A Sense of Doubt blog post #1776 - BATMAN 1966 - 1970 - a selection

A Sense of Doubt blog post #1776 - BATMAN 1966 - a selection

This is another one of those posts that's of great interest to me and not so much to very many others, except my comic book fan readers.

I love looking at old comic book covers and reviewing comic book history.

Certainly, there are other periods of Batman's history with better comics and stories, such as the period immediately following this one with stories by Dennis O'Neil and art by Neal Adams followed by the Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers era, which were both classic and quality, seminal, formative periods of the Dark Knight's history.

For me, this period from 1966-1970 that roughly coincides with the TV show, which was canceled in 1968, is my favorite Batman period if only because of it being the one occurring when I started reading Batman comics, shown here:

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #624 - My Oldest - A collection of comic books - part one

and here:

Detective Comics #351 - "The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes"
This issue was dated May 1966, and so it is concurrent with these Batman comics. Detective Comics #351 - "The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes" was my first comic book. Looking at these issues, Batman #210 was my first issue of Batman and issue #212 was my second.

So, this run of Batman comics features a campy, quirky period that was happening just as I started reading comics but before I was able to buy them, or receive them as gifts, in earnest. I love the way the issues were very cover driven, a Julius Schwartz technique to devise a startling cover and get writers and artists to make it a reality with the story and art work.

I have included a great deal of text here as comic fans discuss the beginning and end of the Silver Age for Batman. Most seem to agree that around 1969, the Silver Age ends and the Bronze Age begins. One can see the shift in the cover art and the story telling apparent from just the cover art in this series of covers and the data about each issue.

I have included issues #s 180 - 219 with only a few gaps after issue #200. I skip over issues 213, 215-218 just because this post was growing huge and I just wanted to share issues like 212 and 219 that I actually own. I liked 214's cover, so I included it.

The sequence begins with issue #180 and the creepy Gil Kane cover of the lurid type that set up the premise of the story inside.

But issue #181 shows off one of the elements I love best about this period which is that romantic, seductive, even sexual rivalry of the Batman comics in this era. Issue #181 introduces Poison Ivy, who is causing "trouble" between Batman and Robin, the latter of whom is now a teenager and not so much a "boy" as in "boy wonder." The character of Poison Ivy is fascinating as a take on the classic temptress but one with the power to use plants like drugs to make enslaving or immobilizing potions that she delivers with a kiss via chemically tainted lipstick.

I also like the checker-board trim on the comics in this time period seen prominently on issue 181's cover.

The "battle of the sexes" style cover of 180 is emblematic of this time and a classic Carmine Infantino creation with the text in the arrow, Poison Ivy on display with the shadow, and the other extra features.

The next issue shares another feature of this time period -- the 80 page giant -- the cover would have sparked my interest at this age, and I loved these giant issues. I spent so much time reading these when I couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve throughout my childhood.

Issue #183 features the meta-fictional camp that started to appear in Batman comics in this period. Batman stays home to watch himself on TV rather than fight crime? It's a clever way to debut the start of the TV show. Issue #184 takes the idea even farther and creates an even more alluring hook to prompt boys like me to buy the comic. This one has all the elements: the checkered border, and the high premise teasing text.

The repetition of the number thirteen is obviously significant. The hot line is a prominent element of the TV show recognizable to readers. And how about the great use of words like "jittery" and "desperate." And why don't Batman and Robin even know where they are? So intriguing. Makes me want to go find the issue even now, fifty some years later, as I never read it back in the 1960s (or since).

I love that there are several 80-page giants in this group. Issue #185 can be seen as foreshadowing for actual, future deaths of Robin. I am not going to have something to share for each cover, but I was somewhat surprised that issue #186 with "The Joker's Original Robberies" had a long summary posted to COMIC VINE.

Along with Poison Ivy, this time period also featured the debut of the Scarecrow in #189, which proves that the creators and editors wanted to keep with the dark and more macabre Batman tales, shades of the trend that would become what Batman stories are best known for. Scarecrow was too frightening for the campy TV show, but he established a penchant for psychologically-based stories.

Other covers keep with the camp and the high concept, like the Bat auction of #191, which is also a clever commentary on what the TV show was doing to Batman and the comics. Alfred and Dick Grayson are crying in the foreground, lamenting the selling out of Batman.


Covers like #194 are some of the most dynamic and creative due to the amazing art of Carmine Infantino.

But I also love covers like #197 and #210 because of the sexual subtext. #214 does a good job of this type content, also, playing up on the protests of the times and burgeoning women's movement. Though the intent may not have been to show Batman held captive and dominated by more powerful women (though maybe this was EXACTLY the intent), it was my take away from seeing Catwoman whip Batman into submission, Poison Ivy drug him, or Batgirl fight Catwoman over him.


There's many great high-concept and premise driven covers in this period, like #198 that really draws a reader into an 80-page giant filled with reprints. These styles in which characters break the fourth wall are sadly little seen in modern comics, though John Byrne used the tropes well in his run on She Hulk.

Review the others. There's some great comics here. I may have to track down the reprint volume from this era just to read them all.

It took me a long time to put this post together. It's a labor of love, though the only content I wrote appears above these words and the rest is copied from various sites, mostly COMIC VINE just to provide the data for each issue.

I had fun creating this post. It had been some time since I had a major comic post.

Just look at some of these covers, and there's some synopses from COMIC VINE users, which are very interesting, especially in regards to the Silver Age depiction of Catwoman.

The material I share before the comic book covers and the data on each provide some intriguing insights, even the Wikipedia blurb. The essay from Batman Chronology really targets issues prior to those shared here, but it smartly postulates a start to the Silver Age and has some great Batman content that proves relevant to the comics that follow.

Lots to read and look at here.

TWO FUN LINKS

https://www.dcuniverse.com/news/10-iconic-silver-age-detective-comics-moments/r

https://comicsalliance.com/best-silver-age-batman-annuals-60s/

FIRST CONTENT - DISCUSSION OF BATMAN'S SILVER AGE ERA

https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?115335-When-does-the-Silver-Age-begin-and-end-for-Batman

db105 

When does the Silver Age begin and end for Batman?

I was looking at pictures of Batman and Detective Comics covers, and I was surprised because they didn't fit with some of my preconceived ideas about the Silver Age.

Conventionally, the Silver Age is said to start in the mid-50s. A date often given is the first appearance of the modern Flash in 1956. Then the Bronze age is supposed to start around 1970 and the Modern Age in the mid-80s.

My ideas about Batman in the different comic book ages were:

Golden Age: Dark, dangerous, brooding vigilante, heavily influenced by costumed vigilantes from pulp fiction, who occasionally might use guns and kill.

Silver Age: Very silly, lighthearted, childish and fun stories, colorful and often with a sci-fiction theme.

Bronze Age: Batman goes back to its darker, vigilante detective roots.

Modern Age: The current Batman, often darker and edgier than in the Bronze Age, but also open to more lighthearted depictions, in part thanks to the Bat-family.

What I think now, after looking at some of the art and stories:

Golden Age: The dark, menacing vigilante was there at the very beginning, but that version was somewhat softened right away. Using guns was immediately abandoned, and the early introduction of Robin less than a year after Batman's first appearance inevitably moderated the brooding tone, although the stories were still gritty and street-level. That changed gradually, and by the late 40s, long before the Silver Age was supposed to begin, the stories were already lighthearted juvenile fantasy rather than gritty. It seems like the Silver Age started for Batman much earlier than 1956.

Silver Age: The campy, silly, fun and colorful sci-fi adventures are there, but by the second half of the 60s there has been a sharp turn into darker, more mature stories and art, more like what I would associate with the Bronze Age. I had always thought that the Silver Age for Batman finished with the arrival of the Dennis O'Neil/Neal Adams team around 1970, but years before that the campy style of the Silver Age had been abandoned. Is this period in the second half of the 60s, with the arrival of editor Julius Schwartz, artist Carmine Infantino and writer John Broome considered to be part of the Silver Age?

The Bronze Age and Modern Age bring no surprises. There's a very convenient milestone in the mid-80s to mark the beginning of the Modern Age, with the publication of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and Year One a bit later. Some people tend to ignore Batman stories written before this, which is a pity, because I really enjoy Bronze Age Batman. It gets the level of darkness just right for my taste, without overdoing it. Creator teams like O'Neil/Adams and Englehart/Rogers are high among my all-time favorites.

Aah 

There is in general no real clear beginning of the silver age, that was more gradual shift and I think even back in the 40s they allready had some silverage type stories. Professor Carter Nichols (who was sending Batman and Robin on time travel adventures) for example appeared the first time in 1944. There is imo no clear starting point.

The Silver age it self on the other hand has for Batman actually two different era, the classic silverage and the "Yellow Oval Era". The "Yellow Oval Era" started in 1964 (iirc with Detective Comics #327), where Batman got a new costume with a yellow oval aroung his Batsymbol, the goofier elements were toned down and certain new Characters (Bat-Mite, Kathy and Betty Kane, Ace the Bathound) stopped to appear. The "Yellow Oval Era" the Style slowly changes to the Bronze age style.

Bronze Age starts in 1969 when Dick leaves for collage and Batman moves from Wayne Manor to the Penthouse of the Wayne Foundation Building (Batman #217).

Jim Kelly 

"Silver Age" is just a label that was concocted to piggy-back on the idea of "Golden Age." The problem with the label is it comes first and then fans try to squeeze every comic from that period into the label. But it was never made to fit every comic book.

Generally speaking, "Silver Age" is supposed to mean every comic (no matter the genre or publisher) that came out roughly between the mid-1950s and the late 1960s or early 1970s. You then look at some of the relevant comics from that general period and you see some similiarities--like the revival of "Golden Age" super-heroes, the creation of new origin stories, a slicker art style and a greater focus on science fiction ideas.

If you come at Batman with the idea that he must have had a "Silver Age," then you're really confronted with two main periods for the character that don't exactly fit together as one Age. The first of these is the post-Code Batman and the second is the "New Look" Batman.

Post-Code (starting around 1954) is characterized by most of the old villains (except Joker) being ignored and a growing concentration on family matters. Plus a greater amount of science fiction weirdness (although Batman always had sci-fi weirdness--starting with Dr. Death, Hugo Strange, the Duc d'Orterre et al). The Code plays a heavy role in this, as maybe some of the old villains were too violent and monstrous (or too sexual in the case of Catwoman), family is a safe subject as long as it doesn't go against some of the Code rules. Science fiction is a way to get "monsters" into the comics without going the forbidden supernatural horror route. Sheldon Moldoff replaces Lew Sayre Schwartz as the main Bob Kane ghost at this time.

The "New Look" (starting in 1964) is when Jack Schiff was taken off the Batman titles, with Julius Schwartz taking over DETECTIVE COMICS and BATMAN, while Mort Weisinger took over WORLD'S FINEST COMICS. Schwartz tried to keep the comics more grounded. Maybe still silly according to today's standard, but not as weird (most of the time) as the Schiff comics. He ignored some of the elements of the "Old Look" like Batwoman, Bat-Girl, Ace the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mite and he had Alfred killed off. It was called the "New Look" because Carmine Infantino created a new look for Batman and Robin (also Gordon and the Batmobile). Some of what Schwartz was trying to do was interupted by the success of the campy BATMAN television series (which was more in the spirit of the "Old Look") and there were some silly stories (though never as silly as the TV show and not as many as some would think) and a heavier focus on costumed crooks. However, the TV show did cause Alfred to be brought back to life and Barbara Gordon to be introduced as the new Batgirl. After the failure of the TV show, Batman returned to regularily scheduled programming with a great emphasis on detective work and less concentration on the traditional villains.

This then transitions into the period in late 1969, when Dick Grayson went off to college and Batman returned to working solo. Also Bruce left Wayne Manor and the Batcave to reside in his penthouse atop of the Wayne Foundation. And artists like Bob Brown, Irv Novick and Neal Adams gave Batman a look inspired by the early Bob Kane Batman (longer ears, a thinner frame, more animated cape). Most of the old super-villains were ignored for a few years and the stories were even more grounded and detective-oriented.

The Silver Age defined in BATMAN CHRONOLOGY

https://therealbatmanchronologyproject.com/thesilverage/

Thanks to the wonderful resources provided by The DCU Silver Age Appearance List, Mike Voiles, The Unofficial DCU Guide, Comic Vine, The Grand Comics Database, and Read Comic Online, the Real Batman Chronology Project proudly presents the introduction to the Silver Age Batman chronology, which details the Batman of the pre-original Crisis EARTH-1. This history comprises Batman and Batman-related DC publications ranging primarily from 1960 through 1986.

The origins of the Silver Age of comics date back to the 1950s and early 1960s. People often misattribute an augmented narrative use of aliens, monsters, spaceships, computers, robots, and nuclear mutants with the start of the Silver Age. While these tropes surely existed in the early Silver Age, the late Golden Age was rife with this stuff too. The primary thing that more accurately defines the switch from DC’s Golden Age to its Silver Age was a momentous storytelling shift energized by the cutting-edge scientific theories of Bryce DeWitt and new hypotheses about universal wave-function and particle physics by Erwin Schrödinger. The Newtonian model was replaced with the quantum perspective, ushering in a worldview that no longer focused on the physical but instead upon a field of probabilities. In the 1950s and 1960s, this burgeoning “Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics” reflected the inchoate fictive concepts that legends like Robert Kanigher and Gardner Fox were putting to pen and paper. If a multiverse could be a possibility in the real world, then it certainly had merit within sci-fi superhero comics. Of course, long before Schrödinger’s cat and relative state formulation, the Stoics of the 3rd century BCE (inspired by Heraclitus and Socrates before them) fleshed-out conceptual theoretical physics akin to contemporary Multiverse Theory. As unheralded comics muse Jorge Luis Borges notes in The Theologians, the Stoics believed in an “infinite cycle of worlds, with infinite suns, moons, Apollos, Dianas, and Poseidons.” As creators deftly layered the Stoic “infinite cycle of worlds” (i.e. a multiverse proper) into their superhero narratives, the superhero comic book genre entered into new levels of heightened visionary literature. These early superhero multiverse narratives, especially ones featuring the dimension-hopping heroes of the DCU, would stimulate the emergence of the literary genre of New Wave science fiction, which was born in the mid 1960s and flourished in the 1970s. Interestingly, despite being directly influenced by comics, New Wave science fiction novels would garner critical praise that the comics themselves failed to achieve a decade earlier (and wouldn’t achieve for decades to come). Such is the unjust history of “serious literature” thumbing its nose at “funnybooks,” I suppose. Without the multiverse of the Silver Age of comics, maybe we wouldn’t have had Michael Moorcock’s multiverse, and without that, we surely would have been deprived of Alan Moore.

While the inclusion of multiversial storytelling was a key aspect to Silver Age storytelling, the first important thing to understand is that Silver Age writers didn’t immediately create a wider multiverse. Nor did they immediately introduce a brand new Earth. DC’s Silver Age technically began with the rebooting of the Flash in Showcase #4, published October 1956. Showcase #4 ushered in the multiverse, defining two separate Earths, one where Flash is Jay Garrick and the other where Flash is Barry Allen—although the Earths went unnamed. Showcase #4 was a “tryout issue” to see if the rebooting of DC’s main characters was a worthwhile venture. It sure was. Thus, Aquaman was also soon rebooted—either right away in October 1956 with Adventure Comics #229 or as late as 1959’s Adventure Comics #260 (it’s debatable). In 1958, DC also rebooted Wonder Woman (in Wonder Woman #98). In 1959, Green Lantern was rebooted as Hal Jordan (in Showcase #22). Martian Manhunter’s reboot is a special case. He is often regarded as the first Silver Age superhero due to having debuted a year prior to Showcase #4. However, this is a misconception. In my opinion, which is shared by the great historian Craig Shutt, Martian Manhunter was a late-debuting Golden Age superhero. There’s no hint of Martian Manhunter being on an alternate Earth in any of his 1955-1956 appearances. In fact, it’s not until much later, in Detective Comics #273 (November 1959), where his character makes a noticeable personality shift. In stark contrast, Flash’s tale from Showcase #4 was an alternate Earth story completely and definitively. (Barry reading Jay Garrick comics undeniably set his world on a different Earth—the prerequisite to understanding this being the fact that the Shazam/Marvel Family home was an alternate Earth seen as fictional comics as well.)

Scholar Rikdad emphasizes the staggered shift from Golden to Silver Age by highlighting key storytelling trends. Rikdad says, “DC stories in [the Golden Age] largely operated on cyclical time, with nothing much ever changing. It was a gradual process from about 1959 to 1969 in which the narrative shifted from cyclical to linear, culminating with marriages (first: [Aquaman then] Barry Allen), deaths (first: Ferro Lad), and growing up (first: Dick Grayson leaving for college). The stories suddenly had beginnings and endings.” Of course, this is not to say that the Golden Age lacked continuity, merely that the type of continuity went from “status quo as story” to “alteration of the status quo as story.”

Back to the staggered character reboots from DC’s Golden Age to Silver Age, here comes the tricky part: DC was hesitant to mess with their two big money makers—Batman and Superman. Thus, most of the secondary characters were being rebooted onto a new Earth, but the Big Two seemingly weren’t. Or were they? Things were so deliberately vague for the Dark Detective and the Man of Steel that there can be varied claims as to when they were rebooted—or even varied interpretations as to which issues go with which Earth. In March 1960, The Brave & The Bold #28 debuted a brand new superhero team known as the Justice League of America. This team not only included all the rebooted heroes, but included Batman and Superman too! Up until this point, the public would have been given no indication that Batman and Superman hadn’t been the same Batman and Superman that existed since 1939. (The only possible indicator of an alternate Batman prior to 1960 would have been the multiple references to Robin being much too young, essentially incorrectly keeping him a teen well past the point where he would have been a teen. But as we will see in the Modern Age, the practice of keeping Robins inexplicably youthful is a practice that will continue on well into the 21st century. The age of Robin is less an indicator of a new Dynamic Duo on a new Earth and more an indicator of poor continuity and a holding-steady of the lame-but-marketable status-quo.) The appearance of a Batman and a Superman in the pages of a rebooted JLA book meant that there had to be a separate Batman and Superman on the rebooted Earth as well as an older Batman and Superman that had adventured in the Golden Age on another Earth! Here’s where the different interpretations kick in. While all JLA stories were obviously occurring on a single Earth, there was literally no way of knowing which non-JLA Batman and Superman stories (i.e. Detective Comics, Batman, Action Comics, Batman, and World’s Finest Comics) were taking place on which Earth. Most non-JLA Batman and Superman stories were insular and never mentioned anything that could function as a clue to placement.

Eventually, the Jay Garrick Golden Age Earth was defined by name as “Earth-2” whereas the Barry Allen/JLA rebooted Silver Age Earth was defined by name as “Earth-1.” This happened in Flash #137 (June 1963). Flash #137, despite fleshing-out the multiverse by naming the Earths and also by showing key differences between them, continued the vagueness in regard to the Big Two. The issue mentions Earth-2 Gotham as home to Green Lantern Alan Scott, but doesn’t even mention Batman at all! And Superman isn’t mentioned either! It’s almost as if there was an editorial mandate simply to not address the Big Two—a message telling readers that they were supposed to remain unsure of which Earth the non-JLA stories were happening on.

However, any confusion could be cast aside a mere month later with the publication of JLA #21-22 (“Crisis on Earth-One and Crisis on Earth-Two”) in August 1963. Since JLA #21-22 hammered in the concept that the JLA’s Batman and Superman were Earth-1 heroes, it basically told readers that the other Batman and Superman belong to Earth-2. But without specifically assigning which Batman went with which Bat-title, things were still a bit murky (in regard to the non-JLA titles).

Around May 1964, Batman’s costume switched from having the classic black bat-insignia to having a big yellow-oval insignia—in Detective Comics #327, Batman #164, and World’s Finest Comics #142. When Batman’s costume immediately reflected this change in the pages of JLA, fans finally knew that the Batman in the main Bat-titles was the same Batman from JLA. Thus, it should come as no surprise that a majority of comics historians mistakenly link Batman’s Silver Age reboot with this iconic costume change. Even DC writer/editor Bob Rozakis, in a 1979 “Ask the Answer Man” column, referred to Batman’s “new look” as the start of Earth-1 storytelling. However, there’s a major flaw in that logic. The JLA Batman, definitively an Earth-1 character, wore the black-insignia costume since the JLA’s debut in 1960. While everything after the 1964 yellow-oval switch must be Earth-1 Silver Age for sure, any Batman, Detective Comics, or World’s Finest Comics stuff from 1960 up to the 1964 yellow-oval switch is still questionable as to which universe it is happening on. Therefore, the yellow-oval switch, while important for giving us a definitive Silver Age marker for Batman post May 1964, does little to give us an actual Silver Age starting point.

A great way to determine the start of the Silver Age for Batman and Superman (and to extrapolate further the historical complexity of the Silver Age’s start) would have been to look at when Earth-2 Batman and Earth-2 Superman first show up or get referenced after 1960’s JLA debut. The appearance of said Earth-2 characters would have provided undeniable proof of separate universal existence. Unfortunately, Earth-2 Batman and Earth-2 Superman were conspicuous in their absence not only from “Crisis on Earth-One and Crisis on Earth-Two,” but also from the Silver Age as a whole for a really long time. Earth-2 Superman doesn’t appear in the Silver Age until JLA #73 (August 1969) while Earth-2 Batman doesn’t show up until 1970—although he is referenced in JLA #55 (August 1967). Basically, to reiterate, you have a situation where there are two separate Batmen and Supermen as of March 1960, but this can’t truly be officially confirmed until possibly September 1961 or June-August 1963. And if you were looking for the ultimate proof (i.e. the actual other Batman and other Superman showing up/being referenced in comics), you didn’t get that until August 1967 and August 1969, respectively. Whether or not one could connect the dots and differentiate is unknown, but there really seems to have been a near-decade-long period of doubt as to the universal placement of the Men of Steel (1960-1969) and a four-year-long period of doubt in regard to the universal placement of the Caped Crusaders (1960-1964). The latter controversy ends in 1964 instead of 1967 thanks to the yellow-oval switch. Superman’s costume, on the other hand, never changed, making things a bit more difficult for his analysis.[1]

Even throughout most of the 1970s, there was nothing in comics that provided incontrovertible evidence as to the start date for Batman and Superman’s Silver Age (or that provided information allowing one to correctly associate certain issues of Batman, Detective, Superman, Action, or WFC with specific Earths). It’s not until the late 1970s and early 1980s—thanks to several huge retcons—that we are able to start figuring out the exact start of Batman and Superman’s Silver Age lives. These huge retcons dealt specifically with the world of Earth-2 (thus having immediate impact on Earth-1). The biggest of these retcons involve marriage. Clark Kent is said to have retroactively married Lois Lane in the early 50s. Likewise, Bruce Wayne is said to have married Selina Kyle in 1955. This means a lot of things. First, a bunch of late 50s and early 60s stories where Clark and Lois are clearly not married become non-canon on Earth-2. Second, a bunch of late 50s and early 60s stories where Batman is romantically involved with Batwoman become non-canon on Earth-2. Third, a few stories in the 50s where Catwoman returns to crime become non-canon on Earth-2.

The third big 80s retcon is about how and when Superman and Batman first learned each other’s secret identities. Superman #76 (1952) and World’s Finest Comics #71 (1954) depicted the famous SS Varania version of this important event. However, even back in the 50s, the canonicity of Superman #76 was in question since Batman and Superman had learned each other’s IDs years earlier (on the radio show). In the early 80s, DC wanted to define (or redefine) how Batman and Superman learned each other’s secret IDs on each separate Earth. Thus, in 1980 (via Superman Family #201), DC made Superman #76 the canonical version on Earth-2. To further confuse matters, a mere year later (in World’s Finest Comics #271, September 1981), DC changed their minds. Superman #76 was switched and made officially canon on Earth-1 whereas the radio version was made officially canon on Earth-2.

The fourth major 70s/80s retcon is from DC Superstars #17 (1977) and America vs The Justice Society (1985), which introduced the idea that Bruce and Selina’s child, Helena, is born in 1957, at which time, Bruce stops being a socialite, becomes active politically, and “semi-retires” as Batman, no longer going on routine patrols and only working “special cases.”

More late 70s/early 80s retcons to differentiate Earth-2 and Earth-1 occurred as well. Two-Face stays reformed on Earth-2 instead of returning to crime. Thus, any issues that show a reformed Two-Face returning to crime become non-canon on Earth-2. There are many other retcons in the late 50s and early 60s, and while they are mainly about Superman, they also affect Batman as well. These retcons include appearances by Superboy, the Arctic Fortress of Solitude, Lori Lemaris, the Bottle City of Kandor, Supergirl, the Legion, Bizarros, an adult Lana Lang, and other colors of Kryptonite—all of which become non-canon on Earth-2. These Bat-retcons and Super-retcons become the exceptions, which retroactively switch a ton of stories from Earth-2 to Earth-1.

So, what does my Silver Age/Earth-1 timeline look like? First of all, there is no better scholar on the internet dealing with the transition from Golden Age to Silver Age and specifically how it affects continuity of Earths-1 and 2 other than Mike Voiles. His series of “Fanboy” articles represent the best the dialectic has to offer and have been a tremendous help to me. However, my timeline is different from his. I agree with Voiles when he says to disregard the yellow-oval as start of the Earth-1 stories. However, his other rationalizations are unfortunate paralogisms. March 1960 is still the key here. The Brave & the Bold #28 shows us definitively for the first time that there are two Batmen operating on two different Earths. (Showcase #4 and subsequent other character reboots showed us that there were two Earths, but not definitively that there were two Batmen.) Obviously, the retcons made in the late 70s/early 80s must be heeded at all times, but Voiles has ALL ‘tec issues starting with #203 (1954) as occurring on Earth-1 due to the “fact” that Catwoman returns to crime in #203. First of all, I do not believe that Earth-2 Catwoman never returns to crime after Batman #62. Contrary to very popular belief, Detective Comics #203 (and its follow-up in Batman #84 and Detective Comics #211) is canon on Earth-2 instead of Earth-1. Voiles argues that Superman Family #211 tells us that Catwoman never returns to crime after going straight. Not so fast. In Superman Family #211, Clark tells Lois a watered-down version of Bruce’s history with Selina, and while the last thing he mentions is her adventure that involves Karl Kyle, that doesn’t necessarily mean that her return to crime didn’t happen. Clark’s interpretation of Catwoman’s career may be legit, but he unequivocally omits parts towards the end. Furthermore, DC Super-Stars #17 (1977) and The Brave & The Bold #197 (1983) tell a joint-story that not only contradicts any flimsy insinuation in Superman Family #211 (1981) that Catwoman never returned to crime, but also shows explicitly that she does return to crime! (In order to turn herself back into the law and serve a legit jail sentence, Selina must have turned back to crime.) Why am I so sure about my version of things? First, two stories that back a certain version of events tend to outweigh one story that backs another. Second, The Brave & The Bold #197, which backs my version, was published the latest (1983), giving it more credence as a finalized retcon tale. Third, the “contradictory” issue (Superman Family #211) isn’t even really contradictory since one can definitely read Clark’s unreliable narration in a way that jibes with the other versions where Selina returns to crime. And fourth, the “Mr. and Mrs. Superman” sections of Superman Family are already littered with continuity errors, including a reference in Superman Family #201 to a definitively non-canon SS Varania adventure that only took place on Earth-1, thus lessening the credibility of what occurs in said sections. Comics historians and narratologists have long tried to simplify chronologies by ignoring things they read, even if they are staring them in the face. It’s all in the text, if you choose to scrutinize. But let’s play Devil’s Advocate. Even if I did agree with Voiles’ history of Earth-2 Catwoman, I wouldn’t mark ‘tec #203 as important of a keystone issue anyway. There’s nothing there that screams “There are two Batmen!” These issues were simply made into Earth-1 stories due to the late 70s/early 80s retcons. And the late 70s/early 80s retcons weren’t meant to change things so that the Silver Age began two years before Showcase #4! If we instead go by March 1960 as the all-important date, then ‘tec #276 (February 1960) must be the last Earth-2 ‘tec issue. That means…

Detective Comics #277 (March 1960) and up are Earth-1 issues. However, any issues of ‘tec prior to this should be taken on a case-by-case basis in regard to whether or not they violate any retcon exceptions, which would then slide them from Earth-2 to Earth-1. Note that both ‘tec #275 and ‘tec #276 violate retcon exceptions and are both Earth-1 stories, so, technically, ‘tec #275 (January 1960) and up are Earth-1 stories.

Another complaint I have about Voiles’ methodology: If an issue from Earth-1 (Silver Age) references or flashes-back to an issue from Earth-2 (Golden Age), Voiles immediately regards that Golden Age issue as no longer canon on Earth-2 and now canon in on Earth-1! That’s not the way things work. Compare that method to what’s going on while curating timelines in the Rebirth Era, New 52, or even in the Modern Age. If something is referenced, it becomes retroactive reference notation material. You don’t add the story in completely! Here’s an example of Voiles’ methodology: he says that, because WFC #251 (a Silver Age Earth-1 tale) references Batman #75 (a Golden Age tale), Batman #75 must only be canon on Earth-1 and no longer canon on Earth-2. Another example: Voiles says that the first appearance of Earth-1 Batman is in Batman #62 because that issue is referenced in WFC #89, which he regards as an Earth-1 book. This doesn’t work for me. Using this type of thinking, Voiles has every issue of WFC from #68 up as occurring on Earth-1. Before 1960, you can “copy and paste” specific issues when building continuity timelines, but you cannot simply “cut and paste” large chunks of stories all together. Too many historians, including Voiles, try the latter. Since I’m still going with March 1960 as the key date, my chronology, in regard to WFC, considers the Earth-1 stuff to start with…

World’s Finest Comics #108 (March 1960). Of course, this doesn’t include a large chunk of earlier stories that violate the major retcons—i.e. Lois and Clark clearly not being married, Bruce and Selina clearly not being married, SS Varania references, or Batman clearly not being “semi-retired” after the birth of his daughter. Starting with WFC #76, we must scrutinize the WFC series more closely, separating the obvious Earth-1 tales from Earth-2 tales, until we reach WFC #108, whence all issues will fall into the Earth-1 category. Note that World’s Finest Comics #107 violates Bruce’s anti-socialite stance, which he takes in semi-retirement. Therefore, technically, Earth-1 starts with World’s Finest Comics #107 (February 1960) and up.

Last but not least, Voiles has Batman #81 and up all listed as Earth-1 stories because #81 features Two-Face’s re-scarring and return to crime. However, in my opinion Batman #81 is not canon on Earth-1. The Brave & The Bold #197 clearly states that Two-Face was active in early 1955. Superman Family #211 shows that a rehabilitated and surgically repaired Harvey Kent attends Bruce’s wedding in the summer of 1955. Therefore, on Earth-2, Harvey does indeed become Two-Face again in #81. We must merely assume that he reforms shortly after that, as Superman Family tells us. What does it all mean? Not only are most historians totally wrong about this fact, but it also means that we must go by the March 1960 marker once again. Using the March 1960 date, we have…

the entirety of Batman #130 (March 1960) and all following issues functioning as Earth-1 stories. Any parts of issues—(Batman is split into three separate stories an issue)—prior to this must still be highly scrutinized and taken on a case-by-case basis in regard to whether or not they violate any retcon exceptions, which would then slide them from Earth-2 to Earth-1. With that being said, Batman #128 and Batman #129 actually violate later retcons about Batwoman’s retirement and about Batman’s semi-retirement policy of no longer routinely patrolling. The second two parts of Batman #127 (parts two and three) also violate later retcons about Bruce’s semi-retirement as well. Therefore, we can say, more technically and specifically, that all Batman stories beginning with Batman #127 Part 2 (October 1959) onward take place on the Earth-1 timeline.

So, titles ranging from October 1959 through March 1960 start my version of Batman’s Silver Age aka his Earth-1 timeline. Of course, due to the numerous retcon exceptions (mostly from the late 70s and early 80s), a bunch of formerly Golden Age issues (from the 50s and early 1960) fill in the opening portion. Those issues are:

–Superman #76 (May 1952)
–WFC #71-72 (July 1954-September 1954)
–WFC #76-78 (May 1955-September 1955)
–Batman #94 Part 2 (September 1955)
–Detective Comics #225 (November 1955)
–WFC #80 (January 1956)
–Batman #98 Part 2 (March 1956)
–Batman #99 Part 1 (April 1956)
–Batman #99 Part 2 (April 1956)
–WFC #81 (March 1956)
–Detective Comics #233 (July 1956)
–WFC #84 (October 1956)
–Detective Comics #237 (November 1956)
–WFC #85-86 (December 1956-February 1957)
–Batman #105 Part 1 (February 1957)
–WFC #88-90 (May 1957-October 1957)
–Batman #110 Part 3 (September 1957)
–Batman #111 Part 2 (October 1957)
–Batman #112 Part 3 (December 1957)
–Batman #114 Part 3 (March 1958)
–Detective Comics #249 (November 1957)
–WFC #93 (April 1958)
–Superman #128 Part 3 (April 1959)
–Batman #115 Part 2 (April 1958)
–Detective Comics #250-251 (December 1957-January 1958)
–Detective Comics #255 (May 1958)
–WFC #94 (June 1958)
–Batman #116 Part 2 (June 1958)
–Batman #116 Part 3 (June 1958)
–Detective Comics #256 (June 1958)
–Batman #117 Part 1 (August 1958)
–Batman #117 Part 2 (August 1958)
–WFC #95 (August 1958)
–Action Comics #241 (June 1958)
–Detective Comics #257-258 (July 1958-August 1958)
–Batman #119 Part 1 (October 1958)
–WFC #97 (October 1958)
–Batman #120 Part 2 (December 1958)
–Batman #120 Part 3 (December 1958)
–Batman #121 Part 1 (February 1959)
–Detective Comics #261-262 (November 1958-December 1958)
–Batman #122 Part 3 (March 1959)
–Detective Comics #263 (January 1959)
–WFC #99 (February 1959)
–Batman #123 Part 2 (April 1959)
–WFC #100 (March 1959)
–Superman #132 (October 1959)
–Detective Comics #267 (May 1959)
–WFC #101 (May 1959)
–Batman #124 Part 1 (June 1959)
–Batman #124 Part 3 (June 1959)
–Detective Comics #268 (June 1959)
–WFC #102 (June 1959)
–Detective Comics #269 (July 1959)
–WFC #103 (August 1959)
–Batman #126 Part 3 (September 1959)
–WFC #104 (September 1959)
–Batman #127 Part 2 (October 1959)
–Batman #127 Part 3 (October 1959)
–Batman #128 (December 1959)
–Detective Comics #275 (January 1960)
–Batman #130 Part 1 (March 1960)
–Detective Comics #276 (February 1960)
–WFC #107 (February 1960)

In conclusion, there really is no set-in-stone undeniable version of when the Silver Age begins for Batman. It will always be open to interpretation. Whether you place the Silver Age start with Showcase #4 in 1956, or split the start dates between different titles going back as far as 1954 (as Voiles does), or start with Strange Adventures #54 in 1955 due to the noticeable editorial shift to sci-fi-heavy storytelling (as Ian at TradeReadingOrder.com does), or if you wait until the yellow-oval appears in 1964, or if you start with the JLA debut in 1960—it matters little since none of these are wrong. That being said, I feel very strongly about my version of things. The Real Batman Chronology Project puts its stamp of approval on the pre-original Crisis Earth-1 timeline that is published on this site. Nothing on the web is more researched and comprehensive and I hope that you will agree.[2]

The following text FROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman

"New Look" Batman and camp

By 1964, sales of Batman titles had fallen drastically. Bob Kane noted that, as a result, DC was "planning to kill Batman off altogether".^[46] In response to this, editor Julius Schwartz was assigned to the Batman titles. He presided over drastic changes, beginning with 1964's Detective Comics #327 (May 1964), which was cover-billed as the "New Look". Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary, and to return him to more detective-oriented stories. He brought in artist Carmine Infantino to help overhaul the character. The Batmobile was redesigned, and Batman's costume was modified to incorporate a yellow ellipse behind the bat-insignia. The space aliens, time travel, and characters of the 1950s such as Batwoman, Ace, and Bat-Mite were retired. Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred was killed off (though his death was quickly reversed) while a new female relative for the Wayne family, Aunt Harriet, came to live with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.^[47]

The debut of the Batman television series in 1966 had a profound influence on the character. The success of the series increased sales throughout the comic book industry, and Batman reached a circulation of close to 900,000 copies.^[48] Elements such as the character of Batgirl and the show's campy nature were introduced into the comics; the series also initiated the return of Alfred. Although both the comics and TV show were successful for a time, the camp approach eventually wore thin and the show was canceled in 1968. In the aftermath, the Batman comics themselves lost popularity once again. As Julius Schwartz noted, "When the television show was a success, I was asked to be campy, and of course when the show faded, so did the comic books."^[49]

Starting in 1969, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams made a deliberate effort to distance Batman from the campy portrayal of the 1960s TV series and to return the character to his roots as a "grim avenger of the night".^[50] O'Neil said his idea was "simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after."^[51]

O'Neil and Adams first collaborated on the story "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" in Detective Comics #395 (Jan. 1970). Few stories were true collaborations between O'Neil, Adams, Schwartz, and inker Dick Giordano, and in actuality these men were mixed and matched with various other creators during the 1970s; nevertheless the influence of their work was "tremendous".^[52] Giordano said: "We went back to a grimmer, darker Batman, and I think that's why these stories did so well ..."^[53] While the work of O'Neil and Adams was popular with fans, the acclaim did little to improve declining sales; the same held true with a similarly acclaimed run by writer Steve Englehart and penciler Marshall Rogers in Detective Comics #471–476 (Aug. 1977 – April 1978), which went on to influence the 1989 movie Batman and be adapted for Batman: The Animated Series, which debuted in 1992.^[54] Regardless, circulation continued to drop through the 1970s and 1980s, hitting an all-time low in 1985.^[55]

THE COMIC BOOK COVER GALLERY, SUMMARIES, AND DATA


BATMAN #180

Batman and Robin battle a new villain named Death-Man, whose most notable power is the apparent ability to come back from the dead.

Creators

•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Gil Kanepenciler - COVER
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Robert Kanigherwriter
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	Death Knocks Three Times
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	180
Cover Date	May 1966
In Store Date	March 03, 1966

BATMAN #181

The first appearance of Poison Ivy in “Beware of Poison Ivy!” Poison Ivy challenges the reigning female villains in Gotham City. Batman and Robin are on the move to stop her, but they’re both at risk of falling victim to her charms! *Content scan quality may vary.

This comic is a big key issue that features the first appearance of Poison Ivy.

Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are attending a Pop-Art show that features pieces of the top 3 (Dragon Fly, Silken Spider, and Tiger Moth) female criminals in Gotham City. Poison Ivy shows up and challenges the top spot to the press and then makes a quick getaway. Batman tries to follow her but she manages to get away. All the while Robin is worried that Batman is falling in love with Poison Ivy. (Why? because he has a secret crush? haha)

When the three top female criminals hear about Ivy's challenge they show up in her pre-arranged place and what do you know!? It turns out to be a trap and all 3 are knocked unconscious. When Batman arrives on the scene Ivy uses her charm to seduce Batman but Robin is there too and helps him to snap out of it and she is later arrested.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Murphy Andersoncover
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Name	Beware of Poison Ivy!, The Perfect Crime - Slightly Imperfect!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	181
Cover Date	June 1966
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #182

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kaneartist
•  Charles Pariscover
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Dick Sprangartist
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Pat Gordoncolorist
•  Sheldon Moldoffcover
•  Stan Kayecover
•  Winslow Mortimercover

Issue details

Name	The Strange Lives of Batman and Robin
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	182
Cover Date	July 1966
In Store Date	May 12, 1966

BATMAN #183

Poison Ivy's debut continues in "A Touch of Poison Ivy!" Batman and Robin learn the extent of Poison Ivy's powers as she lures and weakens Batman-from behind bars!

A Touch Of Poison Ivy!

Bruce Wayne swans about town, with a different woman on his arm each night, but he only has eyes for Poison Ivy. In their last encounter, a kiss from the deadly villainess left a post hypnotic suggestion in the Batman's mind. Now every woman he sees is Poison Ivy. Every word they say is spoken in her honeyed, seductive whisper. Always Poison Ivy re-enforces the notion that Batman is under her spell, and will be unable to resist the urge to break her free from Gotham State Penitentiary. Dick Grayson notices Wayne's distance, but fails to shake Wayne from his reverie. Gunshots, however, do the trick. Quickly donning their costumes, Batman and Robin swing into action. The Dynamic Duo break up a gang of crooks attempting to execute several key witnesses in the court case against Joe "The Undertaker." Crime fighting seems to break Poison Ivy's sway over Batman. Feigning repentance, Poison Ivy crafts a pocket mirror, in the prison's machine shop, and has it delivered to Batman, along with a letter. The pocket mirror seems to more strongly place the Batman under Poison Ivy's spell, as the Caped Crusader literally spends days staring into the mirror. Always seeing her face in the looking glass, and hearing her voice, urging him to release her from prison. In an attempt to clear Batman's head, Robin takes the Dark Knight on a ferry ride across Gotham River. Criminals hijack the ferry. Batman focuses on the mirror, leaving Robin to take the crooks on alone. Only after seeing the Boy Wonder take a terrible beating does Batman intervene, quickly making short work of the hijackers.

Batman shatters the mirror, then sends the pieces back to Poison Ivy. Days later, Batman is summoned to the prison hospital, where Poison Ivy has taken deathly ill. Poison Ivy requests one last kiss. As Batman is overwhelmed with compassion, Poison Ivy uses his momentary weakness to take Batman hostage, with her hair. Holding a clump of her explosive-laden hair, Poison Ivy forces Batman to carry her out of the prison infirmary, to a waiting getaway car, outside the penitentiary walls. The prison's guards' pursuit is foiled when Poison Ivy hurls the strands of her hair at their vehicles. The hairs explode underneath the three cars, disabling them. Batman grabs the steering wheel to take control of the getaway car, only to find his hand pricked by a drugged needle, mounted on the wheel. Batman passes out. Batman awakens to find a leash around his neck, with Poison Ivy holding the other end. To protest his captivity, Batman begins a hunger strike. After several days, Poison Ivy decides to force feed Batman, intravenously. Setting up the I.V. panics Poison Ivy's pet panther, forcing Batman to come to her rescue, when the spooked wild cat lunges for her. Poison Ivy pulls Batman in close for a kiss, just as Robin bursts in. The Boy Wonder takes down Poison Ivy's gang. Poison Ivy pulls back from the kiss to find that Batman has bound her wrists with the I.V.'s rubber tubing. Poison Ivy is returned to prison, still certain that Batman, under her spell, will eventually free her.

Batman's Baffling Turnabout!

Batman and Robin bust a criminal gang at an import/export warehouse, in Gotham City. In pursuit of the last crook, Batman triggers a trap door, plummeting down onto an adhesive coated net, suspended over Gotham River. From above, a mysterious figure tells Batman that the entire warehouse had been set with traps. Having served a five year prison sentence, the mystery criminal set a revenge plan in motion to get back at the Batman. With the tide coming in, Gotham River begins to rise. Soon Batman will be engulfed. The mystery man leaves Batman to drown. Donning a Batman costume, the mystery crook joins Robin, feigning a sprained ankle. Though Robin immediately realizes that this man is not the Batman, he plays along with the deception. Driving the Batmobile, Robin takes the injured "Batman" to an auxiliary Batcave. Robin suggests they relax and unmask, then fakes a call from the hotline,to keep from revealing his own identity, "Batman' defers the emergency to Robin, citing his injury. Robin drives off, but spies on the "Batman", from a monitor in the Batmobile. Interference on the monitor screen prompts Robin to check under the hood of the Batmobile, where he finds an explosive device. The same kind of explosive device he watched the "Batman" plant in the Batcave. Robin disarms the device, then waits for the "Batman" to depart, before returning to the Batcave to disarm the second explosive. Robin sets off the explosives to maintain the illusion that the "Batman's" scheme has succeeded. Robin discreetly follows the "Batman" back to the warehouse. When the "Batman" opens the trap door to inspect Batman's corpse, the Caped Crusader springs out. The two men battle for several moments, each smashing pottery and statuary against the other. The real Batman triumphs, just as Robin arrives. Batman escaped the death trap by knocking his laser torch loose from his utility belt, then waiting for it it rise up with the river, until it was within reach. After that, it was a simple matter to cut himself loose from the net. Robin, for his part, was able to instantly see through the "Batman's" deception due to the fact that the criminal's costume was out of date, and thus did not reflect the alterations Batman had made to his uniform, in the five years the other man had been incarcerated.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinopenciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Murphy Andersoncover
•  Robert Kanigherwriter
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	A Touch of Poison Ivy!; Batman's Baffling Turnabout!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	183
Cover Date	August 1966
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #184

"Mystery of the Missing Manhunters!"

After being missing for 13 days, Batman and Robin use a hypnotic device to revive their memories to remember that they were involved in trying to bust up the criminal organization called "Robbery Incorporated." After hiding out criminal Slippery Sam after he worked as an informant, Batman and Robin spent the next 13 days busting up the crooks.

However, when they returned to the Batcave and were about to answer another call, they were zapped by a trap rigged to the Batmobile by Slippery Sam. With their hypnosis complete they begin to search for Sam, but don't have to go further than just outside the Batcave where the car which Sam used to make his escape (Which was previously used by Batman undercover and rigged to explode by Robbery Inc) exploded killing him.

"The Boy Wonder's Boo-Boo Patrol!"

While Bruce Wayne has to attend business in Federal City, Robin is left to patrol Gotham City on his own. While on his first night he ends up "saving" actress Viola Lance, who is shooting a movie in Gotham City. Fearing that the actress is being targeted for the insurance, Robin is close at hand to save her when stunts go wrong.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinopenciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	Mystery of the Missing Manhunters!; The Boy Wonder's Boo-Boo Patrol!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	184
Cover Date	September 1, 1966
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #185

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Charles Pariscover
•  Curt Swancover
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Edmond Hamiltonwriter
•  Jack Schiffeditor
•  Jim Mooneycover
•  Pat Gordoncolorist
•  Sheldon Moldoffcover
•  Stan Kayecover

Issue details

Name	A Prized Collection Starring Robin the Boy Wonder
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	185
Cover Date	November 1966
In Store Date	August 11, 1966

BATMAN #186

The Joker's Original Robberies!

In the Joker's lair, the Clown Prince of Crime's new court jester, Gagsworth A. "Gaggy" Gagsworthy, entertains the Joker. So uproarious is the Joker's laughter that it inspires in him a new caper. The Joker drives into the Salon of Spectacles, intent on stealing all the original models of famous inventions. Gaggy uses his glass shattering scream to bring a chandelier down on the security guards, while the Joker's goons loot the room. Fortunately, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are taking in the exhibits in the Salon of Spectacles. Donning their costumes, Batman and Robin rush in to foil the Joker's robbery. The Joker launches the side wheels of his car at the Dynamic Duo, who easily dodge the spinning missiles. Joker then launches himself from the car, with an ejection seat, landing feet first on the Batman. Gaggy rams the Boy Wonder, who topples backwards, hitting his head. With Robin stunned, Gaggy sets about removing the Boy Wonder's mask. A punch from the Batman though sends the Joker hurtling into Gaggy, knocking both men to the ground. The Joker and Gaggy leap back into their car, releasing a dense smoke screen to mask their exit from the Salon of Spectacles. When the smoke clears, it becomes apparent that the Joker got away with all of the models. Batman and Robin race to the Batmobile to pursue the Joker, but the Clown Prince of Crime is long gone.

Realizing that there is still one original model of a famous invention at risk, Batman and Robin drive to the home of Philip Perry, the inventor of the electric typewriter. Perry, however, reveals that his was not the very first electric typewriter. Hamilton Tyne invented an electric typewriter six months prior to Perry's. Batman and Robin race to Tyne's apartment, but they're too late. The Joker has already been there, and Tyne's typewriter is gone. Back at the Joker's lair, Gaggy's antics inspire the Joker's next caper. Unable to resist taunting Batman, the Joker leaves a message for the Caped Crusader, in the local paper. Deciphering the Joker's clue, Batman determines that the Joker means to make off with the original city hall of Gotham City. The Dynamic Duo race to intercept the Joker at the monument's site. Disrupting the dedication ceremony, the Joker arrives via helicopter, and attaches towing cables to the old city hall structure, carrying it away into the sky. Batman and Robin arrive just in time to leap inside city hall, as it is carried away. Arriving at their destination, the Joker returns the city hall building to the ground. Out burst Batman and Robin, taking the Joker by surprise. A fierce battle ensues, with Batman and Robin ultimately triumphing over the Joker, Gaggy, and the Joker's gang. Turned over to the authorities, the Joker and Gaggy find themselves sharing a cell. The little man will be entertaining the Joker from behind bars, for their foreseeable future.

Commissioner Gordon's Death-Threat!

Batman receives a phone call from Commissioner Gordon, who has received a threat on his life, from Fred Purley, a man Gordon put away forty years ago. Gordon is laying low in a hotel room, in Resort City. Batman departs immediately to come to the aid of his old friend. Unbeknownst to Batman, Purley has already abducted Gordon. It was Purley, perfectly mimicking Gordon's voice who sent for Batman. In the Batcopter, Batman travels to Resort City, then races to Gordon's hotel room. As Batman opens the door, the room explodes. With Batman away, Robin patrols the streets of Gotham City solo. The Boy Wonder spies criminals exiting the Foxcroft Jewel Salon, and springs into action. Robin has just about subdued the entire criminal gang by his lonesome, when he hears Gordon's voice... really Purley again... behind him. Distracted, Robin is felled by a blow to the head. Robin heads to police headquarters to report the robbery, running into Batman. The two compare notes and set about finding Purley's hideout. Robin recalls seeing a brochure for Flame Island, in the breast pocket of one of Robbins' gunsels. The Dynamic Duo journey to Flame Island, and begin searching, from the air, for any sign of Gordon. Amazingly, the Caped Crusaders spot the Bat Signal, emanating from a tower room, in a secluded mansion. Rushing in, the Dynamic Duo take Purley by surprise, taking him and his gang down, before any harm can come to Gordon. As it turns out, though Gordon did indeed carve the Bat Symbol into the blackened glass of the tower room, it was Purley who set a kerosene lantern down near enough to the window that shined the makeshift signal. Thus has Purley, inadvertently, brought about his own downfall.

Creators

•  Bob Oksnerinker, penciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Henry Boltinoffinker, letterer, penciler, writer
•  Ira Schnappletterer
•  Jack Schiffwriter
•  Joe Giellainker
•  John Broomewriter
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Murphy Andersoncover, inker, penciler
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Joker's Original Robberies
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	186
Cover Date	November 1, 1966
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #187

Batman's First Case

The famed crime-crusader is threatened with death by o vill ion whom he first encountered at the start of his career!

Phantom Eye of Gotham City

Twin Troubles face the Dynamic Duo as an uncanny Eye probes the secret Bat-Cave, and a Batman impostor boldly challenges the great lawman!

Last Days of Batman

Fate had given Robin a brief glimpse of a day in the near future - when the newspaper headlines announced Batman's death!

Peril at Playland Isle

An amusement park, ironically, is the setting for a murder mystery and a manhunt - with the Dynamic Duo in a grim battle against a desperate killer!

Batman of Tomorrow

Out of the future comes a Batman of the year 3055 to take the place of the injured Batman of today!

Ballad of Batman

A wandering minstrel composes a song about the great heroes of Gotham City, little dreaming of the dangerous effects of one of his verses!

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kanepenciler
•  Charles Parisinker
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Dick Sprangpenciler
•  Edmond Hamiltonwriter
•  Jack Schiffeditor
•  Pat Gordoncolorist
•  Winslow Mortimercover

Issue details

Name
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	187
Cover Date	December 1, 1966
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #188

The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman!

Standing outside a department store window display, Bruce Wayne is captivated by a giant eraser. Wayne is reminded of an old college classmate, one Lenny Fiasco. Prone to making mistakes at the black board, Wayne can only recall a single time he ever saw Fiasco without an eraser in his hands, at a winter carnival. Fiasco, tears brimming in his eyes, watched Wayne ride by with the "Ice Queen", a fellow classmate, and Fiasco's secret crush. Returning to Wayne Manor, Wayne is informed that the police commissioner has been desperately trying to contact Wayne, or rather, his alter-ego, Batman. Wayne, along with his youthful ward, Dick Grayson, as Batman and Robin, journey to the Riverside Bank, and a rendezvous with Commissioner Gordon. The bank robbery is but the latest in a string of crimes that has baffled Gordon. Somehow, the perpetrators have managed to commit these robberies without leaving a single bit of evidence behind. The Batman conducts his own investigation of the crime scene, but can also turn up no clues. Stepping outside for some air, the caped crusader is mobbed by a group of autograph seeking groupies, all but one of whom completely ignore his sidekick, Robin. Suddenly, a model of Batman crashes at his feet. Believing it to be a distress signal, the dynamic duo scales the building wall, to the window the model fell from, and discover a charity auction in the midst of being robbed by masked gunmen. Batman and Robin quickly subdue the would-be robbers. A quick search of the men produces a newspaper that ignites at the Batman's touch. The paper turns out to be a copy of "The Secret Underground", a criminal publication that offers tips on committing crimes. Of particular interest is an advertisement from a man called "The Eraser", who offers to eliminate any and all crime scene evidence, for a mere 20% of the profits. Batman and Robin go undercover to flush the Eraser out into the open.

Batman's cover identity is that of an organ grinder, with Robin cast in the role of the monkey. With the co-operation of the Gotham City Police Department, Batman, as the organ grinder, burglarizes a jewelry store. Robin is left behind to serve as back-up, in case Batman runs into trouble. In the process of robbing the store's safe, the "organ grinder" is startled by the sudden presence of the Eraser. The bizarre villain removes his helmet and begins erasing all the evidence the "organ grinder" has left in the commission of this crime. Batman is stunned to see that the face behind the Eraser's helmet is that of Lenny Fiasco, his old college classmate. Unfortunately, Fiasco also recognizes the "organ grinder" as Bruce Wayne, by the signature scent of his shaving lotion. Fiasco confesses his love, to Wayne, for Celia Smith, The Ice Queen of the Winter Carnival. When Wayne "took" her from Fiasco, the brokenhearted collegian left the academic life behind for a life of crime. Now, the class joke who was always erasing his own mistakes, is cleaning up by erasing the mistakes of Gotham City's criminal element. Wayne pleads with Fiasco to reconsider the path he's chosen, but Fiasco gasses Wayne into unconsciousness, and carries his hated rival to his secret hideout. Fiasco has engineered an exact recreation of the Winter Carnival, complete with life sized figures of Wayne and Smith, carved from ice. Wayne is placed inside his own figurine and left to slowly freeze to death. Wayne uses his escape artist skills to free himself from his icy coffin. The Boy Wonder arrives, providing Wayne with the necessary distraction to switch to Batman. The Dynamic Duo uses Fiasco's ice sculptures as cover, as they close with the Eraser, and his gunsels. In short order, the villains are put down. In prison, Batman and Robin gift Fiasco with the giant eraser, from the department store window. By the time Fiasco erases the mistakes of his life, his sentence will be ended.

The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City!

In the office of Police Commissioner Gordon, Batman and Robin meet with Matt Whitson, the publisher of the magazine, Squire. Every year, Squire releases a "Ten Best-Dressed Men of Gotham City" list. Prior to the release of this year's publication, the first three men on the list, Charles Lowry, Deems Davis, & Terrence Green, have all died. All within the last week. The next name on the list is that of Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne. As they exit the police precinct, Batman tells Robin that, just that morning, he was nearly killed, as Wayne, when he suddenly lost control of his car and drove off into a ravine. With the killer believing that Wayne has perished, Batman and Robin rush to inform the fifth man, Hampden Dennis, of his peril. Dennis brushes off the potential danger, and goes about his business. Batman and Robin tail Dennis to a seedy area of Gotham City. When Dennis' chauffeur enters a building through the basement entrance, then emerges carrying a metal box, Batman reveals his presence. Dennis and the chauffeur attack Batman and Robin, but are quickly defeated. At police headquarters, Dennis is revealed to be the secret king of Gotham City's numbers rackets. While his arrest is a real coup for Commissioner Gordon, it doesn't bring Batman any closer to catching the killer.

As Dennis' arrest has only just occurred, Batman reasons that the killer would have no way of knowing that Dennis is safe and sound in the Gotham City jail. Batman and Robin travel to Dennis' home, in the hopes of catching the killer. The Dynamic Duo split up to search the house. When Robin enters the sauna, the door locks behind him, and the room begins filling with scalding hot steam. Robin radios Batman for immediate assistance. As Batman races to the sauna to rescue the Boy Wonder, he is ambushed by the killer. Though the killer has gotten the drop on Batman, the Caped Crusader manages to dodge the killer's bullet, before beating the man down. Once Robin has been released from the trap meant for Dennis, Batman attends to the killer, Matt Whitson. During the Korean War, Whitson had been taken prisoner and, in an act of cowardice, betrayed his countrymen. It had been Whitson's secret for years, until Deems Davis, the author, uncovered the truth while researching for a book about the war. Deems opted to blackmail Whitson, prompting Whitson to kill Deems. By blind chance, Charles Lowry, the architect, perished in a genuine accident, earlier that same week. Lowry's death inspired Whitson to begin staging accidents for the other men on the list, in the hopes of leading the police astray in their investigation of Deems' death. Unfortunately for Whitson, while he may have outfoxed the police, he was no match for Batman.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  John Broomewriter
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler
•  Sid Greeneinker

Issue details

Name	The Eraser Who Tried to Rub Out Batman / The Ten Best-Dressed Corpses in Gotham City
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	188
Cover Date	December 1966
In Store Date	October 20, 1966

BATMAN #189

The first appearance of Scarecrow in the Silver Age! How will Batman survive his greatest fears?

The Scarecrow's origin is retold. Psychology Professor Jonathan Crane, motivated by the derision of his peers, takes inspiration from fear based protection rackets and crafts a masked identity for himself, the Scarecrow. Using scare tactics, Crane will garner the money he needs to command respect from his critics. On a playground in Gotham Park, Dick Grayson is instructing local youths in proper exercise. Spying a miniature submarine cruising up Gotham River, Grayson tells the boys to take a lunch break. Grayson trails the submarine, taking cover when it surfaces. To Grayson's astonishment, the Scarecrow disembarks the vessel. At that moment, Bruce Wayne, and his faithful manservant Alfred, arrive, bringing ice cream treats for Grayson's charges. Grayson brings Wayne up to speed, then they both don their costumes. The Caper Crusaders catch up with the Scarecrow, and his men, further inland, where the Strawman Scoundrel is busy recovering hidden loot from a previous robbery. Batman punches the Scarecrow into the ground. Robin then pushes Batman down, too, to avoid a hail of gunfire. While the Dynamic Duo battle against the Scarecrow's gunsels, the Scarecrow recovers, and activates a chemical sprayer onboard the submarine. Batman and Robin are bathed in hallucinogenic chemicals, which instills an irrational fear of falling in them both. With the Caped Crusaders desperately clinging to a tree, the Scarecrow collects his loot and departs, leaving his calling card, a handful of straw, to mark his presence. Once the hallucinogen wears off, the Dynamic Duo release their death grip on the tree, and discover the Scarecrow's clue to his crimes, The words "Park", "Ark" and "Mark" written in the sand.

Retiring to the Batcave, Batman and Robin feed the words into the bat computer, in the hopes of determining the Scarecrow's next crime. A replica of Noah's Ark, used in a silent film, and owned by one Raymond Archer, a merchant whose testimony helped convict the Scarecrow, comes up as the next likely crime scene. Taking the Batboat out to Archer's arc, the Dynamic Duo discover that the Scarecrow is, indeed, onboard. They've also walked right into the Scarecrow's trap. Instantly, the Caped Crusaders are struck blind, affected by the vibrations of the Scarecrow's black light weapon, that has altered the sensory perceptions of their very brains. Tossing a handful of straw to the deck, the Scarecrow departs, closing the door behind him. Stumbling blindly about, Robin fumbles for the door knob. Finding it, he opens the door, letting in a panther and a jaguar. Fighting blind, the Caped Crusaders battle against the big cats. Groping about, Robin gathers the Scarecrow's straw from the deck, and lights it on fire, with a laser torch from his utility belt. With the flames keeping the animals at bay, Robin again fumbles for and locates the door, ushering himself and Batman to safety. The effects of the Scarecrow's black light projector slowly wear off. With their vision returned, the Caped Crusaders depart in the Batboat, all the while attempting to determine the Scarecrow's next move. Very quickly, Batman and Robin figure out that "Mark" ultimately refers to millionaire philanthropist Jeremy T. Hall. Rushing to Hall's residence, the Caped Crusaders catches the Scarecrow, and his men, red-handed, in the midst of a robbery. While Robin takes out the Scarecrow's hoods, Batman beats the Strawman Scoundrel into unconsciousness. In short order, the Scarecrow is handed over to the proper authorities.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	Fright of the Scarecrow
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	189
Cover Date	February 1967
In Store Date	December 06, 1966

BATMAN #190

What a war! The Penguin and his weapon-umbrella army go up against Batman and Robin!

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	"The Penguin Takes a Flyer -- Into the Future!"
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	190
Cover Date	March 1967
In Store Date	January 19, 1967

BATMAN #191

"The Day Batman Sold Out!"

Batman has tracked down Ira Radon, a criminal who is responsible for stealing radioactive isotopes all over Gotham City. Batman accidentally throws Ira into the nuclear reactor. Ira survives but is horribly burned and will soon die. Blaming Batman for his situation, Ira vows revenge against the Dark Knight.

Later Batman calls a press conference and announces that he is retiring from crime fighting. He intends to auction off all of his crime fighting gear. It turns out that Ira Radon has irradiated Batman's various devices in order to force Batman to get rid of them or risk Radon increasing the power of the radiation and killing Batman with radiation poisoning.

At the auction, Andrew Kunkel is the only person to win. Ira goes to visit "Kunkel's" home to see who would purchase a Batarang for $10,000. There, Ira is confronted by Kunkel who is really Batman in disguise. During the fight, Ira walks into the path of his radiation device and dies instantly. Resuming his Andrew Kunkel disguise, Batman phones the police.

"Alfred's Mystery Menu!"

Alfred has been kidnapped by the Millionaire Mobster Club!

The club's leader wants Alfred to prepare a millionaire's meal for his gang. Alfred gives them a list of ingredients he needs that act as clues in order to tip off Batman and Robin. Arriving just as the Millionaire Mobster Club is sitting down to eat Alfred's meal, Batman and Robin manage to smash up the gang and turn them over to the authorities.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Day Batman Sold Out
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	191
Cover Date	May 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #192

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Crystal Ball That Betrayed Batman
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	192
Cover Date	June 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #193

Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride

Come down with us, amigos, to the land of the gaucho and the wildest bandits in the world - and thrill to the exploits of Bat·Hombre!

The Armored Batman

The famed crimefighters face a mysterious menace so formidable that they adopt unique costumes for special protection!

His Majesty, King Batman

The king of lawmen is suddenly transformed into real royalty when a devious and dangerous conspiracy hurtles him into a new risky role!

Batman and The Vikings

The dynamic duo speeds back into the past to unravel the riddle of a Viking coward who looks exactly like Bruce Wayne!

Mayor Bruce Wayne

Batman's secret identity is at stake as a cunning criminal concocts a diabolical scheme to end Batman's career once and for all!

The Flying Batman

In this incredible adventure, Batman and Robin are whisked into the lost valley of birdmen - where Batman acquires real wings!

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kanepenciler
•  Charles Parisinker
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Dick Sprangcover
•  Edmond Hamiltonwriter
•  Pat Gordoncolorist
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler
•  Stan Kayeinker

Issue details

Name
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	193
Cover Date	August 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #194

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Blockbuster Goes Bat-Mad
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	194
Cover Date	August 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #195

Acting on a tip from Billy Blabbermouth, sneak-thief Ned Creegan journeys to Nevil Logan's laboratory, to steal jewels. Creegan beats Logan into unconsciousness, then pries the jewels from a radiation projector, in the testing room. Creegan takes his bounty of jewels to noted underworld fence, Charley Rivets. Unfortunately for Creegan, he's on site when Batman and Robin arrive to bust Rivets. Creegan makes a run for it, but the Batman takes him down. Meanwhile, Robin is left to handle Rivets on his own. With the two criminals quickly subdued, the Dynamic Duo are suddenly taken aback by the strange change that comes over Creegan. The sneak-thief's body becomes transparent, revealing his glowing skeleton, and his very touch has become electric. He lashes out, first at Batman, then Robin, dropping them both with an electric charge. Horrified at his appearance in a mirror, Creegan's distraction gives the Caped Crusaders time to recover. Mere contact with Creegan's body, though, sends powerful electric current through the Dynamic Duo, once again rendering them unconscious. Creegan returns to Logan's laboratory for answers, regarding his condition. Logan's research revolved around finding a cure for radiation poisoning. When Creegan robbed Logan's testing facility, he was bathed in a strange purple radiation, that caused him to change. Though he takes Logan at gunpoint, Creegan is quickly put in his place when Logan reveals that, for every second Creegan spends in his mutated form, he loses a day of his life. Logan supplies Creegan with pills that will temporarily reverse his condition, but only if Creegan will allow himself to become Logan's test subject. Logan also supplies Creegan with pills that will allow him to continue his criminal career as "Bag O' Bones"

Working from one of the irradiated gems that Creegan left with Rivets, Batman determines that Creegan's powers are based on static electricity. Batman then fashions special gloves , for him and Robin to wear, to counter Creegan's charge. Creegan robs the Gotham Mercantile Bank, getting away before Batman and Robin can respond to the alarm. Fashioning a radar device to home in on the specific radioactive frequency of Creegan's body, Batman and Robin catch up with the Bony Bandit, several nights later, at Gotham's Museum of Nature. Creegan pops a pill to become Bag O' Bones, then attacks. Robin closes, but his negatively charged gloves repel him away from Creegan. Batman is able to make contact with his positively charged glove, but his hand actually adheres to Creegan's body. With great effort, Batman is able to shove Creegan over, while separating his hand from Creegan's shoulder. The battle rages back and forth for several moments, until, at last, Batman puts Creegan down. During the battle, Creegan's pills were crushed to powder, leaving him with no means to return to normal. Dying with every passing second, Creegan begs Batman and Robin to garner more pills from Logan. Fearing arrest, Logan unleashes irradiated laboratory animals on the Caped Crusaders. Batman's positively charged gloves allow him to battle the gorilla, but he can't make contact with the attacking dog. Robin's negatively charged gloves allow him to battle the eagle, but he can't make contact with the panther. The Caped Crusaders throw the oppositely charged animals into each other, sticking them together like magnets. Logan is taken into custody, but only after he has made Creegan's pills. Creegan gets 20 years, a sentence he'll never be able to serve. His time spent as Bag O' Bones has left him with only a few more years of life. Logan is allowed to continue his research in prison, under the condition that all of his findings are turned over to the United States Government.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	195
Cover Date	September 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #196

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Psychic Super-Sleuth!; The Purloined Parchment Puzzle
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	196
Cover Date	November 1, 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #197

The fourth Silver Age appearance of Catwoman in this book-length story, "Catwoman Sets Her Claws for Batman!" Catwoman and Batgirl duel!

Catwoman patrols the streets of Gotham City, looking for criminal activity. At the Gotham Winery, Catwoman foils a trio of thieves, out to steal the payroll. Back out on the street, Catwoman encounters Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo are stunned to discover that Catwoman has captured the Parker Brothers, the very criminals they themselves were looking to catch. Robin is suspicious of Catwoman's reform. Batman, too, is dubious, pointing out that the Gotham Winery distills it's wine from catawba grapes. The following night, the Caped Crusaders bust up a theft ring at a silk factory. Suspecting trouble, a portion of the gang hid, laying in wait to ambush any lawmen who came along. Taken by surprise, Batman is momentarily overwhelmed. Robin's timely assistance returns the advantage to Batman.

The Dark Knight returns the favor when Robin, too, finds himself suddenly overwhelmed. Though they fight valiantly against the criminals' larger numbers, the Dynamic Duo soon find themselves up against a wall, staring down the barrels of a half dozen revolvers. Suddenly, Catwoman's cat-o-nine-tails snaps across the criminals' heads, detonating tiny explosives near their ears. With Catwoman's aid, the Caped Crusaders, finally, put the criminal gang down. Though Batman can see no "cat" themed angle in this robbery, Barbara Gordon makes the connection. A specific type of silk bandana, or handkerchief, is also know as a pulicat. Gordon intuits that Catwoman's next outing will occur at the Gotham Wax Museum, where the catafalque of a wealthy maharajah is on display. Gordon changes into her Batgirl costume, and journeys to the museum.

Sure enough, Catwoman is already there, in the midst of thwarting another gang of thieves. Batgirl throws herself at the crooks. Clumsily, Batgirl engages the crooks in combat. A fatal miscalculation in Batgirl's attack strategy leaves her stunned, and reeling on the floor. Only then does Catwoman intervene, quickly taking out the gang of crooks. Egged on by Catwoman, Batgirl shamefully admits to her shortcomings, in front of Batman, then silently walks away. In the days that follow, Catwoman takes Gotham City by storm. Her fame skyrockets, and legions of fans mob her wherever she goes. At night, Catwoman continues to bring in criminal gang after criminal gang. Feeling she's proved herself a more capable partner for Batman than Batgirl, Catwoman offers herself as Batman's partner... and wife. Quite comfortable with the status quo, Batman declines.

In the Batcave, Batman finally acknowledges what the whole of Gotham City already knows, Catwoman is in love with him. Fearing that matters will soon come to a head between them, Batman decides to take certain precautions before going on patrol. Batman, Robin, Batgirl and Catwoman all simultaneously converge on the Coin Chateau. A group of thieves is already inside, helping themselves to the Duke of Apulia's collection of rare silver ducats. Catwoman is surprised to see Batgirl back in action. Batgirl, though, has figured out that Catwoman used catoptrics in their last encounter. By swinging a bauble about, Catwoman distorted the light in the room enough to affect Batgirl's vision, and throw off her combat timing. Knowing that Batgirl is on to her, Catwoman suddenly turns, and clubs Batman into unconsciousness.

The thieves, really Catwoman's gang, quickly overwhelm Batgirl and Robin. Catwoman unmasks Batman, only to discover that Batman has painted his face, underneath his mask. Batgirl and Robin are revealed to have done the same. Removing their utility belts, Catwoman has the three crimefighters placed in a preprepared trap. Catwoman reveals that she only reformed in return for a wedding proposal from Batman. Catwoman issues Batman her final ultimatum, marry her or she will return to her life of crime. Batman rushes Catwoman, only to be repelled by a sonic barrier. Catwoman's cataphonic trap amplifies the prerecorded snarls of cats into an invisible cat's cradle of sound waves. The pain of contact is excruciating. Nonetheless, Batman refuses to marry Catwoman. The Feline Felon robs a high stakes poker game, taking full possession of the "kitty".

Catwoman returns to gloat, holding Batman responsible for her actions, by refusing to marry her. Suddenly, Batgirl leaps clear of the cataphonic trap. Before Catwoman can use her catoptrics against her, Batgirl beats Catwoman into submission. Batman and Robin step forward to take down Catwoman's gang. Batgirl reveals that she hypnotized Batman. Gently swinging her gloves against the sound barrier, Batgirl created a somnambulant tone that put Batman into a trance. With his pain receptors clouded under hypnosis, Batman was able to walk through the cataphonic field and turn it off. Catwoman also learns that all her efforts to make Batgirl look bad were pointless. Batgirl never had any romantic notions towards Batman, and thus was never the rival Catwoman believed her to be.

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover, editor, penciler
•  Frank Springerpenciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Mike Espositocover, inker
•  Sid Greeneinker

Issue details

Name	The Catwoman Sets Her Claws for Batman
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	197
Cover Date	December 1967
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #198

This is a collection of reprints none of which are newer then 1960, According to the editor's note it was also the first time the Batman series listed a table of contents and description of reprints for their "Giant-sized" readers. This volume Also include a reprint of a Sunday morning comic series in which the Penguins Aunt comes to Gotham for a visit and we discover his real name.

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kanepenciler
•  Carmine Infantinopenciler
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Dick Sprangartist
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Pat Gordoncolorist

Issue details

Name
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	198
Cover Date	February 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #199

No description

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Murphy Andersoninker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	Peril of the Poison Rings!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	199
Cover Date	February 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #200

The 200th Smash issue! Batman battles Joker and Penguin in this jam packed special issue.

Features:

1. The Man Who Radiated Fear! (Batman vs. Scarecrow / written by Mike Friedrich)
2. The Bat-Man (reprint of the 1st page of the 1st Batman story in Detective Comics #27 / written by Bill Finger)
3. The Batman says (a public service message by Batman / written by Whitney Ellsworth)

The Man Who Radiated Fear!

Scarecrow invents a potion that causes his victims to literally panic in fear and uses it on the Dynamic Duo to make them helpless. After failing to capture Scarecrow and his gang of crooks due to abject fear, Batman and Robin decide to hang up their capes for good. However Alfred reminds them both of their parents deaths and the vows they both took to fight crime. Now with renewed determination and vengeance, the Caped Crusaders hunt down Gotham's worst criminals one by one until they finally reach Scarecrow.

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kaneinker, letterer, penciler
•  Chic Stonepenciler
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Jack Burnleyinker, penciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Neal Adamscover, penciler
•  Whitney Ellsworthwriter

Issue details

Name	The Man Who Radiated Fear!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	200
Cover Date	March 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #201

1. Batman's Gangland Guardians! (written by Gardner Fox)
2. Cap's Hobby Hints (by Henry Boltinoff)

Creators

•  Chic Stonepenciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Henry Boltinoffinker, letterer, penciler, writer
•  Irv Novickcover, penciler
•  Joe Certapenciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Mike Espositocover, inker

Issue details

Name	Batman's Gangland Guardians
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	201
Cover Date	May 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #202

1. Gateway to Death! (Batman, Robin, Alfred / written by Gardner Fox)
2. Menace of the Motorcycle Marauders! (Robin, Batman, Alfred / written by Mike Friedrich)
3. Cap's Hobby Hints (by Henry Boltinoff)

Creators

•  Chic Stonepenciler
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Henry Boltinoffinker, letterer, penciler, writer
•  Irv Novickcover, inker, penciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Sid Greeneinker

Issue details

Name	Gateway to Death! ; Menace of the Motorcycle Marauders!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	202
Cover Date	June 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #203

“THE 1,000 SECRETS OF THE BATCAVE!” An escaped criminal breaks into Wayne Manor and discovers a shocking secret…the Batcave!

This "80 Page Giant G-49" is a collection reprints about Batman's super-sanctum, The Batcave! Plus a 2 page view of the Batcave, and a Batmobile story are also included.

1. The 1000 Secrets of the Batcave! (Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon / written by Bill Finger : reprinted from: Batman #48)

An escaped convict accidentally finds the Batcave. Will he tell the world his discovery?

1. Cap's Hobby Hints (by Henry Boltinoff)
2. The Birth of Batplane II! (Batman, Robin / written by David Vern Reed : reprinted from: Batman #61)
3. Secrets of the Batcave - 1968

Gives a big, 2 page view of the Batcave. The next 2 pages are various Bat-gadgets.

1. The Secret of Batmans Utility Belt! (Batman, Robin / written by David Reed?)
2. The 100 Batarangs of Batman (Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon / written by Bill Finger : reprinted from: Detective Comics #244)

Who stole the film that shows Batman using various Batarangs?

1. The Secret of the Batmobile (Batman, Robin, Vicki Vale / written by Bill Finger : reprinted from: Batman #98)

Vicki takes a picture of the Batmobile in action. What secrets could that picture reveal?

1. The Flying Bat-Cave! (Batman, Robin : reprinted from: Detective Comics #186)

A flying prototype of the Batcave is made.

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  Bob Kanepenciler
•  Charles Parisinker
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Dick Sprangpenciler
•  E. Nelson Bridwelleditor
•  Henry Boltinoffinker, letterer, penciler, writer
•  Ira Schnappcolorist
•  Jim Mooneypenciler
•  Neal Adamscover, inker, penciler
•  Pat Gordoncolorist
•  Ray Burnleyinker
•  Sheldon Moldoffpenciler

Issue details

Name	The Secrets of the Batcave!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	203
Cover Date	August 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #204

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickcover, penciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Mike Espositocover, inker

Issue details

Name	Operation Blindfold!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	204
Cover Date	August 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #205

Part 2 of 2 of "Operation Snowblind."

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickcover, inker, penciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor

Issue details

Name	Blind As a ... Bat?
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	205
Cover Date	September 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #206

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickcover, penciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Mike Espositocover, inker

Issue details

Name	Batman Walks the Last Mile! : This Is the...End!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	206
Cover Date	November 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #207

1. The Doomsday Ball! (Batman and Robin / written by Frank Robbins)
2. Tarantula (Fact File #1)

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinocover, penciler
•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickpenciler
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Kurt Schaffenbergerinker, penciler

Issue details

Name	The Doomsday Ball! : Death Trap!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	207
Cover Date	December 1, 1968
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #208

Creators

•  Bill Fingerwriter
•  David V. Reedwriter
•  Gardner Foxwriter
•  Gaspar Saladinoletterer
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Nick Cardyinker, penciler
•  Sheldon Moldoffcover

Issue details

Name	Important Women in His Life
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	208
Cover Date	February 1969
In Store Date	November 12, 1968

BATMAN #209

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinopenciler
•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickpenciler
•  Joe Giellaartist

Issue details

Name	Jungle Jeopardy
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	209
Cover Date	February 1, 1969
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #210

Catwoman's latest target is the a pearl from Katmandu. This time, she's not alone. With a group of women just released from jail, Catwoman has nine lives this time.

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Joe Giellainker
•  Neal Adamspenciler

Issue details

Name	The Case of the Purr-Loined Pearl
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	210
Cover Date	March 1, 1969
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #211

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickpenciler
•  Joe Giellainker

Issue details

Name	Batman's Big Blow-Off!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	211
Cover Date	May 1, 1969
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #212

Creators

•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickcover
•  Joe Giellainker

Issue details

Name	Baffling Deaths of the Crime-Czar!
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	212
Cover Date	June 1, 1969
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #214

Creators

•  Carmine Infantinoeditor
•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickcover
•  Joe Giellainker

Issue details

Name	Batman's Marriage Trap
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	214
Cover Date	August 1, 1969
In Store Date	N/A

BATMAN #219

DEATH CASTS THE DECIDING VOTE!” Batman must race to stop an airplane from being hijacked and attempts to get a senator to Washington, D.C. in time for a critical vote for an anti-crime bill! Plus, “THE SILENT NIGHT OF THE BATMAN” and “TIME TO KILL.”

Death Casts The Deciding Vote

Bruce Wayne is on a plane headed out of Washington D.C. with Senator Webster who is the target of a kidnap plot. In between the plane hijacking and an on board fight, Bruce manages to change into Batman but ends up getting captured anyway. Webster fakes a heart attack which gives Bruce the chance to use his Batman costume as a decoy. As the scared hijackers wonder how Batman got free, this time Bruce Wayne saves the day by defeating the criminals with the help of the pilots.

The Silent Night of Batman

Batman joins some Gotham City cops to sing Christmas carols while the spirit of the holiday season ensures there is no crime in the city tonight!

Time to Kill!

A reprint from Phantom Stranger #5

Jed Bruno is a bitter scientist who is tired of his rival Andrew Seldin being more successful then him at everything. Bruno thinks he'll finally get the recognition he deserves when he invents a time machine but at that moment a radio announcement says Seldin is unveiling his own time machine a month from now. Enraged, Bruno travels a month in the future and assassinates Seldin during the unveiling. On his return Bruno loses memory of the event and goes to Seldin's lab to steal his blueprints but is discovered by his rival and kills him. Bruno now has the only working time machine and a month later is unveiling his invention when he is shot. The dying scientist's memory returns and he realises this isn't murder but suicide as his past self has assassinated him!

Creators

•  Dick Giordanoartist
•  Frank Robbinswriter
•  Irv Novickartist
•  Julius Schwartzeditor
•  Mike Friedrichwriter
•  Neal Adamswriter

Issue details

Name	Death Casts The Deciding Vote!; The Silent Night of the Batman
Volume	Batman
Issue Number	219
Cover Date	February 1970
In Store Date	N/A

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1912.29 - 10:10

- Days ago = 1639 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.