History of the Batman Pt. 2: The Invention of the Infamous Rogues Gallery

In last week’s chronology, we looked at the first 12 comics that featured Bat-Man, meeting his fiancé Julie Madison, our first look at the Batarang and the debut of Dick Grayson, also known as the first Robin, the Boy Wonder. After a year in National Comics, better known now as DC Comics, Batman became so popular that he was given his own self-titled publication, premiering 75 years ago in the Spring of 1940.

As the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder glide across the bright yellow and red cover , what lies beyond is the start of the most well known villains gallery in fiction: the return of Professor Hugo Strange and the debut of The Joker and the Cat, who later will be called Catwoman. Let’s take a look at the four tales of death, deceit and desire that began one of the longest running publications in American comic book history.

Cover to Batman (Vol 1) #1, Spring 1940, by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. This announcement of brand new adventures of The Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder can be seen by the two heroes swinging onto the page, with their capes freely flowing and contrasting against the gold skyline. The two heroes happily grapple through the air over what is now Gotham City, a flat red background that devastatingly combats with the almost three dimensional movement of Batman and Robin. This cover presents not only the first issue of Batman’s self-titled publication and within the comic an introduction of classic rogues, but also the beginning of the dynamic and long lasting tales of the Caped Crusader.

Batman (Vol 1) #1, Spring 1940

Cover art by:
Bob Kane – pencils
Jerry Robinson – inks

The Legend of the Batman – Who He Is and How He Came to Be!

Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Bob Kane – pencils, inks
Sheldon Moldoff – inks

Bat Facts: This prologue to the four tales in this debut issue is a reprint from Detective Comics #33 from November of 1939, the origin story of the Batman. Coming home from a movie, young Bruce Wayne and his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down by a thug threatening to take Martha’s necklace. Seeing this tragedy right before his eyes, the next night Bruce by candlelight swears to avenge his parent’s death by spending the rest of his life ‘warring on all criminals’. Once Bruce is a peak physical perfection and has mastered all sciences, he inquires in his father’s study how he can strike fear into the suspicious and cowardly lot that roam his city. Suddenly, a huge bat flies through the widow; Bruce says proclaims “A bat! That’s it! It’s an omen. I shall become a BAT!” This feature ends with the ‘avenger of evil…the Batman’.

The Joker

Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Bob Kane – pencils, inks
Jerry Robinson: inks

Splash page to “The Joker”, Batman (Vol 1) #1 from Spring of 1940, illustrated by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson.

Story: The tale begins at night when The Joker corrupts radios all over the city. He states that at twelve o’clock midnight he will kill a man named Henry Claridge and steal the Claridge Diamond. Even with dozens of policemen protecting the millionaire in his home, at the stroke of midnight Claridge dies with a grotesque grin on his face. As the policemen check the safe, the diamond is switched with a replica, with a Joker playing card left as ‘The Sign of The Joker!” Elsewhere, Joker rejoices how he fooled the police, placing a solution into Claridge 24 hours prior while he was sleep, stealing the diamond the night before his announcement.

The next morning, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson read of Claridge’s death by The Joker in the paper. That same night, over the radio, the Joker announces in one hour Jay Wilde will die and he will have the Ronkers Ruby. Policemen go to Wilde’s home, but all is lost when Wilde has Joker’s venom in his veins and a strange gas is released out of the armor in the lounge. As the Joker emerges in triumph, he has successfully paralyzed the policemen long enough to steal the Ruby and escape. The criminal underground get word of the Joker and boss Brute Nelson tells them to spread the word that he will take out The Joker. Bruce Wayne hears of this and transforms into the Batman on his way to Nelson’s when the Joker arrives. Batman beats up Nelson and his men, but Joker has the last laugh shooting Nelson down.

The Batman then chases after the Joker but loses the fight, thrown into the river. The Batman surfaces and returns home to Wayne Manor where he hears that at ten o’clock Judge Drake will die by Joker’s hands. Another death is added to the Joker’s total, for his is disguised as the police chief protecting the judge. After leaving the Judge’s home, Robin follows and is attacked and tied up by the Joker. Using his detective skills the Batman finds Robin and does hand to hand combat with this grinning ghoul. Joker escapes once more but a freed Robin tells Batman he is off to steal the Cleopatra Necklace. Their last battle ensues, with a kick to the face by Robin has the Joker flying off the building, but is caught by Batman, knocking out and having him arrested. The issue ends with Joker behind bars saying that he will have the last laugh.

Bat Facts: Originally an untitled story, this is the first chronological appearance of the villain The Joker. His facial expressions based off the Joker playing card jester, in his debut Joker kills several people and injures dozens with no regret, presenting him as a mad man. In issues before Robin, the Bat-Man has killed or let the criminals die, believing their end fitting to their crimes. This issue, however, illustrates that the Batman did not want Joker to die, that “you’re too valuable a prize to lose!” Even in modern comics, the relationship between the Joker and Batman are one of the best examples of good versus evil. Each needs the other to keep their secret lives meaningful. This yin and yang idea begins with this story, the ending panel telling readers that this foe will be back in another issue.

Professor Hugo Strange and The Monsters

Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Bob Kane – pencils, inks
Jerry Robinson – inks

Story: Soon after the villain Professor Hugo Strange escapes from prison, huge and terrible monster men begin terrorizing the metropolis, taking down buildings and crashing cars. When the Bat-Man realizes that no one but Hugo Strange could be behind these men, travels in his Batplane to track down the monsters, he is captured by two strongmen with Strange present. Batman tells him his dying wish is to learn how he created these giants. Strange gladly explains that with the use of an extract that speeds up the growth glands of a normal human give sudden distortions and the body grows exponentially Taking away his utility belt, Hugo Strange plunges a needle filled with the serum, telling him it takes 18 hours to work. Of course right before the 18th hour arrives, Batman retrieves chemicals from his boot heel that stops the serum from working. After wrestling with a few of the monsters, one ending up hanging from the Batplane, Batman escapes but cringes at the fact that Hugo Strange is still out there.

Bat Facts: The return of Professor Hugo Strange from his debut in Detective Comics #36 from February of 1940 still illustrates him as a dangerous and deranged villain and the first villain the Dark Knight has a second round with in comics. This issue also shows one of the last times Batman kills in DC Comics, hanging one of the monster men from his Batplane. This story goes back to his first year when he’s on patrol alone without the Boy Wonder, reminding readers of his gothic roots and showing the menacing shadow of the Bat.

The Cat

Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Bob Kane – pencils, inks
Jerry Robinson – inks

Story: Dick Grayson, also known as Robin the Boy Wonder, is a steward Mrs. John Travers’ yacht to watch out for any crooks after her priceless necklace. Grayson nude cover being to make up a list of possible suspects that would be the thief/ Travers’ nephew Denny, who is escorting an elderly women named Miss Peggs, the gambler Doctor Wallace and Travers’ brother Roger. As he walks along the yacht, he sees Denny try to throw over a piece of paper. Dick retrieving it, he sees it’s a note signed by “The Cat” saying stay away from his aunt’s room. Right as he makes it to the room, the necklace has vanished, with the guarding private detective knocked unconscious.

Suddenly, a group of rogue criminals climb on board the ship, having everyone hostage. Once they try to steal everyone’s valuables, Dick steps in and has a hand to hand with the crooks. When they begin shooting, he dives into the ocean. The gangsters go back to their boat with their new loot when the Batman jumps on board along with the Boy Wonder in costume. The next two pages illustrate Batman and Robin beating up all the crooks, calling them yellow and cowards for using guns and not their pen strength. Once they retrieve the jewels they speed back to the yacht with Robin catching up Batman about the suspects. As the Dark Avenger enters the costume party, although he is awarded with the best costume, a sudden fire alarm goes off and the “elderly” Miss Peggs goes off running.

Seeing this, the Dynamic Duo captures her and reveals she was in disguise and is in fact a beautiful young woman, The Cat. In the end, Denny comes to try to take the necklace The Cat stole and is knocked out by Batman. The Cat then tries to sway Batman into partnering up with him, but even tempted he declines her offer. As Batman and Robin take The Cat on their boat, she jumps overboard with little to no tries to stop her by Batman, who says she’s a lovely girl with lovely eyes, but remembers that he is engaged to Julie Madison. Robin seems worried about his mentor’s infatuation.

Bat Facts: This tale is the first chronological appearance of the villain The Cat, who will later be called Catwoman. We already see the physical attraction that still sparks in today’s modern comics between the Cat and the Bat, with the Caped Crusader letting her escape from being arrested. We also see Batman’s first stance against using guns to fight an enemy, stating “Well kids, there’s your proof! Crooks are yellow without their guns!…Don’t go around admiring then. Rather do your best in fighting then and all their kind!” This came to no surprise with his young sidekick by his side. The Dark Knight will soon become less “dark” with the next several decades, reaching out to a younger audience with this mentality.

The Joker Returns

Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Bob Kane – pencils, inks
Jerry Robinson – inks

Story: The “Harlequin of Hate” The Joker escapes prison with an explosion of his cell and returns to his hideaway in an abandoned crypt at the cemetery. The Joker hits the radio waves again stating that the Police Chief Chambers will die at 10 o’clock that night. As other officers guard Chambers, he receives a telephone call at 10, asking who is calling. A voice screams “JOKER” and the police chief is dead with a horrid grin on his face; the Joker had placed a poisoned dart into the receiver of the phone and with the Joker’s evil yell, it created enough vibrations for the dart to move into his ear, injecting him with the venom.

The next night. Bruce Wayne hears on the radio that he will steal the Cleopatra Necklace from the museum at 8 o’clock sharp. The Batman goes to the museum and before the Joker (hiding in an Egyptian sarcophagus) takes the necklace, the Dark Knight attacks. The Joker gets a blow into Batman’s head knocking him out momentarily and escapes. When the officers arrive, one tries to unmask him, he awakens and swiftly escapes to the roof of the building. As The Joker successfully murders another, Edgar Martin, Commissioner Gordon turns to his friend Bruce Wayne for advice on how to get The Joker. Bruce suggests planting a trap for him to steal a priceless jewel. As planned Joker claimed at Nine o’clock he will steal the Ruby. As he enters the building, officers surround him. But with his venom gun at hand, he escapes to the roof. Meeting him is Robin the Boy Wonder and the two fight, leaping from roof to roof. When Joker loses him, he runs into Batman and Robin drop kicking on his head. In the end of the issue, the Joker goes down with the Joker down. Running from the scene, the police arrive and discover this mad man still lives.

Bat Facts: The second appearance of the Joker is reminiscent to the first story of this issue, adding to his body count, shooting and stabbing all to steal priceless rubies and stones. In these early comics, most of the villains’ motif was money or jewels, a cash pay off. But with the Joker, at times he just kills for the fun of it, with no rhyme or reason, which makes him the terrifying mad man we still see today in DC Comics.

Next week we will see Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder in adventures of the year 1940 in Batman and Detective Comics, with introductions to new villains and facets of his mythology such as the Batmobile!