Batman #223

Batman #223 (On Sale: May 12, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson on Batman and Robin Face Danger Around the World!

We begin our reprint fest with "City Without Guns" by Bill Finger (or William Woolfolk, you decide), Dick Sprang and Charles Paris a reprinted from Detective Comics #196. Gang boss Frank Lumardi flees Gotham City and heads for London. A month later Bruce and Dick visit London and go to Scotland Yard to learn about British detection methods, where they are shocked to see an empty frame that once held a picture of Batman and Robin. The inspector showing them around only says that it will never hang there again. Before he can say more, the Inspector leaves to an alarm sounds in Leicester Square.

As Batman and Robin, Bruce and Dick hitch a ride with the Inspector to the scene of a stolen briefcase. They find the crimes are being committed by Lumardi and his gang. With the help of Scotland Yard and one of their more zealous British fans, Chester Gleek, Batman and Robin track down the fugitive and capture him on the Oxford campus.

Before leaving London Batman and Robin discover that it was Chester who took the picture from the wall in Scotland Yard's headquarters, because he believed that the British police were not displaying the photo in a proper place of honor.

Next is "Batman of the Mounties" by David V. Reed, Lew Sayre Schwartz and Stan Kaye and is reprinted from Batman #78. Batman and Robin are the guests of the Canadian Mounted Police for National Law-Enforcement Week.. However, during the celebration, the news that the Leclerc Brothers have escape jail arrives. After a demonstration of their unique crime-fighting techniques, Batman and Robin leave and the Mounties have to stop the event and start the hunt for the fugitives. While flying back to Gotham, Batman and Robin spot a body in the snow and land to find a wounded Mountie. While Robin takes the wounded Mountie to a hospital, Batman track the Leclerc's on foot. Robin returns to the Mounties and heads out to reconnect with Batman. Together, Batman and Robin are able to locate the criminals and bring them back to justice.

This next one is interesting in that  "The Mardi Gras Mystery" by Bill Finger, Jack Burnley and Charles Paris is reprinted from the Batman Sunday Strip #40-46, 8/6/1944-9/17/1944  Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson arrive at the New Orleans home of Mr. Bagley who invited them down for Mardi Gras. Since they are from Gotham, Bagley provides them with Batman and Robin costumes for the parade. They choose to wear their actual costumes and during the parade, Miss Lacey, another guest of Bagley's, gives Batman a secret envelope, saying he must guard it with his life. This causes some thugs to attack the dynamic duo, but the heroes manage to overcome the odds.

Afterwards, Batman learns that the envelope contains the secret location of a missing treasure and that Bagley was responsible for the attack on them. Batman manages to locate  Miss Lacey and she informs Batman about the lost treasure. Batman, Robin and  Miss Lacey go to the marked place, unaware that Bagley and his thugs are following them.

When they finally reach the lost boat in which the treasure is located, Bagley manages to place the heroes in a deadly trap. Batman breaks free and helps Robin and the lady to get out of the trap. Then, they work together to stop Bagley and his henchmen. During the struggle, a fire starts and the boat is consumed by the flames. Batman and Robin are more concerned on capturing the thugs and saving the girl, causing the ship to burn and sink and the treasure is lost once again. With the criminals behind bars, Batman and Robin are free to enjoy the rest of the Mardi Gras festival. This story was reprinted in Batman: The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 TPB and Batman: The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 HC.

This is followed by "Journey to the Top of the World" by Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris which is reprinted from Batman #93. Batman and Robin join a mountain climbing expedition in search of a lost container of stolen microfiche. The party begins the ascent of K-4, and soon runs into trouble as one of the ropes is cut causing Sidney Smythe to fall to his apparent death.

Batman suspects the other climbers are responsible. He investigates and is attacked by an masked climber. Batman eventually reaches the top of the mountain and retrieves the container. The killer turns out to be Smythe who staged the fall. He struggles with Batman, then falls to his death. When Batman returns from the mountain he learns that the real Smythe was never on the expedition. The dead man was an imposter.

We end with "Around the World in 8 Days" also by Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris and reprinted from Detective Comics #248. When the Gotham City Hospital is robbed of platinum, radium, and a rare serum, the dynamic duo are called in. The serum is needed to save the life of a patient who will die in eight days without it. Batman and Robin track down the thieves, but find the loot was divided up and smuggled out of the country.  Batman and Robin then race around the globe searching for the stolen serum before the patient dies. They finally locate it in Mexico with the final group of smugglers and return in time for the serum to successful restore the patient to health.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #116

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #116 (On Sale: October 8, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Mike Esposito. In my mind this is one of the last of the really silly Swan covers for JO; I don;t know if it is Carmine Infantino layouts or competition from Neal Adams, but Swan's covers are going to get a whole lot more serious in the next few months.

We begin with our cover story, "The Gorilla Reporter," a reprint from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #24 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. Jimmy Olsen helps Professor Thorne test a new invention which can read the thoughts of animals. The invention is a failure, but Jimmy’s signal watch causes it to malfunction, switching Jimmy’s mind with that of a gorilla.

Even with Superman’s help, Jimmy is unable to return to his own body. Superman builds a pen to keep Jimmy’s body safe, while Jimmy goes to work in the gorilla’s body. After a handful of adventures, Jimmy is able to return to his own body when Superman discovers that the signal watch is responsible for the switch.

Next we have "Brainiac... Big-Time Operator" by Otto Binder and Pete Costanza. Brainiac returns to Earth with a plan to use Jimmy Olsen as an instrument of Superman's downfall. He attacks Jimmy while the boy reporter is camping with members of his Fan Club. Despite Brainiac's efforts to stop Jimmy, the reporter is able to activate his signal watch to summon the Man of Steel. However, Brainiac uses an enlarging ray to turn a tiny pebble of Kryptonite into a boulder that takes down Superman. Jimmy steals the enlarging ray from Brainiac and saves his friend by enlarging a piece of lead to block the deadly Kryptonite radiation. While Jimmy is making the rescue, Brainiac flees.

Lastly we have "The Secret of the Smallville Seeds" by Dave Wood and Pete Costanza. Jimmy Olsen and his Fan Club visit Smallville and convince several residents to plant seeds in their fields in a particular pattern. Jimmy keeps his intentions a secret until the seeds grow into flowers 48 days later. The flowers form a giant message that Superman can read from the air. The message welcomes him back to Smallville on the anniversary of his first public appearance as the Boy of Steel.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #114

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #114 (On Sale: July 9, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Jack Abel (I never much cared for Abel's inks on Swan; a real let-down after all those years of George Klein's superb inks).

"The Wrongo Superman" is by Richard Hughes and Pete Costanza. This is only one of four stories that Hughes wrote for DC. Mr. Mxyzptlk makes a bet with a friend from his home in Zrfff that he can make a fool of Superman for a week without giving himself away. He then visits Earth and hires salesman Jethro Hale to sell a line of Jimmy Olsen endorsed products. Whenever the products are used near Superman, he begins acting like a fool.

Superman suspects that Red Kryptonite is to blame for his strange behavior. However, analysis of the Olsen products detects no trace of Kryptonite.

The back-up story is "A Visit from Superman's Pal" a reprint from Superboy #55 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Jack Burnley. This story was originally a Superboy story and has been altered to be a Jimmy Olsen story. An accident causes Jimmy Olsen to travel back in time. He lands in Smallville during Superboy's time. He meets the Boy of Steel, who agrees to send Jimmy back to his own time period. Jimmy asks to stay briefly, so that he can get a story.

Jimmy soon meets Clark Kent. When Lana Lang voices her suspicions that Clark is Superboy, Jimmy also becomes curious. Superboy reveals his secret to Jimmy and working together, they fool Lana.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Batman #198

Batman #198 (On Sale: November 14, 1967), AKA 80pg. Giant #G-43 features a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson spotlighting an All-Villain Issue.

We begin with "The Origin of the Batman" from Batman #47 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Charles Paris. Batman and Robin discover that a trucking company is smuggling wanted criminals out of state. When Batman sees a picture of the trucking company's owner, Joe Chill, he immediately recognizes the man as the killer of his parents (this was the first time the killer's name was revealed. Batman works the case alone, trying to trap Chill and get evidence against him. Chill eludes Batman's traps and continues to operate his company.

Finally Batman takes a daring risk and reveals his identity to Chill, explaining that Chill was responsible for creating him. Batman threatens to follow and harass Chill until the crook eventually slips up. Frightened, Chill runs to his gang. He tells them that he was responsible for creating Batman. Before he can tell them who the Batman really is, they gun him done for creating their nemesis. Batman is then able to finally close the case of the Wayne murder.

Next is "The Jungle Cat-Queen" from Detective #211 by Ed Hamilton, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. After a jewel heist, Catwoman pilots her plane to a remote island where she meets her accomplices. Batman follows her to the island and is quickly captured. Catwoman allows Batman to escape, even though her partners try to kill him. Once free Batman rounds up the gang, but the Catwoman herself escapes.

This is followed by "The Web of the Spinner" from Batman #129, by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. While Batman and Robin track down a new costumed foe, the Spinner, Batwoman is investigating a swami who she believes is a phony. All the heroes finally follow their leads to an old windmill which the Spinner is using as a hideout. Although they are able to overcome the Spinner, Batman suspects more is going on. They exit the windmill just before it explodes. The swami is the real Spinner, and he setup another crook to take the fall. Batman then finds evidence in the swami’s possession and arrests him.

Next we have (Oswald Who?) reprinted from the Batman Sunday strip 2/10/1946-3/10/1946 by Alvin Schwartz, Jack Burnley and Charles Paris. This was later reprinted in Batman:The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 TPB.

"The Crimes of Batman" from World's Finest #61 by David Reed, Lew Sayer Schwartz and Charles Paris follows.

This is followed by "The Menace of False Face" from Batman #113 drawn by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. A new criminal and master of disguise, False Face, commits robberies around Gotham by disguising himself. Batman realizes that the real people which False Face replaces are delayed from their normal activities in advance. When someone is delayed, Batman arrives in their place and is able to locate False Face, but the crook escapes. During another encounter, Batman is apparently knocked out, but he is really able to capture False Face and his gang.

Lastly we have "The Bandit of the Bells" from Batman #55 drawn by Bob Kane and Charles Paris.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.