Episode 4: July 1939

Welcome to episode four of Legends of the Batman, the show covering everything Batman — from the beginning! The show’s premise is a simple one. Each episode, we cover a month of Batman, be it comic books, television, movies, whatever, starting with his first appearance in 1939.

This week your hosts, Michael Bradley and Michael Kaiser, take a look at all things Batman released in July of 1939, which consisted of one comic book, DETECTIVE COMICS #30, where a certain arch-nemesis decides to make a very quick return, and Batman finds himself once again having to put a stop to the nefarious Doctor Death! Plus, the guys read their first listener email!

Things We Learned:

• Not eating by 6PM makes Bruce Wayne a very crank socialite;
• Batman’s rabbit ears lets him hear safe combinations;
• Cossacks make for some great henchmen;
• Doctor Death is just as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside;
• Batman is pretty good at doodling bats.

Images from Coverage:

Reference Links:

• Who Drew Batman?, that has a nice little entry about the writing credits for DETECTIVE COMICS #30 in the first Bob Kane section of the site.
• Grand Comics Database sites Sheldon Moldoff as art collaborator in their entry for DETECTIVE COMICS #30. It’s the first of many Bat-related credits for Moldoff. If you want to know more about this great Golden and Silver Age artist, head on over to his official web site!
• In the episode, Michael B. mentions Batman’s “I’ll get drive through line,” which he wrongly said came from a commercial. In fact, it’s actually from the opening scene of “Batman Forever.” Your hosts apologize for the flub… and for the fact that the line was in the movie, even though they had nothing to do with the latter.
• Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” farewell speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, and the fictionalized version from PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, starring Gary Cooper.

How to Get this Episode

There are a few ways you can get this episode. You can listen immediately by clicking on the player below. You can also download the episode directly or subscribe to the show via iTunes or the RSS feed! Questions or comments? Additions or corrections? Drop us a line! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, to send us your thoughts, as well! And don’t forget to check out our partners, Batman: Yesterday, Today and Beyond for all sorts of Batman goodness in non-podcast form.