Type Comic
Date 1939-07
Tags fiction

Detective Comics #29

Detective Comics #29 (1939-07)

Batman

Batman is issued a challenge by Doctor Karl Hellfern, "later to be more widely known as Doctor Death". Shall Batman not succeed in stopping him before he does something to become infamous?

Batman gets shot during a confrontation with Doctor Death's minions, so he visits the family doctor to get his wound treated. The following exchange takes place:

Bizarre.

Later, Batman saves an intended victim and confronts Doctor Death, which ends in the Doctor's lab burning to the ground. "Death to Doctor Death!" says Batman. "...but is it death to this arch criminal? Follow the further amazing and unique adventures of the Bat-Man in next month's Detective Comics." So, maybe the good doctor will get another chance to make a name for himself.

Spy

Bart, accompanied by a useless man called Jack Steele, stops a spy from killing Colonel Walsh. Once again, there's no Sally in this story. It looks like she may have been written out of the comic. Her antics and interaction with Bart was most of what made this comic worthwhile, so I might stop reading it, if it doesn't improve.

The Crimson Avenger

The Crimson captures some kidnappers. Not terribly interesting.

Slam Bradley

There's some plot to convince the Hawaiians to rebel against the United States. More interestingly, lepers seem to be viewed as sub-human--acting more like zombies in this story than people. A leper is seen in this story to act to aid the villains, without explanation. A volcano erupts, likely killing an entire island full of lepers, and no one bats an eye. It's weird.