Batman did not get a cover appearance for Detective Comics 28, though he did get the first story treatment.
We continue our Batman in Order series here with Detective Comics issue 28 cover dated June 1939. These Batman in Order reviews are less about the creators, behind the scenes, and the process of it all, and more about the story of The Batman, the character, and how he has changed and evolved and often represented or stood against common conventions of the time.
The second ever Batman story drops us into a series of jewel robberies that leave the police with few answers. Bruce Wayne, which we learned in Detective Comics issue 27 is actually the Batman, impersonates Commissioner Gordon to get information from a “stool pigeon” (snitch) named Gimpy, who tells them the gang is run by a mobster named Frenchy Blake, and that their next target are the Vandersmiths, a rich family. I wonder who they Vander-bilt that story on… harr harr harr.
Batman Drops in With a Drop Kick.
Later that night, Batman (still stylized in print as “Bat-Man”) waits on the Vandersmiths' roof. Jewel thieves Gloves and Ricky leave the apartment with the stolen jewels. Batman attacks Gloves with a drop kick that Verne Gagne would have been proud of. Verne Gagne, by the way, would have been 13 years old at this point so he might very well have picked up this issue off the newsstand.
Ricky runs at Batman with a knife, so the Batman ups his kill count to two as he kicks him off the roof. Gloves draws a gun, so Batman punches him and takes the jewels, but two policemen arrive, and it seems as though Batman is actually the jewel thief. The police try to shoot him, but he dives off the roof. This is the first instance of Batman using a rope to swing from building to building. Even the newspaper the next day makes mention in the headline of Batman swinging away putting it over as a marvelous feat.
Batman racks up his second kill in as many issues.
Everyone now thinks that Batman is the head of the gang of jewel thieves. Frenchy Blake sees this as a great thing since the police will be hunting for the Batman instead of him. However, Batman is watching from outside and it is revealed that Batman wanted the police to think he was a criminal so Frenchy Blake would mess up.
Frenchy sends three henchmen to rob the Norton household and Batman swings through an open window and knocks one of them out, tackles another, and knocks out Slick with a punch. The Batman then calls Commissioner Gordon and swings away.
Batman swings from building to building for the first time.
Batman now heads over to take care of the real jewel gang leader, Frenchy Blake. Frenchy mistakenly believes Batman is one of his confederates and lets him in but instead gets a punch from the Batman who ties him up and hangs him outside the window. Batman then demands a written confession (yes, under extreme duress), or he will cut the rope and let Frenchy fall to his death. Batman already has two dead criminals to his credit so I wouldn’t f#%& around and find out.
Frenchy signs this perfectly illegal confession. Frenchy tries to surprise attack Batman one last time, but the Batman beats him until he's begging for mercy. Yes, Batman early on is not passive. Then the Batman puts Frenchy in his pre-Batmobile car and drops him off at the police station along with the stolen jewels and a note explaining what has happened.
Batman’s second story wraps up with a note to commissioner Gordon.
The Batman Timeline and Chronology:
03-30-1939: 1st Appearance of The Batman & Commissioner Gordon. Detective Comics issue 27.
06-1939: Batman swings from building to building with a rope for the first time. Detective Comics issue 28.
Batman Kill Count: 2
Batman in Order Podcast - Detective Comics Issue 28 - Episode 02
We continue our chronological look at the appearances of The Batman in chronological order. The second appearance of Batman took place in the pages of Detective Comics issue 28 cover dated June 1939. Batman swings from building to building on a rope for the first time. Completely throws a dude off a building to his death all to solve a jewelry theft.
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