Detective Comics. It’s probably the most famous comic book ever created, next to Action Comics of course. And, like Action, it features the most famous comic book character ever created. You see, before May 1939, Detective Comics had been going for twenty-six issues. At the start, the title featured classic detectives of their time such as Slam Bradley in hard-boiled detective tales. With issue 20, published in October 1938 four months after the debut of Superman in Action Comics 1, DC’s first masked vigilante appeared. The Crimson Avenger would later appear in superhero teams such as The All-Star Squadron and the Seven Soldiers of Victory and, to this day, remains largely forgotten by many. However, he marked a change as masked detectives soon became the flavour of the month. It was then in May 1939 when the famous Dark Knight of Gotham appeared. A vague idea manufactured by the somewhat dilettante Bob Kane, it was down to writer Bill Finger to bring the character to life, design him, and write his first appearance in Detective Comics 27. Until 2015 (some seventy-six years after the character’s creation), Kane was credited solely as Batman’s creator after he struck a deal with DC editor Vin Sullivan after presenting Batman to him as his own solo creation. Finger never received the due credit when he was alive and in 2015, he was granted co-creatorship of Batman. But, ignoring all the legal jargon, history was made with Detective Comics 27, and I’ve decided to go through the stories before Robin’s debut in Detective Comics 37. There are some real classics here. Also, Warning! As was the norm in late 1930s and early 1940s comics, casual racism and highly questionable stereotypes play a part in these stories, particularly when it comes to the villains. Just keep that in mind…
Detective Comics 27-37 was published from May 1939 to March 1940. The stories were written by Bill Finger and Gardner Fox (who, twenty years on, continued to write comics and co-created the Justice League of America), with art by Bob Kane, Sheldon
Moldoff, and Jerry Robinson. I’ve read the issues in the monolithic Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume One.
The Case of the Chemical Syndicate --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane
I once reviewed this story long ago in the days before COVID. My eighth post, then of Batman: Year One in March 2019, featured a quick review at the end of Detective Comics 27. Like many of my older reviews, it was overlong, and I still hadn’t found a strong style of writing. While one-hundred and thirty-four posts on I’m not certain if I’ve found my own, I think I can do a better job with this, and particularly with many of the following stories. Anyway, our story begins with socialite Bruce Wayne paying a visit to his friend Commissioner Gordon. Bruce, completely bored with his life, tags along with Gordon to a crime scene where Lambert, a businessman, is seemingly killed by his son. However, his son reveals that his father had three former business partners who may be involved, named Crane, Rogers, and Stryker. It is then that Bruce coincidentally leaves the room to head home. Yep, even though it wasn’t revealed at the very start that Bruce was Batman, the blindingly obvious hints were always present. Anyway, as Batman, Bruce investigates the crimes and learns that Stryker is behind everything as he wished to be the sole owner of a company, Apex Chemicals, which Lambert, Crane, and Rogers all co-owned. Stryker made secret contracts with them all and planned to kill them to steal the contracts and take ownership of the company. That logic may not be as sound as Stryker thought it was. In any case, Batman flatly punches Stryker into a vat of his own acid, killing him and proclaiming that “it was a fitting end for his kind”. With that, the case is over, and we learn the obvious that Batman is really Bruce Wayne. Yes, compared to the wimpy Batman of today that pledges against killing, the original Batman was far harsher and vengeful. The plot may be lacking, particularly as Stryker’s plan doesn’t make too much sense. However, it’s an example of a classic detective story and you can’t criticise it for introducing one of comics greatest characters… even if it’s blindingly obvious that Bruce and Batman are same character. You would have thought that a detective like Gordon would have worked it out quick, but I guess not.
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 6/10
French Blake’s Jewel Gang --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane
After the news breaks that a jewellery robbery worth $100,000 has occurred, Bruce tricks a stool pigeon on the phone by mimicking Gordon to learn that Frenchy Blake, a local mobster, is behind the robbery and that they are going to attempt another heist tonight. As a gloveless Batman (possibly one of many colouring mistakes), Bruce prevents another robbery and rescues the jewels, only for the police to find him and believe that the Dark Knight himself is the thief. However, this was all part of Batman’s plan as he, get this, uses it to send Blake’s gang into a false sense of security, only for the hero to strike when they least expect it. With that, Batman imprisons Blake and his gang, before freeing himself from the law’s attention. As you’d expect from a Golden Age story, it’s very overly complicated and unessentially so. But the writers wanted to write fast-paced stories full of action, and Detective Comics was no different. Therefore, that doesn’t really bother me. The villains may be very ordinary for their time as this was the days before true supervillains appeared, but what gets me is the absurdity of Batman’s plan and how seriously the story takes itself. It’s not like the overly jovial Silver Age, or the relentlessly grim and humourless Dark Age. The Golden Age could be just as ridiculous as the Silver Age, and just as grim as the Dark Age. A balance was created, and it allowed for creative storytelling, until the Comics Code Authority came along of course…
Story: 8/10
Art: 6/10
The Batman Meets Doctor Death/The Return of Doctor Death --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff
Good old Gardner Fox. Even back then, he was writing quality stories. On a dark night, Doctor Karl Hellfren orders his henchman, Jebah, to trap Batman as the Doctor has completed all his laboratory tests and feels discredited by rich socialites. Therefore, he decides to take his anger out on a man who dresses as a bat. Anyway, using a fake advert, the Doctor attracts Batman’s attention and the Caped Crusader, conspicuously driving Bruce Wayne bright red car, enters Hellfren’s penthouse. However, Batman having some reasonable intelligence, senses the trap and manages to escape, despite a bullet wound from Jebah. Yes, even in the 1940s there was blood in comic books. Hellfren is far from happy with the failure, and he orders Jebah and his men to go after John P Van Smith, a man who fails to pay tribute to Hellfren’s work. But, before it can be achieved, Batman confronts Hellfren and fights him, only for it to end with a vial of chemicals falling to the floor and causing a huge fire. With that, Hellfren, or as Batman calls him, Doctor Death is no more! Until Part Two (continued)
anyway. Both Hellfren and Jebah are examples of depicting foreigners to be evil and malicious. Although this stopped in the years after the war, this was very common, particularly when it came to mad professors, all of whom seemed to come from Eastern European backgrounds. But Doctor Death is the first real supervillain that Batman faces, and he creates more of a name for himself in the second part. Although believing that he died, Bruce learns that Doctor Death is alive and poses as a reporter to learn that a man is being threatened with death by the villain himself, which can only be prevented if the victim leaves his small fortune of diamonds for him to collect. Later at night, Batman waits in the darkness until Jebah arrives, only to pointlessly knock him out and then realise that the villain must be conscious so he can follow him back to his master. Time passes and once Jebah awakens with the stolen diamonds in his hands, Batman follows him back to his home. There, Jebah notices the hero and to silence him, Batman swings down and snaps his neck using the heel of his boot. Two deaths already. This is the Batman I like, especially since he seems to kill without even thinking about it. Anyway, Batman then finds a Jones’ Diamonds store nearby and investigates, only for him to find that the shopkeeper is Doctor Death in disguise. Without the mask, the Doctor is a burnt and deformed man due to the fire. As ever, Batman leaves a note for the police and the villain for the law to collect. It’s a shame that Doctor Death isn’t in the second part very much, particularly because I think he would be far more vengeful towards Batman after what happened. When he does appear, his disguise as a shopkeeper feels pointless. However, his unmasking is a memorable moment and a good one. The second part may fall flat in terms of the plot, but Batman killing once again, and a great villain makes the story unforgettable…
Story: 6.5/10
Art: 6/10
Batman Versus the Vampire --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff
Here we have possibly one of the more well-known stories and one that, along with Dracula, influenced Batman appearing in the Red Rain Elseworlds story and its sequels. Batman and Vampires have always seemed to mix, and this is where it started. One night, Batman finds Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend, Julie Madison, in a trance on the street, mentioning a strange Mad Monk. Batman, still driving Bruce’s car (with his lover not recognising that the Dark Knight and her playboy boyfriend both drive the same vehicle), sends Julie home. The next day, as Bruce Wayne, he decides that an open cruise voyage would do her some good. On board the ship, the Mad Monk confronts Julie, but luckily Batman has been continuing to follow her. Batman once again rescues her and when the ship arrives in Paris, a further attack involving a gorilla occurs, which results in Batman becoming trapped by the Mad Monk himself. He threatens to send Julie to his castle in Hungary, but Batman, clearly afraid of that country, breaks out at the mention of its name and rescues Julie. There, the first part ends and instead of heading straight back to America, Batman stays with Julie to search for the Mad Monk. Like Doctor Death, the Mad Monk is a costumed villain and one that espouses mystery. It’s a good start and, mainly down to the constantly changing setting, it never feels dull. The gorilla certainly helps too. But the second part is far more gothic as it begins in a forest at dusk. There, Batman finds another woman in a trance. Her name is Dala, and she knocks Batman out. When he awakens, he finds two red spots on Julie’s neck. The mark of the vampire! Yeah, there’s no mention of vampires in the first part, but it’s now when it begins to take the centre of the story. Using Dala, Batman finds the Mad Monk, who, by using his trance powers, captures Julie as well. But then, in a scene which continues to confuse me as the villain seems to transform into a wolf in order to push Batman into a pit full of wolves, Batman fights back by finding a gun and creating a silver bullet, before shooting both Dala and the Mad Monk as they rest. With that, both vampires are dead, and every single Batman fan is screaming the house down at the fact that Batman used a gun. I guess it’s quite a big moment, especially since these days he’s so opposed to (continued)
using them. But, back in the 1940s, the writers didn’t think about that. They just wanted to knock out a story quick. With that said, the Mad Monk is another memorable villain, even if the story itself is overly confusing as ever and actually somewhat uneventful at times. However, you can’t forget that it is later adapted by Matt Wagner in his Batman and the Mad Monk story. Overall, it may be mixed, but it’s still a classic.
Story: 5.5/10
Art: 6.5/10
The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom --- Written by Bill Finger, and Gardner Fox with art by Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff
Stories involving blimps aren’t usually classics. A certain Paul Kupperberg and Gerry Conway one springs to mind. First however, we get the short story, The Batman and How He Came to Be. For the first time, it tells Batman’s origin which we all know and love (everyone but Bruce Wayne) and there isn’t much different about it from today’s interpretation. Mugging, gunning, shooting, crying, preying, exercising, and crimefighting as a bat. That’s it. But then the real story begins. Over Gotham, a blimp flies high and causes havoc by destroying buildings and killing many civilians. Bruce investigates as Batman after believing that a Doctor Kruger may be involved. Like most of the other villains in the run, Kruger is another European, and one who hangs a picture of Napoleon on his wall. Make of that what you will, but Batman confronts him after overhearing from the villain that he will set off a bomb over the city. Using his batcopter, the Dark Knight follows the villain in his blimp after spraying it with a mysterious chemical. However, it’s purpose becomes known when it counteracts Doctor Kruger’s death ray and causes the blimp to explode. Although Doctor Kruger attempts to kill Batman in one final effort using his gun, the Dark Knight fights back by throwing a well-calculated gas pellet and knocking him out. Although, thanks to his parachute, Batman escapes unharmed, Doctor Kruger isn’t so lucky and with that, he becomes the Batman’s third victim. Also, that’s another great aspect about the run. He’s called The Batman, not Batman. I just think that makes him more mysterious and subtle, more like an urban legend than a superhero. Anyway, whether it was intentional or not, this story was a comedic blast. The villain is both a threat and something to laugh at, while the story reflects his unpredictable streak. Like many of the other stories, it’s ridiculous but in a way that can be taken seriously. It’s rarely tongue-in-cheek and I think that kind of storytelling works in the Golden Age.
Story: 8/10
Art: 6.5/10
Perils in Paris --- Written by Gardner Fox with art by Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff
After leaving his hotel, Bruce Wayne terrifies himself and us by walking into a man with no face! Now, that’s a hook. Before he can comment however, the faceless man wanders away and a screaming woman named Karel is attacked by thrown knifes. The faceless man appears once again and tells Batman that he, Charles Maire, is Karel’s brother. Not long ago at a Bal Masque, the Maires met the Duc D’Orterre (guess where he came from), who fell in love with Karel. However, Charles interfered and Duc D’Orterre kidnapped and tortured him, resulting in his lack of facial features. With Duc D’Orterre seemingly back for revenge, the Maires plead with Batman for help. As the Dark Knight, he attends one of Duc D’Orterre’s masque parties and confronts the villain. But Batman himself is captured and tortured on a never-ending giant spinning wheel. As expected, since you can’t kill a new character off in under a year, Batman escapes and defeats Duc D’Orterre just as he locates the Maires and prepares to kill Charles. Unlike the other stories, the villain here, excluding his fancy name, is rather bland and not particularly memorable. The only aspect that really sticks in my head is Charles without a face. It’s not a bad read but leaves much to be desired and it’s not one which I’ll rush to return to.
Story: 6/10
Art: 7/10
The Case of the Ruby Idol --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff
Now, in keeping with the complex storytelling of the 1940s, we have a classic robbery!
As ever, a bored Bruce Wayne speaks with Gordon and learns from Weldon, a collector of artifacts, that a man named Lenox presented him with a ruby statue of Kila, the Hindu God of Destruction. However, Weldon received a note from Hindu worshippers that they have kidnapped Lenox for selling the statue. In response, Gordon attempts to rescue Lenox, but fails when he is killed by the Hindus. For some reason, Batman doesn’t tag along. I don’t know why, but I guess the story would be ten pages shorter if he did. Anyway, attention on the ruby statue grows and sensing something coming, Batman sneaks into Weldon’s home at night and arrives just in time to witness the statue being stolen by thieves. However, as Batman takes out the burglars, the real Hindu thieves arrive and steal the ruby statue. The police also arrive and believe Batman stole it. The police situation with Batman back in the Golden Age was rather odd. On some days, the police would be very cool and friendly towards him, while on other days they don’t shy away from calling for his arrest. In any case, Batman clears the air by knocking them out. The Dark Knight then visits Sin Fang, a local Hindu collector. But, in a stunning twist after the collector sends his Hindu guards after Batman, it is revealed that Sin Fang is none other than Lenox himself. Why would Lenox pretend to be dead? Because of some bogus deal with the real Sin Fang, who he murdered anyway. Sure, I like this story and it’s fun, but the complexity and Lenox revealed as the real villain is just a mess. Why would he have to pretend to be dead to strike a deal? Why did he kill Sin Fang anyway? Being the kind soul he is, Batman punches Lenox out of the window to his death. Reasonable, in a story that really lacks reason. As I said, it’s impossible to dislike this story for its intricacies just because it’s so funny. Still, it could have been halved and then halved again in length…
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Batman Meets Professor Hugo Strange --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and Sheldon Moldoff
Now, this is the one we’ve all been waiting for. Hugo Strange is by far the most famous villain from the Detective Comics issues before Robin and he totally deserves to be. Patrolling the streets of Gotham, Batman finds and watches a man shot from the shadows. His final words are to do with some “strange fog”. Again, the police turn up and find Batman with a dead body. Need I say more? Later, Batman examines a note retrieved from the dying man’s body and learns from it that the man was working for the FBI. Meanwhile, Professor Hugo Strange hears the news and becomes furious (continued)
when he learns that his henchmen failed to kill Batman. He decides that it’s time for his plan to begin. The next night, a strange fog invades Gotham and during it, numerous bank robberies occur. While the police fail to stop crime in the new conditions, Batman learns that an electrical engineer has disappeared, and he believes that Strange is linked to it. Then, as Batman, Bruce locates and takes out Strange’s men during another bank heist. This catches Strange’s attention, and he pledges to kill Batman. The next night, Batman is knocked out and sent to Strange, who violently tortures Batman with a whip. I say! However, Batman inevitably breaks free and defeats Hugo Strange, before finding the kidnapped engineer who Strange forced to unleash the mist into the city. With that, Strange heads to his prison cell, screaming that he will devote the rest of his life to get revenge on the Dark Knight. After reading that, you can clearly see why Steve Englehart wanted the character to return for his run. Unlike the others, he is far more cunning and aggressive as a villain. As opposed to the Mad Monk, his mind is the villain, and he constantly tries to outsmart his opponents. This is definitely the best of the before Robin issues partly because it introduces a character who would later become a major villain in the Dark Knight’s Rogue Gallery, but also just because it’s a cracking story that is full of suspense and mystery.
Story: 10/10
Art: 8/10
The Screaming House --- Written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson
For the final story, it’s the title that hooks you in. No longer driving his red car after realising that it’s effectively a confirmation that Bruce Wayne is Batman, the Dark Knight drives his new and iconic Batmobile into the night, before driving past a screaming house. Inside, Batman finds a man being tortured by the mob. Naturally, the Dark Knight rescues him, but the should-be-grateful man clobbers him over the head. Joey, the saved man, is also a mobster and as he leaves Batman unconscious, he shoots and kills his former friends after they betrayed him. For what reason? Basically, because his gang was going to cause a national disaster by destroying a spy ship. Before I continue, why didn’t Joey kill Batman when he was unconscious. He didn’t bat an eyelid when he killed his former friends. Regardless, Batman follows Joey and learns the truth from his dying words as he is attacked by other mobsters who have learned of Joey’s betrayal. Batman manages to rescue the boat and those onboard, before confronting Count Grutt, the leader of the mob. In a characteristically Golden Age fight, the hero challenges the villain to a swordfight, which anticlimactically concludes when Batman pushes Grutt onto his own sword. To my memory, I think Batman directly kills five people in the run, which puts the Batman of today to shame. This is also the first of many stories of the 1940s in which the Second World War actually plays a part, and the war only becomes more important in comics as the months pass. Overall, though, the story is nothing special. It’s a pretty generic spy-war story. I guess the only real hook is that Batman is involved. Still, like every other story here, whether it’s a classic or a bog-standard story, in some way I like them all because of the retro feeling to a 1940s comic. There’s something that feels both innocent and twisted about the stories and that is why the Golden Age remains one of my favourite periods in comic book history.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8/10
THE ART BY BOB KANE, SHELDON MOLDOFF, AND JERRY ROBINSON
As I both hinted and explicitly said earlier on, there’s much debate over Bob Kane’s role in the creation of Batman and what he did afterwards. He certainly came up with the name Batman, but Finger was heavily influential on the character’s final design. Kane’s original design was a blonde-haired man with a domino mask in a red skin-tight costume with wings. Thank God that wasn’t used. But, with Detective Comics 27 and some of the issues afterwards, Bob Kane certainly drew them. How do I know? Because they're quite amateur. Sure, only some of the artists of the 1940s had considerable talent, like Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Jerry Robinson, and Joe Shuster (basically anyone who’s name started with J). Bob Kane, without mincing words, had very little talent and his art early on is stiff, rough, and often illegible. Then, as the issues pass, it begins to look better and more professional. However, it’s not down to Bob Kane. By around Detective Comics 33, the art is primarily done by Sheldon Moldoff and Jerry Robinson, both of whom may have been young, but their style of art and knowledge of it was far greater than Kane. They gave Batman a more imposing and more heroic look. They created the memorable design of Batman in the Golden Age, along with the likes of Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman. When you look at it, Kane had very little impact after 1939. However, there is something about amateur Golden Age art which not only I don’t mind, but also enjoy in a strange way. It’s from an early time in the industry, before it really gets going and artists of professional status like Neal Adams appear. You have to remember that there was a war going on and times were hard. You must remember that when taking into account the art of any comic from the 1940s. However, without debate, it is the likes of Moldoff, Robinson, and Finger who should be remembered. Kane should only really perhaps deserve a mention or two…
VERDICT
Overall, the Batman stories before Robin debuted in Detective Comics 38 are classics and they were going to be nothing but. They all range differently in terms of memorability and quality, but all of them have contributed to how Batman was created and how he developed in those formative stories. There are undeniable classics such as The Case of the Chemical Syndicate and Batman Meets Professor Hugo Strange, but you shouldn’t forget the others. Throughout every issue, you can see Batman change. Partly with the help of Sheldon Moldoff and Jerry Robinson, you can visibly see Batman become more imposing hero and, slowly but surely, a moral compass begins to form, and you can see how the Batman we know today was forged. Look at how he changes. Look at how the costume changes. Look at the villains and how they become famous and influence the mood of the stories. Look at the Batmobile. Look at Gordon. Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, Jerry Robinson, and Bob Kane didn’t know they were working on something that eighty-odd years on, some guy would be writing about on the internet. Batman could have been a failure. It could have died quickly, and the character would only be remembered in the same way that the Fighting American and Black Hood are today. But it wasn’t. Because of that, these stories were and remain great…
Stories: 8/10
Art: 7.5/10
Next Week: Animal Man: Mysterious Ways (Animal Man (vol 1) 64-70, Annual 1). Written by Jamie Delano with art by William Simpson, Dan Steffan, Steve Pugh, Russell Braun, Tom Sutton, and Rafael Kayanan.
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