Batman #20
(December 1943-January 1944)

DC, 1940 Series
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Price
0.10 USD
Pages
60
Indicia Frequency
bi-monthly
On-sale Date
1943-10-09
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Brand
A Superman DC Publication
Editing
Whitney Ellsworth (credited as F. W. Ellsworth) (editor); Jack Schiff (actual editor)

Issue Notes

On-sale date from copyright registration.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

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

Pencils
Dick Sprang
Inks
Dick Sprang
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

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

Indexer Notes

Art credits verified by Sprang.

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

Daisy Air Rifles / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

The Centuries of Crime! (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Don C. Cameron
Pencils
Jack Burnley
Inks
Jack Burnley; Ray Burnley (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
Betty Bentley

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [40's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Alfred Pennyworth; Percival Pruitt; The Joker (villain); Professor Ecla Tate (villain, fraudulent scientist); Swami Meera Kell (villain, crooked crystal gazer); Kid Glove Mixter (villain, bank robber)
Synopsis
The Joker enlists the aid of a fraudulent scientist and swami, convincing them that they can successfully carry out their "fleecings" of victims: in the past and the future!
Reprints
Keywords
Gotham City; Gotham Gazette

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Martin O'Hearn. Art and letterer credits verified by Burnley.

Get Going! (Table of Contents: 3)

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

The Big Eight! (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

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

Jerry the Jitterbug / comic story / 1 page (report information)

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

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Say - I should be a big hit tonight at the mask ball in this outfit!
Feature Logo
Jerry the Jitterbug
Genre
humor; teen
Characters
Jerry the Jitterbug

The Trial of Titus Keyes! (Table of Contents: 6)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

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

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [40's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; unnamed District Attorney; James Stoney (night watchman); Jack Paley (laundry owner); Nick (shoe-shine boy); Titus Keyes (ex-con, introduction); Chief Detective Flam; Patrolman Patrick Francis Aloysius Michael O'Brien; Slick Fingers [as George Collins] (villain); Noodle Nolan (villain)
Synopsis
Batman and Robin, figuring that the case in court against Titus Keyes is much too pat, investigate and discover the real culprit: the cell-mate of Keyes when he was in prison.
Reprints
Keywords
Argus Electric Supply Company; Gotham City; Vanderhoff Necklace

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Martin O'Hearn. Inker credit verified by Robinson. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7)

Hectic History / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Farr
Pencils
Jack Farr
Inks
Jack Farr
Colors
?
Letters
Jack Farr

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Clearing up pertinent points in history...
Genre
humor
Characters
Diogenes

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit by Craig Delich.

The Lawmen of the Sea! (Table of Contents: 8)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Jack Burnley
Inks
Jack Burnley; Ray Burnley (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
Betty Bentley

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [40's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; "Whittling" Willie Binger (wheelman); Spinner Powell (former All-American quarterback); Sergeant Daniels; Shark Hawkey [aka The Shark] (villain, introduction); Hawkey's river-pirate gang (villains, introdction for all)
Synopsis
In the 2nd story of a series involving various police divisions, Batman and Robin team-up with the Harbor Patrol to track down harbor pirates!
Reprints
Keywords
Gotham City; Harbor Patrol

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Martin O'Hearn. Art and letterer credits from Burnley.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Clancy 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

First Line of Dialogue or Text
There goes the siren for the practise blackout...
Feature Logo
Clancy the Cop
Genre
humor
Characters
Clancy the Cop

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10)

The Batman / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Now! Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder in the movies...

Convoy Sighted (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Walt Abbot (credited) (house name)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
adventure
Characters
Ensign Tracy; Capt. Blaney; Brown

Indexer Notes

Includes listing of Editorial Advisory Board of the Superman DC Comics Magazines.

Bruce Wayne Loses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson! (Table of Contents: 12)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

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

Feature Logo
Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [40's face]
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Alfred Pennyworth; unnamed Judge; George Grayson (villain, Dick Grayson's uncle, introduction); Clara Grayson (villain, Dick Grayson's aunt, introduction); Fatso Foley (villain, racketeer, introduction); The Joker (villain, image)
Synopsis
One day a couple show up at the Wayne mansion claiming to be the Aunt and Uncle of Dick Grayson, and they successfully get custody of the boy. But Batman smells a rat when the couple call up Bruce Wayne and offer him the opportunity to "buy" Dick back!
Reprints
Keywords
Gotham City; Wayne Mansion

Indexer Notes

Script credit from Martin O'Hearn. Inker credit verified by Robinson. Letterer credit verified by Roussos.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13)

Invention Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

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

National Radio Institute / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

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

Metro Publications / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

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]
    Daisy Air Rifles
  3. 2. The Centuries of Crime!
    Batman and Robin
  4. 3. Get Going!
    Wheaties
  5. 4. The Big Eight!
  6. 5. ["Say - I should be a big hit tonight at the mask ball in this outfit!"]
    Jerry the Jitterbug
  7. 6. The Trial of Titus Keyes!
    Batman and Robin
  8. 7. ["Clearing up pertinent points in history..."]
    Hectic History
  9. 8. The Lawmen of the Sea!
    Batman and Robin
  10. 9. ["There goes the siren for the practise blackout..."]
    Clancy the Cop
  11. 10. ["Now! Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder in the movies..."]
    The Batman
  12. 11. Convoy Sighted
  13. 12. Bruce Wayne Loses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson!
    Batman and Robin
  14. 13. [no title indexed]
    Invention Co.
  15. 14. [no title indexed]
    National Radio Institute
  16. 15. [no title indexed]
    Metro Publications
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Craig Delich
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Del Gruber
  • Jan Roar Hansen
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Matthew Peets
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Daniel Thingvold
  • Jim Van Dore