DC Database
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
DC Database
DC Database
127,497
pages
in: Jack Schiff/Executive Editor, Curt Swan/Cover Artist, Sheldon Moldoff/Cover Artist,
and 58 more

Batman Annual Vol 1 1

Revision as of 12:57, 1 February 2020 by TupBot217 (Message Wall | contribs) (→‎top: removing template)
Sign in to edit

"How to Be the Batman!": This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #190.

Batman Annual #1 is an issue of the series Batman Annual (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1961. It was published on June 29, 1961.

Synopsis for "How to Be the Batman!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #190.

Batman is stricken with amnesia while on a case with Robin. Robin must then help Batman regain his memory or re-teach him his crime-fighting skills. It's discovered as they continue to investigate the case that Batman's athleticism and skills in detection are only hindered by the amnesia, because those skills have been deeply seated in Batman's subconscious mind. Ultimately, Batman does regain his memory in time to apprehend the culprit.

Appearing in "How to Be the Batman!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Dr. Sampson (Single appearance)
  • Joe Chill (Flashback only)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:


Synopsis for "The Strange Costumes of Batman!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #165.

While making an inspection of equipment in the Batcave, Bruce and Dick also inspect the various Batsuits stored in the costume room. The Dynamic Duo are later called into action and Batman uses some of his most useful Batsuits to stop the criminals. However, when he is seriously injured, Robin has to use a Batsuit that has never before being used. This costume allows Robin to disguise and pose as Batman, which proves useful in this particular situation as the criminals become overconfident after Batman's injury and are easily captured by Robin wearing the batsuit.

Appearing in "The Strange Costumes of Batman!"

Featured Characters:

  • Batman (Flashback and main story)
  • Robin (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Dr. Robert Darcy (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Untold Tales of the Bat-Signal!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #164.

The editor of the Gotham Gazette assigns his top crime reporter to create a series of stories about the Bat-Signal and how it has changed people's lives. The reporter starts a crusade to find a story in which the Bat-Signal had been instrumental in saving someone's life, without any external help. In this way, the reporter gets exclusive interviews with Commissioner Gordon and Vicki Vale, who provide him with great stories, but none quite like the one he is looking for.

The reporter finally gets to meet Batman and Robin and he learns of the upgrades done to the Bat-Signal and how helpful it has proved for the Dynamic Duo's crime-fighting career. However, all the stories aren't the exact story he is looking for. Lastly, the reporter visits an exhibition in which the Bat-Signal is being held when Batman informs him of an assassin that has escaped from jail. The criminal soon enters the place and shoots Batman. The reporter helps Batman take cover behind the Bat-Signal and then he decides to turn the searchlight on to blind the killer. The reporter's plan works and he finally has found a story in which the Bat-Signal has saved somebody's life without exterior help.

After the story is printed on the newspapers, Bruce tells Dick that he was responsible for plugging the Bat-Signal to the electric power during the moment of truth. Finally, the Bat-Signal's story is not completely accurate as Bruce had to activate it in the first place.

Appearing in "Untold Tales of the Bat-Signal!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Big Red (Single appearance)
  • Tiger Bishop (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Dave Purdy (Single appearance)
  • Mr. Melton (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Origin of the Bat-Cave!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #205.

Batman and Robin find a piece of old pottery buried in the Batcave and Batman tells Robin the story of how he found the Batcave shortly after buying Wayne Manor. They go to an expert to find out more information about the ancient object and they learn of a secret message for "a man with two identities". In order to learn more of the mystery behind this message, Batman and Robin ask their trusted friend Professor Nichols to send them back in time to the 17th Century, where they meet Jeremy Coe, the first man to discover the Batcave, who used it as headquarters for his espionage against the Native Americans. The Dynamic Duo assist Coe on his endeavor and after a successful mission, they return to the present, finally learning that the object's message was left by the natives for Coe.

Appearing in "The Origin of the Bat-Cave!"

Featured Characters:

  • Batman (Flashback and main story)
  • Robin (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • An Indian Tribe (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Jeremy Coe (Single appearance)
  • Bats
  • Horses

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Batman's Electronic Crime-File!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #229.

Batman's microfilmed crime-file is stolen during a TV crew's visit to the Batcave, and the Caped Crusader uses his regular electronic crime-file to deduce the culprit.

Appearing in "Batman's Electronic Crime-File!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • John Creeden (Single appearance)
  • Mart Mathers (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • John Waller (Single appearance)
  • Morrell (Single appearance)
  • Varnor (Single appearance)
  • Birely (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Thrilling Escapes of Batman and Robin!"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #221.

Batman and Robin go out on patrol, and are lured into a trap and taken to the hideout of the crook known as Paul King. Batman is unconscious, but Robin recovers in time to confront the criminal. King tells Robin that he's going to eliminate them by placing them on a dangerous trap, but will set them free if Robin can tell him of 4 previous escapes without King figuring out their methods. After telling his four stories King was unable to figure out the escapes, but King never intended to let them go and has learned all of the heroes' methods. Using this information King prepares the ultimate trap, designed to eliminate them. However, after believing Batman and Robin dead from his ingenious trap, Batman and Robin appear with the Gotham City Police Department to capture King. Batman reveals that he had been working a way out of the trap while Robin talked to King and then contacted the police to arrest the thugs.

Appearing in "Thrilling Escapes of Batman and Robin!"

Featured Characters:

  • Batman (Flashback and main story)
  • Robin (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Paul King (Single appearance)
    • Hippo (Single appearance)
  • Death Valley Dan (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
  • Captain Shark (Flashback only) (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

Synopsis for "The Amazing Inventions of Batman"

This story is reprinted from Batman #109.

Using their Flying Eye spy-device, Batman and Robin are able to pick up two crooks' conversation that reveals the thieves' boss is planning a big heist using one of Batman's own inventions. The two bring back the Flying Eye before it can be spotted, and begin to review their collection of crime-fighting inventions, wondering which can be the one which has been copied for crime use. Their jet-powered units, which allow humans to fly for short distances, was used to grab pigeons which jewel thieves had banded their loot to; their Sleuth Machine, a mobile device which fastens a radar beam upon a given subject and follows it, emitting a radio signal, was used to trail a mobster. A detonator ray was once used to set off high explosives that drifted away from a deserted ship. But none of the devices have ever been close enough to mobsters for them to discern their inner workings. However, Batman recalls the Flying Eye creation, and when they used it to locate criminal scientist Curt Mathis. Robin recalls that the tube of Mathis's X-ray machine was warm when they arrived to take him in, and Batman deduces that Mathis must have used it to take a picture of the inner workings of the Flying Eye. Mathis proves to have made a Flying-Eye for himself, but Batman and Robin, using their jet-units, are able to close upon the Eye in mid-air, destroy its sight-equipment, and force Mathis to bring it back to his hideout for repairs, where they confront and capture him and his mobsters. The duplicate Flying Eye and Mathis's X-ray film of the real Eye are confiscated and taken back to the Batcave.

Appearing in "The Amazing Inventions of Batman"

Featured Characters:

  • Batman (Flashback and main story)

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Curt Mathis (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
  • Verne Hainey (Flashback only)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Notes

  • This issue was reprinted in DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals, Volume 1.
  • This issue was published between Batman #141 and Batman #142.
  • "Batman's Electronic Crime-File!" was originally titled "The 10,000 Secrets of Batman!".
  • "Thrilling Escapes of Batman and Robin!" was originally titled "Thousand-and-One Escapes of Batman and Robin!".
  • "The Amazing Inventions of Batman" was originally titled "1,001 Inventions of Batman".



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More DC Database