Detective Comics #52 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1941.
Synopsis for Batman: "The Secret of the Jade Box"
An old curio collector, Mr. Potter, buys an antique jade box, and that same night he is murdered, and his body is found next to the jade box by his butler and his friend Bruce Wayne. After collaborating with the police investigation, Bruce returns to the crime scene as Batman and interrogates the butler about the box. Batman takes the box for investigation and discovers that there is a hidden compartment inside the box.
After learning about Achmed's Curio Shop, where the box was acquired, Batman goes there, and is attacked by a gang of Chinese assassins, seeking to retrieve the box from him. Batman fights his way free of them and then escapes the police. He now knows that the box-seeking murderer, whoever it is, got Potter's name and address from the antique merchant Achmed, and that the murderer also sold the box to Achmed in the first place.
Batman consults with Loo Chung, the informal "mayor" of Chinatown, the successor to Batman's old ally Wong[1][2]. He learns of an expanding protection racket, run by unknown Chinese gangsters. According to Loo Chung, the leader of these racketeers claims his legitimacy based on an ancient golden ring which had once belonged to Genghis Khan. Batman promises to investigate this racket then asks about the jade box; Chung reveals that the box had, of course, concealed the ancient ring, which by the way, Loo Chung is now wearing that very ring! Then he opens the trapdoor under Batman, who tumbles into a dungeon where he fights some wild dogs and Mongol killers. Before it's all over, Batman is confronted by the gun-wielding Chung, but Robin jumps into the fight catching everybody by surprise.
After that Chung and his henchmen are defeated, and Batman sets free a guy he has found in the dungeon. This guy turns out to be the father of the late Wong, former informal mayor of Chinatown, and he also turns out to be the real descendant of Genghis Khan, unlike Loo Chung who was a pretender. Knowing that Loo Chung coveted the ancient ring, the elder Wong had concealed it in the jade box and sold it to Achmed the Arab, all in hopes of keeping it away from him. Several murders later, it's apparent that that plan hasn't worked out, so Batman takes the ring and promises to destroy it.
Appearing in Batman: "The Secret of the Jade Box"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Loo Chung
- many hatchetmen
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Achmed, antiques dealer
- Mr. Potter (Dies)
- Thomas, Potter's butler
- Wong (Mentioned only)
- Elder Wong
- Genghis Khan (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
- Utility Belt
- Genghis Khan's Ring
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "The Secret Flame"
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "The Secret Flame"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Fulton (airplane executive)
Antagonists:
- Foreign Agents
Other Characters:
- "Smoke" (test pilot)
Synopsis for Crimson Avenger "Deanna the Bareback Rider"
At the circus, Lee Travis and Wing become suspicious when the star performer cancels her performance then reverses herself and goes on with the show. It turns out that some disgruntled circus employee has robbed the box office, gotten seen by Deanna the Bareback Rider, threatened to kill her, then attempted to follow through on the threat. The Crimson Avenger stops him, and forces a confession out of him, then turns him over to the police.
Appearing in Crimson Avenger "Deanna the Bareback Rider"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Circus robber
Other Characters:
- Prentis, circus owner
- Deanna, equestrienne
Locations:
Synopsis for Larry Steele: "The Case of the Cunning Crooks"
Appearing in Larry Steele: "The Case of the Cunning Crooks"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jack Talley
- Mrs. Talley
- Pudgy Wallace (amateur detective)
Antagonists:
- Lefty Mason (criminal)
- Willie Banks (ex-con)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Talley (shopkeep)
Synopsis for Speed Saunders: "The Hidden Treasure"
Appearing in Speed Saunders: "The Hidden Treasure"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Ben Bolan
Other Characters:
- Joan
- Ted Heeron
- Clem
- Burns (Dies)
- Don (Dies)
Locations:
Synopsis for Cliff Crosby: "Crime"
Appearing in Cliff Crosby: "Crime"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Kay Nevers
Antagonists
- Hank Trimble
Other Characters:
- Grimy Gus (bodyguard)
Locations:
- Hollyville
Synopsis for "Steve Malone, District Attorney"
Appearing in "Steve Malone, District Attorney"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Happy
- Casey
- Fred West
Antagonists:
- Charlie
- Rita
Locations:
- Long Island Sound
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "Lucky Arthur"
At a baseball game, with Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan in attendance, the pitcher is shot. It later turns out that the pitcher, Howard, shot himself with a concealed gun, to throw suspicion off himself, because Howard was in cahoots with sports gambler Lucky Arthur. Slam and Shorty expose the scheme.
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "Lucky Arthur"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Howard
- Lucky Arthur
Other Characters:
- Mr. Barnes
- Ace Wilkins
Locations:
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- Batman: "The Secret of the Jade Box" is reprinted in Batman Archives Vol 2 and Batman Chronicles Vol 4.
- This issue also features a text story "Proof of a Champion" by Joseph Stone.
See Also
Links and References
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.