Detective Comics #31 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1939. It was published on July 30, 1939.
Synopsis for "Batman Versus the Vampire, Part 1"
The Batman patrols New York City at night. He spots a beautiful woman about to kill a man, and saves the man's life. Batman realizes that this woman is Julie Madison, Bruce Wayne's fiancee. Batman takes Julie home, and tells her to explain everything to Bruce Wayne in the morning. Bruce takes her to a doctor, who explains that she was a victim of hypnosis. The doctor suggests an ocean voyage to somewhere like Paris and then later Hungary. Bruce worries that the doctor seemed like he was under hypnosis also. Despite this, he decides to let Julie go. Bruce plans to follow her as Batman in his flying Batgyro. He also takes his newest weapon, the batarang.
Batman drops out of his plane to visit Julie on the boat. They are interrupted by a hooded villain known as the Monk. The Monk tries to hypnotize Batman, but as paralysis starts to set in, Batman throws a baterang at him. It misses, but Batman jumps onto his rope ladder and escapes into the plane.
They land in Paris, and Batman scours the city for Julie. When he finds her lodgings, he is attacked by a giant gorilla. The gorilla chases him into a room with no floor where he falls into a giant net. The net pulls him up to a room where the Monk is sitting on a throne. The Monk pulls a lever, and Batman is lowered into a pit with snakes. He manages to throw his batarang at a lever and shatter some glass. This allows him to break out of the net and pursue the Monk. The Monk runs through a doorway, and drops another cage on Batman when he follows. Then the gorilla is dropped into the cage. Batman dashes up the rope that lowered the gorilla, and takes down the guard who lowered him. Then he escapes through a door which leads him to the outside. Batman climbs back into the hovering Batgyro. He spots a car speeding away, and leaps down on top of it. The car crashes into a tree, and Batman drags Julie from the wreckage. Julie is safe, but the Batman wants revenge. He travels to Hungary to pursue the Monk.
Appearing in "Batman Versus the Vampire, Part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Julie Madison (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Doctor Trent (Single appearance)
Locations:
- New York City
- France
- Hungary (Destination)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Batgyro (First appearance)
- The Lunar Lady, passenger steamship
Synopsis for Buck Marshall: "Killer's Bait"
Buck Marshall goes undercover to catch a gang of bank robbers.
Appearing in Buck Marshall: "Killer's Bait"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Pepper
- Sheriff
Antagonists:
- Joe Turner (Single appearance)
- Barbage (Single appearance)
- Jeff Turner (Single appearance)
- Bart Rice (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jim Murray (Single appearance)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Sage City
- Sage City
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "The Mystery Plane"
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "The Mystery Plane"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- "Mechanic" (Single appearance)
Vehicles:
- "Mystery Plane"
Synopsis for Larry Steele: "Mrs. Velvet"
Appearing in Larry Steele: "Mrs. Velvet"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Amos Velvet (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Velvet (Dies)
- Williams (Single appearance)
- Doctor Taylor (Single appearance)
- Sergeant Britt (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Speed Saunders: "The Mammoth Mystery"
Appearing in Speed Saunders: "The Mammoth Mystery"
Featured Characters:
- Speed Saunders, NYPD
Antagonists:
- Elkins (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Rosita (Single appearance)
- Joe (Single appearance)
- Samson (Mentioned only)
- Bushland Bill Mercer (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
Items:
- Elephant Tusk (murder weapon)
Synopsis for Bruce Nelson: "Friday the Thirteenth"
Appearing in Bruce Nelson: "Friday the Thirteenth"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Frederic Pearce (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Colonel Lonsdale (Single appearance)
- Carol
Synopsis for Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "Dr. Dupre"
Doctors Brigg and Dupre discovered a method to isolate the essence of intelligence in the brain. By obtaining this substance, Dupre could inject into himself the knowledge and accomplishments of the most brilliant minds of his day. The process left the donors as vegetables, and Brigg was Dupre's first victim. Cosmo found out about this and put a stop to it.
Appearing in Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "Dr. Dupre"
Featured Characters:
- Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
Antagonists:
- Doctor Dupre (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Doctor Crane (Single appearance)
- Jose Sierra (Single appearance)
- John Vanderman (Single appearance)
- Miss Page (Single appearance)
- J. Brigg (Single appearance)
Items:
- Brigg-Dupre Intelligence Distillation Formula
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "The Zoo Murder"
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "The Zoo Murder"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dugan (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- Cleveland
- the Zoo
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- "Batman Versus the Vampire (Part I)" is reprinted in the following issues:
- "Batman Versus the Vampire" concludes in the next issue.
- First appearance of the Batgyro and the Batarang (spelled Baterang in this issue).
- The Batgyro begins to be referred to as the Batplane next issue.
- Batman's trademark hand-weapon is renamed from "Baterang" to "Batarang" next issue.
- With this issue, the Batman begins wearing longer gloves that extend halfway down his forearm.
- This story establishes that Batman operates out of New York City. In years to come it will be retroactively altered to Gotham City.
Trivia
- "Batman Versus the Vampire" was re-imagined by writer/artist Matt Wagner for the 2006-07 limited series Batman and the Mad Monk.
- This issue introduces the character of Julie Madison. Madison makes infrequent appearances throughout the Golden Age era as Bruce Wayne's fiancée. The character was later re-imagined for the modern Post-Crisis continuity, and is largely seen in flashback stories.
- The Mad Monk (referred to here as the Master Monk) is Batman's first masked, super-powered adversary.
- It is not widely known how Batman transitioned from Julie's Paris lodgings to the Monk's lair, or how he kept his tiny autogyro fueled on the flight from New York to Paris to Hungary.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.