“BATMAN WARS AGAINST THE DIRIGIBLE OF DOOM”

Back on the cover for an issue that brings an apocalyptic threat to Manhattan and which seems to comment both on German aggression and recall the Hindenburg disaster!

But this issue is most well-known for giving us Batman’s now famous backstory. The part that most interests me is its perspective on Batman’s ‘powers’: science, strength, and wealth. In other words, he is healthy, wealthy, and wise.

This issues goes nuts immediately with a giant dirigible beaming New York with a blinding red, building-destroying death light. Is it the end of the world?!

Batman figures out who’s behind it pretty quick by spending time reading old newspaper clippings in his secret laboratory, which rules, duh. And then the action pauses once again so we can watch Batman park his car.

Then Batman goes running down the street towards the presumed villain’s house, but my favorite part is he’s doing his cool Bat-pose/Naruto run. There is no one else out there. He’s doing this for himself and I love that for him.

After we learn of Bruce’s original trauma, we start to see flickers of his care and compassion for others, which up to this point has been quite hard to find. Here he is helping an old man get out from under some rubble.

Oh, and the villain in this issue?

Dr. Kruger aka NAPOLEON giving hardcore Peter Lorre.

There are certainly no resonances here with any real life maniacal dictators bent on world domination through brutal military invasions.

And he has goons that look like this. I have no idea what’s going on with these uniforms. They DO look Ku Klux Nazis though. Maybe that’s the point?

Based on their proximity, I’m 99% sure these two are an item though.

There’s also this panel. I like to think the newscaster here actually said “etc..etc..”

Thousands are dead, blah blah blah. Bruce’s expression looks like he’s definitely taking issue with this commentary.

Side note, I’m not sure if we saw it before, but the Bat Gyro definitely has the head of a vampire bat. Which is the CUTEST bat.

Tell me I’m wrong!

Anyways, Batman confronts Napoleon, gets blackjacked and tied up. He frees himself by cutting his bonds with his BOOT KNIFE, which is a thing he has apparently. He narrowly escapes before the house blows up.

Batman’s got even more grit this issue. Look at him BLEEDING FROM THE MOUTH in that panel. He then crashes in from the sky into Napoleon’s hideout and pulls out a gun to blow up the death ray machine. Batman didn’t even take this gun from anyone, he just had it?

He says this as if he wasn’t already almost blown up like the day before. And I love that he doesn’t even care. He’s bananas reckless in this issue. With this accomplished, time to destroy the dirigible itself. How will he do it???

By smashing it to pieces with an axe of course!

Look at the look on his face as he is shot AGAIN.

Dr. Kruger then shoots him with a death ray. Don’t worry, Bruce somehow swapped costumes with someone else in between these panels and escapes just fine. Guessing some hapless goon died in his place. Batman DOES. NOT. CARE.

Another flicker of Bat-psychology and the source of his unhinged rage.

How will Batman take down the dirigible you wonder?

By flying his gyro directly into it of course.

Did he cause a second Hindenburg? Technically yes.

He then parachutes and ropes onto Napoleon’s getaway plane.

Did you think crashing a plane and blowing up a zeppelin were enough for him? YOU WOULD BE WRONG. He crashes this one too.

He is off the rails.

And that’s how Batman prevented World War 2. He earned this smoke, which is something that Batman does.

Honestly, he’s had a lot going on lately. I think he’s coping pretty well all told.

Originally tweeted by Weird Batman of the Golden Age (@GoldenAgeBats) on June 10, 2022.