Sometimes DC did anniversary issues right, and this is one of those instances. You could tell just by looking at the cover, that the Man-Bat was something new and different.
We begin with "Challenge of the Man-Bat!" by Frank Robbin, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Zoologist Kirk Langstrom is working late at the Gotham Natural History Museum putting together a bat habitat. When the Curator finally leaves Langstrom alone he can pursue his true interest: working on a serum that can give him enhanced auditory abilities through a bat gland extract.
At the same time, a group of thieves, known as the Blackout Gang, break into a vault. They equip themselves with black body stockings, "light-intensifier" goggles and ultra-sonic cutting tools that enable them to work in total darkness. However, Batman still manages to find them and a fight ensues. The gang's momentary advantage dissipates once Batman makes physical contact. Realizing their heist has gone south, the Blackout Gang escapes from the building in a hurry, leaving behind an ultra-sonic cutter. Realizing their mistake, the gang hatches z plan to use the tool's frequency to lure Batman into a trap.
Back at the museum, Kirk Langstrom tests his new formula upon himself in his darkened lab. The dripping of a faucet is suddenly blasting in his ears and his eyes are blinded by the single lightbulb.. He runs across the blacked pout lab and retrieves a pair of sunglasses, realizing that he was able to avoid all obstacles in the dark. He surmises that his vocal cords are now emitting super-sonic signals, like a bat. He uses was to plug his hearing.
Meanwhile, at the Wayne Foundation, Bruce works on some stereo-locater ear plugs to increase his hearing and test them out on Alfred, locating him by listening to his heartbeat. He develops a sonar detector calibrated to the cutter's unique frequency.
Back at the museum, Langstrom notices that his hands are growing hairy and claw-like. He uses his coat and hat to hind his mutating body, but when his hat is knocked off his head he rushes blindly across the room till he sees himself in a reflective surface. It is then that he realizes he is mutating into something inhuman; he wanted to be like Batman, but has instead turned into a Man-Bat! Realizing he has turned into some sort of freak, he decides to go into hiding till he can find an antidote.
The next morning the curator receives a telegram informing him that Kirk has flown to Chicago to sit with his ill mother. What the curator does not know is that Langstrom is sleeping on the ceiling of the bat exbibit, clutching to a stalactite. That night Langstrom awakes, ravenous with hunger and runs toward the cafeteria, which takes him through the gem collection.
As luck, or plot would have it, the Blackout Gang has decided to rob the Gotham Natural History Museum gem collection and use their sonic tool to lure Batman there. Note: this page introduces us to a new Adams' designed Batmobile, built, so it says, by an advanced-thinking car company for Batman to use. Batman arrives and is able to seek out each gang member by his heartbeat. However, figuring that Batman might try to use some sort of sonar, the gang throws pi9ng pong balls into the room, causing Batman to become disoriented, unable to track the members.
They pile onto him and are about to crush his skull when they hear a strange Skreee! sound. The Man-Bat lays into the gang and gives Batman the time he needs to regain his senses and rejoin the fray. Fighting side-by-side the Batman and the Man-Bat make easy work of the gang. The gang defeated, Batman wants to thank his new friend and casts a flashlight upon Langstrom. Batman congratulates him on his amazing disguise, Langstrom replies, "Disguise? I only wish it were!"
The Man-Bat runs away, declaring, "I've succeeded, only too well!" leaving Batman to wonders if he just made a formidable friend... or a foe. It does not get much better than this! This classic origin story has been reprinted in Batman Family #1, Man-Bat #1, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 HC, Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 TPB, Batman Arkham Man-Bat TPB and Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 2 TPB.
This classic is followed by the first team-up of Batgirl and Robin in "A Burial for Batgirl" by Denny O'Neil, Gil Kane and Vinnie Colletta. Driving to the library at Hudson University, Barbara Gordon hears a cry for help. She enters the building as Batgirl, and runs into an escaping young man. She is momentarily distracted by a strange odor and the man gets away. She retraces his steps and, finding a dead body, heads out after the man. She finds him being attacked by two students. She stops these students with the help of the nick-of-time arrival of Dick Grayson.
Later, at the police station, she tells the chief of police that she came up from Gotham City with her friend Barbara Gordon who was delivering some rare books written by Edgar Alan Poe for an upcoming Poe festival. The police chief explains that the young man they captured, Mark Osher, is a known "radical" and probably the killer of the murdered man, Amos Willard, who is the school business manager. The chief goes on to recount that Willard planned to have a nearby forest cut down so the university could build a new gym and that the plan was opposed by Professor Huntington, the schools biologist, and Osher. At a rally the previous night, Osher had threatened to kill Willard.
Batgirl goes to speak to Osher, who maintains his innocence and claims that he is was knocked out in the library and he had panicked when he came too and found Willard's body. In search of clues, Batgirl seems to put something together when she remembers the odd smell she first encountered. She sees Robin leaving the Library as she head to a different location, where she is knocked unconscious. Batgirl regains consciousness to find herself bound and gagged and her unknown attacker sealing her into a room with bricks. This story was continued in the next issue and was reprinted in Best of DC #30, Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB and Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB.
Edited by Julius Schwartz.
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