Batman #5
(Spring 1941)

DC, 1940 Series
< Previous Issue |
| Next Issue >
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
68
Indicia Frequency
quarterly
On-sale Date
1941-04-16
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Brand
A DC Publication
Editing
Whitney Ellsworth (uncredited)

Issue Notes

On-sale date from copyright registration. On-sale date of April 15 in ad in Detective Comics #51.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman and Robin / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The cover is roughly taken from Batman #4's last story splash.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

Wilson Chem Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

The Riddle of the Missing Card! (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Jerry Robinson; George Roussos (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
George Roussos

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [30's face, spotlight]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; The Joker (villain); Jack of Diamonds [Diamond Jack Duggan] (villain, introduction, death); Black Queen (villain, introduction, death); King of Clubs (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
With the help of some new partners in crime, the Joker sets up a gambling ship for the rich and wealthy, hoping to get them drunk so that they can be pumped for information about their valuable jewels.
Reprints
Keywords
Batmobile; belt radio

Indexer Notes

Inker credits verified by Robinson and Roussos. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

Oddity: Many panels in the story feature no bat on Batman's chest.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

True-isms.. / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
New York University has the largest enrollment...
Genre
non-fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Quiz Box / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
1. What is the oldest inhabited city in the world?
Genre
non-fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Sports Shorts / cartoon / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The center of a standard baseball...
Genre
non-fiction; sports

World's Best Value! (Table of Contents: 6)

World's Best Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Book of Enchantment (Table of Contents: 7)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Jerry Robinson; George Roussos (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
George Roussos

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [30's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Professor Anderson (inventor); Enid Anderson (the Professor's daughter); Father Time; Simple Simon; Humpty Dumpty; Gruel the Black Witch (villain); Burn (villain, the Man of Fire, death); Freeze (villain, the Man of Ice, death); a dragon (villain, death); a cyclops (villain); a giant (villain)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin are sent to Fairyland by an inventor's strange machine that allows people to actually enter into the scenario of a book they are reading in order to try to locate his daughter he had sent there a few days earlier and return her safely.
Reprints
Keywords
Fairyland

Indexer Notes

Inker credits verified by Robinson and Roussos. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Jungle Fun / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Bill Carney (signed)
Inks
Bill Carney (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Gee! We can't slide down today!
Genre
humor

The "Big Six" Comic Magazines Still Lead the Field! (Table of Contents: 9)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

The Case of the Honest Crook! (Table of Contents: 10)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Jerry Robinson; George Roussos (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
George Roussos

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [30's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Joseph Sands (introduction); Ann Sands [nee Ann Davis] (Joe's wife, introduction); un-named shopkeeper; un-named doctor; Smiley Sikes (villain, introduction); Matty Link (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
Batman helps out a young convict released from prison who is having trouble getting an honest job to support his new, but sick wife. The Caped Crusaders then vow to help track down the rats who set him up to be arrested originally, but Robin is nearly beaten to death, and the Batman swears vengeance on those responsible.
Reprints
Keywords
Batmobile

Indexer Notes

Inker credits verified by Robinson and Roussos. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

The Justice Society of America Proudly Presents All-Star No. 5! (Table of Contents: 11)

All-Star Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Too Much Knowledge (Table of Contents: 12)

text story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Script
Clem Gordon (credited) (house name)
Pencils
Cliff Young (signed as Cliff)
Inks
Cliff Young (signed as Cliff)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Detective John Burton surveyed the semi-circle of grim faces.
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
James Stoms; Miss Stoms; John Burton; Mr. Eggleton; Richard Bemin
Synopsis
Detective Burton solves the murder of Harold Stoms.

Here's That Man Again! (Table of Contents: 13)

Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Characters
Superman

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14)

Jest Jokin' / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Ray McGill (signed)
Pencils
Ray McGill (signed)
Inks
Ray McGill (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Ray McGill ? (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I sent him a singing telegram for his first birthday...
Genre
humor

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15)

Curios.. / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The largest pyramid was built by Cheops...
Genre
non-fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16)

Detective Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Clear the way...

[Crime Does Not Pay] (Table of Contents: 17)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Jerry Robinson; George Roussos (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
George Roussos

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [30's face, spotlight]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne] [also as Trigger Burns]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Linda Page (introduction); Mrs. Grogan (Tommy's mother); Tommy Grogan; Mike Grogan (villain, Tommy's brother, introduction, death); Joe (villain)
Synopsis
Batman finds it very odd that a bank robber he is fighting with comes to the aid of another until he realizes that they are brothers. And he must rescue Linda Page from the clutches of one of the gangsters in order to save his brother from a life of crime.
Reprints
Keywords
Batmobile

Indexer Notes

This is the first appearance of Linda Page, who gave up her role as a society girl to become a nurse to help people. She appears occasionally over the next couple of years as a girlfriend for Bruce Wayne, but always wishing that he could make something of his life and be more like Batman.

Inker credits verified by Robinson and Roussos. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 18)

Spencer Fireworks Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 19)

Home Recording Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
?

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20)

Daisy Air Rifles / Daisy B-B Guns / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Fred Harman (signed)
Inks
Fred Harman (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Me hope you winnum prize!

Indexer Notes

Back cover.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman and Robin
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
    Wilson Chem Co.
  3. 2. The Riddle of the Missing Card!
    Batman and Robin
  4. 3. ["New York University has the largest enrollment..."]
    True-isms..
  5. 4. ["1. What is the oldest inhabited city in the world?"]
    Quiz Box
  6. 5. ["The center of a standard baseball..."]
    Sports Shorts
  7. 6. World's Best Value!
    World's Best Comics
  8. 7. Book of Enchantment
    Batman and Robin
  9. 8. ["Gee! We can't slide down today!"]
    Jungle Fun
  10. 9. The "Big Six" Comic Magazines Still Lead the Field!
  11. 10. The Case of the Honest Crook!
    Batman and Robin
  12. 11. The Justice Society of America Proudly Presents All-Star No. 5!
    All-Star Comics
  13. 12. Too Much Knowledge
  14. 13. Here's That Man Again!
    Superman
  15. 14. ["I sent him a singing telegram for his first birthday..."]
    Jest Jokin'
  16. 15. ["The largest pyramid was built by Cheops..."]
    Curios..
  17. 16. ["Clear the way..."]
    Detective Comics
  18. 17. [Crime Does Not Pay]
    Batman and Robin
  19. 18. [no title indexed]
    Spencer Fireworks Co.
  20. 19. [no title indexed]
    Home Recording Co.
  21. 20. ["Me hope you winnum prize!"]
    Daisy Air Rifles / Daisy B-B Guns
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Craig Delich
  • Del Gruber
  • Jan Roar Hansen
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • John Monagle
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Matthew Peets
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore