1944 begins by placing Alfred Beagle into the spotlight of the Batman comic book mythos. After his live action as ‘Alfred Pennyworth’ in the 1943 Batman black and white serials as the tall and slender British butler, this look transferred into ‘Batman’ and ‘Detective Comics’, becoming his own hero in the side stories ‘The Adventures of Alfred’. Let’s see how Alfred helps our Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder in this exciting golden age year!
Detective Comics (Vol 1) 83, January 1944
Cover by:
Jack Burnley
Accidentally on Purpose
Created by:
Don Cameron – writer
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Jack Burnley – pencils
George Roussos – inks
Story: When Dr. Goodwin hypnotizes men having them rob their own stores and businesses, it is up to Batman and Robin to stop Goodwin and his crooks before they become victims to his hypnosis.
Bat Facts: This issue introduces us to the well known aesthetic of Alfred ‘Pennyworth’, the tall and thin sarcastic butler of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, his ‘weight loss’ resulting from a trip to a health spa.
Batman (Vol 1) 21, January 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
The Streamlined Rustlers
Created by:
Jack Schiff – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: Tracking down a trio of rustlers stealing cattle in the old west and ending up catching a dose of temporary insanity, Robin helps Batman get back to being the Caped Crusader and together with the town sheriff they take down the lead cattle rustler, Mr. Brule.
Blitzkrieg Bandits
Created by:
Don Cameron – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: Military scientist Hannibal Bonaparte Brown is being tricked by mobster Chopper Gant into committing crimes for him around Gotham, so the Dynamic Duo step in to assure Brown is safe and Gant is brought to swift justice.
His Lordship’s Double
Created by:
Alvin Schwartz – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: British Lord David Hurley Burleigh is attacked by his personal servant and locks him in his basement. When the “British lord” is visiting Gotham, known as a shy man, he asks his actor friend, our butler Alfred, to impersonate him at a social event which Bruce Wayne attends. Discovering Alfred’s disguise, as Batman he makes the connection that the real British lord is held captive and travels to save him.
The Three Eccentrics
Created by:
Joseph Greene – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: The Penguin is back causing havoc in Gotham trying to rob three millionaires and the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder have to apprehend him before cashing out on these eccentric and unsuspecting characters.
Detective Comics (Vol 1) 84, February 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
Artists in Villainy
Created by:
Mort Weisinger – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: Batman and Robin break up a gang using a Gotham City Gentlemen’s Sporting Club as a training base for future criminals of the city.
Detective Comics (Vol 1) 85, March 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
The Joker’s Double
Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: When The Joker discovers that there is a man, Mr. Hart, pretending to be the Clown Prince of Crime in his murders, he joins Batman and Robin to track down this imposter, insulted that he would try and take his rightful title. While the Dynamic Duo capture the fake Joker, the real one escapes in the end.
World’s Finest Comics (Vol 1) 13, Spring 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Jack Burnley
The Curse of Isis
Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Jack Burnely – pencils
George Roussos – inks
Story: When sailors from South America come back to Gotham and are tricked by a fake swami and are robbed, the Dark Avenger tracks down the gang and stops their plot, discovering the innocent men of the sea were in a smuggling scheme.
Batman (Vol 1) 22, April / May 1944
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
The Duped Domestics
Created by:
Alvin Schwartz – writer
Bob Kane – pencils
Jerry Robinson – inks
Story: Catwoman returns in the guise of Belinda, a maid of socialites that she eventually robs her wealthy clients. After meeting Alfred, he falls in love with her and, wanting to impress her, convinces her that she is Batman and kidnaps him. The real Batman and Robin have to save Alfred and stop Catwoman from her femme fatale ways.
Dick Grayson, Telegraph Boy
Created by:
Bill Finger – writer
Jack Burnely – pencils
Jerry Robinson – inks
Story: When Dick Grayson gets a side job delivering telegrams, he discovers the crook Mike Optik and as Robin alongside Batman they bring him to justice.
Conversational Clue
Created by:
Mort Weisinger – writer
Jerry Robinson – pencils, inks
Story: Alfred goes to the local library researching criminal justice and after an interesting talk, he discovers a planned murder by a Gotham City professor.
Bat Facts: This story begins a short series called “Adventures of Alfred”, published as four page tales in Batman publications, highlighting Bruce and Dick’s butler as detective.
Detective Comics (Vol 1) 86, April 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
Danger Strikes Three!
Created by:
Don Cameron – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: Batman, Robin and Alfred team up against Jim Jowell, a fur thief who eventually takes all three hostage, locked with a ticking bomb inside a building. After they work together to escape, the Dynamic Duo capture Jowell and turn him into the Gotham City authorities.
Detective Comics (Vol 1) 87, May 1944 *Part of Chronology
Cover by:
Dick Sprang
The Man of a Thousand Umbrellas
Created by:
Joseph Greene – writer
Dick Sprang – pencils, inks
Story: When The Penguin begins his own umbrella repair business, he uses it as a front for crimes, hiring henchmen to do robberies for him through the service around town. Once Batman and Robin track him down, they stop him with his own umbrellas.
Next week we will continue our Batman chronology in DC Comics with the remainder of the year 1944!
View Comments (1)
These are so much fun to read. The explanation for Alfred's weight loss is just about my favorite thing!