Batman #88

(December 1954)

The Mystery of the Four Batmen! (Table of Contents: 1)

Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script:

Edmond Hamilton

Pencils:

Dick Sprang [as Bob Kane] (signed)

Inks:

Charles Paris

Colors:

?

Letters:

Pat Gordon

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Dr. Veering (villain, fake archaeologist); Horace Hubert (villain, fake pottery businessman); Professor Egbert Smills (fake orthinologist); Duke Walling (villain); Lefty Lingard (villain, fake pro baseball player)

Synopsis:

The Batman and Robin board a cruise ship at sea, the Vardonic, in order to track down an accomplish of a gang operating in Gotham City. The list of suspects includes four "Batmen"!

Reprints:

• in Batman Annual (DC, 1961 series) #6 (Winter 1963-'64) [small dialogue changes]
• in DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals (DC, 2009 series) #2 ([August] 2010)

Keywords:

Bat-Cave; Bat-Plane; Gotham City; Varonic

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Martin O'Hearn.

Penciler credit verified by Dick Sprang.

Inker credit verified by Charles Paris.

["We're too far back!"] (Table of Contents: 2)

Movie Mirth / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Harry Lampert

Pencils:

Harry Lampert

Inks:

Harry Lampert

Colors:

?

Letters:

Harry Lampert

Genre:

non-fiction

Reprints:

• from The Adventures of Bob Hope (DC, 1950 series) #2 (April-May 1950)

Three Letters To Batman! (Table of Contents: 3)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script:

Bill Finger ?

Pencils:

Sheldon Moldoff

Inks:

Charles Paris

Colors:

?

Letters:

Pat Gordon

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; The Queen of Mundovia

Synopsis:

When loot from a crime mysteriously disappears, a series of letters arrive to the Caped Crusaders, and Robin succeeds in tracking down the letter writer: Batman himself!

Reprints:

• in Colossal Comic (K. G. Murray, 1958 series) #13 ([April 1960])

Indexer Notes

Inker credit verified by Charles Paris.

["I volunteer for the Police Band - and look what I get - a tuba!"] (Table of Contents: 4)

Casey the Cop / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Henry Boltinoff

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Casey the Cop

Indexer Notes

Title changed to first line of dialog to facilitate reprint tracking. (Gene Reed, 7/15/2011)

["Mom asked me to mail this!"] (Table of Contents: 5)

Little Pete / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Henry Boltinoff

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Little Pete

Indexer Notes

Title changed to first line of dialog to facilitate reprint tracking. (Gene Reed, 7/15/2011)

The Case of the Harmless Crackpots (Table of Contents: 6)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Jack Miller [as Joe Maloney] (credited)

Pencils:

Raymond Perry

Inks:

Raymond Perry

Colors:

Raymond Perry ?

Letters:

typeset

Genre:

adventure

Indexer Notes

Joe Maloney (Jack Miller ?)

Colorist creddit by Craig Delich.

The Son of Batman! (Table of Contents: 7)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script:

Bill Finger ?

Pencils:

Sheldon Moldoff

Inks:

Charles Paris

Colors:

?

Letters:

Pat Gordon

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Batman [Bruce Wayne] [also as Ed Wilson]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Ed Wilson (introduction, ex-con); Tommy Wilson (introduction, Ed's son); Big Jim Garver (villain, introduction); Garver's gang [Tipper; others un-named] (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis:

While impersonating Batman to impress his son, ex-con Ed Wilson is shot and gravely wounded. To protect Tommy, his son, and his father's image, Batman impersonates Wilson and eventually saves the boy from the Garver gang.

Indexer Notes

Inker credit verified by Charles Paris.