy. In her capacity as a director on the local orphanage's
board, she has received the baby on the orphange's doorstep with a note
from the parents (unidentified) asking them to keep the child in hiding
until he can be reclaimed, and asking the police to remain secret.
Kathy, not wishing her Batwoman career to be imparied, trusts Bruce to
be a good guardian to the child until his parents can be located.
Batman attempts to leave the boy with Alfred when he goes for a nightly
patrol, but the baby puts up such a squawk at Bruce's attempt to exit that
he is forced to stay with the child to keep the neighbors from discovering
its presence, while Robin patrols with Batwoman.
The next day, from telltale threads in a crest pattern,
they determine the boy is one of the royal family of Morania, a tiny European
country. When they attempt to meet the ambassador of Morania, whose
old king is dying, they are detained and then attacked by thugs, whom they
beat back. Realizing that Lekkey, the assistant to the ambassador,
was the only one who knew of their appointment, Batman and Robin trail
him to the hideout of Bruno Groft, a foreign agent and assasin-for-hire,
and defeat him and his gang and manage to rescue the abducted ambassador.
He directs them to the hiding place of the prince and princess of Morania,
the child's parents. They arrive just in time to prevent Lekkey from
assassinating them so that Baron Karl, another family member. may assume
the throne. The plotters, including Baron Karl, all wind up behind
bars. Not long afterward, the king of Morania dies and the prince
and princess assume the throne of their country. Alfred, for his
part, has a delayed shock upon realizing he held a tiny bit of royalty
in his hands.
Detective Comics No. 274
December 1959
Cover: Hermit vs. Batman and Robin //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Hermit of Mystery Island” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#128; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #106)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#128)
Villains: The Hermit (Hawk), Nails Lewin, Lew Gadge, Joe Keno, Ed Mapes,
and their gangs (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight the Duplicate Man in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #106.
Synopsis: On a supposedly deserted island, Batman, Robin, and four
gang-bosses encounter a strange hermit who predicts dire fates for all
the crooks and Batman, which seem to come true.
Detective Comics No. 275
January 1960
Cover: Robin and Zebra Batman //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Zebra Batman” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #106; both next appear in BATMAN #129)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in BATMAN #130)
Villain: The Zebra-Man and his gang (including Jo-Jo Forbes; first
and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin encounter a magnetically-powered villain,
the Zebra-Man. But a charge from the machine which gave Zebra-Man
his powers turns Batman into a “Zebra-Batman” who repels all solid matter,
and cannot regulate his powers.
BATMAN #129
Febuary 1960
Cover: Batman, Robin, Spinner, and Batwoman tied to giant fan //Sheldon
Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"The Web Of The Spinner" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in Detective Comics #275)
Guest Star
Batwoman (last seen in World's Finest Comics #104; next appearance
in issue #133)
Villains
The Spinner (Swami Ymar; first and only appearance to date)
"Peanuts" Gilson and the rest of the Spinner's gang (first and only
appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
Batman and Robin encounter a new costumed villain, the
Spinner, whose metal uniform is overlaid with spinning discs, and who utilizes
a spinning buzz-saw gun, tops, and giant fans in his arsenal of tricks.
The heroes are dazzled by the reflected light of the sun from the Spinner's
colored-glass fan and thus are unable to stop the gang's escape, but a
slang word used by the Spinner common among Joliet Prison inmates gives
Batman a clue to his identity.
In the meantime, Kathy Kane is checking out a Swami Ymar
who runs a racket finding lost valuables for wealthy people. He proves
unable to see that Kathy's brooch is in her jewel box, but can see that
another's woman's diamond ring is on the powder box in her bureau.
Kathy judges him master of a racket in which a henchman steals things and
hides them, then, for a fee, the Swami pretends to find them.
The Spinner has another encounter with Batman during a
payroll robbery, but fends off the heroes with a giant top. He drops
a glove, which proves to have peanut oil and salt on it. From this,
and the Joliet Prison clue, Batman deduces that Peanuts Gilson, an ex-con,
must be the Spinner, though he doesn't seem bright enough for the role.
At the Swami's studio, a reporter nudges the Swami into revealing the Spinner's
hideout, at a windmill outside of Gotham. Batwoman, outside the Swami's
window, gets the news even before the reporter phones police headquarters,
and thus precedes Batman and Robin by a few seconds--and gets caught by
the Spinner and tied to a giant fan. Batman disables the fan controls
with a pitchfork, and he and Robin easily defeat the gang. The Spinner,
unmasked, proves to be Gilson. But when a freed Batwoman accuses
him of other crimes, Gilson exclaims that he is not really the Spinner,
who gave him this costume and asked him to stand in for him while he is
out. Suspecting a trap--correctly--Batman gets all of them out of
the windmill before a booby trap blows the structure to bits.
Batman, Robin and Batwoman return to the Swami's
studio and captures the real Spinner--Swami Ymar. Ymar admits to
using the slang and dropping the gimmicked glove as false clues, and was
planning to have Gilson, in the Spinner costume, die in the blast, so that
Ymar would be clear to retire safely with his loot from the robberies and
the reward for The Spinner's capture. Batman leads him away, telling
him the only one caught in the Spinner's web was the Spinner's himself.
SECOND STORY
"The Man From Robin's Past" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Robin (origin of the Earth-One Robin revealed for the first time, in
flashback, which is Robin's earliest chronological appearance; flashback
continues into and is expanded in issue #213; see also flashback in issue
#200)
Batman (also appears in flashback to Robin's origin, which probably
takes place after his first battle with Hugo Strange (mentioned in Detective
Comics #471) or after flashback with Batman, Jr. in Detective Comics #231,
and continues into and is expanded in issur #213; see also flashback in
issur #200)
Villains
Boss Zucco's gang of Earth-One (in flashback; first appearance; their
appearance continues into and is expanded in issue #213; see also flashback
in issue #200)
Art Colby and his gang, and Limey Lou (first and only appearance for
all to date)
Other Characters
John and Mary Grayson of Earth-One (in flashback; first appearance;
both die in this story; Robin's parents; see also flashback in issue #200
and story in issue #213)
Jack Haly (in flashback; first appearance; last name given in issue
#200, incorrectly, as "Haley," but named, correctly, "Haly" in issue #213;
first name revealed in Who's Who #17; his appearance here is expanded in
issue #200 and bracketed by issue #213)
Members of the Haly Circus (in flashback; first appearance; same as
appearances in issue #200 and issue #213; next appear in Robin's story
in Detective Comics #484)
Sando (also in flashback; first and only appearance to date)
Andy Sando (Sando's son; first and only appearance to date)
Members of an unnamed circus (behind the scenes; first and only appearance
of all to date)
Two students of Midville College and a prison guard (first and only
appearance for all to date)
Comments
This is the first recounting of the origin of Robin of
Earth-One, in flashback. As shown in issues #200 and 213, and Detective
Comics #484, several incidents are probably incorrectly related (for instance,
Batman probably never directly approached Haly, as shown in panel 7 of
page 3, and Boss Zucco's gang was not brought in before Batman's training
of Dick Grayson, as shown in this story, but after he had trained him and
costumed him as Robin, and allowed him to participate in Zucco's capture.
The flashback on page 3, panel 4, is Dick Grayson's first chronological
appearance.
The story of how Bruce Wayne became the first Robin
is told in Detective Comics #226.
Jack Haly is named for Jack Haley, the Tin Woodman
in the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin, passing by a circus on the outskirts
of Gotham, notice two thieves wanted for a jewelry robbery in Midville
duck into the tent of Sando, the Strongman. Robin recognizes Sando,
as the kindly man who was his friend in the Haly Circus before Dick Grayson
became Robin. They go after the thugs, but a glancing shot frees
a tiger from its cage and forces them to break off battle. Sando
himself lifts a cage and heaves it over the tiger. Soon, Batman finds
a diamond from the store loot in Sando's tent, and the strongman, refusing
to answer questions, is jailed on suspicion. Robin believes that
he might talk to his old friend, Dick Grayson.
Dick is allowed to see Sando the next day, and is
welcomed with open arms. The scene reminds Dick of his playful tugs
of war with Sando when he was a child, and of the night that gangsters
rigged a fatal accident for his trapeze-riding parents to force Haly, the
owner of the circus, to pay protection money. On that night, Dick
Grayson first met Batman, who trained him to become Robin, the boy wonder,
and fought alongside of him to bring his parents' murderers to justice.
Back in the present, Dick asks Sando if he should be allowed to tell Andy,
Sando's son, of his whereabouts; Sando emphatically refuses to let him
do so.
Batman and Robin, wondering if Sando is covering
for his son, goes to Midville, where Andy is attending college. There
they discover that Andy Sando is hanging around the Green Anchor nightclub,
owned by gangster Art Colby. They find Andy there, bitterly accusing
Art Colby of pulling the robbery after first going with Andy to meet his
strongman father, and then hiding the diamonds in Sando's tent, knowing
he feels his son--incorrectly--to be involved. Andy threatens to
go to the police; Colby directs his men to grab Andy; and Batman and Robin,
emerging from hiding, attack Colby's men. But Colby brings down the
huge anchor-trademark in the heroes' path, and flees behind a locked steel
door with Andy as hostage. Sando, out on bail and suddenly appearing,
hefts up the huge anchor and smashes in the door with it. Then he
enters and nabs Colby and clobbers his goons in a single motion.
Colby points out that without any physical evidence here, Batman still
has no case against him. But the masked hero discovers a letter obviously
to a fence of stolen goods, with the date written day first, month second.
Realizing that Englishmen put the day first in their dating, Batman goes
after transplanted Britisher Limey Lou, and finds the diamonds and the
rest of the gang in Limey's lair. Later on, Sando vigorously pumps
Batman's hand, and tells him he doesn't know how to thank him. Batman
suggests he stop crushing his hand, for starters.
THIRD STORY
"Merriweather Jones, Crime Prophet" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Don Cameron
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in The Brave And The Bold #28)
Robin (next appears in Detective Comics #276)
Villains
Red-Hot Regan and his gang, and assorted crooks (first and only appearance
for all to date)
Other Characters
Merriweather Jones (first and only appearance to date)
Police and Citizens of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman makes a brief appearance
during the Justice League of America's first battle with Starro, in Brave
and the Bold #28.
Synopsis
After being struck on the head by a deflected lightning
bolt, Merriweather Jones develops the power to predict where a crime will
be committed when a gong-like sensation is felt in his head, by "some strange
kind of telepathy!" He proves this by signalling a cop to investigate
a crime in progress, which, inadvertently, Batman and Robin were also foiling.
Jones is suspected of collusion, but is released after questioning.
He thwarts a second crime at the Atlas Signal Device Company by ringing
an alarm that summons a passing Batman and Robin to apprehend the burglars,
and, after hearing how Jones got his powers, Batman drives him home with
a warning to stay under wraps until Batman visits the police. The
Gotham force agrees to try out Jone's ability, but someone is also interested:
"Red-Hot" Regan, a gang chief, who kidnaps Jones and attempts to force
him to predict robberies, so that he can hijack the thieves' loot.
From two pennies with Lincoin heads left on number 10s, Batman and Robin
deduce that Jones has left them a clue: the Lincoin Bank is to be
robbed at 10:00. Batman and Robin use plainclothes cops to stage
a fake robbery, and, when Regan and his gang, with Jones in tow, try to
seize the swag, Batman and Robin intervene and beat the daylights out of
the thugs. Jones reveals that his power is now gone, but Batman and
he each keep one of the pennies left as a clue, as memoirs of one of the
strangest escapeds in their lives.
Detective Comics No. 276
February 1960
Cover: Batman and Robin in Batmobile, Bat-Mite, and Batwoman on Bat-Cycle
//Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Return of Bat-Mite” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28;
next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #107), Robin (last appearance in
BATMAN #129; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #107)
GS: Bat-Mite (last appearance in issue #267; next appears in BATMAN
#133), Batwoman (between BATMAN #129 / 133)
Villain: The Hobby Robber ( not to be confused with Humpty Dumpty,
the Hobby Robber, who first appears in SUPERBOY #6) and his gang (first
and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle an energy-creature in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #107.
Synopsis: Bat-Mite is rejected by Batman and Robin for interfering
with their crime-fighting with his magic, but finds a more appreciative
partner in Batwoman.
BATMAN #130
March 1960
Cover: Giant green hand, Batman, Robin, and two of Lex Luthor’s gang
disguised as aliens //Sheldon Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"Batman's Deadly Birthday" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #107)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in Detective Comics #275; next appears
in third story of this issue)
Villains
A gang of thieves (first and only appearance for all to date)
Machine-Gun Mike Danton and the Danton Mob, and an unnamed thief (all
in flashback; first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comment
This story takes place on the anniversary of Batman's first case, but
the date is not mentioned, nor the number of the anniversary.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are summoned in the
early morning to Commissioner Gordon's office, where they are greeted by
flashbbulb-popping photographers and a smilling Commissioner. Gordon
wishes Batman a happy birthday, as this is the anniversary of his first
case, and the city is holding "birthday" parties all over to raise money
for charity. Flabbergasted, Batman agrees to participate.
During the various ceremonies, a range of events
occur. A scroll and jeweled medallion from the Jewelers Insurance
Underwriters are taken when a pair of water fountains go out of control;
a fireworks mural of Batman and Robin is altered to that "Robin"butts his
head in "Batman" and knocks him off-balance; and Batman and Robin, climbing
a giant birthday cake, are apparently stuck in wet plaster at the top of
the cake. The mishaps have been engineered by a criminal gang, who
climax their thefts by stealing the chairty funds from the box office where
Batman and Robin are appearing. However, Batman unexpectedly surprises
the thieves as they escape and clobbers the gang leader with a giant candle.
He reveals that he had learned the secret of the cake-trap when he has
shown its interior by the designer and saw wet plaster dripping down.
The spectators join in a chorus of "Happy Birthday" to Batman.
SECOND STORY
"The Master Of Weapons" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Guest Star
Bat-Hound (last seen in issue #125)
Villains
Graham, and his gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Bailey, other employees of Paragon Pictures, and a nurse (first and
only appearance for all to date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
On a Paragon Pictures movie set, during the filming
of a historical epic, an argument breaks out between Graham, an expert
builder of replicas of ancient weapons, and Bailey, head of the accounting
department. Graham demands a raise, and Bailey answers that only
the boss can authorize such a demand. Seconds later, Graham falls
from his high perch atop a catapult, hits the ground, and is knocked unconscious.
He later escapes from a hospital, and, not long after that, a strange masked
criminal begins leading a gang in utilizing ancient weapons such as ballistas
and caltrops in looting banks. Batman and Robin fail to stop the
gang in two encounters, but, in the second, Batman calls a catapult a "wild
donkey," as the ancient Romans had nicknamed it, and the masked gangleader
professes ingorance of the term. The two heroes begin suspecting
someone other than Graham of being the ringleader. However, when
the dynamic duo and Bat-Hound track down and capture the gang at an abandoned
prison, they find that Graham's face is indeed the one behind the mask,
and he only pretended ignorance to throw them off the track. Batman
handcuffs Graham, in preparation to leading him off to jail.
THIRD STORY
"The Hand From Nowhere" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Detective Comics #277)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in first story of this issue; next appears
in DETECTIVE COMICS #277)
Villains
Lex Luthor (last seen in Action Comics #259; next appearance in Action
Comics #267)
Luthor's gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis: Batman and Robin, called in on an apparent crank call,
discover that a giant green hand controlled by two green-faced figures
who appear to be aliens is actually ripping the roof off the Gotham Zinc
Works so they may loot it. The aliens, who let drop the information
that they are wearing translaters that can interpret correctly any language
used to them, easily fend off Batman and Robin with the giant hand and
appear to return with it to another dimension. The hand and the aliens
commit two more robberies, ostensibly for materials they need in their
own dimension. But, when Batman shouts a warning to them in Eskimo
language and they fail to respond, he deduces the whole thing to be a hoax.
He and Robin, following a huge truck which bears the hand, trace it back
to the hideout of Superman's foe Lex Luthor, who has set up the robberies
of relatively cheap material in order to cover for his real objective,
the theft of a fortune in platinum. Batman and Robin, entering, make
quick work of the gang, and take Luthor to jail in his own giant hand.
Detective Comics No. 277
March 1960
Cover: Batman and Robin assembling Kraal //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Jigsaw Creature From Space” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#130; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #108)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#130; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #108)
Intro: Mayor of Gotham City (only appearance?), an alien (only appearance)
Villain: The Kraal, various crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to encounter an alien movie producer in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #108.
Synopsis: A spaceship crashlands and unleashes a powerful tripartite
creature, the Kraal, on Gotham City, with Batman and Robin facing the task
of capturing the Kraal’s three parts and reassembling them.
BATMAN #131
April 1960
Cover: Batman I and Batwoman I watching Batman II and Robin II on monitor
// Sheldon Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"The Dog That Betrayed Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #108)
Guest Star
Bat-Hound (last seen in second story of last issue; next appears in
issue #133)
Villains
A gang of thieves (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Wilkins, Danny, Mary, and a motorist (first and only appearance to
date for all)
Synopsis
While Batman and Robin are battling a group of crooks,
a wild shot creases Bat-Hound's skull and gives him amnesia. Since
the gunman who shoot him were wearing masks, Bat-Hound, in his memory-less
state, instinctively turns against people wearing masks--including Batman
and Robin. Bat-Hound flees, beginning an odyssey that leads him into
the lives of several persons. The first is an old hermit, who learns
from having Bat-Hound around that he actually misses companionship and
resolves to move back amidst other people. The second is a recently
blinded man, who refuses to marry his fiancee, mistaking her love for pity.
Bat-Hound saves him from stepping into a car's path, giving him a new perspective;
he resolves to get a seeing-eye dog and marry his fiancee. The gang
of thieves, now unmasked, discovers a sleeping Bat-Hound, ties him up,
and uses him as bait to trap Batman and Robin. But Batman, who has
distorted his and Robin's features with make-up, baits the hoods into removing
their masks and putting on masks themselves so that they will not be recognized.
Bat-Hound responds by attacking the crooks, bringing them to bay, and allowing
his masters to free themselves and take charge. Later, Bat-Hound
receives an operation that cures his amnesia.
SECOND STORY
"The Case Of The Deadly Gems" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (next appearance in Detective Comics #279)
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in World's Finest Comics #108; next
appearance in first story of next issue)
Villains
John Wilcox, Henry Stubbs, and Ed Carder (first and only appearance
for all to date)
Other Characters
Ted Greaves (no appearance; name only mentioned; first and only appearance
to date)
Clayber (first appearance; dies in this story)
Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
After the Gotham Gem Company receives a threatening
letter signed by Ted Greaves, whom Batman apprehended some years back during
his attempt to rob the firm, Batman and Robin discover the body of Clayber,
the companys youngest partner, on the street before the company building.
They attempt to pursue the masked man who lurks above, but he pushes a
huge gem display over on them, narrowly missing them. Batman and
Robin round up the other three surviving members of the executive board,
who produce a note signed "Greaves" which promises to kill each member
of the company which sent him to prison, proceeding by age, youngest to
oldest, with a gem motif for each murder. Batman and Robin save 33-year-old
Wilcox from death by a Bengal tiger, since Wilcox's birthstone is the moonstone,
the scared stone of India, and then rescue 40-year-old Stubbs from murder
aboard his beached yacht by a fire started from a green kerosene lamp,
the color of Stubb's birthstone, the aquamarine. Afterwards, Batman
calls all three men together and accuses them of Clayber's murder.
They attempt to attack the heroes, but prove no match for Batman and Robin,
and the police take them into custody. The three confess that Clayber
had discovered their gem-smuggling ring and had blackmailed his way into
his executive position, but when he got too greedy they executed a murder
plan. Batman says that he deduced the identities of the murderes
when noticed that "Greaves's" pants fit too short on one occasion, fit
perfectly the next, and were too long on the third try.
THIRD STORY
"The Second
Batman and Robin Team" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Phil Kelsey
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Bruce Wayne (does not appear as Batman in this story; next appears,
as Batman, in Brave and The Bold #29)
Supporting Character
Alfred Pennyworth (last seen in issue #128; next appears in issue #
135)
Cameo Appearances
Batman I (Bruce Wayne of Alfred Pennyworth's fictional tale; first
appearance; earlier chronological appearance revealed in issue #159; next
appears in issue #135)
Batman II (Dick Grayson of Alfred Pennyworth's fictional tale; first
appearance; earlier chronological appearance revealed in issue #159; next
appears in issue #135)
Robin II (Bruce Wayne, Jr.; first appearance; earlier chronological
appearance revealed in issue #159; next appears in issue #135)
Batwoman (Kathy Kane Wayne of Alfred Pennyworth's fictional tale; first
appearance; earlier chronological appearance revealed in issue #159; next
appears in issue #135)
Alfred Pennyworth (Alfred Pennyworth is Alfred's fictional tale; first
appearance; earlier chronological appearance revealed in issue #159; next
appears in issue #135)
Ted Tate and Babyface Jordan and his mob (villains; first and only
appearance for all to date; fictional characters in Alfred's tale)
A newspaper editor (first and only appearance to date; a fictional
character in Alfred's tale)
Two auctioners (characters in Alfred's fictional tale; first and only
appearance for both to date)
Comments
This is the first of the "Batman II and Robin II"
series of adventures. None actually take place, as they are adapted
from stories written by Alfred (though, like the Earth-One Gardner Fox,
he may be tuning in on another world where the stories actually 'do' happen).
As such, though the characters featured herein make more than cameo appearances,
they are noted under "Cameo Appearances" due to their doubly fictional
nature.
Earlier chronological appearances of Batman I, Batman
II, Robin II and Batwoman are revealed in issue #159. The next Batman
II and Robin II adventure appears in issue #135.
Shortly after this story Batman appears with the Justice
League of America in their battle against the Weapons Master in Brave and
The Bold #29.
Synopsis
Alfred, trying out a new typewriter, engrosses himself
in writting a story of the possible future. In this tale, Batman
retires and passes on his mantle to Dick Grayson, now an adult, who becomes
Batman II. Bruce Wayne, Jr., son of Bruce and Kathy Kane, the ex-Batwoman,
petitions to be trained as Robin II, and, over his mother's objections,
succeeds. The new dynamic duo go into action against crooks holding
up a televised auction, but, when Robin II tries to lasso a "Taj Mahal"
spire and swing on it, he forgets the papier-mache prop cannot support
him, and thus enables the crooks to escape. Batman II, Kathy and
Bruce all console the downcast youngster at home. Later, Bruce, Jr.
picks up a clue from Dick via scratched-out-letters on the back of a penny
that taks him, as Robin II, to a mica quarry where gangster Ted Tate and
the Babyface Jordan mob have holed up. Robin II manages to free the
original Batman II, but the outnumbered pair are overcome by the crooks.
However, the original Batman and Batwoman come to their aid, and the quartet
of heroes mop the floor with the crooks. Back at the Bat-Cave, everyone
acknowledges that Robin II has proven his worth as a crime-fighter.
In the "real" world, Bruce Wayne comes upon Alfred at
the typewriter. After Alfred explains what he has done, he admits
he has had so much fun he may write a sequel sometime.
Detective Comics No. 278
April 1960
Cover: Titanic Man vs. Batman and Robin //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Man Who Became a Giant” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29),
Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #131)
Intro: Titanic Man (Steve Condon), Laura, Tom Tobin (only appearance
for all)
Villain: Professor Simms and his gang (first and only appearance for
all)
Synopsis: An experimental serum turns a man into a rampaging 12-foot
giant, and Batman and Robin must find a way to stop him.
Detective Comics No. 279
May 1960
Cover: Two alien monsters menacing Batman and Robin in Bat-Cave //Sheldon
Moldoff
Story: “The Creatures That Stalked Batman” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #109)
Intro: Ardello, Prof. Martin (only appearance for both)
Villain: Gimlet (Ed Collins), a gang of crooks (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight the curse of Fangan in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #109.
Synopsis: A robot and a creature from space appear in Gotham City intent
on tracking down Batman.
BATMAN #132
June 1960
Cover: Sea-Fox on sea sled netting Batman and Robin underwater //Sheldon
Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"The Martian From Gotham City" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #109)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in second story of last issue; next
appears in issue #134)
Villains
Logan, ”Bega," and "Xaal" (first and only appearance for all)
Other Characters
Clive Norris (aka "Karik"; first and only appearance to date)
An unnamed woman (first and only appearance to date)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin, on the way back from a lecture,
enconter an apparently alien being who claims to be Karik, from the planet
Mars, at war with all Earthmen. He blasts a deserted forest watchtower
with an electric ray-gun, brings it down around the two, and escapes.
Later, Commissioner Gordon tells Batman that "Karik" is actually Clive
Norris, an actor working in an SF film, who fell, injured his head, and
became convinced he truly was a Martian. The weapons he carries are
all developed by the movie studio's special effects deptment. When
the story gets into the newspapers, Logan, a Gotham gangster, and his two
cronies capitalize upon it by claiming to be three other Martians in league
with Karik, and use him as their ally in robberies. Batman and Robin
eventually defeat Logan's gang, and the addled Karik wanders back to the
movie set and its fake Martian landscape. Robin grapples with him
desperately upon a tall prop, until Batman, who has learned that Norris
was afraid of cats, drops a feline upon him and scares him back into his
right mind. Batman comments that the "Martian invasion" is finally
over.
SECOND STORY
"The Three Faces Of Batman" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villains
Big Jim Masters, his gang, and an unnamed convict (first and only appearance
for all to date)
Other Characters
An unnamed pilot (first and only appearance to date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comment
This story bears marked resemblance to "Robin Dies At
Dawn" in issue #156.
Synopsis
When Batman battles the Big Jim Masters gang at the Gotham
Science Laboratory, he is knocked against a giant ray-machine and also
sets off a burglar alarm. Two of his gang are caught, but Masters
himself escapes. In the days to come, Batman exhibits strange personality
traits: when approaching a convict atop an oil tank, a firetruck's bell
causes him to become so reckless Robin has to intervene to stop Batman
from being shot, and a siren's sound causes Batman to become terrified
when attempting to aid a plane in danger during the next night. Afterwards,
Batman can remember nothing which occurred during his periods of strange
behavior. The police opt to summon Robin to another emergency, rather
that Batman. But, when the Boy Wonder combats Big Jim Masters's gang
at the Gotham Ballon Factory, he is overpowered and tied to a helium-filled
ballon set to be released into the heavens. Masters explains to Robin
that he had discovered earlier that the machine he knocked Batman against
could trigger personality changes in a subject's mind at a sonic trigger,
such as a bell or siren. Batman arrives, and Master's pulls out a
hand-held siren. But, even though Batman feigns cowardice for a second,
he recovers and demolishes Masters and his mob. Batman reveals that
he had deduced what had happened to him and had one of the scientists at
the lab reverse the effects of his ray. Robin, to say the least,
is relieved.
THIRD STORY
"The Lair Of The Sea-Fox" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Plotter,Scripter:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in Brave and The Bold #30)
Robin (next appears in Detective Comics #280)
Villains
The Sea-Fox and his gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman appears with the Justice
League during their battle with Amazo in Brave and The Bold #30.
Synopsis
The Sea-Fox, a new costumed criminal wearing a diving
outfit, and his wet-suited gang are suprised by Batman and Robin in the
act of robbing a Chinatown shop in Gotham City of jade, but escape into
the sewers after a brief battle. To combat them, Batman and Robin
break out the Bat-Sub. They next encounter the gang attempting to
loot the River Street Savings Bank from the underground stream below the
bank, but, through squid-like ink and sonar-baffling decoys, the Sea-Fox
and his crew escape. After a third encounter, Batman and Robin are
netted underwater by the aquatic evildoer, but escape by lassoing a jutting
rock. They finally trail the gang to their hideout on Fort Island,
and abandoned army post, and defeat them with one of the Sea-Fox's own
sea-sleds.
Detective Comics No. 280
June 1960
Cover: Batman and Robin watching Atomic-Man turn Batmobile into glass
//Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Menace of the Atomic Man” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #30;
next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #110), Robin (last appearance in
BATMAN #132; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #110)
GA: Bat-Hound (between BATMAN #131 / 133)
Intro: Henry Hayes, Barker, Jenkins (only appearance for all)
Villains: The Atomic-Man (Paul Strobe) and his gang (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team up with Superman
to battle an alien in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #110, then Bruce Wayne attends
a costume party as Batman in SUPERMAN #138.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin face the Atomic-Man, a criminal scientist
with the power to transmute matter, who is on a revenge crusade against
the four men who sent him to jail.
Detective Comics No. 281
July 1960
Cover: Robin looking on as lawyer exposes Batman’s robot with fluoroscope
in trial //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “Batman, Robot” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in SUPERMAN #138; next
appears in BATMAN #133), Robin (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#110; next appears in BATMAN #133)
Intro: A Batman robot
Villains: The Night Owl Gang (Number One (Eddie Chill), Number Two
(Wedge Dixon), Petey, and others)
Synopsis: The Night Owl Gang’s number two man is in danger of being
jailed by Batman’s testimony, but the gang suspects that the real Batman
has been killed, and that the “new” Batman is a robot--and they set out
to prove it, and thus discount “Batman’s” testimony.
BATMAN #133
August 1960
Cover: Batman, Robin, and Bat-Mite riding Bat-Hound while holding picture
of Batwoman // Sheldon Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"Crimes Of The Kite-Man" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in Detective Comics #281)
Villains
The Kite-Man (Charles "Chuck" Brown; last name revealed in Hawkman
[second series]#4; first name and nickname revealed in Who's Who Update
'87 #3; first appearance; next appearance in issue #315)
Big Bill Collins, Pete, and several Gotham gangsters (first and only
appearance to date for all)
Convicts at Gotham State Prison
Other Characters
A rajah (first and only appearance to date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comment
The Kite-Man's civilian identity is named after the Peanuts
comic- strip character Charlie Brown, who can never get a kite to stay
in the air nor keep it away from deadly kite-eating trees.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin, during a reception for a visiting
Rajah from India, encounter a new costumed criminal--the Kite-Man.
The airborne interloper uses a box-kite to dispense tear-gas bombs among
the guests, atop a skyscraper, and then uses a "kite"-balloon fixed to
his back to fly up to the discomfited guests and steal the Rajah's priceless
ruby. Batman is clouted by the villain, but Robin attempts to bring
him down with the Bat-Rope. Instead, Kite-Man carries Robin over
the edge, and dangles him far over the city's streets as he flies on.
Robin eventually lets go of the rope, angling his fall so that he splashes
down in a water tower.
The Kite-Man makes more successful thefts during the following
days, but his most daring caper is using a giant kite to fly Big Bill Collins
out of prison, as he was paid to do by Collin's friends. Batman,
observing the scene from the nearby bay, uses a skiier's kite to glide
him above the Kite-Man's craft and leaps onto the criminal's kite.
But the Kite-Man knocks Batman off balance with a toy kite, and Collins
kayoes him with repeated blows from a gun butt. Kite-Man locks Batman
away in a barred room with peeling wallpaper, then calls up gangland's
top men and invites them to a "skeet-shoot" of sorts with Batman as clay
pigeon. But Batman manages to fashion a sheet of wallpaper into a
"Bat-Kite", which signals Robin as to his whereabouts. Robin frees
his mentor, and the two heroes use the Kite-Man's own kite-weapon's to
subdue the arriving gangsters. Kite-Man himself glides down from
his retreat to a waiting launch with a glider-kite, but Batman follows
with a Chinese dragon kite, and nabs his quarry before he can escape.
Later, the glide kite occupies a place in the Bat-Cave's trophy room.
SECOND STORY
"The Voyage Of The S.S. Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Lew Schwartz (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villains
Legs and his gang (first and only appearance to date)
The Robber Baron of Earth-One (first and only appearance to date; in
flashback; see comment)
The Joker (in flashback to an indeterminate time; uses a giant jack-in-the-box)
John "Weeper" Drebs (in crime-file photo; first and only appearance
to date)
"Passer" Gillette (no appearance; dies before this story begins; first
and only appearance; name mentioned only)\
Other Characters
Citizens of an unnamed city (first and only appearance for all to date)
Comment
The first and only appearance of the Robber Baron
prior to this story was in Detective Comics #75, against the Earth-Two
Batman. A flashback in this story introduces his Earth-One counterpart.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin begin a tour of several port cities in
the S.S. Batman, a small ship containing a replica of their Bat-Cave and
crime-lab, with the admissions going to charity. But a band of criminals
are out to steal late gangster "Passer" Gillette's belt-buckle gun, exhibited
with the other crime trophies in the model Bat-Cave, and make several attempts
to do so along the way. They separate Batman and Robin from their
ship by rigging up a false Bat-Signal, but are scared away by a Batman
dummy sentinel with a tape-recorded "voice". One of them later fakes
being drowned to get Batman and Robin to stop the ship, but the duo see
through the ruse in time and take one of the hoods prisoner, though he
will not betray his mob. A third attempt is made when two of the
gang smuggle themselves on board in an empty crate, after Batman and Robin
have collected crates of toys for a Gotham orphanage. But a rubber
ball, falling from another box, makes a sound of footsteps as it bounces
on the floor and frightens the crooks away. Finally, Batman has a
charity auction and offers some of the Bat-Cave's trophies, so the gangsters
are able to buy Gillete's belt-gun. Later, in their hideout, the
chief of the gang informs them that half of a map to Gillete's cache of
counterfeit plates is hidden in the belt-gun's first cartridge, while they
already have the other half. Batman and Robin arrive, battle the
gang, and take them prisoner. Later, Batman reveals that he had examined
their footprints in the mock Bat-Cave under ultraviolet light, saw what
they were going after, and hit upon the idea of auctioning Gillete's belt
off with a transmitter hidden in another cartridge, enabling them to trace
it. The crooks are jailed and the S.S. Batman continues its voyage.
THIRD STORY
"Batwoman's Publicity Agent" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Detective Comics #282)
Guest Stars
Batwoman (last seen in issue #129; next appears in Detective Comics
#285)
Bat-Mite (last seen in Detective Comics #276; next appears in World's
Finest Comics #113)
Bat-Hound (between Detective Comics #280 / 287)
Villains
Assorted crooks (first and only appearance to date for all)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
Batman and Robin arrive during Batwoman's battle with
robbers at a railroad terminal too late to stop her from being pushed off
a balcony. But, strangly, she floats unharmed to the top of a change
booth and then bounces back up at the crooks with full force, toppling
them both. Batwoman confesses to Batman and Robin her ignorance of
what enabled her to do that, but Bat-Mite suddenly appears and announces
to the three crime-fighters and a press photographer that he has done it
with his extradimensional powers. Futhermore, he announces that he
intends to become Batwoman's crime-fighting partner, since Batman already
has Robin to help him. After some haggling, Batwoman agrees, but
warns him that he'll be out the door once he pulls one of his famous pranks.
Batman and Robin glance at each other and chorus out, "You'll be sorry!"
The Batwoman-Bat-Mite team makes the headlines, and Bat-Mite
is quick to use his powers to aid in her battles, even enlarging his fist
to great size to knock out a trio of crooks in on instance, and helping
her ride her motorcycle across a monorail wire to get to fleeing convicts
in another. But, when Batwoman kisses him on the forehead, Bat-Mite
develops a crush. He resolves to use his powers to make her the most
sensational crime-fighter of all time, being sure she would like that.
Accordingly, when he hears of a bank robbery while riding invisibly atop
a patrol car, Bat-Mite goes to the scene, finds a fallen shoe from one
of the robbers, and employs Bat-Hound to sniff out their trail. Finding
their whereabouts, Bat-Mite phones up Batwoman to help make the bust.
But Batman and Robin also turn up, having trailed a different lead, and,
when all three of them crash into the hardware supply warehouse the crooks
are using as a hideout, Bat-Mite cannot restrain himself. He shrinks
both the crooks and the crime-fighting trio to tiny size so as to stage
a spectacular battle. The heroes, irritated by Bat-Mite's ploy, nonetheless
battle the criminals among "giant-sized" saws, planers, paint cans and
pliers. The crooks almost escape, but their pathe is blocked by a
"giant" Bat-Hound, upon whom Batman leaps to lasso the villains.
He then directs Bat-Mite to restore them all to their normal size.
But, when Batman, Robin, and Batwoman advance upon him, Bat-Mite does a
fast fade back into his own dimension. None of the threesome can
really stay mad at him, though, and all are assured of more of the same
when Bat-Mite returns.
Detective Comics No. 282
August 1960
Cover: Robin, Tal-Dor, and Batman in boat facing Krajan cave-eel //Sheldon
Moldoff
Story: “Batman’s Interplanetary Rival” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#133; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #111)
Intro: Tal-Dar, Alcorians (only appearance for all)
Villains: Joe Hackett and his gang, Zan-Rak and his gang, various crooks
(first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team up with Superman
to fight Floyd Frisby in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #111.
Synopsis: An alien lawman comes to Gotham City and uses his super-scientific
devices to aid Batman and Robin in catching crooks, but proves to have
“feet of clay”, though he takes all the credit for the captures.
BATMAN #134
September 1960
Cover: Rainbow Beast vs. Batman and Robin //Sheldon Moldoff (?)
FIRST STORY
"The Rainbow Creature" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #111)
Villains
Diaz and his rebels (first and only appearance for all to date)
The Rainbow Beast (first appearance; dies in this story)
Other Characters
The president and citizens of a South American republic (first and
only appearance to date for all)
Synopsis
After helping the president of a small South American
republic against the dictatorial rebel, Diaz, and his forces, Batman and
Robin are confronted with another menace there--a Rainbow Beast.
Spawned from a firery volcano, the Rainbow Beast radiates for separate
power-auras from four different areas of its body--heat from its red section,
cold from its blue section, power to turn objects into mist from its yellow
section, and power to make objects two-dimensional from its green section.
However, after using a power, the section of the Rainbow Beast's body thus
used becomes white, and it must leach color from a similarly-colored object
for it to regain its power. {For instance, after using its cold-inducing
area it absorbs the blue color from metal ore.} Diaz attempts
to convince the citizenry that he has created the Rainbow Beast in order
to have himself declared dictator, but Batman convinces the people otherwise,
noting that Diaz and his soldiers hold back from attacking in the Beast's
presence. Finally, Batman and Robin trick the Rainbow Beast into
expending each of its auras one after the other, leaving it entirely colorless.
They ram it with a log of wood, and the Beast shatters into a thousand
fragments.
SECOND STORY
"Batman's Secret Enemy" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in issue #132)
Villains
Gentleman Jim Jansen, Catfoot Regan, and "Beetles" Branagan (first
and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Tod Allen (no appearance; name only mentioned; aka "Mr. X"; first appearance;
dies in this story)
Miss Hughes,Freddy, Don Eagle, Perry Wren and other partygoers (first
and only appearance for all to date)
Synopsis
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson receive a letter from "Mr.
X" declaring that they are Batman and Robin, and promising future letters
which will reveal the proof. Innediately, Batman and Robin begin
analysis of the letter to try and deduce the identity of its author.
The orchid pollen underneath the stamp glue leads them to "Gentleman Jim"
Jansen, and orchid fancier and smuggler, whom they discover trying to smuggle
out hot diamonds inside orchids. They apprehend another crook, "Catfoot"
Regan, trying to rob jewels from the movement of a huge clock at a clock
fair; when he warns them to leave him alone or face the end of their careers,
they suspect him of being Mr.X, but he explains that he only meant they
were in danger of being sniped at by a guard whom they had frightened away.
Clues on Regan's clothes lead them to the thief's boss, "Beetles" Branagan,
operating a crime-ring from above the city in a huge advertising balloon.
Finally, from clues derived in later letters, Bruce and Dick deduce that
Mr. X is their friend, Tod Allen, who, in his last letter, provides the
diagrams of physical similarities that led him to figure out Batman's and
Robin's secret identities. However, Allen has recently been killed
in a plane crash, and his knowledge went with him to the grave.
THIRD STORY
"The Deadly Dummy" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Plotter,Scripter: Bill Finger
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Detective Comics #283)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #284)
Villain
The Dummy (Danny; first and only appearance to date; not to be confused
with the Earth-Two villain first seen in Leading Comics #1 or the Earth-One
villain first seen in World's Finest Comics #247;
Mike and the rest of The Dummy's gang (first and only appearance to
date for all)
Other Characters
Matt (a dummy; first and only appearance to date)
Marty Finbetter (probably the Earth-One Art Linkletter; first and only
appearance to date; no appearance; name only mentioned)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
Danny the Dummy, a pint-sized ventirloquist in a top hat
and suit, has a hit act in which he plays the dummy to a normanl-sized
"Ventriloquist," Matt, who is revealed at the /real/ dummy at the end of
each show. But the fact that people invariably refer to Danny as
"the Dummy" infuriates him, and inspires him to use dummies for crime to
make dummies out of the law. He gathers a gang and, after inducing
a man to take a bath in public with a /dummy/ promise of riches from a
TV quiz show, begins looting an express office nearby. Batman and
Robin, on the scene, give battle, but are destracted when the Dummy hurls
a dummy stick of dynamite at them. The crooks escape, and next loot
a large department store when the gang members pose as mannwquins--store-window
dummies. Batman and Robin are summoned and arrive to give battle,
but are defeated when the Dummy unleashes a "dummy" large-scale model of
a toy rocket, which he has equipped with a real engine, at them.
One member of the gang is captured and freed, in order to let Batman and
Robin trail him to the Dummy's hideout--a "dummy" town of stagefronts,
resembling an Old Western town, used for TV westerns. The heroes
defeat the gang in battle and give chase to the Dummy in Conestoga wagons,
but the Dummy's wagon slams into the retaining wall of a Gotham park, catapulting
him into the marble lap of a Batman statue. Batman allows as how
he is the boss now, and the Dummy is still the dummy.
Detective Comics No. 283
September 1960
Cover: Batman, Robin, and the Phantom //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Phantom of Gotham City” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#134; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #112)
Intro: The Phantom (Pol; only appearance)
Villains: Carter Wede and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight The Wreckers in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #112.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin face a Phantom who can walk through walls
and direct strange and terrible energies at them, but who may not be a
villain.
BATMAN #135
October 1960
Cover: Batman and Robin answering Bat-Signal to meet Sky Creature //Sheldon
Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"Crimes Of The Wheel" (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #112)
Villain
The Wheel (Frank "Wheels" Foster; first and only appearance to date)
The Wheel's gang, assorted gamblers and convicts (first and only appearance
to date for all)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
The gambling den of Frank "Wheels" Foster is broken
up by Batman and Robin, working with the Gotham Police Department, landing
Foster behind bars, where criminals taunt him with his "Big Wheel" nickname.
He manages an escape when the tire of a laundry truck bursts, sending the
truck crashing into the prison gates. Foster is inspired to become
a costumed criminal and use wheels as his motif for crimes. His first
caper involves looting the Transportation Exposition, which features many
wheeled vehicles. Batman and Robin appear and engage The Wheel and
his gang in combat, but Foster blows tear-gas in their faces with a pinwheel
and rolls away with his gang in a transport truck. Batman and Robin
attempt to follow in a Roman-style horse and chariot, but The Wheel opens
the back of his truck and pelts them with a horde of heavy truck tires,
upsetting the chariot and knocking them unconscious. When they come
to, Batman and Robin find themselves bound in two slots of a giant roulette
wheel, onto which Foster drops heavy steel balls of crushing weight.
Batman and Robin manage to deflect one of the balls as it bounces, wrecking
the chute down which the balls fall. They trail The Wheel to the
beach by the distinctive markings of his "Big Balloon" tires, and Batman
stops him from escaping on a "space wheel" by leaping to it from the top
of a Ferris wheel and kayoing the villain. Later, he is taken to
prison by another wheeled vehicle--a paddy wagon.
SECOND STORY
"The Return Of The Second Batman And Robin Team"
(9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Bruce Wayne (does not appear as Batman in this story)
Supporting Character
Alfred Pennyworth (last seen in issue #131; next appears in issue #140)
Cameo Appearances
Batman I, Batman II, Robin II, and Kathy Kane (all as fictional characters
in Alfred's tale; all last seen in issue #131; next appearance for all
in issue #145)
Alfred (as a fictional character in Alfred's tale; last seen in issue
#131; next appears in issue #145)
John Crandall (the villain; as a fictional character in Alfred's tale;
first and only appearance to date)
Citizens of Gotham City (as characters in Alfred's tale)
An unnamed tramp (as a character in Alfred's tale; first and only appearance
to date)
Comments
This is the second of the "Batman II and Robin II"
stories written by Alfred about a possible future in which Batman and Batwoman
have retired, Batman II is Dick Grayson, and Robin II is Bruce Wayne, Jr.
The last of these adventures appeared in issue #131; the next appears in
issue #145. Only page 2 panel 1 and page 9 panels 3 and 4 take place
in the "real" Earth-One universe.
Synopsis
Alfred's second tale of the second Batman and Robin
team of the near future relates how Batman I, worn down by constant demands
for his appearances at ceremonies, takes a vaction in the mountains with
his wife, Kathy Kane, and leaves Batman II and Robin II to stand in for
him at public functions. However, John Crandall, who had been jailed
long ago by Batman I, is now being released, and vows to revenge himself
on his enemy by "destroying everything that is a monument to him!" The
second Batman and Robin team stops him from blowing up a Batman moon-rocket
and smashing a ship dedicated to Batman I, but are unable to catch Crandall.
Meanwhile, in the mountains, Bruce Wayne and Kathy Wayne have been ignorant
of the developments until they give a passing tramp a meal and Bruce switches
his shoes with the tramp's, which are old, worn-out, and lined with newspaper.
One of the newspaper fragments tells of Crandall's duel with the modern
dynamic duo. Bruce and Kathy immediately return to town and,
figuring out the same clue left by Crandall, Batman I bursts in upon the
villain just as he is about to send Batman II and Robin II sky-high on
a giant fireworks rocket. The original Batman offers to take their
place on a second rocket in return for releasing the second team, but Crandall,
after tying Batman I, informs his he had no intention of releasing any
of them. Batman I responds by cutting himself free with a sharp blade
he had palmed and wallops Crandall into unconsciousness. Afterward,
Bruce opined that he ought to spank the both of them for not letting him
know about Crandall, and all laugh.
In the "real" world, Bruce Wayne comes upon Alfred, finishing
the story, who regrets that no one will be able to read his stories save
himself and his employers. Bruce winks and says the adventures may
really happen, in the future.
THIRD STORY
"The Menace Of The Sky Creature" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in Justice League Of America #1)
Robin (last seen in first story of this issue; next appears in Detective
Comics #284)
Villains
The Sky Creature (first and only appearance to date)
A gang of crooks (first and only appearance to date for all)
Other Characters
Celphus the Scorceror (no appearance; name only mentioned; first and
only appearance to date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman teams with the Justice
League of America to fight Despero in Justice League of America #1.
Synopsis
Closing in on a getaway car after a gem robbery, Batman
and Robin are stuned to see the car give off a signal-beam much like the
Bat-Signal, but with the face of a strange creature inside the signal.
In response, a bizarre, orange-skinned monster appears from the skies,
resisting bullets and blocking off Batman and the police. It radiates
smoke rings of various colors which solidify, wrap themselves about the
heroes and police cars, and send them into the air for a time before returning
them to the ground and fading away. By this time, both the creature
and the crooks have escaped. In a second encounter, the Sky Creature
blasts a hole hundreds of feet deep below Batman's feet, and he is barely
saved from destruction by grabbing the edge of the hole. However,
they have managed to paint the thieves' car with a radioactive paint enabling
them to track them down to a farm complete with scarecrows in a cornfield.
When the duo leave the Batmobile,the "scarecrows" are revealed as the thieves,
who take them prisoner. The boss of the gang explains that he came
upon a magic lantern while breaking into an antique shop. The lamp,
which originally belonged to Celphus the Sorceror, will summon the Sky
Creature with its beam for a fifteen-minute period, during which he must
obey the lantern-wielder. The crooks light the lantern to summon
the Creature, but Batman manages to free Robin with an acrobatic manuver,
and the boy wonder smashes the lamp and causes the Creature to phase back
into his own dimension. Batman and Robin then easily defeat the gang
and summon a paddy wagon. Later, Batman suggests that the Sky Creature
was from another dimension and the barrier between worlds was somehow pierced
by the lanter's light.
Detective Comics No. 284
October 1960
Cover: Negative Batman weakened by headlights from crooks’ car as Robin
watches //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Negative Batman” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#1), Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #135)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#134)
GS: The Batman robot
Villain: Hal Durgin and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman is struck by the rays of a criminal scientist’s camera-weapon,
which turns him into a “negative Batman” vulnerable to light and possibly
doomed to die in a few days’ time.
Detective Comics No. 285
November 1960
Cover: Batman and Robin seeing Man-Beast emerging from ice //Sheldon
Moldoff
Story: “The Mystery of the Man-Beast” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in ACTION COMICS
#270)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in BATMAN #133)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in BATMAN #136)
Intro: Professor Lacy, the Man-Beast (both die in this story)
Villains: Harbin, Drager, and their gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to help Supergirl celebrate her 16th birthday in ACTION COMICS #270 and
to deal with Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #113.
Synopsis: A living caveman is thawed out of ice and goes on the rampage.
When the professor who found him is discovered dead, the caveman is suspected
of the crime, but Batman, Robin, and Batwoman prove otherwise.
BATMAN #136
December 1960
Cover: Joker in sky-sled attacking Batman and Robin with fireballs
//Sheldon Moldoff
FIRST STORY
"The Case Of The Crazy Crimes" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Sheldon Moldoff
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #113)
Guest Star
Bat-Mite (last seen in World's Finest Comics #113; next appears in
Detective Comics #289)
Other Characters
A robot, sea creatures, two horses, and five gorillas (first and only
appearance to date for all; all creations of Bat-Mite)
Synopsis
One night while patrolling the back alleys of Gotham,
Batman and Robin are suprised by a clanking robot. The robot, in
halting, mechanical speech, warns them of "Mr. X." Seconds later,
a costumed man blasts the robot to pieces and, when Batman and Robin pursue
him, brings down a fire escape with his ray-gun to block their path.
Batman comments that they now have to solve the murder of a robot.
In the wreckage, they find a slip of paper with the name of the S.S. Gotham
City, currently docked at the Gotham piers. They board the ship and
have to battle a pink, scaly sea-creature that replicates every time they
hit it. Mr. X appears on the dock, makes the monsters vanish with
his ray-gun, and takes off in a blimp. Two riderless horses rein
up on the pier, bearing a letter signed "Your secret friend" and informing
them that the horses will take them to the hideout of Mr.X. They do. The
hideout is a hitherto unknown castle outside of Gotham. Inside, on
a throne, sits a crowned gorilla. Beside him are four gorilla guards
with mediaeval weapons and helmets, and Mr. X. One of the gorillas
challenges Batman to a duel, hands him a sword, and then breaks it in combat.
Batman vaults over his next stroke with a lance. Suddennly all the
gorillas vanish and Mr. X is replaced by Bat-Mite. He confesses that
he created the entire scenario just because he wanted to see Batman and
Robin in action. Batman confesses that he's going to spank Bat-Mite
just because he wants to. Bat-Mite and the entire castle vanish,
leaving Batman and Robin standing on open ground. They go home.
SECOND STORY
"The Town That Hated Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villains
Bert Collins (first and only appearance to date)
"Mayor Cobb" and other Vordians (first and only appearance to date
for all)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin pursue gangster Bert Collins off
a ferry, forcing their quarry to swim to the shore, where he has a waiting
getaway car. The heroes make land and reach their Batmobile, and
follow Collins's trail to a nearby small town, once a played-out sulpher
mining town, but now apparently a bustling country town. The mayor,
one Mayor Cobb, does not recognize the photo of Collins that Batman displays.
But Batman notices a strand of seaweed inside the door of the mayor's office
and decides to stay, over the objections of the officials. Batman
and Robin show the photo to other citizens, who all disclaim seeing Collins
and insist strongly that both of them leave town. Finally, the two
heroes face a mob led by Cobb, and are eventually overpowered and lowered
into a sulphur well, with water pumped in through a pipe. The dynamic
duo climb to safety on the pipe and, in hiding, see the mayor and townspeople
greet Collins now that they are in the clear. The citizens and Collins
enter another structure in which Batman and Robin see a spacecraft.
"Cobb" and his fellows reveal themselves as bug-eyed, yellow-skinned aliens.
They confess they intend to conquer Earth, but saved Collins to recruit
an underworld army for them, and has not wished to kill Batman and Robin
at first, fearing an inquest from the outside world. They display
their deadliest weapon, the Grav-Ray, which can increase the force of gravity
thousands of times in a given spot until even a metal tower can be demolished
by its power. However, due to the scarcity of its power element,
only one model can be built. Batman and Robin, setting a sulphur
barrel afire, provide smoke cover for their assault and manage to gain
control of the Grav-Ray. With it, they force "Cobb" and the aliens
from the planet Vorda to leave Earth in their spacecraft. Afterwards,
they destroy the Grav-Ray and take Collins prisoner once again.
THIRD STORY
"The Challenge Of The Joker" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in Justice League Of America #2)
Robin (next appears in Detective Comics #286)
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in issue #134; next appears in Detective
Comics #287)
Villains
The Joker (last seen in issue #127; next appearance in issue #140)
The Joker's gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Jenny Linden (first and only appearance to date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman joins the Justice League
to fight Simon Magus in Justic League Of America #2.
Synopsis
The Joker, listening in on a television lecture
by Batman, hears the caped crusader mention that ancient science believed
in four elements--earth, fire, air, and water--but modern science has rejected
this belief, and modern science has made it impossible for criminals to
escape the law for long. The Joker, incensed, challenges Batman by
mail to a duel of wits, as he commits crimes based on the ancient elements.
He sends as a clue to his first crime a bottle of air. Under analysis,
it proves to have traces of burned kerosene, leading Batman to believe
the Joker intends to rob a plane of its airmail. This proves to be
the case, as the Joker scoops up mail at the airport with a giant vaccuum
cleaner, then reverses the suction to blow the approaching Batman and Robin
into the air. They cling to the lines from a passing blimp and are
safe, but the Joker makes a clean getaway. Subsequently, the Joker
capitalizes on an earthquake to loot an amusement park and later traps
Batman and Robin in a ring of fire shot from the mouth of a huge Joker-faced
sky-sled. He taunts them with the information that he is to steal
the Linden Necklace next, worn by Jenny Linden in her musical comedy-preformance
of The Arabian Nights. The preformance takes place on a floating
stage, suiting the Joker's crime-pattern. With an acrobatic stunt,
Robin is able to flip over the fire-ring and drive the Batmobile through
to convey Batman out of harms way. Then they arrive on the floating
stage in time to thwart the jewel robbery and to trap the Joker in a huge
genie-bottle prop. Batman remarks that the Joker forgot a fifth element--the
element of surprise.
Detective Comics No. 286
December 1960
Cover: Batman, Robin, glowing Batwoman, and Star-Man //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Doomed Batwoman” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#2; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #114), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #136; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #114)
GS: Batwoman (next appears in ?)
Intro: Carter, Malcolm Frazier (only appearance for both)
Villain: Star-Man (first and only appearance)
Comment: Afterwards Batman, Robin, and Superman combat Chorn
in World's Finest Comics #114, and Batman and Supergirl help protect Superman's
secret identity in Superman #142.
Synopsis: Batwoman unwittingly acquires a belt from Tibet that may
cause her death, while she and Batman and Robin tackle a super-villain
named Star-Man, whose superhuman strength is weakened by the presence of
the belt.
Detective Comics No. 287
January 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Raven and Wasp //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Raven and the Wasp”
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in SUPERMAN #142; next
appears in BATMAN #137), Robin (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#114; next appears in BATMAN #137)
GS: Bat-Hound (last appearance in BATMAN #133; next appears in ?)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#136)
Villains: Jhorl, Kzan, The Raven (Joe Parker), the Wasp (Willie Blaine;
first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin find themselves in the midst of two aliens’
quest for a meteorite which has landed on Earth, which causes them to use
two costumed Earth criminals as agents.
BATMAN #137
February 1961
Cover: Batman, Robin, and Mr. Marvel vs. crooks //Sheldon Moldoff /
Charles Paris
FIRST STORY
"Robin's New Boss" (10 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Parrish (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in Detective Comics #287)
Villains
Mr. Marvel (first and only appearance to date)
An alien (behind the scenes; no appearance; first and only appearance
to date)
Assorted crooks (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are scooped in their attempt to
capture some thieves at an airport by Mr. Marvel, a new costumed crime-fighter,
who uses futuristic gadgets and rides a sky-car. In a press conference,
Mr. Marvel says that he is a scientist and that he believes Batman's crime-fighting
methods are outdated, as lawmen should not have to use fisticuffs.
as Mr. Marvel continues to make headlines, Bruce Wayne notices Dick Grayson
seeming to hero-worship the newcomer. Finally, Robin packs up and
announces he is leaving to become Mr. Marvel's partner. Batman tries
persuasion, which fails, and then tells Robin that can stop him from leaving
as his legal guardian. Robin replies that he would have to reveal
his Bruce Wayne identity in court to do so, and that, after a trial period,
he will have his features changed by Mr. Marvel to start a new identity.
The two heroes make a strained farewell.
Later, Robin mulls over the real reason he has joined
Mr. Marvel: to save Batman's life. Earlier, Marvel had threatened
to kill Batman if Robin did not become his partner, demonstrated his power
by using a disintergrator ray-gun on a Batman bilboard, and indicated that
a device on his belt was tuned into "Batman's frequency" and would send
a death-bolt to Batman if Robin did not team up with Marvel. Robin
and Marvel continue their crime-busting, but Batman, recovering partially
from the shock, suspects that Robin has not given him the true reason for
his departure, and begins shadowing the pair.
During another encounter with crooks, Robin breaks off
the fight, slugs Mr. Marvel, and tears away his belt. Batman joins
in the fracas and helps Robin put down the birgands, and , afterwards,
learns the truth from Robin. Batman braces Marvel and unmasks him,
revealing Marvel as an alien. The alien confesses that he and his
partner had long observed Batman and Robin from their hovering spacecraft,
and that Marvel had made a wager he could acquire Robin as a partner for
ten days. He confesses that his belt had no power to tune in on Batman's
frequency, maks a lame apology, and is whisked back into his ship by his
partner. Batman muses that Robin was only his partner for nine days,
so Marvel has lost his bet. The two heroes head for home, reunited
again.
SECOND STORY
"The Bandit With 1,000 Brands" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villain
The Brand (first and only appearance to date)
Other Characters
Citizens of Gotham City
Synopsis
A new villain, costumed as a masked western bandit,
calls himself the Brand and announces his presence to Batman by firing
a hot branding iron-arrow into the door of police headquarters as Batman
and Robin are leaving. He informs Batman from a rooftop that he intends
to leave clues in brands to his forthcoming crimes and challenges him and
Robin to capture him, then leaves. Announcing he is disgusted with
crooks who want to make a fast reputation by challenging him, Batman says
that he is going to bring in the Brand quickly.
In the days that follow, Batman has two encounters
with the Brand. One clue, painted on a billboard, is the "Lazy S-and-O"
cattle brand, suggesting the eye painted on a chines ship's prow from which
the Brands steals a jade statue, escaping by knocking Batman and Robin
off the ship with its boom. The second, a skywritten double-box brand,
indicates two squares of the giant chessboard where champioship chess players
will soon play a TV match with giant robot chessmen; the Brand attempts
to steal a golden cup and manages to delay Batman by hemming him in with
the robots on the board. But the masked thief leaves a bit of mud
from his boot and the two crusaders analyze it, discovering a bit of train-bed
gravel in it and finding the soil is the kind found far below topsoil.
Deducing that the Brand has been digging in a subway, Batman and Robin
disregard a third, erroneous brand-clue and intercept the Brand as he is
attempting an escape through a subway after tunneling into a bank and robbing
it. The Brand, caught, confesses that he was after a $100,000 fund
that Batman was keeping in the bank as contribuitions for a new youth center,
to be removed from the vault at a special ceremony; his crimes were ruses
to delay Batman until he could tunnel into the vault. Later, Batman
observes the Brand wearing another kind of brand--a prison number.
THIRD STORY
"Teacher From The Stars" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in Justice League Of America #3)
Robin (next appears in Detective Comics #288)
Villains
A pair of bank robbers (first and only appearance to date)
Other Characters
Blish, Glup, Klim, and Ulg (first and only appearance to date for all)
Other Sigans (first and only appearance to date for all)
Gertrude and her husband (first and only appearance to date for both)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comments
Blish, the alien teacher, is named for famous science-fiction
writer James Blish. His student's names are jumbled versions of the
words /plug/,/milk/,and /lug/ respectively.
Shortly after this story Batman joins the Justice
League to battle Kanjar Ro in Justice League Of America #3.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are plagued by the super-scientific
pranks of three students from the planet Siga, led on an educational trip
by their teacher, Blish. The alien kids prove difficult for even
their instructor to restrain, and raise havoc in Gotham with anti-gravity
rays, transporter rays, freeze rays, image projectors, light-ray distorters
and magnetic repulsors. But, when the alien children repulse the
guns from the hands of two policemen chasing bank robbers, Batman and Robin
defeat the crooks and then asks Blish and his charges to leave. Blish
confesses that he has made a terrible mistake; he was supposed to be visiting
the planet Orla, where all lawmen wear masks, which caused him to believe
Batman and Robin were his guides and that the crooks were actually policemen
being pursued by gun-wielding criminals. The aliens take off in their
flying saucer, and, later, send Batman and Robin a class picture.
Detective Comics No. 288
February 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin fighting Multicreature with a derrick //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Menace of the Multiple Creature” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#3; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #115), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #137; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #115)
Intro: An actor, Mr. Stamm, Mary Todd (only appearance for all)
Villains: The Multicreature, Stokes and his gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to foil a gang of crooks in World's Finest Comics #115.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin tackle a creature who can mutate into different
shapes, and which brings changes into the lives of three Gothamites
who encounter it.
BATMAN #138
March 1961
Cover Credits
Artists: Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Letterer:
FIRST STORY
"Batman's Master" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane (?)
Inker: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Letterer;
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #115)
Villains
Kadar (a Batman robot; first and only appearance to date)
Dorian and his hireling (first and only appearance to date)
The Tiger and the Tiger Gang (first and only appearance for all to
date)
Synopsis
Batman decoys a villainous scientist, Dorian, into
wasting his rocket-ram weapon on a Batman robot who precedes him into the
savant's hideout. Batman and Robin capture the scientist, who swears
that someday Batman will meet a criminal who will make Batman look like
a robot. Later, Batman and Robin prepare for an encounter with the
Tiger Gang, who intend to steal a projector from the Gotham Planetarium
and hold it for ransom. Their defense is complicated by the fact
that a mysterious masked man called Kadar has thrown in with the Tiger
Gang,claims to be able to anticipate Batman's every move, and proves it
during the planetarium caper by foiling Batman's and Robin's secret emergency
manuver planned against the gang. The villains escape, and Batman,
knowing only a man with access to the Bat-Cave could have known their plans,
fears for his secret identity.
Later, in the Bat-Cave, Batman receives a strange
hunch as to the Tiger Gang's next job, and is correct in pinpointing it
as the Gotham Oil Refinery. However, Kadar is actually able to command
Batman to grab Robin and jump with him into an oil vat below. They
land unharmed and the gang escapes, but Batman reveals that he knows who
Kadar really is. Batman and Robin turn up later unexpectedly at the
Tiger Gang's headquarters, and Batman infroms Kadar that he must save Batman's
life by fighting the Tiger and his allies. Kadar complies, and the
gang is taken in. Later, Batman takes Kadar back to the Bat-Cave
and unmasks him as their Batman robot. He explains to Robin that
the robot had had its mechanical brain altered by the impacet of Dorian's
rocket-ram, enabling it to become attuned to Batman's brainwaves, but also
turning it against Batman. However, its circuits which automatically
commanded the robot to save Batman and Robin from deadly danger were damaged,
and were able to be used by Batman against the Tiger Gang. Batman
readjusts his robot's brain to normalcy, and the case is closed.
SECOND STORY
"The Simple Crimes Of Simple Simon" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller:
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villains
Simple Simon and his gang (first and only appearance to date for all)
Other Characters
Citizens of Gotham City
Synopsis
A buck-toothed, gangling fellow in hillbilly-cliched
clothes who calls himself Simple Simon begins a crime wave using the poem
which bears his name as a motif. His first crime involves buying
out a baker's pies at a county fair, pitching the pies into a garbage can,
and using the tins to enrage a prize bull into stampeding so that he may
loot the gate receipts in the confusion. Batman bull-dogs the steer
and Robin goes after Simon himself, who leaps astride a merry-go-round
horse. But Simple Simon proves anything but simple, as he has previously
gimmicked the horse with fold-out wings and jet propulsion, enabling him
to make a getaway. Simple Simon commits another crime on the Gotham
docks with the aid of a tiny whale balloon which can inflate to giant size,
and tries a third job at a winter resort where he smashes into a hotel
with a giant snowball, trying to grab the $10,000 in prize money for a
festival winner. Batman and Robin chase the "simple" criminal onto
a frozen lake, where he boards an ice boat, but Batman cracks the ice with
a ski pole, immobilizes the boat when its runner snags in a crack, and
skies into the boom of the boat, disarming Simon. Simple Simon hits
the ice with a solid impact, cracking through so that he has to grab the
edge of the hole to stay afloat. Batman comments that it finishes
off the "Simple Simon" rhyme motif, since the rhyme ended with "Simple
Simon wentto slide upon the ice/ Before the ice would bear".
THIRD STORY
"The Secret Of The Sea Beast" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane (?)
Inker: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in Detective Comics #289)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in Detective Comics #287; next appears
in World's Finest Comics #116)
Villains
Chips Hassel and his gang, Hal Torson, Lester Guinn, and the crew of
the "Sea Beast" (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Synopsis
The yacht of stockbroker Hal Torson and the launch
of Lester Guinn are attacked in two separate incidents by what appears
to be a huge, dinosauric sea-monster, which becomes dubbed the "Sea Beast."
In each case, all passengers are recovered save Torson and Guinn.
Batman and Robin, on patrol of Gotham Bay during the second attack. don
scuba gear and shoot at the monster with spear guns, but their weapons
bounce off. the beast's tail whips about, causing Robin to become
tangled in a brace of seaweed; Batman is forced to cut him free and let
the beast escape.
Later, Batman and Robin capture Chips Hassel and his gang,
after overhearing Hassel tell an unidientified phone-caller that he intends
to fake his death to the police off a Gotham pier. Batman secretly
takes Hassel's place, impersonating him in make-up, and, after falling
off the pier, finds a hatchway opening in the underwater Sea Beast's exterior,
proving it a submarine. However, once inside, he finds that his makeup
has run thanks to the churning water, and becomes Batman before his identity
can be revealed. The criminal crew of the sub have him outnumbered,
and, after they dock, Batman confronts the two masterminds of the "Sea
Beast" caper--Torson and Guinn. He relates to them how two handy
business deals had forced them into the "Sea Beast" plot to avoid investigation,
and that they intended to surface elsewhere after plastic surgery and spend
their ill-gotten gains. But Robin has been following a signal in
Batman's utility belt radio, and, entering the Sea Beast, turns the mechanical
monster against its crew. The two heroes are able to subdue the crooks,
and cart them to Gotham Island Prison in their monster-submarine.
Detective Comics No. 289
March 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin watching Bat-Mite and bandits riding giant
jeweled sword //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Bat-Mite Bandits”
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#138; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #116)
GS: Bat-Mite (between BATMAN #136 / 144)
Villains: Willy Wile and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team
with Superman to combat Vince Collins in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #116.
Synopsis: Bat-Mite returns to the Earth-One dimension and is tricked
by a crook into helping his gang commit crimes, thinking he is helping
to make movies of Batman and Robin in action.
BATMAN #139
April 1961
Cover: King Cobra vs. Bat-Girl, Batwoman, Batman, and Robin //Bob Kane
/ Sheldon Moldoff (?)
FIRST STORY
"The Blue Bowman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger (?)
Penciller:
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen inf World's Finest Comics #116)
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon (last seen in World's Finest Comics #116; next
appears in Detective Comics #291)
Sgt. Harvey Hainer of Earth-One (?; unnamed in this story, but shown
operating the Bat-Signal; first appearance; next appears in issue #142)
Villains
The Blue Bowman (formerly the Signalman; first and only appearance
as the Blue Bowman; Phil Cobb; last seen in issue #124; next appears in
issue #142)
Bull's-Eye Of Earth-One (first and only appearance to date; in flashback;
see comment below)
The Blue Bowman's gang (first and only appearance to date for all)
Comment
The Bull's-Eye seen in this story is the Earth-One
counterpart of a foe of the Earth-Two Green Arrow, who last (?) appeared
in Adventure Comics #131.
Synopsis
Acting on an anonymous tip, Batman and Robin go
to the Gotham Coal Refinery to intercept the Signalman on a crime-spree,
only to find their foe has renamed and recostumed himself as the Blue Bowman.
The Bowman uses trick arrows such as the boxing-glove arrow and boomerang
arrow, patterned after Green Arrow's shafts, to repel Batman and send Robin
hurtling down a chute. Batman, forced to save his partner lets the
Blue Bowman escape.
On a tape sent to police headquarters, the Blue
Bowman related his origin to taunt Batman. While in prison, he shared
a cell with an old foe of Green Arrow's named Bull's-Eye, who knew the
mechanics of Green Arrow's arrows, taught Phil Cobb (formerly the Signalman)
the art, and he relinquished his Signalman identity to become a criminal
version of Green Arrow. Following a clue, Batman and Robin attack
the Bowman and his gang next at the Gotham Candle Factory, but the
Bowman's trick arrows trap the two heroes in a pair of giant candles.
Batman manages to rock his candle off its perch until it rolls outside
and breaks open on a lampost, freeing him. Freeing Robin, Batman
follows the Signalman's second taunting clue to the Gotham Archery Company.
There the dynamic duo battle the villains a third time, but this time they
use trick batarangs against his shafts. The heroes' weapon's turn
the tide, and the Blue Bowman and his gang are captured. Later, they
are driven past a road sign shaped like an arrow, pointing out he way to
state prison. Batman informs the Blue Bowman it is the last arrow
he'll see for a long time.
SECOND STORY
"The Island Of 1,000 Traps" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane (?)
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Villains
George Milo, Bert, and other gangsters (first and only appearance to
date for all)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin follow George Milo, "the nation's
top criminal" and "an electronics genius who turned to crime," to his private
island in hopes of capturing him. Just offshore, their Bat-Boat is
wrecked by the jaws of a mechanical shark, forcing them to swim onto the
beach. Once on the island, they run a gamut of deadly traps--electrical
charges between trees, an iron-fisted tank, a giant killer octopus--but
manage to survive each one. Batman and Robin defeat Milo's gang on
a beached ship, and then head into Milo's fortress headquarters.
Milo's final guard, a sharpshooter named Bert, fires a rifle point-blank
at Batman, but the caped hero is not harmed and Robin appears to kayo the
assassin. Batman proves to have donned a suit of armor as a precaution,
and Milo is captured without further delay.
THIRD STORY
"Bat-Girl" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger (?)
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Inker: Charles Paris (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman (next appears in Justice League Of America #4)
Robin (next appears in Detective Comics #290)
Guest Stars
Batwoman (last seen in Detective Comics #286; next appears in World's
Finest Comics #117)
Bat-Girl (Betty Kane; first appearance; origin revealed in this story;
next appearance in issue #141)
Villains
King Cobra and the Cobra Gang (first and only appearance to date for
all)
Other Character
An unnamed newsboy (first and only appearance to date)
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman joins the Justice
League Of America to induct Green Arrow into the team in Justice League
Of America #4.
Synopsis
Betty Kane, the niece of Kathy (Batwoman) Kane,
comes to Gotham, for a visit. While in town she watches a newsreel
clip of Batwoman in action fighting thieves in a school supplies warehouse.
Later, after Kathy comes home and brushes her hair, Betty uses the
same brush, and notices that gold stars fall out of the brush. Since
the gold stars could only have come from the school supply warehouse, Betty
deduces her aunt is actually Batwoman. Inspired by Kathy's example,
Betty designs a red-and-green uniform, calls herself Bat-Girl, and trails
Batwoman on her next caper. Batwoman's next mission is to aid Batman
and Robin in a battle with King Cobra and his Cobra Gang, but the threesome
are trapped within an "eletronic ring" manipulated by one of the gang members
until Bat-Girl swings through a window, kicks away the crook, and turns
off the ring-ray. She then swings back out, leaving the threesome
to finish off the crook, and prompting Robin to wonder who she really is.
Later that night, Betty reveals herself as Bat-Girl
to Kathy, and will not be dissuaded from her crime-fighting career.
In desperation, Batwoman appeals to Batman and Robin for help. The
master crime-fighter advises Kathy to keep Betty in a rigid training regimen
for week until it is time to go home. At first, Betty complies.
But she soon figures out Batwoman's scheme and secrely goes to work on
her own to discover King Cobra's hideout. She is successful and manages
to distract the gang leader with a large "funny face" self-inflating balloon,
but the balloon accidentally pops and the Cobra Gang capture her and lock
her in an upstairs office. To signal passers-by, Bat-Girl snips bat-shapes
from carbon paper an throws them out the window; a youth passing by calls
the police. Batman, Robin, and Batwoman storm the Cobra headquarters,
but King Cobra grabs Bat-Girl as a hostage and holds a gun to her head.
Bat-Girl, pretending to faint, twists herself around and gives King Cobra's
gun-hand a judo chop, forcing him to drop the gun. The four caped
crusaders finish off the Cobra Gang, and, in the aftermath, Batwoman admits
that Bat-Girl has made a good showing and may become her team-member.
Bat-Girl eagerly suggests that she and Robin team up on a case. Robin,
reddening, is for once struck speechless.
Detective Comics No. 290
April 1961
Cover: Batman vs. Robin’s robot and “Gadgets” Blore //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “Robin’s Robot” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#4), Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #139)
Intro: A Robin robot (only appearance)
Villains: Gadgets Blore, Hank, Red (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: After a criminal scientist charges Batman and Robin with
energies that cause destruction if they are too close to each other, the
Gotham Goliath works with a robot Robin, until the crooks gain control
of the robot as well.
Detective Comics No. 291
May 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin watching Rukk emerging from space capsule
in Batcave //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Creature From the Bat-Cave”
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #117)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #139 / 140)
Intro: Prof. Heims, a Rukk, Sharls (in flashback; only appearance for
all)
Villains: Big Ed Bailey and his gang, Bertie (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: An alien creature called a Rukk is loose and rampant in Gotham
City, and Batman and Robin are out to capture it.
BATMAN #140
June 1961
Cover: Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl vs. crooks in boat //
Bob Kane / Sheldon Moldoff (?)
FIRST STORY
"The Ghost Of The Joker" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger (?)
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff (?)
Inker: Charles Paris (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both last seen in World's Finest Comics #117)
Villains
The Joker (last seen in issue #136; next appears in issue #142)
The Joker's Gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Citizens and Police of Gotham and convicts at Gotham Penitentiary
Synopsis
After the Joker is apparently blown to bits in an
escape attempt from Gotham Penitentiary, what appears to be the ghost of
the Joker carries on a crimespree, in Gotham City. The Joker's "ghost"
leads his gang in a string of ghost-oriented crimes, such as robbing the
box office of a theater showing the play THE RETURN OF THE PHANTOM, stealing
the $50,000 prize money in a race won by a horse named Poltergeist, and
taking over a yacht called THE FLYING DUTCHMEN in order to steal a gold
prize cup. Investigation leads Batman and Robin to the Joker's hideout,
a marionette factory closed for vacation time. The Joker's "ghostly
aura" turns out to be phosphorescent paint, and his "ghost" tricks were
accomplished with the use of a magic lantern--a trick which Batman and
Robin turn back on the Joker when the gang is tricked into emptying their
guns at a Batman-illusion. The two heroes take the Joker back into
custody.
SECOND STORY
"The Charmed Life Of Batman" (8 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane (?)
Inker: Charles Paris (?)
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin
Guest Star
Superman (disguised as "The Alchemist" in this story; last seen in
World's Finest Comics #117; next appears in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen
#53)
Supporting Character
Commissioner Gordon (erroneously depicted with brown hair in this story;
last seen in Detective Comics #291)
Villains
Four assassins (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Dan Mustin, several reporters, and a TV cameraman (first and only appearance
for all to date)
Synopsis
Four assassins hired by the Gotham underworld to
kill Batman and Robin laugh at a TV interview program in which Batman is
given a potion be a robed figure called the Alchemist which, the Alchemist
assures Batman, will give him a charmed life. But the assassins discover
Batman's life is indeed charmed; when the first killer tries to finish
Batman by crushing him under a huge globe of Mars at Planetarium Park,
a tree suddenly falls between them and blocks Batman from injury, and when
Batman is knocked off a building's skeleton-in-progress by a crane, a water
tank's supports buckle and cause a wave of water to wash Batman in mid-air
over to safe flooring. Both assassins are captured, and the Alchemist
gets Batman to admit that two such escapes could not be coincidental.
Later, in private, the Alchemist reveals himself to Batman and Robin as
Superman, and tells them of his plan to bring the four hitmen out of hiding.
But he is secretly observed by one of the remaining killers, and, when
the last two assassins make a third attempt on Batman's life, they ward
off Superman with Kryptonite. The hoods bear down on Batman and Robin
with an ambulance in a dead end alley, but Batman pulls down a fire escape
ladder and the truck crashes head-on into it. The dynamic duo dispose
of the Kryptonite, reviving Superman, and then help round up the two thugs.
THIRD STORY
"The Eighth Wonder Of Space" (9 pages)
Credits
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Bob Kane (?)
Inker:
Letterer:
Feature Characters
Batman and Robin (both next appear in World's Finest Comics #118)
Guest Stars
Batwoman (last seen in World's Finest Comics #117; next appears in
Detective Comics #292)
Bat-Hound (last seen in Detective Comics #287; next appears in issue
#143)
Supporting Characters
Commissioner Gordon
Alfred Pennyworth (last seen in issue #135)
Villains
The Yellow Sweater Gang (first and only appearance for all to date)
Other Characters
Inhabitants of the planet Xlur (first and only appearance for all to
date)
Citizens and Police of Gotham City
Comments
Shortly after this story Batman teams with the Justice
League to battle Dr. Destiny in Justice League Of America #5.
Synopsis
Batman and Robin return to the Earth-dimension after
being yanked in their Batplane across dimensions to the planet Xlur.
Since the scientists of Xlur had not yet perfected a way to reverse their
grapple-ray, Batman and Robin had to remain there three days untile they
did. During that time, the alien atmosphere transformed them into
green-skinned, antennaed, barrel-chested alien humanoids. When they
return to Earth, their transformation is still in effect for some time,
and they only manage to prove their identities to Batwoman and Commissioner
Gordon by revealing to the former her own secret identity and to the latter
the title of his unwritten memoirs. Since the Yellow Sweater Gang
is still raising havoc in Gotham, the alien dynamic duo go back to work,
aided with their increased strength and leaping power and the telekinetic
force emanated from their antennae. Batman uses various ruses to
prevent the world from learning that Bruce Wayne also looks like an alien
now, but realizes that such measures are only stop-gap. The heroes
are trapped and imprisoned by the Yellow Sweater Gang when their own trap
backfires, but the alien faces frustrate the gang's attempt to discern
their true identities by unmasking them. However, Batman and Robin
are rapidly returning to normal, and Batman only manages to use a knife
to free himself by telekinesis before they reassume human forms.
Immediately thereafter, they attack the rest of the gang in their time-honored
style and capture them all.
Detective Comics No. 292
June 1961
Cover: Giant Batman catching Batmobile carrying Robin and Batwoman
//Bob Kane (signed)
Story: “The Colossus of Gotham City” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#5; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #118), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #140; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #118)
GS: Batwoman (between BATMAN #140 / 141)
GA: Superman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #277; next appears in
WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #118)
Villains: Rockets Blore, Joe, Lenny, and other crooks (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman, Robin, and Superman
battle Vathgar in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #118.
Synopsis: While pursuing criminal Rockets Rogan, Batman gets a whiff
of a strange gas that transforms him into a giant.
Detective Comics No. 293
July 1961
Cover: Yllans sapping Batman’s and Robin’s strength with ray //Sheldon
Moldoff
Story: “Prisoners of the Dark World”
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #118; both next appear in BATMAN #141)
Intro: Captain Swenson, Tiger Wilson, Nancy Wicks, C. C. Cayle, Yllans
(only appearance for all)
Villain: Eddie Stark, Gruggs (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: The Yllans are named for their city of Ylla, which is also
the name of a character in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles.
Synopsis: Batman, Robin, and a boatload of people find themselves sent
through a strange dimensional warp into another world, where they must
help the native Yllans overcome the lizardlike Gruggs.
Batman No. 141
August 1961
Cover: Bat-Girl and Robin vs. Moth with Batman and Batwoman tied to
satellite model //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Crimes of the Clockmaster” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #293)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (next appears in issue #145),
Commissioner Gordon
Villains: The Clockmaster, Handy, various crooks (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are challenged to a duel of wits by the
Clockmaster, a new criminal who leaves clues to his crimes by means of
a clock which shows a 3-D display of a new target for a heist every 24
hours.
Story: “The Race of Death” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #294)
Intro: Mitchell Long, Lyons (only appearance for both)
Villain: Warner (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin enter a cross-country race to protect one
of the drivers from murder.
Story: “Batwoman’s Junior Partner” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#294)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #292; next appears
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7), Bat-Girl (between issues #139 / 144)
Intro: Robin Fan Club, Bat-Girl Fan-Club (only appearance for all)
Villains: The Moth and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Bat-Girl plays a decisive role in the capture of the costumed
criminal known as the Moth. But when the Moth breaks jail, Batman
and Robin ask Batwoman to curtail Bat-Girl’s crime-fighting activities,
fearing their foe will seek vengeance on her.
Detective Comics No. 294
August 1961
Cover: Robin watching as Elemental Man changes Batman into calcium
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Villain of 100 Elements” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in BATMAN
#141; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #119)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #141 / 142)
Intro: Professor Higgins (only appearance)
Villains: The Elemental Man (John Dolan) and his gang (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin team with Superman
to defeat General Grambly in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #119.
Synopsis: John Dolan gains the power from an experimental device to
change his body into all the elements in the periodic table, and uses it
for criminal purposes, bringing him into conflict with Batman and Robin.
Batman No. 142
September 1961
Cover: Tezcatlipoca and monster vs. Batman and Robin //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “Batman’s Robot-Guardian” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #119)
Intro: A robot-guardian (first appearance; destroyed in this story)
Other Character: Tal-Dar (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #282;
last appearance)
Villains: Mike and other crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are given a robot-guardian from their old
friend Tal-Dar of the Interplanetary Space Police, which prevents them
from risking their lives to catch crooks.
Story: “The Crimes of the Ancient Mariner” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #294; next appears in issue #144), Sgt. Harvey Hainer (between issues
#139 / 184)
Intro: Stubbs (only appearance)
Villains: The Ancient Mariner (Tom Travis) and his gang (first and
only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin go after a crook who appears to be an old
sailor out for revenge on the firm that pensioned him off because of his
age.
Story: “Ruler of the Enchanted Valley” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#295)
Intro: Regan (only appearance)
Villains: Tezcatlipoca (Hartley; not to be confused with the god introduced
in WONDER WOMAN #314) and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: In a remote Central American valley, Batman and Robin trace
a vanished detective and encounter the wrath of Tezcatlipoca, who appears
to be an incarnation of the Mayan god of destruction.
Detective Comics No. 295
September 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin fighting the Orlak in front of ancient Egyptian
painting //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Secret of the Beast Paintings” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#142; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #120)
Supporting Character: Dr. Carter Nichols (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#107 / 132)
Intro: Khau-Re, a Pharaoh (only appearance)
Villains: Torg, Nakorians, the Orlak, the Gazz (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight three magical beings in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #120.
Synopsis: After summoning Batman and Robin to an Egyptian dig site
where the two heroes fight a pair of alien monsters, Prof. Carter Nichols
sends the Dynamic Duo to the past, where they must liberate ancient Egyptians
from alien invaders.
Batman No. 143
October 1961
Cover: Batman, Robin, Bat-Hound, hunter, and alien creature //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Twice-Told Tale of Batman and Robin” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #120)
Cameo appearances: A storyteller of 3361, a genie, a giant, Nidor the
sorceror (in Dick Grayson’s fantasy; first and only appearance for all)
Villains: Nitro Joe and two crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: After Batman and Robin capture Nitro Joe and his gang, Dick
Grayson fantasizes about how a storyteller from the 34th Century might
retell their adventure to an audience of children.
Story: “The Blind Batman” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Villains: Dr. Pneumo and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin duel a new foe, Dr. Pneumo, whose air gun
blasts Batman off his feet, making him strike his head and causing temporary
blindness.
Story: “Bat-Hound and the Creature” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#7), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #296)
GS: Bat-Hound (between DETECTIVE COMICS #287 / 306)
Intro: An alien creature (dies in this story)
Villains: Lippy Yates and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
the Angellaxians in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.
Synopsis: While Batman and Robin are battling the Lippy Yates gang,
Bat-Hound discovers an alien creature landed on Earth and in need of help.
Detective Comics No. 296
October 1961
Cover: Planet-Master vs. Batman and Robin //Jim Mooney
Story: “The Menace of the Planet-Master” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#7; next appears in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #29), Robin (last
appearance in BATMAN #143)
Villains: The Planet-Master (Prof. Norbet), Burke (first and only appearance
for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League and
Lois Lane save Superman in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #29.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin fight a criminal called the Planet-Master,
whose crime-costumes are modelled around the motif of the nine planets
of the solar system.
Detective Comics No. 297
November 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Beast of Koba Bay //Sheldon Moldoff
Story: “The Beast of Koba Bay”
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND,
LOIS LANE #29; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #121), Robin (next
appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #121)
Intro: Chief Santos (only appearance)
Villains: Beast of Koba Bay, Albey (first appearance for both; both
die in this story), Spence, Bascombe, and their accomplice (first and only
appearance), Beast robot (first appearance; destroyed in this story)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Xanu in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #121.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin trail a gangster to the island of Koba Bay,
where they find him killed, apparently by the legendary beast that haunts
the waters of the island.
Batman No. 144
December 1961
Cover: Bat-Girl and Robin vs. tiger ridden by invisible Bat-Mite; Batman
vignette //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Alien Feud on Earth” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #121)
Intro: Rilla (only appearance)
Villains: Hylk, Zorb (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin find themselves in the midst of a duel between
two aliens over a female of their race.
Story: “The Man Who Played Batman” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in issue
#142)
Villains: The Joker (between issues #140 / 148), Lenny, Dan, Blinky,
Gum-Ball Burke, and other members of the Joker’s gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: The Joker recruits new members for his gang by dressing up
as Batman and trying to capture them while they pull mock crimes in a model
of Gotham City.
Story: “Bat-Mite Meets Bat-Girl” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#298)
GS: Bat-Mite (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #289; next appears
in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #123), Bat-Girl (between issues #141 / 153), Batwoman
(last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7; next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #302)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #301)
Intro: Chip Danton (only appearance)
Villains: Various crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Robin and Bat-Girl are assigned to patrol Gotham in the abscence
of Batman and Batwoman, who are testifying before a Washington, D.C. subcommittee.
When Bat-Girl’s crush on Robin goes unrequited, Bat-Mite appears and proposes
to use his powers to make Robin fall in love with her.
Detective Comics No. 298
December 1961
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Clayface II //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles
Paris
Story: “The Challenge of Clay-Face” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in BATMAN
#144; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #122)
Villain: Clayface II (Matt Hagen; called Clay-Face in this story; first
appearance; next appears in issue #304), Joe Shank and another crook (first
and only appearance for both)
Comments: The Earth-One Clayface I, Basil Karlo, first appears in flashback
in BATMAN #208.
Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Klor in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #122 and to help Jimmy Olsen save
Superman’s secret identity in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #58.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin encounter Clayface, a super-criminal with
the power to change his body into any shape imaginable.
Detective Comics No. 299
January 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. two alien hunters //Jim Mooney
Story: “Prey of the Alien Hunters” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in SUPERMAN’S
PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #58; both next appear in BATMAN #145)
Intro: Alta and other aliens (only appearance for all)
Villains: Kaale, Mogur, and three alien hunters (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are abducted to another planet where they
are hunted by a trio of aliens for the pleasure of the hunters’ employer.
Batman No. 145
February 1962
Cover: Batman II and Robin II vs. the Joker and his “son” //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Hunt For Mister 50" (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #299)
Intro: James Chow (only appearance)
Villains: Mr. 50 (Narkin), Brody, Edwards, other smugglers (first and
only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin go to Hawaii on the trail of a smuggling
kingpin known only as Mister 50.
Story: “The Tiniest Villain in the World” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS
#300)
Intro: Prof. Norenz (only appearance)
Villains: Joe Burr and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin battle a crook who has used a scientist’s
shrinking ray to make him the size of a toy doll.
Story: “The Son of the Joker” (10 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Character: Bruce Wayne (does not appear as Batman in this story;
next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (between issues #141 / 147)
Cameo appearances: Batman, Batman II, Robin II, Kathy Kane Wayne (all
between issues #135 / 154), the Joker, the Son of the Joker, and their
gang (first and only appearance for all; all characters in Alfred’s fictional
tale)
Comments: This is the third “Batman II and Robin II” story written
by Alfred Pennyworth about a possible future in which Dick Grayson becomes
the second Batman and Bruce Wayne, Jr. becomes the second Robin.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League celebrate
their third anniversary in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9.
Synopsis: In his third tale of the fictional second Batman and Robin
team, Alfred Pennyworth writes of their encounter with the Joker and a
criminal who poses as the Joker’s “son”.
Detective Comics No. 300
February 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Mr. Polka-Dot and his gang //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Bizarre Polka-Dot Man” (23 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#9; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #123), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #145; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #123)
Intro: Ran Jafir (only appearance)
Villains: Mr. Polka-Dot and his gang (first and only appearance for
all)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin team with Superman
to deal with Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #123.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin battle Mr. Polka-Dot, a costumed criminal
whose costume dots become fantastic weapons.
Batman No. 146
March 1962
Cover: Giant hand grabbing Batman from water as Robin and Chambers
look on //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Batman and Robin’s Magical Powers” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #123)
GS: Bat-Mite (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #123; next appears
in DETECTIVE COMICS #310)
Intro: Antura, Ellender (only appearance for both)
Villains: Various crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Antura’s costume is patterned after that of Sargon the Sorceror.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are gifted with magical powers over steel,
rope, rubber, and wood by Bat-Mite.
Story: “The Secret of the Leopard Boy” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Intro: Leopard Boy (Jimmy Taylor), Mrs. Joe Taylor (only appearance
for both), Joe Taylor (in flashback; dies in this story)
Villains: Smiley Fenton and his gang (first and only appearance for
all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin trail gangster Smiley Fenton to Africa and
encounter a jungle youth known as the Leopard Boy.
Story: “The Deadly Curse of Korabo” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#301)
Intro: Cliff Amory (dies in this story), Chambers, Dunne, Dr. Hampden
(only apperance for all)
Villain: Keith Larsen (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin strive to save the remaining members of
a mountain-climbing team from the apparent Curse of Korabo, which may claim
their lives.
Detective Comics No. 301
March 1962
Cover: Robin and scientists watching red-glowing Batman in glass tube
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Condemned Batman” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#146; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #124)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#144)
Villains: Brains Beldon (first appearance; next appears in NEW TEEN
TITANS (1st series) #20) and his gang (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Hroguth in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #124.
Synopsis: Batman’s body is altered by a scientific accident to make
him radiate heat uncontrollably and to be only able to breathe methane
gas, which condition criminal Brains Beldon capitalizes on.
Detective Comics No. 302
April 1962
Cover: Batwoman watching Vulcan turn Batman and Robin into bronze statues
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Bronze Menace” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #124; both next appear in BATMAN #147)
GS: Batwoman (between BATMAN #144 / 147)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in BATMAN #147)
Intro: Jahmed Arval, Henry Winns (only appearance for both)
Villains: Vulcan, Lefty Borgas, Eddie Ruff, Riggs Bentley (first and
only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman, Robin, and Batwoman tangle with a group of crooks
who appear to be stealing bronze statues sculpted by Vulcan, but who are
in reality the statues themselves.
Batman No. 147
May 1962
Cover: Robin and Bat-Baby vs. Nails Finney and Garth //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Plants of Plunder” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #302)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon
Intro: An alien farmer (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of crooks (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin meet a gang of thieves who use the powers
of alien plants in their robberies.
Story: “The Secret of Mystery Island” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Villains: Briggs (first appearance; dies in this story), Catlin, Hoke,
Danny (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman, Robin, and a gang of crooks search an island for
the loot of a dead criminal.
Story: “Batman Becomes Bat-Baby” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#10), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #303)
GS: Kathy Kane (Batwoman; last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #302;
next appears in issue #150)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in issue
#145), Commissioner Gordon
Villains: Nails Finney and his gang, Garth, Swap Smith (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
Felix Faust, the Lord of Time, Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #10-11.
Synopsis: A criminal scientist turns Batman physically into a four-year-old
with a ray of his own devising, but Batman modifies his costume and continues
to fight crime as Bat-Baby.
Detective Comics No. 303
May 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. robot aliens //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles
Paris
Story: “Murder In Skyland” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#11; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #125), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #147; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #125)
Intro: Wally Dodd (dies in this story), John Hanson, Lee Marlowe, Paul
Dodd (only appearance for all)
Villains: Al Bates, Blinky Cole (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Jundy in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #125.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin try to solve the murder of the owner of
a space-themed amusement park.
Batman No. 148
June 1962
Cover: Joker unmasking Batman as Robin watches //Sheldon Moldoff /
Charles Paris
Story: “The Alien Force Twins” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #125)
Villains: A band of aliens (first and only appearance), the “force
twins” (first appearance for both; both destroyed in this story)
Synopsis: A storm forces the Batplane down in an isolated mountain
range, where Batman and Robin encounter alien beings and two strange energy
beings.
Story: “The Boy Who Was Robin” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #304)
Intro: Vanderveer Wayne (only appearance)
Villain: Jumpy Regan (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne takes in his young and arrogant cousin, Vanderveer
Wayne, for a visit. When Van sees Batman and Robin costumes in the
laundry (which Alfred explains away as masquerade costumes), he is inspired
to impersonate Robin.
Story: “The Joker’s Greatest Triumph” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Character: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#12), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #304)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #304)
Intro: Hendrik Van Voort (only appearance)
Villains: The Joker (last appearance in issue #144; next appears, behind
the scenes, in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14) and his gang (first and only
appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman teams with Superman to fight
the Air Island Pirates, then both help the Justice League fight Dr. Light
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #12.
Synopsis: The Joker sends Batman, Robin, and Commissioner Gordon clues
to his upcoming crimes in the form of ship models, which initially stymies
the Dynamic Duo.
Detective Comics No. 304
June 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Clayface as giant bat //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Return of Clay-Face” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#12; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #126), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #148; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #126)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in BATMAN
#148; next appears in issue #306), Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN
#148 / 149)
Intro: Prof. Colton, John Royce, Phipps (only appearance for all)
Villain: Clayface II (between issues #298 / 312)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Lex Luthor in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #126.
Synopsis: Matt Hagen breaks jail again and uses his power to impersonate
wealthy men in order to gain information for future crimes, which brings
him into renewed conflict with Batman and Robin.
Detective Comics No. 305
July 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin seeing Goga shoot Z-Ray at their figures on
a circle display //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Targets of the Alien Z-Ray” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #126; both next appear in BATMAN #149)
Intro: Goga, Hyoro (only appearance for both)
Villains: Rusty, Knuckles Boland (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Two bank robbers force two aliens on Earth to give them the
secrets of a Z-Ray, which kills by delayed action, and use it against Batman
and Robin.
Batman No. 149
August 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin dragged into “time warp” by Ben Ryder and Slick
Ronson //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Maestro of Crime” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #305)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #304; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127)
Intro: The Sparrow (Prof. Ambrose Weems), Madame Pouselle (only appearance
for both)
Villains: The Maestro (Payne Cardine; not to be confused with the character
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16) and his gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: After receiving terrible reviews on his concert, pianist
Payne Cardine takes revenge on society by becoming the Maestro, a masked
criminal, who gives musical clues to his crimes. Batman and Robin
accept the help of a music professor, whom they costume as the Sparrow
to protect his identity.
Story: “The Invaders From the Past” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Intro: Dr. Alpheus Roberts, Les Leslie (as a voice; only appearance
for both)
Villains: Ben Ryder, Slick Ronson (first and only appearance for both)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin encounter what appear to be strange figures
from the past, armed with archaic weapons and looting Gotham City.
Story: “Batman Tunes In On Murder” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#13), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #306)
Intro: Rajah of Jahar, mayor of Gotham City (only appearance for both)
Villains: Plethi and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
the Robot Justice League and the Skarn in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #13.
Synopsis: A freak reflection of light through a gem momentarily gives
Batman the power to tune into someone’s thoughts, and he picks up part
of a murder plan.
Detective Comics No. 306
August 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin captured by Prof. Hugo and invisible robots
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Wizard of 1,000 Menaces” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#13; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #149; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127)
GA: Ace (Bat-Hound; last appearance in BATMAN #143)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in issue #304;
next appears in BATMAN #150)
Intro: Lancelot Wayne (no appearance; name only mentioned; an ancestor
of Batman’s; only appearance), District Attorney Barnes (only appearance)
Villains: Prof. Arnold Hugo (first appearance; next appears in J’onn
J’onzz story in issue #322) and his gang (first and only appearance for
all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Zerno in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #127.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin battle a genius criminal named Professor
Hugo, who uses invisible robots to capture them and intends to create an
artificial moon in space.
Batman No. 150
September 1962
Cover: Super-powered Robin vs. Batman //Jim Mooney
Story: “The Secret Behind the Stone Door” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #127)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #127)
Intro: Chet Chetley, Brad Bradley (only appearance for both)
Villains: Caesar and his “army” (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman goes incognito to safeguard to TV newsmen who seek
out a criminal who styles himself after Julius Caesar.
Story: “The Girl Who Stole Batman’s Heart” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in issue #147; next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #307)
GA: Batman robot
Intro: Sgt. Helen Smith, Barnes (only appearance for both)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (between DETECTIVE COMICS #306
/ 307)
Villains: Jack Pine and his gang, various crooks (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: Fumes from a sorceror’s flagon appear to make Batman fall
in love with a beautiful girl, reducing his effectiveness in crime-fighting.
Story: “Robin, the Super Boy Wonder” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#14), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #307)
Intro: A tribe of Yucatan Indians and their chief (only appearance
for all)
Villain: Biff Warner (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman fights the Joker (behind the
scenes) and helps the Justice League induct the Atom and fight Mr. Memory
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin trail escaped criminal Biff Warner to the
Yucatan jungle, where Robin gains super-strength and amnesia from a freak
effect of a lightning bolt and battles Batman.
Detective Comics No. 307
September 1962
Cover: Batman, Batwoman, and Robin facing Alpha, holding bat-cycle
//Dick Dillin / Joe Giella?
Story: “Alpha, the Experimental Man” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#14; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #128), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #150; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #128)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in BATMAN #150; next appears in issue
#309)
GA: Ace (Bat-Hound; next appears in BATMAN #152)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (between BATMAN #150 / 151)
Cameo appearance: Jerry Lewis
Intro: Alpha (dies in this story), Dr. Burgos (only appearance)
Villains: The Green Mask Bandits, various convicts (first and only
appearance for all)
Comments: Dr. Burgos is probably named for Carl Burgos, creator of
the original Human Torch.
Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Moose Morans in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #128 and for a brief meeting
in SUPERMAN #156.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin help train Alpha, an artificial man created
by Dr. Burgos, a scientist. But when he falls in love at first sight
with Batwoman, Alpha uses the professor’s ray device to boost his intellect
and power, a measure that may cause his death.
Detective Comics No. 308
October 1962
Cover: Batman, Flame-Master, Robin and bystander //Jim Mooney
Story: “The Flame-Master” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in SUPERMAN
#156; both next appear in BATMAN #151)
Villain: The Flame-Master (Pete Dale) and his gang (first and only
appearance for all)
Synopsis: Pete Dale, a crook, gains the power of the four elements
(fire, earth, air, and water) from an Indian shaman’s relics. To
combat him, Batman subjects himself to the same magic and gains the same
power.
Batman No. 151
November 1962
Cover: Unmasked Batman and Robin before press conference //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Batman’s New Secret Identity” (16 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (do not appear as Batman
and Robin in this story; last appearance for both in DETECTIVE COMICS #308)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (next appears in issue #154)
Cameo appearances: Batman, Robin, Alfred, Batwoman, various crooks
(in Alfred’s fictional tale)
Synopsis: In a story written by Alfred, Batman’s and Robin’s identities
as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are accidentally exposed, forcing them
to adopt two new secret identities.
Story: “The Mystery Gadget From the Stars” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#15), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #309)
Intro: Ed Manos, Benny, Mr. French, members of the Kiddieland Klubhouse
(only appearance for all)
Villains: The Harris Boys, Little Pete (first and only appearance for
all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
untouchable aliens in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #15.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin must deal with the effects of an alien device
that speeds up the evolutionary development of things.
Detective Comics No. 309
November 1962
Cover: Batman and Robin pursued by Mister X on “dinosaur” ride //Bob
Kane (signed) / Charles Paris?
Story: “The Mystery of the Mardi Gras Murders” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#15; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #129), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #151; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #129)
GA: Batwoman (between issues #307 / 311)
Supporting Characters: Vicki Vale (between BATMAN #119 / 155)
Intro: Ed Burton (dies in this story), Tom Dawes (only appearance)
Villains: Mike Kelso (first appearance; dies in this story), Mister
X (J. J. Ashley) and his gang, Weeper Willow (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Lex Luthor and the Joker in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #129.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin track a murderer through Gotham’s Mardi
Gras carnival.
Batman No. 152
December 1962
Cover: Batman at False Face Society meeting //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles
Paris
Story: “Formula For Doom” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #129)
GS: Bat-Hound (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #308; next appears
in issue #156)
Villains: Heidel, Kuzak (first appearance for both; both die in this
story), Arnold Taney, Kinos, Hans, Florian (first and only appearance for
all)
Synopsis: Batman, Robin, and Bat-Hound go on the trail of a gang of
crooks out to steal a secret Nazi explosive formula.
Story: “The False Face Society” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in issue
#150)
Intro: Van Brunt (only appearance)
Villains: The Joker (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #129;
next appears in issue #159), the False Face Society, various crooks (first
and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin encounter a False Face Society of crooks
whose crimes are committed in various uniforms that hide their faces.
Story: “Memorial To an Astronaut” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#16), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #310)
Intro: Luke Haley (dies in this story), Dr. Robbins (only appearance)
Villains: Three crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Comments: Shortly after this story, Batman helps the Justice League
solve the problem of the Maestro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16.
The “Slan”, a robot dinosaur in this story, is anmed after A.
E. Van Vogt’s famed science fiction novel Slan.
Synopsis: When a mineralogist friend of theirs finds he has only a
few months to live and will not be able to realize his dream of examining
minerals on other worlds, Batman and Robin go to work to help him achieve
his goal.
Detective Comics No. 310
December 1962
Cover: Rubberman and Strongman vs. Batman, Robin, and Bat-Mite //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Bat-Mite’s Super-Circus” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#16; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #130), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #152; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #130)
GS: Bat-Mite (between BATMAN #146 / 158)
Villains: Strongman (Tate), Rubberman (Graff), Human Cannonball (Dorn;
first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
for an interplanetary adventure in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #130.
Synopsis: Bat-Mite comes to Earth and gives three crooks super-powers
to make them more challenging to Batman and Robin. But a bump on
the head blocks Bat-Mite from using his powers against the crooks, and
the three opponents may be more than the heroes can handle.
Detective Comics No. 311
January 1963
Cover: Cat-Man using giant mechanical cat against Batman and Robin
//Jim Mooney
Story: “The Challenge of the Cat-Man” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #130; both next appear in BATMAN #153)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in issue #309; next appears in BATMAN
#153)
Villain: The Cat-Man (Tom Blake; first appearance; next appears in
issue #318)
Comment: This story contains the first mention of the Earth-One Catwoman.
Synopsis: Tom Blake, a playboy and big-game hunter, is inspired by
the memory of the Catwoman and his pet black panther to become the Cat-Man,
a costumed thief, using cat-gimmicks and cat-motifs in his robberies.
Batman, Robin, and Batwoman oppose him.
Batman No. 153
February 1963
Cover: Karn using machine against Robin, Bat-Girl, Batwoman, and Batman
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Prisoners of Three Worlds” (Chapter 1; 8 pages)
Chapter 2: “Death From Beyond” (8 pages)
Chapter 3: “Dimension of Doom” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #311;
next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17), Robin (between DETECTIVE
COMICS #311 / 312)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #311; next appears
in issue #155), Bat-Girl (between issues #144 / 159)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #312)
Villains: Karn, Zebo and his gang (first and only apperance for all)
Comments: This is the first book-length story in BATMAN.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
the Tornado Tyrant in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17.
Synopsis: On the trails of aliens who steal silver, Batman and Batwoman
are split into their normal selves, which become drained of life-energy,
and energy-selves who exist on another world, and Robin and Bat-Girl are
sent to a different planet.
Detective Comics No. 312
February 1963
Cover: Robin watching Clayface-Batman approach Clayface //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Secret of Clayface’s Power” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#17; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #131), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #153; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #131)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #153 / 154)
Intro: Mrs. Vanderhoef (only appearance)
Villains: Clayface II (last appearance in issue #298; next appears
in BATMAN #159), Eddie Leeds (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to meet the Crimson Avenger and fight the Octopus Gang in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #131.
Synopsis: Matt Hagen breaks jail again and uses his pool of protoplasm
to renew his Clayface identity. But Batman discovers the pool and
uses it to become a Clayface-Batman in order to fight him on even terms.
Batman No. 154
March 1963
Cover: Dr. Dorn vs. Batman and Robin //Bob Kane (signed) / Charles
Paris?
Story: “Danger Strikes Four” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #131)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in issue #151)
Cameo appearances: Batman II, Robin II, Bruce Wayne, Kathy Kane Wayne
(all between issues #145 / 163), Stogie Rand, Magog (a robot), Hal Durgin
(first and only appearance for last three; all as characters in Alfred’s
fictional tale; the real Hal Durgin last appeared in DETECTIVE COMICS #284)
Villains: Al Finney and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: This is the fourth Batman II and Robin II story written by
Alfred Pennyworth about a possible future in which an adult Dick Grayson
becomes the second Batman and Bruce Wayne, Jr. becomes Robin II.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin read Alfred’s latest Batman II and Robin
II story, in which the future Dynamic Duo battle a renegade scientist and
his robot. The story gives them an idea of how to deal with a real-life
threat to Gotham City.
Story: “The Amazing Odyssey of Batman and Robin” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#312 / 313)
Villain: The Great Kardo (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are swept away in the Bat-Boat by an underwater
volcano eruption and are captured on an island controlled by a criminal
magician.
Story: “The Strange Experiment of Dr. Dorn” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#18), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #313)
Villain: Dr. Dorn (first and only appearance)
Comment: This story superficially resembles Robert Louis Stevenson’s
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
the three android protectors of Starzl in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #18.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin battle a huge, green humanoid monster who
claims to be the creation of a Dr. Dorn, but who is in reality a transformed
Dr. Dorn himself.
Detective Comics No. 313
March 1963
Cover: Robin watching Batman take off in jet-powered cage //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Mystery of the $1,000,000 Treasure Hunt” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#18; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #154; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (as a voice; last appearance
in BATMAN #154; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132)
GA: Batman robot
Villains: Elliot Maddan and his gang, Baker, Marsh, Eddie Ballot, Smike
(first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Denny Kale and Shorty Briggs in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #132.
Synopsis: A gang boss fakes his death to lure two rival gangs into
a fantastic treasure hunt and Batman into a deathtrap.
Detective Comics No. 314
April 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Roger Carlyle and robot “Moby Dick” //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Murder in Movieland” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #132; both next appear in BATMAN #155)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #132; next appears in BATMAN #155)
Intro: Henry Austin, William Paul Bates (both die in this story), Harmon
(only appearance)
Villain: Roger Carlyle (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin try to nab a disgruntled actor before he
can murder three movie studio heads while reprising some of his greatest
screen roles.
Batman No. 155
May 1963
Cover: Penguin attacking Batman and Robin with Chinese dragon //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Batman’s Psychic Twin” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #314)
GA: Kathy Kane (Batwoman; between issues #153 / 157)
Villains: Jo-Jo Gagan (first appearance; dies in this story), Boss
Bragg, Willie, Luke, and other crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A chemical blast accidentally links Batman and hoodlum Jo-Jo
Gagan, causing one to experience whatever physical sensation the other
does--which leads gangsters to the conclusion that if they kill Jo-Jo,
Batman will die as well.
Story: “The Return of the Penguin” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#19), Robin
(next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #315)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#314 / 315), Vicki Vale (between DETECTIVE COMICS #309 / 316), Alfred Pennyworth
Intro: The Friends of Birds Society, Big John Tompkins (only appearance
for all)
Villains: The Penguin (between issues #99 / 169), various crooks (first
and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
Dr. Destiny and the Super-Justice League in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19.
Synopsis: The Penguin, released from jail, is taunted by hoodlums in
a poolroom to prove he is not a “has-been”. Nettled, he begins a
new spate of bird-crimes in Gotham City, which causes Batman and Robin
to get on his trail again.
Detective Comics No. 315
May 1963
Cover: Jungle-Man using rhinoceros to ram Batman and Robin out of Batmobile
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Jungle Man of Gotham City” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#19; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #155; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon
Intro: Jungle-Man (Tommy Young), Mr. and Mrs. Young (only appearance
for all)
Villains: Eli Mattock and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to battle Dr. Henry Gault in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #133.
Synopsis: A gangster tricks a jungle man into thinking that Batman
is his enemy, and brings him to Gotham to use his skills and the animals
he commands against the Caped Crusader.
Batman No. 156
June 1963
Cover: Batman carrying Robin’s body over alien landscape //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Secret of the Ant-Man” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #133)
GS: Bat-Hound (last appearance in issue #152)
Intro: Prof. Hanson, Edie Hobbs, H. H. Hobbs (only appearance for all)
Villains: The Ant-Man (Jumbo Carson), the Brady Brothers, Al Welles,
an unnamed crook (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: This is largely a Robin story, as Batman only makes a one-panel
appearance. It continues in the next story.
Synopsis: On his own while Batman undertakes a secret mission, Robin
meets a miniature man with great strength who calls himself the Ant-Man.
The six-inch-tall battler aids the Boy Wonder in his battles with crooks,
but has ulterior motives.
Story: “Robin Dies At Dawn” (17 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#20), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #316)
GA: Ace (Bat-Hound; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #134)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (next appears in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #134), Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #317)
Villains: The Gorilla Gang (including Pete and Luke), a crook (first
and only appearance for all)
Comments: This story continues from the first story in this issue.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
Spaceman X in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #20.
Synopsis: Batman participates in a government project which simulates
the effect of a long, lonely space voyage and has hallucinations that Robin
has died on a distant planet. When he comes back to reality, Batman
experiences flashbacks to his delusion that endanger himself and Robin.
Detective Comics No. 316
June 1963
Cover: Double-Batman vs. Dr. Double X, Batman vs. Dr. X, and Robin
watching //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Double Batman Vs. Double X” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#20; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #134), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #156; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #134)
Supporting Character: Vicki Vale (between BATMAN #156 / 157)
Intro: Double Batman (ceases to exist in this story)
Villains: Dr. X, Dr. Double X (last appearance for both in issue #261;
both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #276)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight the Band of Super-Villains in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #134.
Synopsis: In order to combat Dr. X and his energy duplicate Dr.
Double X, Batman subjects himself to a process that creates a Double Batman.
Detective Comics No. 317
July 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin on glider-wings, swooping down upon crooks
from Flying Bat-Cave //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Secrets of the Flying Bat-Cave” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #134; both next appear in BATMAN #157)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #156 / 157)
Intro: Joe Arno (only appearance)
Cameo appearance: The Joker (as a trophy)
Villains: The Condor Gang (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin bring the Flying Bat-Cave to Center City
for a police convention and help a rookie cop nab the Condor Gang.
Batman No. 157
August 1963
Cover: Bruce Wayne, Mirror Man, guard, Robin, Vicki Vale, and Batman
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Villain of the Year” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #317)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#317 / 318)
Villains: The Jackal (Hal Lake), the Barker Gang (including Reed),
the Denton Gang, Gaxton, the Snooper, various crooks (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: The Jackal of this story is not to be confused with the Earth-Two
Jackal who appears in issue #33.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are tipped off by reporter Hal Lake to the
depredations of the Jackal, a costumed criminal who steals from other crooks,
but the Dynamic Duo soon learn that Lake is masquerading as a gangland
boss named “Marty Kale”, who has offered an undeworld reward for the Jackal.
Story: “The Hunt For Batman’s Secret Identity” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#318)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in issue #155; next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #318)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#134 / 135), Vicki Vale (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #316; next
appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136)
Villains: The Mirror-Man (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #213;
last appearance) and his gang (including Harry Vance; first and only appearance)
Synopsis: The Mirror-Man breaks jail and begins anew his pursuit to
prove that Batman is really Bruce Wayne, whose face he once saw beneath
Batman’s cowl via a special mirror.
Detective Comics No. 318
August 1963
Cover: Batman, Robin, Cat-Man, and Batwoman as Cat-Woman //Dick Dillin
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Cat-Man Strikes Back” (15 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Bill Finger?
Artist: Jim Mooney
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#157; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #135)
GS: Batwoman (briefly becomes the Cat-Woman in this story; last appearance
in BATMAN #157; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136)
GA: Bat-Hound (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #134; next
appears in BATMAN #158)
Villains: The Cat-Man (between issues #311 / 325) and his gang (including
Slim; first and only appearance)
Comments: This story is based on “Claws of the Catwoman” in BATMAN
#42.
Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Jon Durr in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #135.
Synopsis: The Cat-Man returns to bedevil Gotham City and Batman and
Robin with new crimes, and embarks on a campaign to romance Batwoman
and make her into his costumed partner as the Cat-Woman.
Batman No. 158
September 1963
Cover: Bat-Hound flying and attacking Batman and Robin with fire-breath
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Ace, the Super Bat-Hound” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #135)
GS: Bat-Mite (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #310; next appears
in issue #161), Bat-Hound (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #318; next
appears in issue #162)
Villains: The Logan Gang, two crooks (first and only appearance for
all)
Synopsis: Bat-Mite decides to have fun by giving Bat-Hound super-powers
and having him help Batman and Robin fight crime. But a strange occurrence
causes the Dog Knight to turn against the Dynamic Duo and to help crooks
escape instead.
Story: “The Secret of the Impossible Perils” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin
Intro: Matt Carter, Ted Carter, the Explorer’s Club (only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: To help Matt Carter establish his credentials to become a
member of Gotham’s Explorer’s Club, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson go with
Matt’s son Ted to retrace Matt’s route to an unknown Golden City in South
America.
Story: “Batman and Robin--Impostors” (8 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#21), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #319)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #135; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #319)
Intro: Pike (only appearance)
Villains: Hugh Bradford, Wilks, Bobo Cullen and his gang (first and
only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League and
Justice Society fight the Crime Champions in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#21-22.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin appear to be impersonated by two phonies
who help crooks in heists, and the real heroes seem unable to catch their
counterparts.
Detective Comics No. 319
September 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin swinging down on giant stone Batman bust which
is being mutilated by Dr. No-Face //Bob Kane (signed) / Charles Paris?
Story: “The Fantastic Dr. No-Face” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Dave Wood
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#22; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #158; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#158; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136)
Intro: Dr. Paul Dent (only appearance)
Villains: Dr. No-Face (Bart Magan), Yates, Bobo Reed (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman encounters the Superman and
Robin of a parallel world in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136.
Synopsis: A faceless criminal, Dr. No-Face, begins a crime spree whose
motif is mutilating representations of faces. Batman and Robin capture
him, not knowing that such is part of No-Face’s plan.
Detective Comics No. 320
October 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin wrapped in bandages, swinging towards Vicki
Vale and bank robbers //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Batman and Robin, the Mummy Crime-Fighters” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #136; both next appear in BATMAN #159)
Supporting Characters: Vicki Vale (between WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136
/ 156), Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136;
next appears in BATMAN #159), Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #135; next appears in BATMAN #159)
Villains: Eddie Crow and his gang (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A device in an alien spacecraft turns Bruce Wayne’s and Dick
Grayson’s skin green, so they wrap themselves in mummy-like bandages to
conceal their secret identities while fighting crime as Batman and Robin.
Batman No. 159
November 1963
Cover: Clayface (with Joker face) vs. Batman, Robin, and Bat-Girl //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Great Clayface-Joker Feud” (16 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #320;
next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 / THE ATOM #8), Robin (between
DETECTIVE COMICS #320 / 321)
GS: Batwoman (last appearnce in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136; next appears
in DETECTIVE COMICS #321), Bat-Girl (last appearance in issue #153; next
appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #322)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #320)
Villains: Clayface II (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #321; next
appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140), the Joker (between issues #152
/ 163), various crooks (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
the Queen Bee in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 and briefly appears in THE
ATOM #8.
Synopsis: Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl must cope with a crime
competition between Clayface and the Joker.
Story: “The Boyhood of Bruce Wayne, Jr.” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #320; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139)
Cameo appearances: Batman, Robin, Batwoman, Bruce Wayne, Jr., Alfred
Pennyworth (first chronological appearance for all; all next chronologically
appear in third story in issue #131), the Green Owl Gang, masked bandits,
Hank Dawson and his son (first and only appearance for all; all as characters
in Alfred Pennyworth’s fictional tale)
Comment: Batman and Robin do not appear in this story. The only
“real” character is Alfred Pennyworth, the author of this story, who appears
in two panels.
This is the fifth story in the Batman II and Robin II series
of fictional stories written by Alfred Pennyworth, but it is chronologically
the first, taking place before the first story in this series, in issue
#131.
Synopsis: Alfred writes a tale of young Bruce Wayne, Jr., who, as a
five-year-old, is unable to brag to his friends that his father is Batman.
Detective Comics No. 321
November 1963
Cover: Fox, Shark, and Vulture sending Batman and Robin into sky in
rockets //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Terrible Trio” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in THE ATOM #8; next appears
in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #137), Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #159;
next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #137)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in BATMAN #159; next appears in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #139)
Villains: The Fox, the Shark, the Vulture (the Terrible Trio; last
appearance for all in issue #253; last appearance for all), Mouthy (only
appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Lex Luthor in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #137.
Synopsis: The Terrible Trio break jail again and resume criminal operations
on land, sea, and air, forcing Batman, Robin, and Batwoman to counterattack
them.
Batman No. 160
December 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Bart Cullen (disguised as alien) //Sheldon
Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Mystery of Madcap Island” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #137)
Intro: Benson (only appearance)
Villains: Ed Kiley (first appearance; dies in this story), Bart, Jason
Reid, a fence (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin trail the Green Hood Gang to Madcap Island,
a place dotted with wealthy men’s summer homes, all built in the symbol
of a business firm or an object someone wanted to base a house on.
Story: “The Alien Boss of Gotham City” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#24), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #322)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #322)
Intro: Prince Kali (only appearance)
Villains: Bart Cullen, Ted Garrett, the Gimmick Gang (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League and
Adam Strange fight Kanjar Ro in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #24.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin seem stymied by the otherworldly weapons
of the Gimmick Gang, whose leader is unmasked as an apparent alien.
Detective Comics No. 322
December 1963
Cover: Aristo, Trusk, and Yates unleashing Batman genie on Robin and
Bat-Girl //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The Bizarre Batman Genie” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#24; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #138), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #160; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #138)
GS: Bat-Girl (last appearance in BATMAN #159; next appears in BATMAN
FAMILY #?)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #160 / 161)
Intro: Enwright (only appearance)
Villains: Larko (in flashback), Aristo, Trusk, Yates (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight General Grote in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #138.
Synopsis: Batman is converted by a magic powder into a genie that obeys
a crooks’ commands, and Robin and Bat-Girl must find a means of stopping
him.
Detective Comics No. 323
January 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. Zodiac Master //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles
Paris
Story: “The Zodiac Master” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer: Dave Wood
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #138; both next appear in BATMAN #161)
Villains: The Zodiac Master, Marty (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin battle the Zodiac Master, a criminal whose
zodiacal costume symbols can be converted into real weapons.
Batman No. 161
February 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin in Whirly-Bats, Bat-Mite, and Bat-Mite Hero
with crooks in flying chariot //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “The New Crimes of the Mad Hatter” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #323)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#322 / 324)
Villains: The Mad Hatter (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #230;
next appears in issue #201)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin learn that the Mad Hatter is no longer robbing
hats, but using hats to rob, and is striking at the twelve jurors whose
verdict sent him to jail.
Story: “The Bat-Mite Hero” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS
#324)
GS: Bat-Mite (last appearance in issue #158; next appears in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #152)
Intro: Jerome Withers, the Blond Bombshell (only appearance for both)
Villains: The Human Fly Bandits, Joey Saxton’s gang, Frank Collins,
Bill Strong, various crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: After Batman tells Bat-Mite, in exasperation, to “Go and
find yourself another hero!”, the magical mite does just that, trying out
three new candidates to be the new Bat-Mite Hero.
Detective Comics No. 324
February 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin being gassed in “eyes” of giant robot head
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Menace of the Robot Brain” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #139)
Supporting Character: Commisioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#161)
Intro: Daniel Williams (only appearance)
Villain: Ernst Larue (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with
Superman to fight the Sphinx Gang in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139, then help
honor Superman on a TV special in ACTION COMICS #309.
Synopsis: A criminal who can control minds by means of a gimmicked
camera lures Batman and Robin into a deathtrap inside a giant robot head.
Batman No. 162
March 1964
Cover: Batman creature and Robin atop skyscraper //Sheldon Moldoff
/ Charles Paris
Story: “The Batman Creature” (16 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in ACTION
COMICS #309)
GS: Batwoman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #139; next appears
in DETECTIVE COMICS #325), Bat-Hound (last appearance in issue #158; next
appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #143)
Villains: Eric Barroc and his gang, Leo, Bongo, Toro the Bull, Speedy
the Jaguar, and other animal-humans (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: A renegade scientist uses an evolutionary ray to make animals
into quasi-humans who commit crimes for him using their feral natures.
When Batman intervenes, he gets a blast of the ray and is transformed into
a rampaging creature.
Story: “Robin’s New Secret Identity” (9 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#26), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #325)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #139)
Intro: Phil (only appearance)
Villains: Four crooks (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
Despero in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #26.
Synopsis: Discouraged because he cannot show off his spectacular
athletic talents in his civilian identity, Dick Grayson tries his luck
in a third identity, as a redheaded youth named Danny. When he takes
a fall and strikes his head, he loses his memory of being Dick Grayson
and Robin.
Detective Comics No. 325
March 1964
Cover: Cat-Man passing through circle of flames, leaving bound Batman
and Robin //Dick Dillin / Charles Paris
Story: “The Strange Lives of the Cat-Man” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#26; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #163; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140)
GS: Batwoman (briefly appears in the Cat-Woman costume in this story;
last appearance in BATMAN #162; next appears in BATMAN FAMILY #10)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #140)
Intro: John Talbot
Villain: Cat-Man (last appearance in issue #318; next appears in FREEDOM
FIGHTERS #10; also appears in flashback, his earliest chronological appearance,
preceding his appearance in issue #311)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Clayface II in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140.
Synopsis: The Cat-Man returns from another apparent death, and Batman
and Robin learn that the orange portions of his costume are made from a
magic cloth that endows the wearer with nine lives. The feline felon
thinks that he can use up six more lives, but Batwoman uses the Cat-Woman
costume to put herself in peril and steal several more lives from him.
Detective Comics No. 326
April 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin in alien zoo //Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Captives of the Alien Zoo” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #140; both next appear in BATMAN #163)
Intro: Ramz and other aliens (only appearance for all)
Villain: Khor (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are mistaken for two-legged animals by alien
hunters, are captured and are placed on display in an alien zoo.
Batman No. 163
May 1964
Cover: Joker (as judge) and Joker jury and guard vs. Batman and Robin
//Sheldon Moldoff / Charles Paris
Story: “Bat-Girl--Batwoman II” (12 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (do not appear as Batman
and Robin in this story; last appearance for both in DETECTIVE COMICS #326)
Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #328)
Cameo appearances: Batman I and II, Robin II, Kathy Kane Wayne (last
chronological appearances for all in issue #154; last appearance for all),
Batwoman II (Betty Kane, formerly Bat-Girl), Commissioner Gordon, Milo
and his gang (including Hippo), eight gang bosses (first and only appearance
for all; all as characters in Alfred’s fictional tale)
Comment: This is Alfred Pennyworth’s sixth and final “Batman II and
Robin II” story, set in a possible future in which Dick Grayson has become
Batman II and Bruce Wayne, Jr. has become Robin II.
Synopsis: Alfred writes another tale of the second Batman and Robin
team, during a time in which a grown-up Betty Kane, the former Bat-Girl,
assumes the mantle of Batwoman II.
Story: “The Joker Jury” (13 pages)
Editor: Jack Schiff
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Charles Paris
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #27)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #140)
Villains: The Joker (last appearance in issue #159; next appears in
DETECTIVE COMICS #332) and his gang (first and only appearance)
Comment: This is the last of the “old-look” issues of Batman.
Batman wears the costume with his old-style emblem for the last time in
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54. His new costume, with a yellow circle around
the bat emblem, appears for the first time in DETECTIVE COMICS #327 and
is seen in the next issue.
Shortly after this story Batman joins the Justice League to battle
“I” and Robin investigates the never-depicted “Case of the Headless Statues”
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27. Then Batman briefly appears again
with the Justice League to monitor Green Lantern’s battle with the Protonic
Force in GREEN LANTERN (2nd series) #29. Then Robin joins Kid Flash
and Aqualad to battle Mr. Twister in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54, in which Batman
also makes a brief appearance.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are on the trail of the Joker, who is now
using each of Gotham City’s governmental deaprtments as a theme for theft.
Detective Comics No. 327
May 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin, Elongated Man (four vignettes) //Carmine Infantino
/ Joe Giella
Story: “The Mystery of the Menacing Mask” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BRAVE
AND THE BOLD #54; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #141)
Intro: Andrew Wallis, Linda Greene, James Packer (only appearance for
all)
Villains: Smiler (Roland Meacham), Frank Fenton, various crooks (first
and only appearance)
Comments: This is the first issue of the “New Look” Batman in DETECTIVE
COMICS, featuring Batman with a gold circle around his bat chest emblem.
Shortly after this story Robin and Jimmy Olsen join forces against
Batman and Superman in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #141.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin investigate a haven for crooks in Gotham
Village, but run into the problem of a crook who seems to be able to mentally
paralyze them.
Batman No. 164
June 1964
Cover: Mr. Dabblo shooting Batman down with electricity from antenna
as Robin watches //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Two-Way Gem Caper” (14 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #141)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon
Intro: The Hootenany Hotshots (first and only appearance)
Villain: Mr. Dabblo (first and only appearance)
Comments: This is the first “New Look” issue of BATMAN. Batman’s
uniform features the bat-in-gold-oval emblem, introduced in DETECTIVE COMICS
#327, as of this issue.
The Batmobile becomes a sports car in this story, a new tunnel
route out of the Batcave is revealed, and an automatic elevator to the
Batcave is installed, augmenting the entrane behind the grandfather clock
in Bruce Wayne’s library.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin help out a folk group called the Hootenanny
Hotshots and pursue a gem thief called Mr. Dabblo.
Story: “Batman’s Great Face-Saving Feat” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#28), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #328)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #328), Ralph Vern, Art Saddows, Kaye Daye, Martin Tellman, and an
unnamed person (first appearance for all; all appear, with Batman and Commissioner
Gordon, as the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City; all next appear, except
for the unnamed member who makes no further appearances, in DETECTIVE COMICS
#335), Hugh Rankin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #335)
Villains: The Trapeze Ten (first and only appearance)
Comments: This is the first story featuring the Mystery Analysts of
Gotham City. The Mystery Analysts are the Earth-One counterpart of
the Analysts, an Earth-Two Gotham City mystery-solving group whose membership
included Green Latnern (Alan Scott) and who appeared in several issues
of GREEN LANTERN (1st series).
Kaye Daye is revealed to be Steve Lombard’s aunt in SUPERMAN
#277.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
Headmaster Mind and his minions in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28 and becomes
embroiled in the Superman Revenge Squad’s plot against Superman in ACTION
COMICS #313.
Synopsis: Hugh Rankin, a private investigator, petitions the Mystery
Analysts of Gotham City for admission to the group. His qualification:
that he has uncovered the secret identity of Batman.
Detective Comics No. 328
June 1963
Cover: Batman and Robin in line-up before the Tri-State Gang //Carmine
Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Gotham Gang Line-Up” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #313;
next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #142), Robin (last appearance in
BATMAN #164; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #142)
Supporting Characters: Alfred Pennyworth (last appearance in BATMAN
#163; next chronological appearance in flashback in issue #356, in which
he becomes the Outsider; believed killed in this story), Harriet Cooper
(Robin’s aunt; first appearance; next appears in isssue #331), Commissioner
Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN #164; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #142)
Villains: The Tri-State Gang (including Paul Pardee, Duke, Hippo, Joe,
and Mike; first and only appearance for all)
Comments: Alfred is believed killed in this story, but returns as the
Outsider in issue #334.
Shortly after this story, Batman and Robin help Superman fight
the Composite Superman in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #142, then Batman helps
the Justice League investigate possible alternate origins of Superman in
ACTION COMICS #314.
Synopsis: The Tri-State Gang captures Batman and Robin and Alfred separately,
and puts the Dynamic Duo in a lineup to decide who will have the privelage
of executing them. The Gotham Gangbusters and Alfred escape separately,
but both mistakenly conclude that the other(s) have been taken to execution,
and each party vows to avenge the other.
Detective Comics No. 329
July 1964
Cover: Robin triggering trapdoor beneath Batman //Carmine Infantino
/ Joe Giella
Story: “Castle With Wall-To-Wall Danger” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in ACTION COMICS #314;
next appears in BATMAN #165), Robin (next appears in BATMAN #165)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #142; next appears in BATMAN #165)
Intro: Mr. and Mrs. Albert Maunch and their two children (only appearance
for all)
Villain: Vincent Maunch (aka Frank Pragnel) and his gang (first and
only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin trace a fugitive to a castle full of booby
traps in England.
Batman No. 165
August 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin examining giant footprint as Andrew Warner’s
giant hand reaches for them //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Man Who Quit the Human Race” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #329)
Villain: Andrew Warner (the “mutated man”; first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Governor Andrew Warner learns that a gland near his pituitary
is turning him into a mutant “future man”, and undergoes a radiation bath
that turns him into a 12-foot giant with a desire to conquer the world
with his newfound powers, and Batman and Robin must stop him.
Story: “The Dilemma of the Detective’s Daughter” (13 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Character: Batman, Robin (both next appear in second story
of next issue)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #329; next appears in second story in next issue), Patricia Powell,
Lt. Mike “Bulldog” Powell (first appearance for both)
Intro: Prof. Ralph Smedley (only appearance)
Villains: Pete and other crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Comments: This story continues directly into the second story of next
issue.
This story also features a flashback to Bruce Wayne’s college
days; see Comment under issue #81 for chronology.
Synopsis: Batman meets Patricia Powell, a policewoman who says she
is in love with Bruce Wayne, whom she has met on other occasions in which
she wore a mask. Later, both she and Batman go in search of Prof.
Ralph Smedley, who has been kidnapped by safecrackers wishing to steal
his new explosive.
Batman No. 166
September 1964
Cover: Batman in two-way deathtrap //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Two-Way Deathtrap” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#143; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29), Robin (last appearance
in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #143; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #331)
Intro: Big Joe, Stony, the “gangsters’ club” (only appearance for all)
Villains: Mitch, Beany (first and only appearance for both)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League and
Justice Society fight the Crime Syndicate of America in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #29-30.
Synopsis: Overhearing a conversation of Batman’s in which he recounts
his nightmare of a seemingly inescapable deathtrap, two hoods construct
just such a trap and place Batman in it.
Story: “A Rezendevous With Robbery” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in second
story of last issue; both next appear in DETECTIVE COMICS #330)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #330), Patricia Powell, Mike “Bulldog” Powell (last appearance for
both in second story in last issue; last appearance for both)
Intro: Charles (only appearance)
Villains: A gang of thieves (first and only appearance)
Comment: This story continues from the second story in last issue.
Though the final caption of this story promises a “follow-up”
featuring Patricia Powell, no such story has ever appeared, and issue #208
confirmed that “Pat met Bruce at last, face to face...but no great romance
developed!”
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne’s unmasked meeting with Pat Powell is interrupted
when a gang of crooks set off an explosion as part of a mass stick-up,
and Batman and Robin are forced to get on the trail of the looters.
Detective Comics No. 330
August 1964
Cover: Batman, in tattered uniform, being driven out of Gotham by Robin
and citizens //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Fallen Idol of Gotham City” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance in second story
in BATMAN #166; both next appear in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #143)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in BATMAN
#166)
Intro: Edgar Peters (only appearance)
Villains: Molney and his gang, Mr. K, Shorty Hawkins, Pete Dumont (first
and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
and Jimmy Olsen (as Flamebird) to fight Jhan-Ar and his Metalloids in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #143, then appear in the first story in BATMAN #166.
Synopsis: After Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson eat in a restaurant called
the Golden Roost, Batman is attacked by everyone in town--including Robin--during
his next appearance.
Detective Comics No. 331
September 1964
Cover: Elongated Man, Robin, and Batman under attack by invisible forces
in wax museum //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Museum of Mixed-Up Men” (24 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer:
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#30; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #144), Robin (last appearance
in first story of BATMAN #166; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #144)
GS: Elongated Man (between Elongated Man stories in last and next issue)
Supporting Characters: Sue Dibny (between Elongated Man stories in
last and next issue), Harriet Cooper (last appearance in issue #328; next
appears in BATMAN #170), Commissioner Gordon
Intro: David Moore (next appears in issue #338), Crawford Lurie (only
appearance)
Villains: Boss Barron and his gang (including Harry), a gang of crooks
(first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Batman’s weight is given as 200 pounds in this story.
Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to fight Clayface II and Brainiac in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #144, during
which adventure Batman reveals his secret identity to Jimmy Olsen.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin team up for the first time with the Elongated
Man to investigate the dilemma of a device that exchanges faces and robs
its victims of their memories for 12 hours.
Detective Comics No. 332
October 1964
Cover: Batman locking Joker in jail and Joker locking Batman in jail
(three vignettes) //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Joker’s Last Laugh” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #144; both next appear in BATMAN #167)
Villains: The Joker (last appearance in BATMAN #163; next appears in
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #34) and his gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: The Joker commits robberies by making his victims, the police,
and Batman and Robin so convulsed with laughter from his terribly corny
jokes that they are unable to stop him.
Batman No. 167
November 1964
Cover: Batman and Robin paralyzed by beams from idol’s eyes //Carmine
Infantino / Murphy Anderson
Story: “Zero Hour For Earth” (24 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #332;
next appears in SUPERMAN #173), Robin (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS
#332; next appears in AQUAMAN #18)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance, as a voice,
in DETECTIVE COMICS #332)
Villains: Karabi and his men, Hydra (an international crime cartel;
first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman teams with Superman to teach
Jimmy Olsen a lesson in SUPERMAN #173, then helps the Justice League induct
Hawkman and fight Joe Parry and Super-Duper in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#31. Then Batman and Robin attend the wedding of Aquaman and Mera
in AQUAMAN #18.
The Hydra organization in this story is not to be confused with
HYDRA, the foes of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD in Marvel Comics.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin must join forces with Interpol to foil an
international crime cartel called Hydra and stop an opportunist named Karabi
from triggering a nuclear war.
Detective Comics No. 333
November 1964
Cover: Batman held by elephant and Robin trying to free him //Carmine
Infantino / Murphy Anderson
Story: “Hunters of the Elephant’s Graveyard” (14 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in AQUAMAN #18; next
appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #145), Robin (last appearance in AQUAMAN
#18; next appears in BATMAN #168)
Intro: Evan Bender, Alice Foss (only appearance for both)
Villains: Red Loftus, a gang of crooks (first and only appearance for
all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman teams with Superman to encounter
the Vorians in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #145.
Synopsis: An apparent vision of an elephant goddess puts Batman and
Robin on the trail of a lost explorer in Africa seeking an elephants’ graveyard.
Batman No. 168
December 1964
Cover: Mr. Mammoth’s arm knocking Batman out of window //Carmine Infantino
/ Joe Giella
Story: “The Fight That Jolted Gotham City” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#145), Robin (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #333)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon
Intro: Mr. Mammoth, Miss Phillips (only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Mr. Mammoth, a circus strongman, goes berserk for short intervals
from unknown causes--and his latest rampage causes him to get into a knock-down-drag-out
fight with Batman.
Story: “How To Solve a Perfect Crime--In Reverse” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#32), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #334)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #334), Kaye Daye, Art Saddows, Martin Tellman (between issues #164
/ 174), District Attorney Danton (first appearance; next appears in issue
#174; with the above characters and Batman appears as the Mystery Analysts
of Gotham City)
Intro: Mr. Morgen (only appearance)
Villains: Prof. Ralph Vern, a group of smugglers (first and only appearance
for all)
Comments: This is the second Mystery Analysts of Gotham City story.
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
Brain Storm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #32.
Synopsis: Batman and the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City listen to
a tape from a mystery man named “Mr. X” who claims to be one of their number,
says he has stolen the Kashpur Diamond, and challenges them to learn who
he is and to crack the case.
Detective Comics No. 334
December 1964
Cover: Batman opening door to face three crooks’ guns and a tape-recording
of Robin’s voice //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Man Who Stole From Batman” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer:
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#32; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #146), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #168; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #146)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #168 / 169)
Villains: The Outsider (Alfred Pennyworth; last chronological appearance
in flashback in issue #356; as a voice only; next appears in issue #336),
the Grasshoppers (first appearance for both; both next appear in issue
#356)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team with Superman
to encounter Dr. Ralph Ellison in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #146. Then
Batman tries to convince Clark Kent he is not Superman in SUPERMAN #174.
Synopsis: Batman is plagued by the Grasshoppers, two twin brother thieves
with spectacular leaping power who steal from him the Batmobile, a Batarang,
the Batboat, and, finally, Robin.
Detective Comics No. 335
January 1965
Cover: Batman and Robin vs. crooks and talking mask //Carmine Infantino
/ Joe Giella
Story: “Trail of the Talking Mask” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in SUPERMAN #174; next
appears in BATMAN #169), Robin (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#146; next appears in BATMAN #169)
Supporting Character: Hugh Rankin (last appearance in BATMAN #164;
next appears in Elongated Man story in issue #339)
Villains: The Make-Up Man, his gang (first and only appearance for
all), his audio-animatronics (first appearance; destroyed in this story)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin attempt to rescue detective Hugh Rankin
from the clutches of the Make-Up Man, a criminal who uses three audio-animatronic
robots who follow the motions of his gang to commit thefts.
Batman No. 169
February 1965
Cover: Penguin flying away from Batman and Robin on airborne umbrella
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Partners In Plunder” (14 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #335),
Robin (between DETECTIVE COMICS #335 / 336)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#334 / 336)
Villains: The Penguin (last appearance in issue #155; next appears
in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40) and his gang (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: Stumped for a new crime motif, the Penguin hatches a new
plot to have Batman select his crimes and blueprint them for him, all unawares
of what he is doing.
Story: “A Bad Day For Batman” (10 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Sid Greene
Feature Character: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#33)
Intro: Bill Ferris, Mr. Tremaine (only appearance for both)
Villain: A crook (first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
the Alien-Ator in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33.
Synopsis: At a press conference, Batman is prompted by a sportswriter’s
account of a Gotham Goliaths’ ballplayer who recently had a bad day to
recount how he himself had a “bad day” trying to catch a thief.
Detective Comics No. 336
February 1965
Cover: Robin lassoing Zatanna (as a witch) as she turns Batman into
a scarecrow //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Batman’s Bewitched Nightmare” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#33; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #147), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #169; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #147)
GS: Zatanna (as the Witch; revealed in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #51;
last appearance in THE ATOM #19; next appears in GREEN LANTERN (2nd series)
#42)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (as a voice; between BATMAN
#169 / 170)
Villains: The Outsider (between issues #334 / 340), a gang of crooks
(first and only appearance)
Comments: In JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #51, it is revealed that Zatanna
is the Witch in this story, under the power of the Outsider.
Shortly after this story, Batman and Superman come into conflict
with Robin and Jimmy Olsen in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #147.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are beset by the Outsider’s latest pawn,
a witch who has magical powers and warns them that they will meet doom
due to the lack of one of their senses.
Batman No. 170
March 1965
Cover: Crooks facing Batman, imprisoned by “wrap-around” emblem //Carmine
Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Genius of the Getaway Gimmicks” (13 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #147)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #336; next appears in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #59)
Cameo appearance: The Joker (in flashback)
Villains: Roy Reynolds (the Getaway Genius; first appearance; next
appears in issue #174) and his gang (first and only appearance)
Comment: The cover logo changes as of this issue.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin seem unable to capture Roy Reynolds, the
self-styled “genius of the getaway gimmicks”, who avoids direct conflict
with them and wouldn’t even think of getting them in a deathtrap.
Thus, the Dynamic Duo have to launch a hoax to make themselves seem helpless
before Reynolds’s gang, and capture them when they attempt to kill the
heroes.
Story: “The Puzzle of the Perilous Prizes” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#34), Robin (next chronological appearance in flashback in TEEN TITANS
#53)
Supporting Character: Harriet Cooper (between DETECTIVE COMICS #331
/ 340)
Intro: Mrs. Tompkins, Jimmy Statten (only appearance for both)
Villains: Stilts, Pete, Ed (first and only appearance for all)
Comments: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League
fight Dr. Destiny and his minions (including the Joker) in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #34. Then Batman and Robin take part in the adventure
with the Justice League and their teen counterparts against the Antithesis
that leads to the formation of the Teen Titans in flashback in TEEN TITANS
#53.
Synopsis: Aunt Harriet asks Bruce and Dick to solve a mystery for her.
Her friend Mrs. Tompkins, a retired nurse, has won first prize in a soap
company’s jingle contest, netting her a new car, refrigerator, stove ,
and freezer. The only catch is that she never entered the contest.
Detective Comics No. 337
March 1965
Cover: Batman vs. Klag //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Deep-Freeze Menace” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer:
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last chronological appearance for
both in flashback in TEEN TITANS #53; next appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #148)
Intro: Klag the Hunter, Azam Jah, Altomonte (only appearance for all)
Villain: Brugg (first and only appearance; in flashback)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Superman team with the
Luthor and Clayface II of a parallel world to fight the evil Superman and
Batman of that world in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #148, in which adventure
Dick Grayson briefly appears. Then Batman teams with Green Lantern
to fight the Time Commander in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #59.
Synopsis: Encased in a sheath of ice and bathed in chemicals that give
him super-powers, a caveman awakens in the modern world with a mission
to find and destroy his ancient foe--who looks exactly like Bruce Wayne.
Detective Comics No. 338
April 1965
Cover: Robin watching as Batman smashes through wall to confront crooks
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Batman’s Power-Packed Punch” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #59;
next appears in BATMAN #171), Robin (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST
COMICS #148; next appears in BATMAN #171)
Intro: Orval Manning, an unnamed scientist (only appearance)
Other Character: David Moore (last appearance in issue #331; last appearance)
Villains: Bull Fleming and his gang (including Chuck; only appearance
for all)
Comment: In this story, the unnamed scientist is represented as being
the reader himself. This works if the reader is a male.
Synopsis: An experimental solution spilled on Batman’s hands gives
him a super-powered punch, which he uses in his battle against the Bull
Fleming gang.
Batman No. 171
May 1965
Cover: Batman and Robin knocking laughing Riddler back and forth between
them //Carmine Infantino / Murphy Anderson
Story: “Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler” (25 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS #338;
next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35), Robin (last appearance
in DETECTIVE COMICS #338; next chronological appearance in TEEN TITANS
#4)
Intro: Warden of State Penitentiary (next appears in issue #179), Smiles
Dawson, Mr. Peale (only appearance for both)
Villains: The Riddler (of Earth-One; Edward Nigma; first appearance;
also appears in flashback; next appears in issue #179), his gang, the Molehill
Mob (first and only appearance for all)
Comments: This is the first appearance of the Earth-One Riddler. Thus,
references to adventures of the Earth-Two Riddler in DETECTIVE COMICS #140
and 142, which are Earth-Two stories, should be taken as references to
unchronicled Earth-One Batman stories which approximated the Earth-Two
Batman / Riddler encounters, but happened years later. (See Comment under
issue #81 for chronology.)
Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League fight
a phony Killer Moth and other minions of Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast in
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35, then Robin helps the Teen Titans battle
DIABLO in TEEN TITANS #4.
The first Batman TV show in 1966 was adapted from this story.
Synopsis: The Riddler, released from jail, tricks Batman and Robin
into trying to nab him in robberies which turn out not to be thefts at
all.
Detective Comics No. 339
May 1964
Cover: Robin running towards Batman, holding up Karmak the gorilla
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Batman Battles the Living Beast-Bomb” (16 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#35; next appears in Elongated Man story in this issue), Robin (last chronological
appearance in TEEN TITANS #4; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #149)
Intro: Walter Hewitt (only appearance)
Villain: Karmak (a gorilla; first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Batman briefly appears in the Elongated
Man story in this issue, then Batman and Robin challenge Superman to a
game of secret identities in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #149. Then Robin
helps the Teen Titans battle the Separated Man in BRAVE AND THE BOLD #60,
in which adventure Batman also briefly appears.
Synopsis: A gorilla gains human intelligence, comes into conflict with
Batman, and straps a bomb to his body which will destroy Gotham City unless
Batman can keep him off the ground long enough to deactivate it.
Batman No. 172
June 1965
Cover: Batman and unconscious Robin before suits of armor //Carmine
Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Attack of the Invisible Knights” (13 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BRAVE
AND THE BOLD #60)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#337 / 340)
Intro: Three knights of Durham (all die in this story), Duke of Durham,
knights of the Baron of Ealing, Dr. Harris (all in flashback; only appearance
for all)
Villains: Thomas Jenkins, Wilbur Jenkins (first and only appearance
for both)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin tackle the case of a set of black opals
which were apparently crushed by empty suits of armor formerly worn by
knights who had vowed to destroy the gems.
Story: “Robin’s Unassisted Triple Play” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Sid Greene
Feature Characters: Batman (appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #36
within this story, then appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #340), Robin
(next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #340)
Villains: The Flower Gang (first and only appearance)
Comments: Since Batman only plays a minimal part in this story, it
is billed as “Batman--Starring Robin the Boy Wonder”.
During this story Batman helps the Justice League battle Brain
Storm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #36.
Synopsis: While Batman is called away to a Justice League case, Robin
takes over for him and brings in the Flower Gang, a group of crooks who
use plants in their robberies.
Detective Comics No. 340
June 1965
Cover: Batman vs. rampant Batmobile //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Outsider Strikes Again” (15 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in BATMAN #172; next appears
in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #150), Robin (last appearance in BATMAN #172)
Supporting Characters: Harriet Cooper (between BATMAN #170 / 175),
Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #172 / 173)
Villains: The Outsider (between issues #336 / 349), a gang of crooks
(first and only appearance)
Comments: Since the reflection of the Outsider’s face in this story
does not resemble the Outsider’s face as shown in issue #?, it is probably
a mask.
Shortly after this story Batman helps Superman deal with Rokk
and Sorban in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #150.
Synopsis: The Outsider finds a way to animate formerly unliving objects,
and attacks Batman and Robin with “living” weapons, including the Batmobile,
the Batarang, and objects within the Batcave.
Detective Comics No. 341
July 1965
Cover: Robin seeing the Joker in a Batman costume (three vignettes)
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Joker’s Comedy Capers” (16 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#150; next appears in BATMAN #173), Robin (next appears in BATMAN #173)
Intro: Cornelius Van-Van, Throckmorton, Harrison (only appearance for
all)
Cameo appearances: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin, Harold
Lloyd, Harpo Marx (imitated by the Joker)
Villains: The Joker (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #34;
next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #156) and his gang (including
Bunky; first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: The Joker, disguised as a movie director, is hired by an
oil millionaire to film new old-style comedies, which he does while pulling
crimes disguised as silent film comedians.
Batman No. 173
August 1965
Cover: Batman and Robin watching Mr. Incognito seeing Bruce Wayne and
Dick Grayson picture in a mirror //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Secret Identities For Sale” (13 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance of both in DETECTIVE
COMICS #340)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#340 / 342)
Intro: Johnny Jason, Myra Holt (only appearance for both)
Villains: Mr. Incognito (James Carter) and his gang, Elwood Pearson
(first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: Batman and Robin are on the trail of gang-boss Mr. Incognito,
but a crooked photographer has snapped a picture of the Dynamic Duo which
reveals the faces behind their masks, and is willing to sell it to Mr.
Incognito himself.
Story: “Walk, Batman, To Your Doom” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Sid Greene
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND,
LOIS LANE #59), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #342)
Intro: John Grover (only appearance)
Villains: Franklin Knott, Bunky Galliver and his gang (first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman substitutes for Superman in
SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #59.
Synopsis: Batman is called in by Gotham’s D.A. to investigate the case
of three juries which have brought in “not guilty” verdicts in cases which,
by all odds, should have been clear convictions. He determines that
the culprit is a man with a device that can control human behavior, but
is victimized by the device and compelled to walk into a lake until he
drowns.
Detective Comics No. 342
August 1965
Cover: Robin gang watching Robin kick Batman off roof //Carmine Infantino
/ Joe Giella
Story: “The Midnight Raid of the Robin Gang” (14 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND,
LOIS LANE #59; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #151), Robin (last
appearance in BATMAN #173; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #151)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #173 / 174)
Intro: Cal Carrol (a columnist; name only mentioned; first and only
appearance)
Villains: The Robin Gang (including Tom Willard), Al Craig, the Human
Bear, the Golden Inca, the Chip Keller Gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Superman and Batman are affected
by an evolution ray in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #151.
Synopsis: Dick Grayson goes underground to infiltrate a gang of juvenile
crooks who dress like Robin.
Batman No. 174
September 1965
Cover: Batman inside punching bag, being beaten by hoods //Carmine
Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Human Punching Bag” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in WORLD’S
FINEST COMICS #151)
Villains: The Big Game Hunter (B. G. Hunter) and his gang (first and
only appearance for all), Roy Reynolds (between issues #170 / 201)
Comment: Robin takes part in an unchronicled Teen Titans adventure
during this story.
Synopsis: B. G. Hunter is one of the world’s greatest hunters of big
game, but wants to bag the biggest game of all, Batman, and captures Roy
Reynolds, the Getaway Genius, to force him to create the perfect trap for
their foe.
Story: “The Off-Again On-Again Lightbulbs” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: France Herron
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Sid Greene
Feature Characters: Batman (next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#38), Robin (next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #343)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in DETECTIVE
COMICS #342), District Attorney Danton, Kaye Daye, Art Saddows, Martin
Tellman (the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City; between issues #168 / 181)
Villains: Al Cutshaw and his gang, another gang of crooks (first and
only appearance for all)
Comments: This is the third Mystery Analysts of Gotham City story.
Shortly after this story Batman briefly appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #38.
Synopsis: The Mystery Analysts are hypnotized by an enemy into entering
deathtraps, and Batman has to rescue them all, and himself.
Detective Comics No. 343
September 1965
Cover: Gen. Von Dort watching Elongated Man battle Batman and Robin
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Secret War of the Phantom General” (24 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#38; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #152), Robin (last appearance
in BATMAN #174; next appears in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #152)
GS: Elongated Man (between his own stories in last issue and next issue)
Supporting Character: Sue Dibny (between Elongated Man stories in last
issue and next issue)
Cameo: John Broome
Villains: General Von Dort and his gang (including Whipper and Charley;
first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin team up with Superman
to deal with Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #152.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin join with the Elongated Man to try and capture
an ex-Nazi general who has organized an army of criminals to help him steal
an element with which he hopes to power a death ray.
Detective Comics No. 344
October 1965
Cover: Johnny Witts avoiding Batman lunging through door into open
shaft //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Crime-Boss Who Was Always One Step Ahead of Batman” (14
pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
#152; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40), Robin (last appearance
in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #152; next appears in BATMAN #175)
Intro: Apple Alice (only appearance)
Villains: Johnny Witts (first appearance; next appears in BATMAN #192)
and his gang (including Joe), Flo Murcell (aka Apple Alice; first and only
appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman helps the Justice League battle
the machinations of Andrew Helm in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40.
Synopsis: Batman and Robin go up against Johnny Witts, a criminal who
always seems to have their moves anticipated and to have counters for them.
Batman No. 175
November 1965
Cover: Batman, in tattered costume, emerging to confront Robin //Carmine
Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Decline and Fall of Batman” (24 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman (last appearance in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
#40; next appears in DETECTIVE COMICS #345), Robin (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#344 / 345)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (next appears in DETECTIVE
COMICS #345), Harriet Cooper (between DETECTIVE COMICS #340 / 351)
Villains: Eddie Repp, Ghost-Batman, Ghost-Robin, the Ghost Gang, various
crooks (first and only appearance for all)
Synopsis: An old enemy of Batman’s devises a way of making television
“ghost images” into tangible objects. By controlling them with a
keyboard, he turns them into unbeatable opponents for Batman and Robin.
Detective Comics No. 345
November 1965
Cover: Robin and Batman (unmasking) in the shadow of the Blockbuster
//Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “The Blockbuster Invasion of Gotham City” (14 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in BATMAN
#175; both next appear in SHOWCASE #59)
Supporting Characters: Commissioner Gordon (between BATMAN #175 / 177)
Villain: The Blockbuster (Mark Desmond; first appearance), Roland Desmond
(the Blockbuster’s brother; first and only appearance)
Comment: Shortly after this story, Robin helps the Teen Titans fight
the Flips impostors in SHOWCASE #59, in which Batman briefly appears.
Synopsis: After Bruce Wayne saves a boy from drowning, Batman and Robin
must later battle that boy, transformed into the rampaging, super-strong
Blockbuster.
Batman No. 177
December 1965
Cover: Robin, Batman, Big Batman (Elongated Man) and Little Batman
(Atom) //Carmine Infantino / Joe Giella
Story: “Two Batmen Too Many” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Bill Finger
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Joe Giella
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (last appearance for both in SHOWCASE
#59)
GS: Elongated Man (between DETECTIVE COMICS #345 / 346), the Atom (last
appearance in THE ATOM #22; next appears in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41)
Intro: The Bangle Brothers and their carnival (only appearance)
Villains: Ed “Numbers” Garvey and his gang (first and only appearance
for all)
Synopsis: A crook named Ed “Numbers” Garvey is engaged in a psychological
war with Batman, who wants Garvey to admit to the theft of a gem set. But
Garvey comes upon two figures in a cavern who change into a giant Batman
and a tiny Batman, and who both claim to be his servants.
Story: “The Art Gallery of Rogues” (12 pages)
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Sheldon Moldoff
Inker: Sid Greene
Feature Characters: Batman, Robin (both next appear in JUSTICE LEAGUE
OF AMERICA #41)
Supporting Character: Commissioner Gordon (between DETECTIVE COMICS
#345 / 346)
Intro: Roy Rennie, Marylene Haworth (only appearance for both)
Villains: Lathrop, Slats, Yawkie (first and only appearance for all)
Comment: Shortly after this story Batman and Robin battle the Wrecker,
then Batman helps the Justice League fight the Key in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF
AMERICA #41.
Synopsis: After being roped into a publicity stunt by an applicant
for a publicist for the Alfred Foundation as Bruce Wayne, Batman begins
an investigation that turns up shenanigans in an art gallery the Foundation
funds.