Detective Comics #68

Detective Comics #68, cover date October 1942, features the exact same creative team as last issue, and is easily a must-read. Putting that right up top so you can go read it blind. If you enjoyed Tec #66 and want to see the story’s conclusion, here it is. The cover is great, featuring Two-Face front and center as if to say “here’s what you’ve been waiting for!” I can’t imagine how agonizing it must have been to be a kid at this point, having to wait two whole months to see how the most exciting Batman yarn yet reached its end. We pick up right where we left off in #66 – the coin is still standing on its edge, what will Two-Face do? He picks up the coin, and refuses to flip again – he only flips once for every issue, and since he already flipped, he’ll let fate decide his path, now. Just then, a GCPD officer bursts in and shoots Two-Face! The shot doesn’t kill the former DA (the coin, ironically, blocks it), but it does decide his fate – Two-Face will remain a villain. Harvey escapes and embarks on a new crime spree. During the course of his rampage, Two-Face successfully knocks Batman out, and we get a hint that he can still be saved, “I could kill the Batman – but I’m not a killer yet…besides, he was my friend! Well…I’ll get going before I give in to temptation!” It’s simple, but it goes a long way to emphasizing the tragic nature of Two-Face when compared with the other villains. He doesn’t hate Batman because he’s innately evil, like the Joker, he doesn’t really hate Batman at all! He’s just a sick man who needs help, but can’t get the kind he needs. Not for lack of trying though! Since plastic surgery is off the table, Harvey uses wax makeup to make himself look normal again so he could see Gilda. But, in keeping with the endless tragedy, the wax melts and Gilda sees that Harvey, even his good side, is becoming lost in his villainy. Ultimately, the story ends with Two-Face in jail, and an exceedingly somber victory. Harvey was so close to being cured, but fate kept stepping in to ruin things. The tragedy of Two-Face is one of the best Golden Age stories, by far. Finger really knocked this one out of the park. Oh, yeah, and Kane’s art is ok for him, I suppose.

Detective Comics #67

Detective Comics #67, cover date September 1942, features a story by the Finger-Kane-Robinson team, and a cover by Kane and Robinson. This is our old friend the Prnguin’s cover debut! It’s a delightful chase scene featuring Penguin riding atop an Ostrich! We can only hope Colin Farrell does so in the upcoming show…

The story itself is…fine. A standard Penguin affair, where he uses birds (and the alias I. Waddle) to rob unsuspecting Gothamites. The climax involves Batman convincing a penguin to bring him a lighter in its bill – not even joking. It’s hard to say much more because the story opens with the most egregiously racist caricature of a Chinese-American yet – and that’s saying something! Gone are the days of the misguided, yet ultimately noble portrayal of Chinatown Mayor Wong. Sing Lo is an embarrasment, and very sadly a product of his time. Considering the plot itself is exceedingly formulaic and cheesy, and the artist is Bob Kane, this is an easy skip.

World’s Finest Comics #7

World’s Finest Comics #7, cover date Fall 1942, features a story by the Finger-Kane-Robinson team, and a cover by Jack Burnley. Said cover is solid, it has that typical Burnley quality we might expect by now, and is another charming relic of World War II-era comics. The story within is exceedingly skippable. Batman and Robin head up to the Arctic (complete with not one but two penguins, because you know Bob Kane cared about accuracy) to hunt down a relocated Gotham gang. Other than an awkward scene where Batman slaps Robin to keep him from freezing to death (no I won’t give more context), there’s not much to this story. The Dynamic Duo plant the American flag on the North Pole, so that’s something you can add to their list of feats, if you want. Kane’s art and the restoration thereof are actually both quite decent, and this issue introduces the snow-camoflauge white Batsuit (which does recur semi-frequently), but otherwise, there’s nothing extraordinary.

Batman #12

Batman #12, cover date August-September 1942, features a cover by Jerry Robinson. While nothing extraordinary, the cover is well-drawn, and a charming a relic of World War II comics, wherein our beloved long underwear stars were as much a part of the propaganda machine as they were crimebusters. Since the internal art for this issue’s four stories were done by a variety of teams, I’ll break down the art alongside each story, rather than cover the art all at once.

The first story in the issue is written by Don Cameron, and its art is done entirely by Jerry Robinson. A charming fact about this story is that it features the debut of Batman’s trophy room! As the Batcave proper didn’t yet exist, this room is located in the Wayne household…which seems like a terrible way to keep a secret identity. There’s a window looking into the room for God’s sake! But, the trophy room is a charming, iconic staple of Batman lore, and Cameron actually references some actual previous stories in his tour of the trophy room (though he does get some minor details wrong…). The story itself is fine, a decent crime drama/morality tale that’s actually a flashback to some years ago. Robinson’s art is solid, even though it’s a clear evokation of Kane. It’s like if Bob Kane was a good artist, basically.

The next story is yet another Joker romp written by Bill Finger, with Kane on pencils, and Jerry Robinson and George Roussos co-inking. By virtue of Kane’s presence, the art is a downgrade from last story, and Finger’s script is nothing special. Joker’s gimmick now is that his crimes are all based on slang. The early stages of thie “crime wave” are just some harmless pranks. We are continuing on the journey toward the campy, ridiculous Joker of the Silver Age. Sadly. And to top it all off, the story ends with another fake Joker death. Lame. The only kind of interesting bit is that Joker specifically doesn’t want to drive Batman mad, but instead just kill him. But, more interesting stuff has been done with Joker prior to this, and obviously since this story as well.

Story three is again penned by Bill Finger, but pencilled and inked by Jack Burnley! Burnley’s art is quite solid here, the best “Bob Kane” working at this point. Finger’s story is solid enough – Batman and Robin protect a daredevil from some assassins, and help the man get his nerves back. Not much more to say, really. It has that classic Finger love for one’s fellow man, but otherwise isn’t remarkable. Humorously, Batman is referred to as “the man of steel.”

The final story is a Finger-Kane-Robinson affair with a unique gimmick: showing one whole day in the lives of Batman and Robin. A lot of weird lore is in this story: Batman and Robin have apparently only made 120 arrests, and only encountered Joker six times (it should be at least a dozen times by now…), the Dynamic Dio disguise themselves as an elderly couple, and Batman is writing a book! Kane’s art of course drags the story down, and neither thr gimmick, nor the introduction of Batman Day (!), nor even a Scarecrow name-drop, are enough to make this story a must-read. The same can be said for the issue as a whole. It’s fine, but easily skippable.

Detective Comics #66

Detective Comics #66, cover date August 1942, features the return of the Finger-Kane-Robinson team to the title, with Robinson being the sole cover artist. Said cover is very solid, featuring a scene of daring action and excitement. The figures are all clean, and Batman’s face is solid. Nothing groundbreaking, but solid nonetheless. Now, as for the issue itself: it’s a must-read. If you don’t want to know any details, then stop reading this post and go read the issue – it’s good! This is the debut of Two-Face, and features his origin, and so by default it’s a must-read. All of the familiar pieces are here: young D.A. Harvey “Apollo” Kent (not Dent) is prosecuting “Boss” Moroni (not Maroni), and just as he pulls out the clincher – Moroni’s two-headed silver dollar – the criminal throws acid at the lawman. Batman tries to block the attack, and so only half of Kent’s face is scarred – but what horrific scars they are! What’s unique about this original version of the story is that Kent does not snap immediately, it’s a more gradual process. First, he learns that the world’s top plastic surgeon, Dr. Ekhart, was sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis (!). Then, as he returns home, and people recoil at the sight of him, the reality of his situation ways on the poor man. Finally, when his fiancée Gilda (here a skilled sculptor), sees and is horrified by Harvey’s new visage, the weight of things becomes too much, and Kent snaps. He declares himself Two-Face, a modern Jekyl and Hyde. He takes out and scars one side of Moroni’s silver dollar, this object that is the cause of all his suffering, and begins his criminal escapades. If the coin lands on the bad side, Two-Face commits a crime. If it lands on the good, he does a good deed. This is something I feel is missing from modern iterations of the character – he regards the good side of the coin only as a refusal of the bad, rather than an encouragement to do good. It’s much more compelling (and creates a more interesting moral dilemma) if Two-Face, as he does in this story, donates money to the local orphanage or pays off a good man’s mortgage. Not only is he Jekyl and Hyde, but also a kind of Robin Hood! But, he is still a thief and a killer, and so Batman and Robin have to take down their old friend and ally. After two daring encounters, Batman confronts Two-Face in his split-down-the-middle hideout. Batman convinces Two-Face to flip his coin, and see if he should turn himself in or not. The coin flips high, lands on the floor…and gets stuck in a crack, standing on its edge! And that’s where the comic ends! Finger ends one of his best Batman stories yet with a cliffhanger, promised to be resolved in Detective Comics #68, cover date October. Wow. He clearly knew he had something special here, a story of the highest order. And Kane’s art is surprisingly able to live up to it, this is some of his best work in a while. Good for Kane doesn’t mean especially good overall, of course, but the art is solid enough so that it mever detracts from the story. But the excellently-penned drama here, with arguably the most dynamic, three-dimensional villain yet, is well worth reading on its own merits. An absolute masterpiece, and a definitive must-read Batman issue.

Batman #11

Batman #11, cover date June-July 1942, features a cover by Fred Ray, that also happens to be Joker’s first appearance on a cover of this title! Yes, folks, the Clown Prince of Crime is already back after having just appeared in the June issue or Detective Comics. Joker over-exposure was at its peak in the Golden Age. That being said, Ray’s cover is very solid, featuring a fun playing card backgrohund and some clean figures for Batman, Robin and the Joker. Definitely an exciting cover that’d make me pick it up as a kid in the 40s with a dime and nothing better to do.

Interior art is sadly not by Fred Ray but instead by the Kane-Robinson team. It’s fine throughout, there’s one panel featuring the Joker where Robinson’s inks dominate that is especially thrilling, but Kane truly does weigh the whole franchise down at this point. Very frustrating.

Bill Finger writes the first two stories in this issue, before coming back to finish things out. Story #1 is yet another Joker yarn, and includes explicit confirmation that the Joker doesn’t wear makeup (which prior to this could be interpreted based on the fact he’s never shown with flesh-tone skin even after coming out of the water) and also features a much more incredible hideout, filled with playing card suits and Joker masks. Other than those two things, the story is an egregiously standard affair…is what I would say if not for the last four pages, where the Joker succeeds in killing Robin! The boy is immediately resuscitated, yes, but for a moment the Joker has utterly triumphed. Batman responds accordingly, and it’s great.

Story #2 is a really compelling yarn about Gotham DA Lee Benson, who has to overcome the fact that a boy who saved his life as a child, and became a life-long friend, has grown up to be a vicious killer he now has to put away. Bill Finger genuinely cares about the human condition, and this story is yet another example of that.

Edmond Hamilton (husband to The Empire Strikes Back co-writer Leigh Brackett!) steps in to write story #3 and…it’s pretty good! Bruce Wayne is stuck with jury duty, but deduces that the defendant is innocent and has to prove it as Batman! A good premise, and a promising start to Hamilton’s Bat-tenure (which I will have plenty more to say about in the future).

Bill Finger returns for the final story of the issue, which features the return of the Penguin! Unlike the Joker, it actually has been a bit since we’ve seen our fine feathered friend. Here, Finger will send Batman and his dreaded foe to one of the most horrific places on Earth…Florida! Yes, Batman and Robin are already back on vacation…but barring that repetitive, convenient plot point, this is a perfectly solid story. Admittedly, it feels like a Penguinified version of the Joker story from Batman #5, but it works for what it is. The whole issue is thus a very worthwhile package, with a great Joker yarn, and three other fun Batman tales. It’s not so good as to be a must-read, but it’s quite close.

Detective Comics #64

Detective Comics #64, cover date June 1942, features the exact same creative team as last issue. I think I prefer this cover to the previous issue’s. None of the faces are especially ugly, most of the posing is good, and the colors are absolutely beautiful. The lighting effect on the bottom of the plane is gorgeous, absolutely lovely work. I’m not sure why Batman has his hands sassily placed on his hips, but I also don’t hate it. Overall, a solid cover. The interior art is similarly solid, on the higher end of the Kane spectrum for sure. Not incredible, but nothing terrible, either. And as is the theme of the issue, the story is solid. Yet another Joker romp (yes, after a mere two issues he’s back. And he’ll be headlining the next issue of Batman. I always laugh at people who say the Joker is overused in modern comics because, while it is true, it really doesn’t compare to how omnipresent he was in these early years), but one that lacks the intriguing characterization of the previous issue. Joker pretending to have gone straight is admittedly pretty funny, but since it’s all an act it doesn’t carry with it the weight of his choice to not unmask Batman in ‘Tec #62. So, while this issue certainly isn’t bad, it’s not a must-read.

Detective Comics #63

Detective Comics #63, May 1942, features a story penned by Bill Finger and cover and interior art by the Kane-Robinson team. The cover is so close to being perfect. The setting is perfect, the movement and posing seems authentic but…God, those faces are so weird. Why is Robin staring at the reader? That dang kid is sucking away my soul…ugh. Such a great cover that falls flat in the 11th hour. The interior art is of the usual low-quality Kane schlock. Finger’s story, however, is very solid. He introduces a new nemesis for Batman named Mr. Baffle, who’s a sort of gentleman rogue. Batman and Baffle have a genuine respect and admiration for one another. It’s a fun dynamic that we’ll sadly never see more of. So, this was a fun, if non-essential, issue.

Batman #10

Batman #10, cover date April-May 1942, features the best-worst cover by the Kane-Robinson team. It’s the best because it’s a very clean drawing, bereft of the uncanny faces and awkward posing one would expect from Kane’s art, but it’s the worst because of how meta it is. I dislike this cover for the same reason as Batman #8 – the whole thing just weirds me out. Why are Batman and Robin so small? It’s weird, and I don’t like it!

In a first for the title, Bill Finger doesn’t write every story featured in this issue. The first two stories are penned by Joseph Greene (who previously wrote the second-ever Penguin story in ‘Tec #59) and drawn by the Kane-Robinson team. The art is your usual Kane affair – weird faces, awkward posing, et cetera. The stories are what’s really important here, and of the two I definitely prefer the first. While the second story is a pretty standard morality tale (“stay in school, kids!”) the first is a wild adventure tale featuring, among other things, Batman and Robin’s first ever battle against a robot dinosaur! While the story doesn’t say that this is the robot dinosaur that becomes one of the Batcave’s staples (for, indeed, the Batcave didn’t properly exist yet), this is as good of a candidate as any. Also featured here is the debut of Robin’s own miniature Batplane, and Dick Grayson’s birthday!

The third story is written by Jack Schiff and features inks and pencils by Jerry Robinson. While this ought to be a marked improvement over Kane’s art, for whatever reason this story’s art is of a similar low quality. Either Robinson was rushed, or else the restoration is poor, or both. Regardless, this story isn’t a looker. Schiff’s story is pretty solid though. The Catwoman finally returns and we continue to see the forbidden love story between her and Batman blossom. In this story, Catwoman – using the alias Marguerite Tone – is portrayed as a wealthy society gal. We’ll see Selina in this role in future stories, like The Long Halloween, so it’s fun to see where this aspect of her character got its start. Although it’s great to have Catwoman back after such a long absence (she hasn’t appeared since Batman #3 as far as I recall), I don’t think I’d consider this an essential Selina Kyle yarn.

The final story features a story by Bill Finger, and the return of Bob Kane’s pencils. Sigh. On top of that, it’s another Western! Finger must have really liked that genre, I guess, seeing as WFC #4 wasn’t more than a few months ago. Oh well. It’s fine. Overall, that’s my opinion of this issue. It’s got some highs and lows, and sort of evens out as a solid, but non-essential, issue.

Detective Comics #62

Detective Comics #62, cover date April 1942, features a story by Bill Finger and interior and cover art by the Kane-Robinson team. I really like this cover. Sure, Robin’s face is a little weird but the overall scene is a fun one. And, hey, this is Joker’s first cover appearance! The guy has appeared so much by now, and so it’s nice to see that reflected on the cover. It also means that the cover is an adequate representation of what you’re getting in this issue, unlike previous issues that featured the Clown Prince of Crime.

The interior art is of a much lower qualitt than the cover. One of Kane’s weaker outings in recent months. The real highlight, however, is the story. For most of the issue, it’s a standard Joker affair. But then Joker captures Batman, and that’s where we get one of the most important scenes in the Golden Age of Batman. Joker has Batman at his mercy, and is about to remove the crimefighter’s mask, ending his career for good when suddenly…the Joker stops, and says, “Ha! Ha! No! It’s too simple…unworthy of my intelligence! And I like these battles of wits! The hunt…the chase!…That’s the breath of life to me!”

Wow. Keep in mind, this was 1942. Joker had only appeared a handful of times by now. And yet, right here, we come to one of the most critical pieces of his characterization, that has persisted to this very day. The Joker cares far more about his dynamic with Batman, then learning who he is or revealing his identity. What would otherwise be a skippable story has been elevated, by three mere panels, into one I’d consider a must-read.