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Batman Decades
Batman in the Forties
Continuing DC Comics' decades series devoted to the Caped Crusader, this volume looks at the Dark Knight's beginnings! Featuring Batman stories from BATMAN #7, 15, 20, 31, 37, 47, 48, 49, DETECTIVE COMICS #27, 33, 38, 49, 80, REAL FACT COMICS #5, STAR-SPANGLED COMICS #70, and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #30, this volume includes Batman's first appearance and the debut of Robin, the first telling of his origin, and the debuts of the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman and the Mad Hatter.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Bill Finger
645 books105 followersWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 1, 2013
This book takes 192 pages to give readers view of the best Batman stories of eleven years of Batman stories from 1939-50. We get a pretty solid sampling. There's the first Batman story, Robin's first story and solo stories with Robin and Alfred.
Included are the introduction of Vicky Vale in Batman #49. There's a great Joker Story, "The Joker Follows Suit" in which the Clown Prince of Crime carries off an imitation of Batman intorducing the Jokermobile and the Joker signal for criminals in trouble. There's also a somewhat odd Catwoman story where she falls in love with Bruce Wayne and tries to reform only to reverse intentions when she finds out Bruce is leading her on (for some reason.)
The Bat Cave is invaded in a "1,000 Secrets of the Batcave" in which a fleeing criminal finds his way into Wayne Manor and eventually the Batcave and the Dynamic duo and the tough battle it out in the midst of all Batman's props and trophies.
My favorite story in the book had to be "Bruce Wayne Loses Guardianship of Dicky Grayson." Bruce Wayne/Batman is clearly emotional about the loss of the person he "loves most." Batman also is more quietly emotional in Batman #47 when he comes face to face with his parents' killers.
This early Batman is far more emotive, and the stories are even open to the occasional happy ending as happened to the original Two Face story in Detective Comics #80.
There are a few weaker entries in this book such as the "Clayface" story and Batman was not nearly as fun a character as Superman in the same era, but it's still a worthwhile read for any superhero fan.
Included are the introduction of Vicky Vale in Batman #49. There's a great Joker Story, "The Joker Follows Suit" in which the Clown Prince of Crime carries off an imitation of Batman intorducing the Jokermobile and the Joker signal for criminals in trouble. There's also a somewhat odd Catwoman story where she falls in love with Bruce Wayne and tries to reform only to reverse intentions when she finds out Bruce is leading her on (for some reason.)
The Bat Cave is invaded in a "1,000 Secrets of the Batcave" in which a fleeing criminal finds his way into Wayne Manor and eventually the Batcave and the Dynamic duo and the tough battle it out in the midst of all Batman's props and trophies.
My favorite story in the book had to be "Bruce Wayne Loses Guardianship of Dicky Grayson." Bruce Wayne/Batman is clearly emotional about the loss of the person he "loves most." Batman also is more quietly emotional in Batman #47 when he comes face to face with his parents' killers.
This early Batman is far more emotive, and the stories are even open to the occasional happy ending as happened to the original Two Face story in Detective Comics #80.
There are a few weaker entries in this book such as the "Clayface" story and Batman was not nearly as fun a character as Superman in the same era, but it's still a worthwhile read for any superhero fan.
November 27, 2016
An eye-opening look into the origins of the Caped Crusader, with a smattering of early Detective Comics and Batman issues with a few miscellaneous Bat-family featuring titles thrown in for good measure. Comics historian Bill Schelly chose these seventeen tales, and while they are all fun, I can't help but feel a little miffed that we're not getting the proper first appearance of some of the villains featured here. There's a lot of Penguin mentioning, but none of the tales actually feature him!
Surprises:
- The Batman and Robin relationship is actually quite touching in its sincerity and open affection. If there's anything I took away from this collection, it's how much I like Robin as an addition to the Bat-mythos.
- From grim avenger of the night to corny adventure duo, with Batman in particular being actually more like a punning smug Roger Moore than the overly righteous boyscout Adam West portrayed him as, even in this first decade there's a marked disparity in the portrayal of the character.
- Villain training wheels: the Joker is actually a mirthless horror clown in his first appearances, with Batman and Robin the ones who are constantly trolling him. Catwoman / "the Cat" / "Elva Barr" is just a jewelry thief dressed like an old lady (!) in her first appearance* to a CAT HEAD WEARING MONSTROSITY later. Mad Hatter is just a robber who uses his hat for storage, like Batman uses his belt. Clayface is a vengeful actor who just uses studio make-up to disguise himself.
- Adaptation LULZ: One tale is "The End of Two-Face", featuring Harvey Kent (!)'s rehabilitation. The one immediately following it is a condensed newspaper strip retelling of the origin and demise of Two-Face, in this version vain HAM ACTOR (they remind you of this every recap) Harvey APOLLO. For those complaining movie adaptations kill villains, Harvey is hanged by power cables in front of the movie screen at a drive-in at the end of this.
- DEATH: Robin cheerfully kicks a guy to his death. Batman has quite a few "you or me, buddy!" kills. There's really enthusiastic reminders that "dis guy is gettin' da chair" to the point where the comics sometimes take extra care in having cute little newsboys yell that this week's villain is sentenced to DIEEEEuhhhh.
*I'll admit, I purchased a separate issue of Batman #1 when I realized the first appearances of many villains weren't in this.
Surprises:
- The Batman and Robin relationship is actually quite touching in its sincerity and open affection. If there's anything I took away from this collection, it's how much I like Robin as an addition to the Bat-mythos.
- From grim avenger of the night to corny adventure duo, with Batman in particular being actually more like a punning smug Roger Moore than the overly righteous boyscout Adam West portrayed him as, even in this first decade there's a marked disparity in the portrayal of the character.
- Villain training wheels: the Joker is actually a mirthless horror clown in his first appearances, with Batman and Robin the ones who are constantly trolling him. Catwoman / "the Cat" / "Elva Barr" is just a jewelry thief dressed like an old lady (!) in her first appearance* to a CAT HEAD WEARING MONSTROSITY later. Mad Hatter is just a robber who uses his hat for storage, like Batman uses his belt. Clayface is a vengeful actor who just uses studio make-up to disguise himself.
- Adaptation LULZ: One tale is "The End of Two-Face", featuring Harvey Kent (!)'s rehabilitation. The one immediately following it is a condensed newspaper strip retelling of the origin and demise of Two-Face, in this version vain HAM ACTOR (they remind you of this every recap) Harvey APOLLO. For those complaining movie adaptations kill villains, Harvey is hanged by power cables in front of the movie screen at a drive-in at the end of this.
- DEATH: Robin cheerfully kicks a guy to his death. Batman has quite a few "you or me, buddy!" kills. There's really enthusiastic reminders that "dis guy is gettin' da chair" to the point where the comics sometimes take extra care in having cute little newsboys yell that this week's villain is sentenced to DIEEEEuhhhh.
*I'll admit, I purchased a separate issue of Batman #1 when I realized the first appearances of many villains weren't in this.
May 20, 2020
Big fun: still a sampling, though a better one than the volumes I grew up to read, like Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies.
I would supplement this with one of the chronological reprint volumes, but, here is a good start on the origins and initial work of Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, et. al., the formerly unsigned collaborators of Bob Kane.
Recommended.
I would supplement this with one of the chronological reprint volumes, but, here is a good start on the origins and initial work of Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, et. al., the formerly unsigned collaborators of Bob Kane.
Recommended.
April 25, 2021
This was a fun read, albeit a bit silly at times. I always enjoy going back and seeing how things were told in a previous time. As our cultures change, so do the way we tell our stories. While some of it may not hold up well, it's amazing for what it is. Batman in the Forties goes back and shows us how the Batman came to be. After all he didn't start off with an origin story, he just was. Superheroes were a new thing. Once Superman became popular they decided to try another, but they were still creating the format, making it up as they went. The great thing about this one is they tell you that.
The book is broken up into "chapters" that start with a commentary. We have origins, props, you name it. Even they joker gets to show up in props, not for his own outrageous props but for his co-opting of the traditional Batman props. It's worth taking a look at.
The book is broken up into "chapters" that start with a commentary. We have origins, props, you name it. Even they joker gets to show up in props, not for his own outrageous props but for his co-opting of the traditional Batman props. It's worth taking a look at.
September 29, 2019
* As of Spring 2019, started reading collections of cartooning, comic books or graphic novels to aid part of my profession.
As I continue to read these cartoon collections, I admit, it is wearing on me. Considering I produce cartooning myself, that should not be the case. This volume wore on me. I had not read an actual Batman comic book story probably in 3 decades. I can't recall ever reading these early tales. Here, I got through them all. Frankly, the most convoluted Reginald Hill or Dorothy Sayers mystery is easier to get through than this collection.
The stories are thought to be for children. But children of the 1950s. These stories, seem to me,to be mostly too involved for young people today. Many are well written. Some are just silly. All in all this is good guy versus bad guy with variations here and there.
Artistically, the startling difference are the earliest stories and the illustration work ramping way up in a very short distance time. Jerry Robinson clearly changed to artistic standard of these tales. His work here is head and shoulders about all of the others.
One thing clear here is the over dominance of a name: Bob Kane. He had his name on little he actually worked on. The last pages of third is a few page tale of Bob Kane creating Batman. All pure fantasy and unfortunate slight of the dozens who worked on and help create the many aspects of the Batman character.
Bottom line: I recommend this book - For comic book folks.
Others: Read Reginald Hill or Dorothy Sayers. :)
8 out of ten points.
As I continue to read these cartoon collections, I admit, it is wearing on me. Considering I produce cartooning myself, that should not be the case. This volume wore on me. I had not read an actual Batman comic book story probably in 3 decades. I can't recall ever reading these early tales. Here, I got through them all. Frankly, the most convoluted Reginald Hill or Dorothy Sayers mystery is easier to get through than this collection.
The stories are thought to be for children. But children of the 1950s. These stories, seem to me,to be mostly too involved for young people today. Many are well written. Some are just silly. All in all this is good guy versus bad guy with variations here and there.
Artistically, the startling difference are the earliest stories and the illustration work ramping way up in a very short distance time. Jerry Robinson clearly changed to artistic standard of these tales. His work here is head and shoulders about all of the others.
One thing clear here is the over dominance of a name: Bob Kane. He had his name on little he actually worked on. The last pages of third is a few page tale of Bob Kane creating Batman. All pure fantasy and unfortunate slight of the dozens who worked on and help create the many aspects of the Batman character.
Bottom line: I recommend this book - For comic book folks.
Others: Read Reginald Hill or Dorothy Sayers. :)
8 out of ten points.
October 25, 2024
And again, reading this backwards is fascinating for seeing how that weird tone of so much of the fifties is born out of the creators of Batman scrabbling to find a consistent tone that matches both the darkness of the noiry origins of the character (especially Bill Finger’s contributions to the character, always more interesting than Kane the hack) but can also keep the clear momentum that popularity was bringing to the series. So it’s a strange mixture of darkness and daftness, but one that’s really striking especially in the earliest strips before Batman settles in a slightly more cartoony form where the art is spidery and slightly mysterious
March 6, 2018
Longtime fans will probably have read a few of these stories over the years. Many, more than once. However, at least for me, there were a number of them that I either had forgotten or had not read before. What's really surprising is that while one would expect the writing to be a bit dated, there are some real solid examples of good storytelling. Great stuff.
April 11, 2019
This was loads of fun and completely nostalgic. As a classic Batman fan, it was fun to finally read some of the original material.
April 22, 2024
I’m not exactly a fan of the Golden Age, but I do recognize the importance of some of the stories from that era. That’s why Batman in the Forties is a great compromise—it offers a curated selection of pivotal Batman tales from that time, including the issue where it all began, Detective Comics 27 (even though this story was published in 1939). Detective Comics 27 isn’t an origin story, which is why DC also included Detective Comics 33 in this book. The origin story was eventually retold in Batman 47, revealing that Joe Chill killed Bruce Wayne’s parents.
The book also collects the Robin origin story and not one, but two, Two-Face origin stories—to Harvey Dent’s delight. Personally, I enjoyed the Vicky Vale story, the Selina Kyle story, and the one where Bruce lost guardianship over Dick Grayson. The latter story really showcased how much Dick meant to Bruce. While I may not be particularly fond of Golden Age stories, I do appreciate Golden Age art. I have no regrets about reading these Golden Age stories.
Collects stories from Batman 7, 15, 20, 31, 37, 47, 48, and 49, Detective Comics 27, 33, 38, 49, and 80, Real Fact Comics 5, Star-Spangled Comics 70, and World’s FInest Comics 30.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
The book also collects the Robin origin story and not one, but two, Two-Face origin stories—to Harvey Dent’s delight. Personally, I enjoyed the Vicky Vale story, the Selina Kyle story, and the one where Bruce lost guardianship over Dick Grayson. The latter story really showcased how much Dick meant to Bruce. While I may not be particularly fond of Golden Age stories, I do appreciate Golden Age art. I have no regrets about reading these Golden Age stories.
Collects stories from Batman 7, 15, 20, 31, 37, 47, 48, and 49, Detective Comics 27, 33, 38, 49, and 80, Real Fact Comics 5, Star-Spangled Comics 70, and World’s FInest Comics 30.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
April 5, 2009
I really enjoyed this one, even more than the 50s collection. There are some really good stories in here, even though parts obviously are hilarious when you read them today. Well, a lot of it is hilarious, and some parts are somewhat disturbing (spoiler alert: the SPANKING). The Batman's first appearance is in this one, naturally, as is the first Robin story, and the origin stories and whatnot. My favourite was the one where Bruce Wayne lost the guardianship of Dick (WOE!!), though. An interesting and fun read.
June 13, 2016
A great collection of Batman stories, from his first decade in existence.
The 1st telling of Batman's origin is here, as is the introduction of Robin. The Joker, Catwoman (A different version) Clayface (the original version) and Two-Face(in two stories, and he's not Harvey DENT on either one) Alfred is here as well(Also different than we have come to know him)
Great atmosphere in some of the art work.
Comics used to have much more READING. I miss that, and these old collections remind me of that.
If you're a Batman fan, you should read this one!!!
The 1st telling of Batman's origin is here, as is the introduction of Robin. The Joker, Catwoman (A different version) Clayface (the original version) and Two-Face(in two stories, and he's not Harvey DENT on either one) Alfred is here as well(Also different than we have come to know him)
Great atmosphere in some of the art work.
Comics used to have much more READING. I miss that, and these old collections remind me of that.
If you're a Batman fan, you should read this one!!!
June 30, 2009
Seventeen stories and cover art from the Batman's early years, including the first two versions of the origin of the Batman stories. Appropriately there are also two early versions of the villain Two-Face, in one he’s Harvey Kent, disfigured D.A., in the other he’s Harvey Apollo, vain and disfigured actor. There are also early versions of Catwoman, Clayface, and the Joker. Also included are biographical information on the writers and artists.
August 22, 2016
Fun reading some classic old tales. This collection tells tales that were first published in the 40's but several of these stories were what I recall from the 60's
It's fun to revisit some simpler less dark tales of Gotham's Caped Crusaders.
It's fun to revisit some simpler less dark tales of Gotham's Caped Crusaders.
January 18, 2017
The book is a fun read and it had great stories about Batman. I liked the part where Dick is being taken away from Bruce from this Uncle. This made the bond between Bruce and Dick stronger. The book great and would definitely would read it again.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews