The end of the Bat-Signal means good times for the underworld!
Detective Comics Vol 1 121 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1947.
Appearing in Batman: "Commissioner Gordon Walks a Beat"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Commissioner Gordon
- Inspector Vane (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- "Sure Thing" Smiley (Single appearance)
- Gomer (Single appearance)
- Torchy (Single appearance)
- Joe (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Chadwick Carfax (Single appearance)
- Mayor Carfax (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for Batman: "Commissioner Gordon Walks a Beat"
Batman and Robin are summoned to the GCPD Headquarters, where they learn that Commissioner Gordon has been replaced by orders of the mayor. Gordon has been demoted to a beat cop and Batman's deputy status is also revoked without explanation. As a result, the Bat-Signal is destroyed by the new Police Commissioner. When Batman questions the mayor he learns that underworld boss Sure Thing Smiley is extorting the mayor's son.
Batman tries to apprehend Smiley and his gang, but Smiley captures Batman instead. Batman uses Smiley's passion for gambling by betting that he can shoot Commissioner Gordon in exchange for Smiley's blackmail documents on the mayor's son. Smiley agrees to the bet with set conditions. Batman outwits him by using a bullet-proof shield to protect Gordon.
By winning the bet, Batman frees the mayor from Smiley's grip. Gordon is restored as Commissioner, Batman is back with the police, the Bat-Signal is restored and Smiley is arrested.
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "The Case Without a Key!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Shorty Morgan
- Sergeant Kelly
Antagonists:
- Scar and his Gang
Other Characters:
- A Locksmith
- A Group of Circus Performers (Rocko named)
Locations:
Items:
- Can of Graphite
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "The Case Without a Key!"
Slam investigates a series of burglaries and finds graphite in the lock of one of the buildings. When he returns to his office, he realizes that he has lost his key. Slam visits a locksmith and sees graphite on the shelf. Slam then sets a trap, luring the crooks to the apartment of a wealthy tycoon. Slam and Shorty are waiting for the crooks, who were blackmailing the locksmith into making duplicate keys for them. The locksmith redeems himself by helping Slam defeat the crooks.
Appearing in Air Wave: "Happy Jail-Day to You!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dink Dillman and his Gang (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Tommy Murray (Single appearance)
- Tommy's Mother (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Crooks' Getaway Car
Synopsis for Air Wave: "Happy Jail-Day to You!"
Air Wave suspects that gangster Dink Dillman is hiding on Seminole Avenue. He recruits young Tommy Murray to become a singing messenger. Tommy goes door-to-door until he finds the crooks for Air Wave. The crooks are able to fight him off though and escape. Tommy follows them and signals their location to Air Wave. Air Wave regroups, follows Tommy's signal, then captures Dillman and his gang.
Appearing in "Three-Ring Binks"
Featured Characters:
- Three-Ring Binks
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Three-Ring Binks"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in Boy Commandos: "The Phantom Express!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Train Robbers
Other Characters:
- Railroad Inspector Walkin (Single appearance)
- Train Engineers (Charlie named)
- Mike Farragut (Only appearance; dies) (Flashback only)
Locations:
- Undisclosed Countryside
Items:
- Anti-Aircraft Gun
Vehicles:
- The Phantom Express
- Various Freight Trains
Synopsis for Boy Commandos: "The Phantom Express!"
Rip and the boys are asked to look into a mysterious "Ghost Train" that is causing many wrecks and loss of life. They eventually discover that a group of train robbers are using an airplane and some gadgets to simiulate a ghost train that forces other trains to slam on the brakes, often causing derailings. The crooks are trying to get the railroad to believe in the ghost train in order to have them reroute the tracks so they can purchase the land which they have discovered is rich in pitchblende (the source of radium). Rip packs an anti-aircraft gun into a traincar and manages to shoot down the crooks' plane and expose their plot.
Notes
- "Commissioner Gordon Walks a Beat" is reprinted in Batman Archives Vol 6.
Trivia
- This is the first time that the Bat-Signal is destroyed in Batman's history.
- One of the newspapers in the Slam Bradley story is The Daily Bugle.
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Detective Comics Vol 1 121 on the forums
- Cover gallery for the Detective Comics series
- Images from Detective Comics Vol 1 121
