In All-Star Comics #7 (August 1941), we finally see an in-story meeting of Batman and Superman. The Justice Society of America decides to raise a million dollars for the world’s war children. At the end of the story, Johnny Thunder wishes in the honorary members of the JSA: Superman, Batman and the Flash, who bring […]
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Batman’s villain gallery continues (by far!) to be the most interesting one of the Golden Age of Comics. In World’s Finest Comics #3 (August 1941), The Scarecrow is introduced. Jonathan Crane, obsessed with fear since childhood, becomes a professor of psychology and an object of ridicule by other professors. His mind twisted, he decides to […]
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In Batman #5 (April 1941), Batman and Robin drive a suped-up vehicle adorned with bat wing fins and a cowl, the official first version of the Batmobile!
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Although Batman #5 (April 1941), features another tale of Bat-silliness with dragons, giants and flying carpets, it also features a separate story in which Batman finds the near-lifeless body of Robin, beaten up by criminals. He experiences terrible feelings of rage and vengeance; a dramatic departure from his silent, mysterious, and almost dispassionate first year […]
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Sorry Bruce, but you’ve been hanging out with the boy too much and you won’t pick up the phone at night. Julie Madison breaks off the engagement to Bruce Wayne (Batman) in Detective Comics #49 (January 1941). This is the last appearance of Julie Madison in the Golden Age. Presumably she did well with her […]
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By Detective Comics #48 (December 1940), Bob Kane and Bill Finger are starting to develop the Batman back-story a bit, giving the dynamic duo a secret tunnel leading to a seemingly abandoned barn with their “supercharged” car, called for the first time: the Bat-Mobile!
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The Justice Society of America debuts in All-Star Comics #3 (November 1940). In its first incarnation it consists of a whopping nine characters across Detective Comics Inc and All-American Comics (still separate companies at this point): The Flash, the Atom, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Spectre, Doctor Fate, Sandman and Hourman, with Johnny Thunder thrown in […]
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In Detective Comics #46 (November 1940), Hugo Strange arms his hoodlums with a gas/spray that triggers extraordinary fear. Much like his future fellow Bat-villain, the Scarecrow.
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Catwoman continues to evolve, now sporting a cat mask in Batman #3 (October 1940).
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Robin’s dream story in Detective Comics #44 (September 1940), foreshadows what I consider to be the worst era of Batman story-telling. With the introduction of Robin to the Bat-mythos, the character deviated from his noir, grim and gritty feel towards silly, fantasy stories and stayed that way for the next 25 years.
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