June of 1939 saw the publication of Detective Comics #28 (written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane) and marked the last public guillotining in France. No really. I think that the latter is more interesting that this Batman story.

We’re still in the early phase of Batman and it hasn’t yet discovered it’s own path. This story, much like the previous is just a crime story about jewel thieves. No special villains, no inner turmoil and struggle, and nothing that would be recognizable as the Batman we know and love today. Much like my critique of the previous issue we get more of scenes like this one:

A blow by blow description of every action sequence. Now you may think that I’m being hard on Kane/Finger and think that’s just the way comics were back then. However, the previous issue of Detective Comics featured two stories by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. And those two stories were not written in this fashion. What I find fascinating about these early stories is seeing not only the genesis of an icon, but how the character was shaped. Besides, how much excitement and story can we expect from a whole six pages! Not to fret, the next issue of Detective Comics reveals traits that will forever be characterized with Batman. Join us tomorrow when Batman meets Doctor Death.