Episode 12: February 1940

Welcome to episode 12 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 episode, your hosts Michael Bradley and Michael Kaiser take on DETECTIVE COMICS #37 where Batman takes a left when he should have went right, and ends up cowl deep in a foreign spy plot to frame the United States and start an international crisis. Prepare for hijinks and one ticked-off Batman.

Things We Learned:

• Batman’s specially built high-powered auto does not include GPS.
• Joking with a guy who’s been stabbed by a hot poker isn’t cool.
• Bruce Wayne likes sugar by the pound.
• Batman can see in the dark, just like real bats (which can’t).
• Elias Turg is really…who cares?

Images from Coverage:

Reference Links:

• Michael K. reminisced about a novel he read as a kid consisting of Batman short stories, and after some research, we’re pretty sure he was referring to THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BATMAN anthology. Couldn’t find any references to a guy with heads for feet, but the story “Subway Jack” by Joe Lansdale involves Batman going up against a demon from another world, so maybe that’s what he’s thinking of (or he just has a bad memory).
• Here’s a look at the climactic scene from “Batman Forever” which Michael B. was reminded of during a scene from this episode’s story.
• The official web site of Batman artist Jerry Robinson.

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.