Detective Comics #29

 

Batman is back on the cover and we notice again, bare hands and his ears look more prominent than the previous two comics. I do want to state the one of the issues I have with the older comics is that they are more wordie than visual. The early comics aren't devoted to complete stories...yet, but they will.

The story opens with Dr. Karl Hellfern, to be known later as Dr. Death summoning his servant Jabah to let him know his pollen extract is ready to persuade the wealthy to pay tribute or perish. He is worried about the one called The Bat-Man and thinks placing a personal ad might be a way to find him.

The next morning Bruce Wayne is reading the paper and notices the ad.

The ad reads - 

Batman If you will go to

General Post Office and ask for a letter:

addressed to John Jones you will find a message of Importance.

So Bruce Wayne goes to the post office asks for a letter for John Jones and retrieves the letter.

No wait one minute, I am sure other people read the newspaper. How is it that no one else lays wait to see who retrieves the letter, whether it be the police, or a villain, or a curious mind....A bit flawed but...oh well

Batman-

At 10 P.M. tonight at suite B on the 14th floor of the Beverly Apts.

I will commit a murder and I defy you without the aid of the police

to stop me..

Bruce Wayne reads the letter and does the math, a half hour to change, a half hour to get there. He changes

into his Bat-Man costume and makes sure in his utility belt he has gas pellets and some Bat-Man gear with suction cups to help scale the building.

This is the first use of the utility belt for devices as well as specialize gear for his tasks.

The Bat-Man drives to the designated building...

This is just a normal car and not any iteration of a Batmobile.

The Bat-Man hides his in a nearby vacant lot and with the use of his suction cup apparatus get to the top floor where the penthouse is. Batman leaves his climbing rope attached in the event he needs to make a quick get away. He enters the penthouse through a window where he is met with two gunmen. Batman makes quick work of these goons and demands to know who sent for him. The Bat-Man even threatens to kill them if they don't talk. 

This is so contrary to The Bat-Man I am familiar with..

Suddenly Jabah enters and shoots The Bat-Man. The Bat-Man is hit in the shoulder and falls to the ground. The Bat-Man uses the gas pellets stores in his utility belt, holds his breath and throws them. As the gas fills the room, The Bat-Man runs and jumps off the roof. The gunmen are astonished thinking just commited suicide. But The Bat-Man clutches the rope he left and swing away to safety. 

The Bat-Man still bleeding makes it to his car and drives to the nearest phone booth call the Daily Globe and asks to have an personal ad placed 

"I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE, DOCTOR

DEATH. THE

BATMAN. "

Bruce Wayne sees his family doctor to get his shoulder patched up, meanwhile Dr. Death isn't pleased with escape of The Bat-Man. Jabah shares with Dr. Death that there is one man refusing to pay tribute, a John P Van Smith. Dr. Death treats Jabah with an immunization to prevent him falling prey to his poison pollen. He give the poison pollen to Jabah and tell him to blow the pollen towards John P Van Smith at his club later that night. 

As Jabah is making his way to John P Van Smith club, Bruce Wayne driving around town sees Jabah and tails him. He sees Jabah blow something towards John P Van Smith and Jabah flees Bruce Wayne jumps out of his car and places a handkerchief around John P Van Smith's mouth and nose and one around his own. Bruce Wayne tells John P Van Smith not to breath or he will die.

He tells John P Van Smith I have no time to answer any question and follow Jabah back the home of Dr. Death. Bruce Wayne changes into his Bat-Man costume and enter Dr. Death's home through a second story window. 

The Bat-Man throw a lasso around Jabah neck and pulls it tight, Dr. Death takes this moment to open a trap door and escape but The Bat-Man is right behind him. 

I just noticed that The Bat-Man at times is just The Batman. I went back and the only hyphenated spelling in for the title....everything is not hyphenated.

The Bat-Man follows Dr, Death into his lab, as The Batman instinctively take the fire extinguisher off the wall. Dr. Death grabs a vial off a nearby lab table and tells The Batman you are too late, meet your fiery doom! The Batman throws the fire extinguisher at Dr. Death causing him to drop the vial as it explodes in massive fiery explosion. Through the flames The Batman can hear Dr. Death laughing out loud , ha ha ha you fool!

The Batman says you the poor fool. But is this the end of Dr. Death?