Batman in the 1960s Issue 47: September/October 1967

The Caped Crusader in the 1960s
by Jack Seabrook
& Peter Enfantino

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #367

"Where There's a Will--There's a Slay!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Carmine Infantino & Sid Greene

The Rajah Ruby is hurled through a Wayne Manor window and Alfred and Dick are rudely awoken. They meet downstairs and muse about the case of the Round-Robin Murders, a mission that has yet to be concluded. Robin hypothesizes that the Ruby was tossed through the window to lure Bruce Wayne into picking it up and returning it to his super-secret wall safe. It must be booby-trapped!

Sure enough, after the pair grab a medieval Viking shield (dating back to the 5th Century) as protection, they detonate the safe and head down to the Batcave to see if Master Bruce is deep in thought. The Batmobile is gone, so Dick surmises correctly that his boss must be out looking for Fred Tinney, who has been missing since last issue. As he's rummaging around Batman's work station desk, doubtless looking for clues, Dick finds the last will and testament the Dark Knight penned in the closing panels of #366.

Outraged that Bruce left him only $10.66, Dick is about to call a lawyer when Al remarks that it might be a clue as to what's going on since Batman's thought process was altered by gas last issue and he can't reveal anything about the case. Between the two masterminds, the faux will is deciphered and the name "Hastings" comes through loud and clear. Turning to the Bat-Crime-Files computer, they quickly print up a pic of "Doc" Hastings. "This has got to be the guy who forced Bruce to leave me only ten bucks in his will!"

Al explains that Master Bruce will be giving a lecture on taking advantage of third world countries to a room full of billionaires at the Wayne Foundation and that might be a good place to share notes. Dick agrees and tells Al to gas up the Bat-copter. Robin arrives at the Wayne Foundation building and catches a glimpse of Hastings, disguised as an electrician (though I would have guessed hair dresser since Hastings seems to be clutching a blow dryer) through an upper floor window and crashes through.

A terrific battle ensues but (as usual) Robin is bested and lays near death, the victim of a terrible electric shock. Hastings rigs up a death trap for Batman and then sends a communication to Bruce in the meeting room that if he wants to save Robin's life, he'd best get to the control room, pronto. Bruce makes his apologies and exits stage left. When he arrives, he notes that Robin is stiff and wearing blush (or something like that) and deduces he's the victim of electrical mayhem. Bruce resuscitates his partner and then discovers a grenade hidden under the boy. Dastardly!

Explosive device safely in hand, Batman announces he's going to visit Gotham Electric Company to trace any huge amounts of electricity used. In that way, they can discover Hastings's secret hideout. After receiving a lecture on how the Caped Crusader could save money on LED lights and better insulation in the Batcave, the gorgeous blonde employee dives into the company records and submerges with Hastings's address. 

Bats immediately heads over to the address (it's the place lit up like Frankenstein's castle) and enters into fisticuffs with the mad genius criminal mastermind. After falling into a couple of dangerous but easily-outmaneuvered death traps, Batman delivers the knockout punch with a Batarang and delivers Hastings to the pokey. Later, at the Batcave, our hero sorts through the pile of educational material received from the electric company and begins the arduous task of weatherizing the Batcave.

It's a stroke of genius on the part of "The World's Greatest Detective" to visit the electric company to trace the customer using an inordinate amount of electricity. Think about it. So many of Batman's most dangerous adventures could have been wrapped up much earlier if he'd called the Department of Motor Vehicles to get the address on the Jokermobile's registration. Or what if he'd called Safeway to find out who was getting a large amount of cold cuts and beer delivered to their hideout? Bats need never leave his Batcave to apprehend the most vile of villains! I could see it now: Batman 80-Page Special, The Most Thrilling Batman Library Card Investigations! Couldn't the Batcave be tracked in the same manner? 

How is it the Caped Crusaders crash through windows and never get sliced up? Robin's costume includes bare legs. This kid should be a human jigsaw but shows no signs of scarring. I'm not sure this case really needed two issues to tell. There's barely anything there. What happened to Fred Tinney? Dick makes a big deal about Batman heading out to find Tinney, but he never shows up until the final panel. And how could Carmine Infantino be in any way responsible for the slapdash graphics in this issue (including Dick with a full head of Wayne Newton's hair)? Deadline doom, I say. The superhero stuff looks okay, but Bruce and Dick are unrecognizable. Paul Seydor, author of one of the best film studies of all time, Peckinpah: The Western Films, confesses he's fallen hard for Batgirl!-Peter

Jack-I noticed the little Batman head on the top left of the cover, which was surely added to make it clear who starred in this comic book even when it was behind others on a newsstand. The head first appeared last issue, but without a circle, and it would last four more issues before disappearing. I wonder if any kid cut up the cover to see if the puzzle pieces fit? The only mystery inside the comic is why Infantino and Greene's art looks so rough, both on the lead Batman story and on the backup Elongated Man story. I peeked ahead and Infantino's time on the book will soon come to an end. I didn't think the climax to this two-parter was very interesting, though I did wonder how this random villain could hold his own so well in a fistfight with the Caped Crusader.

Infantino/Anderson

Batman #195

"The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff, Joe Giella, & Jack Abel

A thief named Ned Creegan sneaks into Old Man Logan's lab, looking to steal valuable jewels used in experiments. After knocking out the scientist, Creegan enters a radiation chamber and steals jewels embedded in a light panel on the ceiling, ignoring a trio of animals in the chamber. The thief runs to see Charley the Fence, but before the jewels change hands, Batman and Robin appear, and a battle ensues.

Suddenly, Ned Creegan turns into a glowing skeleton, and his touch is charged with electricity! He knocks out the Dynamic Duo and returns to Logan's lab, where the scientist explains that the radiation in the chamber turned Creegan into a living skeleton. Logan has been working on a cure for radiation poisoning that he can sell to the highest bidder, so he gives Creegan a white pill that temporarily returns him to human form. The thief must take another white pill every so often, and every second he's a skeleton means one day less in his life! Logan also gives Creegan purple pills that will turn him back into a skeleton at will.

At the Batcave, Batman and Robin quickly figure out what happened and charge their gloves with static electricity, certain that Creegar has either a positive or a negative charge that will react to the gloved hands. Like any Gotham City crook, Logan can only think of how he can profit from his radiation poisoning, so he enters a bank to rob it. When a guard interrupts him, Creegan swallows a pill and becomes "The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man!" After leaving the bank, he goes to rob a museum, where the Dynamic Duo catch up with him. Another battle follows and, due to the charged gloves, Creegar is knocked down.

He explains his situation to Batman and the trio visit Dr. Logan, who unleashes the trio of skeletal animals on Batman and Robin. After winning another fight, Batman insists that Logan whip up more white pills to help Creegar. In the end, Logan and Creegar are sentenced to twenty years in prison, and Batman remarks that Logan will continue his experiments, not only to help Creegar but also to benefit the good old U.S.A.

This full-length story is unusually interesting, and the art is more dynamic than we're used to from Moldoff and Giella; perhaps the addition of Abel on some inks helped. The business with the radiation and the electric charges is complicated but not ridiculous, and Creegar's plight held my interest. Will he be back in a future issue?-Jack

Peter- Poor Jack is as starved for quality as I am, so he sees something in this mess I can't ascertain. The only spark-spangle of brilliance comes from the animal skeleton battle. My loudest chuckle rose from the panels when Dr. Logan is explaining to Spank-Sparkler how his pill will aid mankind and save millions of lives and then punctuates his lecture (accompanied by violin soundtrack) with "and it'll make me a billionaire!" How does the Stark-Strangler breathe or see without lungs or eyeballs? Yeah, I should relax and just enjoy a few minutes of brainless fun, but these details keep me awake at night. I love that there's an informant on the street named Billy Blabbermouth. Do you think he comes from a long line of Blabbermouths? The Gotham phone book: Billy Blabbermouth... Eddie Explosivesexpert... Robert Safecracker... There's a missive from future comics writer Tony Isabella (now known as "Jenny Blake") on the "Letters to the Batcave" page, wherein he derides some of the cliches used in a previous adventure. Of course, within a decade, Tony would be perfecting those cliches in his own scripting.

Infantino/Anderson

Detective Comics #368

"7 Wonder Crimes of Gotham City!"

Story by Gardner Fox

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Joe Giella

Madison Gotham Square Garden. A tightly-contested match between the hometown Giants and the Quebec Rebels is interrupted by a puck that explodes and emits a paralyzing gas (yes, that tiny puck holds enough gas to paralyze the entire arena instantly!). Hoods emerge from the shadows and steal every wallet from every pocket of every slumbering attendee and then make their escape, leaving behind only a huge ballon in the shape of Gotham's founder, Father Knickerbocker.

Batman and Robin arrive to investigate after the arena is emptied but the only clue they find is the huge "7" on the back of the balloon. Eliminating the fact that Gary Aldcorn wore the "7" on his jersey for two seasons with the Gotham Giants, Batman exclaims that he is baffled. Next night, Bruce and Dick are enjoying an evening of no crime by visiting the "Gotham City: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" exhibit at the Architectural Fair. Dick is amazed by the built-to-scale replica of Wayne Manor (housed within one room!) and the pair head in, voicing their pleasure at the marvel. While inside the exhibit, the lights suddenly increase in brightness and the pair are rendered almost blind.

Sensing another crime in motion, the boys reach within their bulging utility belts and don sunglasses treated with shoe polish, enabling them to see through the glare. They are shocked to witness thugs attempting to steal the Modiglianis (don't ask) gifted to Bruce from his father and loaned to the exhibit. The boys put quick work to the amateur hoods and then Batman attempts to question them as to their origins. The thugs lawyer up and remind Batman that this is 1967 America, where every citizen enjoys the right of defense and a fair, impartial trial.

The next night, while on patrol, Batman and Robin are startled by the appearance of a huge Batman balloon straddling Gotham Harbor. A blackout ensues. Using their keen detective brains, the boys quickly sense something amiss when hoods shoot out the Batmobile headlights and the area is engulfed in darkness. Reaching into their utility belts, the pair don night goggles and head into the night, where they come across a group of felons... standing around doing nothing. Knowing full well that nattily-dressed men with infra-red glasses are always up to no good, the Caped Crusaders engage in fisticuffs. As Batman stands over the corpses of the defeated criminals, he sighs and admits they are no closer to understanding the motive behind these amazing crimes.

Back at the Batcave, while doodling on the chalk board, Batman suddenly arrives at the "common denominator"--all three crimes are metaphors for the seven wonders of the world. No, really! With that in mind, Batman remembers that the world's biggest diamond, the Juggernaut, will be on display at the Temple of Artemis the following day. Robin correctly chimes in that Artemis is the Greek word for Diana, whose temple is another of the seven wonders! Next day, the Dynamic Duo arrive at the Temple to thwart an attempt to steal the diamond and Batman corrals the evil mastermind (who shall go nameless for some reason). The crook boasts that someday (likely in three weeks) he will be paroled and continue his crime spree. 

We can only hope for a continuation of this, one of the most dazzling adventures ever put down in four colors. Those utility belts continue to grow, this time spitting out a tin of shoe polish and several pairs of special eyewear. Before long, the pair will be lugging around "utility duffle bags."

I'll never understand why these "criminal masterminds" feel the need to tip their hand in some mysterious way. Can you see the (curiously unnamed) "mastermind" sitting around a table (eating cold cuts and drinking beer delivered from Safeway), drawing up his master plan for seven heists involving the seven wonders and then punctuating it with "and all the while, we'll be laying out clues for the "World's Greatest Detective" to catch us. At what point does one of the nattily-dressed hoods interrupt and ask why they can't just steal stuff without getting caught?

It would be easy and lazy to suggest that the TV show caused the "dumbing-down" of the two titles we're seeing during this era, since the Batman adventures were inane to begin with, so perhaps "dumb" comes in tiers. It's sad that, as Jack notes below, Neal is on his way and we can't wait. Drudging through these moronic scripts and childish stick figures is depressing. Is it asking too much for some spark of enthusiasm and originality? I can't remember the last time I read a Bat-story that stayed with me more than five minutes.-Peter

Jack-Though I thought the Batman and Robin story was below average, even for Moldoff, I was excited by the Elongated Man story, which was a team-up with the Atom and which featured some very nice art by Gil Kane. Next issue's Elongated Man story will be drawn by Neal Adams, and I can't wait till he starts working on Batman!

Next Week...
More Glorious Wally!