Batman #203 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1968. It was published on May 9, 1968.
Synopsis for "The 1,000 Secrets of the Bat-Cave!"
This story is reprinted from Batman #48.
Wolf Brando has escaped from jail and makes his way to Wayne Manor. He breaks inside and knocks Dick Grayson unconscious, but the blow causes him to stumble upon an old grandfather clock. This reveals a secret entrance behind the clock which leads to a large, downwards staircase. Brando descends through the stairs and he finds the ultimate secret: the Batcave.
When Bruce Wayne is informed that a dangerous criminal has broken into his house, he joins the Gotham City Police Department as Batman to capture the criminal. However, after a quick examination the police can't find anybody inside the house and Batman deduces that the criminal must have found the Batcave. Batman uses the secret entrance at the abandoned barn to get inside the Batcave, where he is confronted by Brando. The criminal has deduced Batman and Robin's secret identities and he demands to be allowed to escape in exchange for keeping their secrets. Dick manages to distract Brando long enough for Batman to untie him and once free, Dick puts on his Robin costume, probably for the last time.
In the meantime, Brando tries to escape using the Batmobile, but Batman stops him and Brando is forced to run into the Trophy Room, where Robin is waiting for him. The Dynamic Duo fight Brando among their trophies, but the criminal manages to get the upper hand using one of Penguin's Umbrellas and destroying the mechanical dinosaur and the Giant Penny. However, as he tries to escape, Brando disturbs some of the sleeping Bats of the cave and when he is attacked by them, he is pushed over a water current that drags his body underneath the cave all the way to a river, far away. The police soon find the body and Batman's secret is safe thanks to the Batcave.
Appearing in "The 1,000 Secrets of the Bat-Cave!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Wolf Brando (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Two-Face (In a photograph only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Birth of Batplane II!"
This story is reprinted from Batman #61.
Batman is asked to borrow the Batplane to the military in order to test a new equipment, but during the trials, the Batplane's controls jam and the Dynamic Duo have to jump off as the plane keeps flying to the horizon. Some time later, the Batplane lands near a factory owned by three criminals and they find the empty vehicle. The thugs realize that this is a golden opportunity and they start creating replicas of the Batplane to perform successful crimes.
In the meantime, Bruce and Dick are also building a new Batplane using Bruce's improved design model, which will feature better equipment and different functionalities. When the criminals start using their replicas of the old version of the Batplane, Batman and Robin manage to finish the Batplane II just in time to test it against the old version. The new model is useless against three Batplanes at the same time. Batman decides to take down the old copies of the Batplane one by one until the criminals are captured, proving the new Batplane is much better than the old one.
Appearing in "The Birth of Batplane II!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Commissioner Gordon
- Haggerty (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Boley Brothers (Single appearance)
- Bull
- Dave
- Slats
Other Characters:
- Colonel Webb (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Gotham City
- GCPD Headquarters
- Batcave
- Gotham Airlines
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Secret of Batman's Utility Belt!"
This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #185.
When Batman finds himself in a life-threatening situation, he takes out a special miniature disc with his true identity written on it, in order to be recognized after his imminent death. However, Batman is soon rescued by Robin and he keeps the disc in the Utility Belt to be destroyed later in the batcave. Batman and Robin surprise a different set of criminals on the way back to the batcave, and Batman loses his utility belt in the scuffle. Soon after it is found by a young boy, Paul Henson.
When Batman realizes his belt is missing, he starts looking for it across the city. Meanwhile, the young boy is spotted wearing the belt and a criminal tries to snatch it away from him. Batman arrives in time to save the kid, but the belt falls on top of a passing train and is later picked up by a homeless man. The man takes the belt to a pawn shop, where he sells it and in turn, the merchant sells the belt to a leather collector. In every situation, the belt has saved all of the people's lives and when Batman is finally able to track down the belt, a gang of criminals has also managed to find the place. After a short struggle for the belt, Batman is forced to save the old leather collector from a certain death and the criminals get away with the belt. When they find the disc with Batman's identity, the thugs go to the place address inscribed on it, but instead of finding the real people behind the masks, they are lured to a trap and they are finally arrested. Batman later explains that he switched the utility belt during the struggle at the leather collector's home, and that he placed a fake disc inside to capture the thugs.
Appearing in "The Secret of Batman's Utility Belt!"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Drum Carter (Single appearance)
- "Nimble" Hyle (Single appearance)
- Rocky (Single appearance)
- Phil (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Paul Henson (Single appearance)
- Jimmy (Single appearance)
- A Hobo (Single appearance)
- Jack Fenley (Single appearance)
- Henry Worthing (Single appearance)
- Bill Weaver (Single appearance)
- Don Weaver (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The 100 Batarangs of Batman"
This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #244.
A crook who was put in jail by Batman with a Batarang, starts planning to use bomb batarangs against Batman and Gotham City upon his release. Batman goes through all the variations of Batarangs he has created over the years in order to create a list of possible suspects. Ultimately, Batman is forced to use the most secret and dangerous Batarang he owns - Batarang X - the find and capture the criminals. This Batarang is larger than a normal human, which allows Batman to hover above the criminals' lair and tamper with their modified Batarangs. When the crooks try to use the weapons against Batman, the gadgets backfire on them and they are defeated by their own creation.
Appearing in "The 100 Batarangs of Batman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Commissioner Gordon (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- Jay Garris (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Bard (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
- Counterfeiters (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Elmer Mason (Single appearance)
- Lee Collins (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Bat-Signal
- Batarang
- Batrope
- Batarang X
- Utility Belt
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Secret of the Batmobile"
This story is reprinted from Batman #98.
A thief known as The Racer has been using a speedy car to outdistance the Batmobile in every encounter. Vicki Vale uncovers evidence that Batman is using a phony Batmobile, but she is unable to deduce that the fake vehicle is actually Bruce Wayne's sporting car. Batman prevents Vicki from publishing a picture of the fake Batmobile and distracts her by sending previous stories of the Batmobile to be published on the Vue Magazine. After the real Batmobile is repaired, Batman is finally able to capture The Racer.
Appearing in "Secret of the Batmobile"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Racer (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- John Blair (Single appearance) (Flashback only)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Flying Bat-Cave!"
This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #186.
Robin is captured by some criminals and they use him to their advantage by forcing Batman to sign an agreement that he won't set foot in Gotham City for one week. In order to rescue Robin, Batman signs the agreement and shortly after, he starts planning how to fight crime if he's not supposed to set foot in Gotham.
The criminals, who believe that they're going to have free reign to operate for a week, go out to the streets and start a large-scale crime spree. Suddenly, a big flying machine appears in the sky with the Bat-Signal engraved on its side. Batman has built a flying bat-cave to fight crime from above, without having to set foot on Gotham. Unable to commit crimes on the streets, the criminals decide to use the sewer system, but Batman has also prepared a machine for such eventuality. Using the underwater bat-osphere, Batman locates the thugs underground and he manages to stop them without breaking his promise.
One criminal in the city is the only man satisfied with Batman working from the air, since that means he can't descend to the courthouse and testify against him during his trial. However, the DA and Batman have prepared a TV broadcast that allows Batman to testify in court. The thug has prepared a jamming signal to interrupt the broadcast, but Batman is able to disrupt the signal using the Giant Penny and thus, the criminal is finally convicted.
On the last day of the week, some criminals try to eliminate the flying Batcave once and for all, but Batman and Robin jump down to earth as the thugs attack the flying machine and when the Dynamic Duo land on the rooftop of the building, they capture the criminals just as the week ends, proving that Batman never broke his promise.
Appearing in "The Flying Bat-Cave!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- "Big-Time" Gateson (Single appearance)
- Diamond Lang (Single appearance)
- Rocky (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Flying Batcave
Notes
- This issue contains three new features:
1. A sideview plan of the Bat-Cave which includes a look at the hangers for the Batplane and Batcopter, the Bat-Cave's Lab, Repair Shop, and Garage on its Upper Level, and its Work Shop, Trophy Room, Computerized Crime-File, and Underground stream for the Batboat on its Lower Level. We also learned that the Bat-Cave itself is capable of emitting a smoke screen to conceal the entering and exiting of its airborne vehicles.
2. Detailed Looks at Batman and Robin's Utility Belts. In addition to each coming equipped with a two-way transistor radio and microphone speaker, we learn that Batman's belt contains the following items:
- Infra-red flashlight
- Smoke Capsules
- Fingerprint Kit
- Miniature Camera
- Skeleton Keys
- Tear Gas Capsules
- Transistorized Power Source
- Miniature Voice Recorder
- Bat Rope with Automatic Reel
- Laser Torch
- Plastic Explosive Grenades
- An assortment of Contact Lenses
3. An overhead and sideview look at the Batplane and a fullview of Batman's gas mask and Bat-cuffs.
Trivia
- No new stories appear in this issue.
- We learn in the third story of this collection that Bruce Wayne's address is 244 Park Drive.
- Australian boomerang expert Lee Collins is cited in the fourth tale as the inventor of the Batarang.