Cover Date: November 1939
Plot Overview: This issue opens with the telling of Batman's origin. You've probably seen this reprinted before so I'll gloss over it. The real story begins as the town is attacked by a group calling itself the Red Horde. Bruce is on the scene and helps a few of his fellow citizens out.
Later Wayne reads that Professor Carl Kruger has been released from a mental institution. Wayne theorizes that Kruger might be behind the attack. Dr. Kruger has a Napoleon complex which of course means he's dressing himself up like Napoleon and planning to conquer the world.
Batman unsuccessfully confronts Kruger and barely escapes with his life. Batman then decides to focus on the minions of Kruger. One unwittingly leads Batman to their base. Batman tries to destroy the death rays but Kruger shoots him in the back. Kruger appears to kill Batman with a death ray but it's quickly revealed that Batman switched places with one of the guards.
An aerial battle follows and Batman manages to cause Kruger to crash into the bay killing him.
My Take: This issue was really up and down. For the first half, I was really impressed as it seemed the writing had really improved with this issue. Then it all fell apart. The part where Batman switched places with the guard made no sense. It, literally, was impossible due to how the book presented it. That really took me out of the issue and it made the good points of this issue a little harder to stick with.
But, the writing was a little better in this issue. It flowed as a story better than previous issues have. I didn't feel like I was forcing myself to push through the book. I am kind of curious to see how Superman reads from this time period now. I wonder if the writing is as bad as it can be in Batman. I'm guessing that it probably is.
I was so-so on the art this time. It didn't seem to set the mood that previous issues have. It felt kind of generic and rushed. There was also a point where Batman got hit in the head with a gun and you really couldn't tell from the art that it happened.
Overall, I'd give this issue a D for some up and down writing and for some less than stellar artwork.
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