788 – Bat-Girl

In Batman #139 (Feb 1961), the creators try to improve the supporting cast of the Batman “family” by adding Bat-Girl. Betty Kane, the niece of Kathy Kane, discovers her aunt is actually Bat-Woman and decides to help out with crime-fighting. Batman encourages her to train her sidekick as a stalling tactic, but it actually seems […]

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734 – Future Bat Family

Batman #131 (February 1960) introduces the literary device of Alfred’s stories that he writes in his diary about the future of the Bat Family. In this first imaginary tale, Bruce Wayne marries Kathy Kane and reveals his identity to her. They eventually have a red-headed son, Bruce Wayne Jr. Batman announces his retirement and Dick […]

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706 – What if… Krypton Had Not Exploded?

In “Superman’s Other Life”, a story in Superman #132 (August 1959), Batman and Robin bringing a special gift for Superman to the Fortress of Solitude. The Dynamic Duo bring Superman pictures he took from Krypton years ago and suggests he put them through his “Super-Univac” to see if it can answer the question: “What would […]

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669 – Robin Meets Superboy

Oh, speaking of which, Adventure Comics #253 (Aug 1958) contains that promised story of when Superboy and Robin meet for the first time. Robin appears from the future to warn Superboy that a clock trophy given to him by a scientist is actually a kryptonite bomb that goes off and fatally wounds Superman years from […]

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668 – Bizarro!

In Superboy #68 (Aug 1958) sees the introduction of one of Superman’s sillier heroes: Bizarro! Accidentally created by Professor Dalton using a “duplicator ray”, the imperfect copy of Superboy innocently wanders around Smallville, much like Frankenstein’s monster. After several acts of Bizarro are mistaken as menacing, Superboy decides the creature is not living (wtf/) and […]

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640 – Owlman

In Batman #107 (Feb 1957), Dick Grayson (Robin) accidentally is exposed to a gas that ages him to adulthood. Yep, it turns out that Superman was too busy to analyze a lead-lined device he found in space, so he left it with Batman, and poor Robin took a blast of space gas in the face. […]

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631 – No Seriously, Only One Robin!

Complete with a cheeky sidelong glance to the reader, Detective Comics #237 (September 1956) seeks to ensure Dick Grayson that there will _NEVER_ be another Robin. “Search for a New Robin” finds Bruce Wayne seeking a new identity as “Barney Warren”. While sinking into his new identity, he encounters a couple of brash youngsters and […]

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615 – Only One Robin?

In the Batman feature of Detective Comics #231 (March 1956), Robin learns that early in his crime-fighting career, Batman took on a partner called “Batman Junior”. Batman Junior was John Vance, a rando kid who got caught up in a case of Batman’s. Robin exhibits jealousy and sadness at not being special, but Batman assures […]

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598 – Ace the Bat-Hound!

Ace, the Bat-Hound is introduced in Batman #92 (April 1955), since it seems like Krypto, the Super-Dog was such a hit, why not also give Robin a pet? Basically they rescue a German Shepherd, decide to slap a mask on him and he helps them solve crimes occasionally…

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