Batman #209

Batman #209 (On Sale: December 5, 1968) has a cool cover by Irv Novick.

"Jungle Jeopardy" is by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick and Joe Giella. Several members of the underworld plot to eliminate Batman and Robin. A crime boss known as Brainwash suggests a plan in which he places a hypnotic device in Commissioner Gordon's office. The device makes Gordon call Batman to alert him to a bank robbery. When Batman arrives the crooks plant a similar device on the Batmobile. Batman and Robin are then subliminally commanded to return to the Bat-Cave.

When the Caped Crusaders return home, they imagine Alfred as a tiger and the Bat-Cave as an African jungle. However, Batman realizes that they are under some kind of hypnosis when Indian tigers and African elephants appear together. He finds and deactivates the hypnotic device, restoring their sanity.

Batman deduces that their old foe Mr. Esper created the device. They return to the bank where the robbery is still in progress. Wearing special earplugs, they are immune to the hypnotic suggestions and are able to capture Brainwash, aka Mr. Esper.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.