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The Batman Chronicles (Reprints) #3
The Batman Chronicles, Vol. 3
Published by DC Comics 2007. $14.99 Cover Price. 192 pages. Full Color. Softcover Trade Paperback. "The third volume in the series collecting every Batman story in chronological order of publication! This volume, collecting DETECTIVE COMICS #46-50, BATMAN #4-5 and more, features The Joker, Clayface and more."
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
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256 people want to read
About the author
Bill Finger
644 books105 followersWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 25, 2019
I'm surprised how great these early issues of Batman and Robin, the boy wonder, are! I'm really enjoying these!!
November 16, 2014
64th book read in 2014.
Number 268 out of 407 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_UVu...
Number 268 out of 407 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_UVu...
November 19, 2013
The third volume of The Batman Chronicles is mostly Batman and Robin clearing the city of small time crooks and gangsters. Some of the classic villains, like the Joker, Dr. Strange, and Clayface (who is a pretty lame villain) make returns, but that is only about 25% of the stories. But even though many of the cmoics are very similar, the third installment is an improvement over volume two. I'll give a short review of each story.
1. Dr. Strange's Fear Dust- Dr. Strange comes back from the "dead" to begin volume three and this might be the best comic of the bunch. The plot is actually extremely similar to Batman Begins, which was made 60 years later. Dr. Strange creates weapon that causes people to be fearful, allowing his gang of crooks to run wild without the fear of police intervention. The comic follows the basic formula of the early Batmam comics. But the fact that the plot is still relevant 60 years later makes this a solid comic.
2. Money Can't Buy Happiness- While the first comic was pretty good, the second helping is awful. The plot is a rich man cares too much about money and he doesn't spend time with his kids. This results in his kids to get in trouble. The moral of the story is family is more important than money. Nice moral but no kid wants to read a comic like that.
3. The Case of the Joker's Crime Circus- The Joker returns as the leader of a circus group who robs the homes of the wealthy people who hire them for parties. Batman and Robin eventually follow the Joker to his castle, where the sotry gets pretty good. It's almost like ahaunted house. There is a mechanical ghost and a color prjoection of the Joker's face. Pretty innovated for the 1940s.
4. Blackbeard's Crew and the Yacht Society- This story was kind of ridiculous. Bruce and Dick start by practiciing sword fighting so of course they'll end up using this skill later. A band of "pirates" commandeers a yacht full of annoying rich people, Batman fights off a huge tiger shark, they save the day by sword fighting, and the end. Not a horrible comic but kind of dumb.
5. Public Enemy #1- I actually really liked this comic. The villain Jimmy McCoy is given a short backstory. That was a nice change from the normal random gangster stories. This comic was a lso much more violent, with a bunch of people being shot and Jimmy having a heart attack while fighting Batman.
6. Victory for the Dynamic Duo- This one is really bad. It' about a gambling football owner who has the star player of another team kidnapped. So why is it bad? First, there is a part where people are shooting at Batman. He grabs a gun and shoots the gun out of the crook's hand. Then there is an editor's note that says "Batman never carries or kills with a gun." Except when he did pretty often in the early stories. Later, Batman receives a call from the crooks who discover Bruce Wayne is Batman (the only part I like). They say they are in danger and people want to kill them. Please come tomorrow night at ten. If you are in such danger, why ask Batman to wait 24 hours? Batman should not be dumb enough to fall for that.
7. The Secret Cavern- Not much to say about this one. Mediocre story and the coloring was pretty terrible.
8. Clayface Walks Again- I'm not a fan of Clayface. He is just a boring villain in my opinion. This comic is almost identical to the previous Clayface story. So bad villain with an unoriginal plot equals a bad comic.
9. The Case of the Three Devils- Another story about circus performers (this time acrobats) causing trouble. How many rogue circus shows were there in the 40s? All-in-all, this is another average story with nothing too spectacular to mention.
10. The Riddle of the Missing Card- There was a lot to like in this comic. First, it was a Joker story which is always good. Second, somebody figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman which I always like. And lastly, the Batmobile makes its first apperance. Previously, Batman drove a bright red car. This is the first time we see the dark car with the face of a bat on the front. Like in all the Joker stories, he "dies" at the end.
11. Book of Enchanment- What a weird story? A mad scientist (he says he isn't a mad scientist but come on) creates a device that can transport you into a book. Batman and Robin go in to save the scientist's daughter. In the book, they meet father time, the wicked witch, fire and ice men (whom they kill), pinocchio, a dragon (whose head they blow up), humpty dumpty, and the giant from Jake and the Beanstalk. What a strange story. But pretty entertaining nonetheless.
12. The Case of the Honest Crook- Another story with the crook receiving a backstory. A guy needed money so he could marry his girl. He gets involved with the wrong people, he gets frammed, and Batman helps clear his name. My favorite part is the rampage Batman goes on. He thinks Robin is killed, so he goes crazy, takes three bullets, and beats up an entier gang. Very good story.
13. Crime Doesn't Pay- Another bad story. Nothing to say really.
14. The Witch and the Manuscript of Doom- This was a surprisingly good story. The artwork and coloring was really vivid (this was World's Best Comics rather than Batman or DC). And rather than a basic beat 'em up story, there was an aspect of mystery. A nice change of pace and probably the 3rd best comic in this volume.
Like the other volumes, these Batmna comics are often hit or miss. I'd say six were good, two were mediocre, four were bad, and two were just weird. Good enough for a three-star review.
1. Dr. Strange's Fear Dust- Dr. Strange comes back from the "dead" to begin volume three and this might be the best comic of the bunch. The plot is actually extremely similar to Batman Begins, which was made 60 years later. Dr. Strange creates weapon that causes people to be fearful, allowing his gang of crooks to run wild without the fear of police intervention. The comic follows the basic formula of the early Batmam comics. But the fact that the plot is still relevant 60 years later makes this a solid comic.
2. Money Can't Buy Happiness- While the first comic was pretty good, the second helping is awful. The plot is a rich man cares too much about money and he doesn't spend time with his kids. This results in his kids to get in trouble. The moral of the story is family is more important than money. Nice moral but no kid wants to read a comic like that.
3. The Case of the Joker's Crime Circus- The Joker returns as the leader of a circus group who robs the homes of the wealthy people who hire them for parties. Batman and Robin eventually follow the Joker to his castle, where the sotry gets pretty good. It's almost like ahaunted house. There is a mechanical ghost and a color prjoection of the Joker's face. Pretty innovated for the 1940s.
4. Blackbeard's Crew and the Yacht Society- This story was kind of ridiculous. Bruce and Dick start by practiciing sword fighting so of course they'll end up using this skill later. A band of "pirates" commandeers a yacht full of annoying rich people, Batman fights off a huge tiger shark, they save the day by sword fighting, and the end. Not a horrible comic but kind of dumb.
5. Public Enemy #1- I actually really liked this comic. The villain Jimmy McCoy is given a short backstory. That was a nice change from the normal random gangster stories. This comic was a lso much more violent, with a bunch of people being shot and Jimmy having a heart attack while fighting Batman.
6. Victory for the Dynamic Duo- This one is really bad. It' about a gambling football owner who has the star player of another team kidnapped. So why is it bad? First, there is a part where people are shooting at Batman. He grabs a gun and shoots the gun out of the crook's hand. Then there is an editor's note that says "Batman never carries or kills with a gun." Except when he did pretty often in the early stories. Later, Batman receives a call from the crooks who discover Bruce Wayne is Batman (the only part I like). They say they are in danger and people want to kill them. Please come tomorrow night at ten. If you are in such danger, why ask Batman to wait 24 hours? Batman should not be dumb enough to fall for that.
7. The Secret Cavern- Not much to say about this one. Mediocre story and the coloring was pretty terrible.
8. Clayface Walks Again- I'm not a fan of Clayface. He is just a boring villain in my opinion. This comic is almost identical to the previous Clayface story. So bad villain with an unoriginal plot equals a bad comic.
9. The Case of the Three Devils- Another story about circus performers (this time acrobats) causing trouble. How many rogue circus shows were there in the 40s? All-in-all, this is another average story with nothing too spectacular to mention.
10. The Riddle of the Missing Card- There was a lot to like in this comic. First, it was a Joker story which is always good. Second, somebody figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman which I always like. And lastly, the Batmobile makes its first apperance. Previously, Batman drove a bright red car. This is the first time we see the dark car with the face of a bat on the front. Like in all the Joker stories, he "dies" at the end.
11. Book of Enchanment- What a weird story? A mad scientist (he says he isn't a mad scientist but come on) creates a device that can transport you into a book. Batman and Robin go in to save the scientist's daughter. In the book, they meet father time, the wicked witch, fire and ice men (whom they kill), pinocchio, a dragon (whose head they blow up), humpty dumpty, and the giant from Jake and the Beanstalk. What a strange story. But pretty entertaining nonetheless.
12. The Case of the Honest Crook- Another story with the crook receiving a backstory. A guy needed money so he could marry his girl. He gets involved with the wrong people, he gets frammed, and Batman helps clear his name. My favorite part is the rampage Batman goes on. He thinks Robin is killed, so he goes crazy, takes three bullets, and beats up an entier gang. Very good story.
13. Crime Doesn't Pay- Another bad story. Nothing to say really.
14. The Witch and the Manuscript of Doom- This was a surprisingly good story. The artwork and coloring was really vivid (this was World's Best Comics rather than Batman or DC). And rather than a basic beat 'em up story, there was an aspect of mystery. A nice change of pace and probably the 3rd best comic in this volume.
Like the other volumes, these Batmna comics are often hit or miss. I'd say six were good, two were mediocre, four were bad, and two were just weird. Good enough for a three-star review.
January 17, 2025
It’s… fine. It feels a little repetitive. The collection itself is great. I love complete collections of a certain time frame instead of a collection of just a particular story.
I do like the stories that have less Batman and more film noir/ pulp style back stories for the villains. I wanted more of this. Reminds me of the Ed Brubaker runs back in the early 2000’s. I have the next two volumes. Hopefully there will be more of that and less of Bruce Wayne being boring.
I do like the stories that have less Batman and more film noir/ pulp style back stories for the villains. I wanted more of this. Reminds me of the Ed Brubaker runs back in the early 2000’s. I have the next two volumes. Hopefully there will be more of that and less of Bruce Wayne being boring.
Read
April 28, 2021Possibly read in 2015, but difinitely read
July 14, 2014
This book collects the early Batman stories from Detective Comics #46-50 and Batman #4 and #5, as well as World's Best Comics #1 as it continues to collect Batman stories in order. This book covers the period from December 1940-June 1941
These stories are not as good as those in the previous two Batman volumes. Outside of two battles with the Joker, one with Hugo Strange, and one with the Golden Age Clayface, the book mostly features Batman battling thugs in unoriginal stories, though many had a good crime doesn't pay moral. These stories weren't bad but truth be told, they weren't that good considering you could many stories of equal or better value at other companies such as Marvel predecessor Timely Comcics.
Some of the highlights include:
Detective Comics #46: The Hugo Strange story introduces the use of fear as a supervillain weapon. This story represents the first attempt to develop a concept that would come to fruition during the Silver Age with the Scarecrow.
Batman #4: Too interesting stories. The Joker story featuring a crime circus is really carried by the Joker's presence as the concept really doesn't go much more than, "The Joker starting a gang with circus performers." Not a bad concept. Another one involves Batman fighting on a pirate ship.
Batman #5: This issue of Batman redeems the rest of the book which was so boring. When Robin says, "Not much doing in town since the Joker's finished. Ho Hum." He's not just giving a lead in to tell us what the joker was up to since his last supposed death but summing up Detective Comics 48-50. This Issue features a good Joker story than an outlandish fantasy with Batman and Robin travelling to a fairybook World to a save a girl in distress, and the best book in the story.
Titled by DC, "The Case of the Honest Crook." It features Batman helping out a young man who got waylaid into a false conviction and Batman's efforts to clear him. In the process of this, the crooks shoot Robin and Batman's reaction is classic. He really taps into his earlier darker version in his effort to get Robin's assailant. It says something about Batman's character. The character may have softened a bit by having Robin around, but don't think you'll get away with harming him.
Finally, World's Best Comics #1 tells a nice mystery. Published in June 1941, it ties into fears of fifth columnist and is a bit of an early warning from the period.
Overall, the book has some outstanding gems in it. To get to it, you'll just have to endure some average material, but the good stuff is worth the read.
These stories are not as good as those in the previous two Batman volumes. Outside of two battles with the Joker, one with Hugo Strange, and one with the Golden Age Clayface, the book mostly features Batman battling thugs in unoriginal stories, though many had a good crime doesn't pay moral. These stories weren't bad but truth be told, they weren't that good considering you could many stories of equal or better value at other companies such as Marvel predecessor Timely Comcics.
Some of the highlights include:
Detective Comics #46: The Hugo Strange story introduces the use of fear as a supervillain weapon. This story represents the first attempt to develop a concept that would come to fruition during the Silver Age with the Scarecrow.
Batman #4: Too interesting stories. The Joker story featuring a crime circus is really carried by the Joker's presence as the concept really doesn't go much more than, "The Joker starting a gang with circus performers." Not a bad concept. Another one involves Batman fighting on a pirate ship.
Batman #5: This issue of Batman redeems the rest of the book which was so boring. When Robin says, "Not much doing in town since the Joker's finished. Ho Hum." He's not just giving a lead in to tell us what the joker was up to since his last supposed death but summing up Detective Comics 48-50. This Issue features a good Joker story than an outlandish fantasy with Batman and Robin travelling to a fairybook World to a save a girl in distress, and the best book in the story.
Titled by DC, "The Case of the Honest Crook." It features Batman helping out a young man who got waylaid into a false conviction and Batman's efforts to clear him. In the process of this, the crooks shoot Robin and Batman's reaction is classic. He really taps into his earlier darker version in his effort to get Robin's assailant. It says something about Batman's character. The character may have softened a bit by having Robin around, but don't think you'll get away with harming him.
Finally, World's Best Comics #1 tells a nice mystery. Published in June 1941, it ties into fears of fifth columnist and is a bit of an early warning from the period.
Overall, the book has some outstanding gems in it. To get to it, you'll just have to endure some average material, but the good stuff is worth the read.
March 17, 2016
I considered trying to write this review from the perspective of a child in the early 1940s. A time when these comics would have become available monthly, when superheroes were less ubiquitous, when there was less on television (but it might have been less terrible, I don't know) or other forms of entertainment, when there was a war on (but the US hadn't joined yet, so maybe the American child could ignore it). But that's not the context in which I read it, nor the context in which this collection was published. I suppose the collection holds some historical interest, but there's not as much of interest here as in
The Batman Chronicles, Vol. 1
. At least some of those stories were so terrible they were funny. These were mostly just bad.
In this volume, Bill Finger and Bob Kane had apparently run so short on ideas that they have Batman fight pirates and travel to Fairyland. There are endless morality tales about how "crime doesn't pay". At one point, Robin even throws a book at a mobster called Crime Does Not Pay. It's also clear, from a historical interest point of view, that the insistence of certain superheroes that they definitely don't kill people, no way, not even those ones they beat so badly they have to go to hospital, or those other ones who happen to die when they're fighting them, started early. As the second season of Marvel's Daredevil premiers on Netflix the day after I'm writing this review, I'm going to guess it will be around for a while. If it were more self-aware, one could almost take the explanations of how recurring villains like the Joker managed to survive their last not-quite-fatal encounter with the Batman as brilliant jokes. They're certainly some of the funniest moments. Like many superheroes of the modern world, 1940s Batman also seems incapable of realising when it's a good idea to fight. There are several times when two different groups of mobsters are fighting and Batman decides to intervene so that both groups go for him instead. He then runs off, without really having achieved anything.
Essentially, the most one can get out of these early volumes is some mild historical interest based largely on the fact that it is very difficult to understand how Batman (and the Joker) became so popular when their early stories were so clearly utterly awful. The historical processes which have led to their ubiquity must be quite something.
In this volume, Bill Finger and Bob Kane had apparently run so short on ideas that they have Batman fight pirates and travel to Fairyland. There are endless morality tales about how "crime doesn't pay". At one point, Robin even throws a book at a mobster called Crime Does Not Pay. It's also clear, from a historical interest point of view, that the insistence of certain superheroes that they definitely don't kill people, no way, not even those ones they beat so badly they have to go to hospital, or those other ones who happen to die when they're fighting them, started early. As the second season of Marvel's Daredevil premiers on Netflix the day after I'm writing this review, I'm going to guess it will be around for a while. If it were more self-aware, one could almost take the explanations of how recurring villains like the Joker managed to survive their last not-quite-fatal encounter with the Batman as brilliant jokes. They're certainly some of the funniest moments. Like many superheroes of the modern world, 1940s Batman also seems incapable of realising when it's a good idea to fight. There are several times when two different groups of mobsters are fighting and Batman decides to intervene so that both groups go for him instead. He then runs off, without really having achieved anything.
Essentially, the most one can get out of these early volumes is some mild historical interest based largely on the fact that it is very difficult to understand how Batman (and the Joker) became so popular when their early stories were so clearly utterly awful. The historical processes which have led to their ubiquity must be quite something.
September 21, 2016
The art is crude, hasty to the point of expressionistic and radically dark but the stories are still compelling. They retain a freahness, portraying a world of 1940's America that is gone but salted with some fantastic elements like the fairy book world, witches or devil thieves. There are probably too many pedestrian criminal stories although the noir atmosphere is fun, the criminals are no match for the mantled pair. The Joker shows up several times in here, he is part Moriarty and part Dr Frankenstein but a thoroughly original character. Lots of fun to read.
February 1, 2008
Batman and the troublesome Robin vol. 3. Again, it's fascinating to see how the Batman comic book changed over the years. In vol. 3, the stories and the drawing became more proto-pop art lookin'. Oversize sets, more Bat-equipment of all sorts. One is starting to lose the uniqueness of Batman's personality - and Robin, what is that about?
October 25, 2012
Wonderful Batman and Robin comic book stories from 1939 to 1941, with the dynamic duo primarily mixing it up with gangsters, but also with Nazi spies, Clayface and naturally, the Joker. Why no one was ever able to figure out that the gormless playboy Bruce Wayne was actually the Batman, no one can say. And with the amount of smoking that Wayne does, why didn't he die of lung cancer in 1957?
March 2, 2012
This volume is a whole lot of Batman fighting petty crime; theft with the occasional murder. In addition there are some fantasy stories that fall a little flat for me.
The Batmobile makes its appeareance and is no longer red.
Bruce Wayne smokes!
The best stories are all Joker related.
The Batmobile makes its appeareance and is no longer red.
Bruce Wayne smokes!
The best stories are all Joker related.
July 28, 2012
Read 1/30/08
December 1, 2012
Good collection, really showed Batman's feelings towards Robin.
May 22, 2013
Robin sucks.
June 30, 2014
Still enjoying these issues compiled from the 40s. They are so much fun and remind me of the 60s TV show.
March 10, 2016
Good old Batman, funny how not funny it is. I do love puns and quips, but too much is too much.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews