This is a review of Batman: The Golden Age Volume Four, written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane and published in the 1940’s. Read my reviews of the first three volumes here, here, and here. In this volume, we have Two Face’s origin story, along with appearances by Catwoman, The Scarecrow, and The Penguin. The Joker appears so often he should be given billing on the strip: Batman, Robin & The Joker has a nice ring to it!
There are also the usual thugs, fifth columnists, and gangsters, which is where we see the interesting stories. Batman’s Rogue Gallery always gets top billing, but with tales not featuring weirdo villains the creators need to come up with an angle. Thus, we have stories about the two feuding brothers whose father is killed by a bad guy, a tearjerker about the kindly neighborhood druggist, and the boy who wants to be Robin, but is hampered by the fact that he’s way too stupid to be Robin.
My personal favorite issue features Batman and Robin splitting up. Batman tells his young ward their partnership is dissolved and throws his Robin picture in the trash. A devastated Dick Grayson leaves to become a hobo – I don’t recall if he has a bindle over his shoulder, but I sure hope he does. Turns out that evildoers threatened Robin, which is why Batman decides to go it alone!
After Batman is captured and sealed in a room, a ‘la Edgar Allen Poe, Robin returns – and is captured. The thugs have a brainwave and unseal the room, which allows Batman to beat the crap out of them, and the Dynamic Duo are reunited, with Robin having no hard feelings at all. Nothing dysfunctional about that relationship!
I must say a few words about the deathtraps. During the 1930’s and 1940’s, movie serials were very popular. Serials appeared in chapters, with every chapter ending in a cliffhanger, usually involving the female lead being tied up. The same thing happens in Batman stories of that time period. The Dynamic Duo are captured, usually by being whacked over the head. Instead of killing them, the thugs put them in deathtraps. If you think about it – which you shouldn’t – there is no reason for this. Why tie someone up and shove them in a car loaded with dynamite, when you can shoot them in the head and drop them into Gotham harbor?
This is a fun read recommended for fans of golden age comics and Batman completionists.
Abandoned Places 