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in: Whitney Ellsworth/Executive Editor, Fred Ray/Cover Artist, Jerry Robinson/Cover Artist,
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Batman Vol 1 8

Revision as of 17:35, 8 January 2019 by TupBot217 (Message Wall | contribs) (→‎top: fixing wording)
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"Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make": Batman captures a criminal called Big Mike Russo and he is sent to prison. However, once inside, Russo manages to get control of the entire facility with aid from his gang, who had captured the prison's warden and have replaced him

Quote1 There's your answer, my friend. The public always will be attracted to something with morbid overtones -- They're probably hoping for another murder! Quote2
— Bruce Wayne

Batman #8 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1942. It was published on October 7, 1941.

Synopsis for "Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make"

Batman captures a criminal called Big Mike Russo and he is sent to prison. However, once inside, Russo manages to get control of the entire facility with aid from his gang, who had captured the prison's warden and have replaced him with one of their own men disguised as the man. Russo releases some of the most notorious criminals and they start creating chaos in the city, while he controls the operations from inside the prison.

When Batman encounters one of the criminal factions robbing a bank, he tries to stop them, but he fails. However, he notices that one of the thugs is a convicted criminal who should be in prison. With help from Commissioner Gordon, Batman visits the prison, but he finds that the criminal he saw at the crime scene was held up in his cell. Before leaving, Batman checked over the cell of Russo and noticed that the man was wearing different shoes than the rest of the inmates and once they were outside, Batman asked Gordon to arrange something so Batman can be arrested as an undercover agent to investigate inside the prison.

With a different appearance, Batman is disguised as a ruthless criminal and soon, Russo asks him to be part of his next crime. Before leaving the prison, Batman contacts Robin and informs him of Russo's plan. When the criminals reach their destination, Batman reveals himself and with help from Robin fight against Russo's thugs. After a long strugle, Batman and Robin are finally outnumbered and they are both taken back to the prison, where Russo plans to kill Batman on the gas chamber. Using a last wish, Batman asks some medicine from Robin and he delives the capsules to Batman, who is then placed on the gas chamber and apparently killed.

When the criminals take out the body, Batman recovers and together with Robin they get the situation under control by releasing the true prison guards and placing all the criminals back on their cells.

Appearing in "Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make"

Featured Characters:

  • Template:Apn

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Big Mike Russo (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Warden Higgins (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Strange Case of Professor Radium"

Professor Henry Ross develops a radium serum for reviving the dead, and tests it on dogs. The serum works, but nobody believes him. To prove his point, he kills himself, leaving instructions for his assistant to use the formula on him. It works, but he becomes radioactive, and accidentally kills his assistant just by touching him and then the same accident happens with his fiancee. Ross tries to cure himself with repeated doses of Volitell stolen from local hospitals and devises a heavy, lead-lined protective suit, but goes insane and kills some people on purpose, before Batman and Robin intervene. The Dynamic Duo have coated themselves in thin layers of transparent rubber to protect themselves from the radiation and at the end of their fight, at the shipyard, Professor Radium is kicked, by Batman, over the side of a ship, and falls to his apparent death in the river below.

Appearing in "The Strange Case of Professor Radium"

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Other Characters:

  • Johnston (Dies)
  • Mary Lamont (Dies)

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Synopsis for "The Superstition Murders"

A group of actors, the director, producer and writer of a theater play have decided to start "superstition breaking party", in which they all break some of the best known superstitions. They walk under ladders, break mirrors, walk past black cats and open umbrellas indoors. Bruce Wayne is invited to the party, but he doesn't partake in the activities. Soon, the actors start dying one by one in the same way as they broke the superstition.

Batman and Robin investigate the case and they are confronted by a masked man, who is responsible for the murders. After a long chase and strugle, Batman finally captures the criminal, revealing his identity as the writer of the play, who wanted to get rid of everyone involved in order to be the sole owner to the rights of the play and in that way, make a movie with the material which would give him a lot of money.

Appearing in "The Superstition Murders"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Johnny Glim (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

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Synopsis for "The Cross-Country Crimes"

Batman is summoned to Washington by the FBI chief, G. Henry Mover. He and Robin go there in the Batmobile, in daytime, and there's a parade in their honor. Mover congratulates Batman on his successful struggle against crime, when the Joker appears on a nearby rooftop and shoots the FBI agent. He was aiming at Batman, but missed. Mover survives, and declares the Joker to be Public Enemy No. 1.

Batman and Robin then pursue the Joker across the country, with the Joker leaving cryptic little clues the whole way. Also in Ohio, he kills one gang of his own thugs with joker-venom-treated cigars, then kills a whole busload of jewelers by repainting a highway stripe, sending the bus off a roadside cliff.

Joker's murders and robberies follow a pattern, which spells out J.O.K.E.R. Batman sees the pattern and is able to predict where Joker will strike next. He plans a trap for his nemesis, and finally, after a titanic struggle, captures his old foe, sending him to Alcatraz.

Appearing in "The Cross-Country Crimes"

Featured Characters:

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Antagonists:

  • Template:Apn

Other Characters:

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Vehicles:

Notes

  • This issue is reprinted in Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol 2 and Batman Chronicles, Volume 5.
  • Professor Radium:
    • Professor Radium's original name of Henry Ross was changed to Professor Zachary Knell when this story was retold in the Batman daily newspaper strip (September 23-November 2, 1946).
    • Although supervillains rarely die from falling into rivers, in golden age comic books, Professor Radium seems to be one of the few who actually does. Professor Radium isn't seen again until 2006, by which time his entire universe has been retconned out of existence and replaced with New Earth.
  • The Joker:
    • This is the Joker's 8th appearance.
    • Although the text says that the director of the FBI on Earth-Two at this time was G. Henry Mover, modern stories establish that J. Edgar Hoover was the director, just like on Earth-One.



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