Detective Comics #122 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1947.
Synopsis for Batman: "The Black Cat Crimes"
Catwoman escapes from prison and then threatens three wealthy men with the old superstition about black cats. When the men won't pay her, she steals from them, after placing a black cat in their way. Batman and Robin try to stop her, but Catwoman gets away, using her new vehicle, the Kitty Car. During a second confrontation between the Dynamic Duo and the Catwoman, Robin is captured and taken to Catwoman's hide-out, where he uses his belt-radio to summon Batman. Batman then rescues his partner, but Catwoman flees and is able to jump across a rising drawbridge in her car, escaping once again.
Appearing in Batman: "The Black Cat Crimes"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Catwoman
- her gang
Animals:
- Hecate the cat
- Circus Panther
Other Characters:
- John Ross, fur magnate (Single appearance)
- Sam Slade, circus owner (Single appearance)
- Bill Drew, ship owner (Single appearance)
Locations:
- State Penitentiary
- Gotham City
- Central Airport
- Fairgrounds
- Slade's Circus
- Gotham Harbor
- City Docks
- Statue of Liberty
- Bay Shore Marsh
- Catwoman's Secret Lair
Items:
Vehicles:
- Kitty Car (First appearance)
- It can "leap" due to having rocket jets.
- Ross' 4-engine cargo plane (Wrecked)
- black Caterpillar tractor
- Airport Blimp (Destroyed)
- Batmobile
- Drew's Freighter
- Fishing Catboat
- Catwoman's Copter
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "The Crazy Customers"
While in a department store, Shorty and Slam witness several kids buying adult items. They also see several men buying children's toys. Puzzled, they investigate. Shorty disguises himself as one of the kids. Slam doesn't recognize him and follows. Thugs then slug Slam and give Shorty cash. When Slam and Shorty get back together to compare notes, they find that the cash is counterfeit. Slam deduces the crazy customers were acting strange to distract clerks from noticing the phony money. The detectives locate the crooks' hide-out and apprehend them.
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "The Crazy Customers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Gang of Counterfeiters
Locations:
- New York City
- big department store
- No. 3, Tenn St.
Synopsis for Air Wave: "The Uncandid Camera"
Escaped convict Slug Meeker visits the studio of photographer Andy Philips to take photos with European backgrounds. He then sends the photos to the police to make them believe he is hiding in Europe. Larry Jordan realizes the photos have been faked, so he searches for Meeker as Air Wave, the Magician of Radio. He finds the gang in Philips's studio. Though the gang wins the first round and captures Air Wave, he escapes with the aid of Static. Air Wave then apprehends the gang.
Appearing in Air Wave: "The Uncandid Camera"
Featured Characters:
- Air Wave, the Wizard of Wireless
Supporting Characters:
- Static the Proverb-mangling Parrot
Antagonists:
- Slug Meeker
- his gang: Droopy, others
Other Characters:
- Andy Philips, photographer
- Tim, policeman
Locations:
- New York City
- Photography, studio
- District Attorney's office
- Flourescent Signs, store
Synopsis for Boy Commandos: "Four Swords for a King"
After reading the story of the Three Musketeers, the Boy Commandos envision themselves as the famous French heroes. 17th century scientist Jean Vernet explores the future, using his crystal ball, and then uses chemistry to bring the Commandos back in time, to fill the roles of the Musketeers and D'Artagnan. The boys then help stop a plot by the Spanish Duke De Gatz to start a war between France and England. After the Musketeers have defeated the Duke, Vernet mixes another chemical concoction which returns them to their own time.
Many years later, working from Vernet's notes, Alexander Dumas changes the story, so that the Musketeers are men rather than boys.
Appearing in Boy Commandos: "Four Swords for a King"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Duke De Gatz (Single appearance; dies)
- The Duke's Lady and Men (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Alexander Dumas (Single appearance)
- Three Musketeers
- Jean Vernet, 17th Century Scientist (Single appearance)
- Constance (Single appearance)
- King Louis XIII (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Vernet's Crystal Ball
- Vernet's Chemical Concoctions
Notes
- Published monthly by National Comics Publications, Inc.
- Batman:
- First appearance of Catwoman's Kitty Car. Catwoman herself was last seen in Batman #39 and next appears in Batman #42. Catwoman begins this story by escaping from prison, and at the end of it, she is still at large.
- The Statue of Liberty is in the same harbor as Gotham City's waterfront.
- Batman's head is grazed by a dropped masonry block, making him groggy but not knocked out. Robin gets head-konked with a blunt instrument, and is knocked out.
- "The Black Cat Crimes" is reprinted in:
- Batman Archives Vol 6
- Batman Arkham: Catwoman
- Boy Commandos:
- M. Vernet's ability to peer into the future through a crystal ball, and to pull future persons backward through time, changing their identities in the process, is never explained at all.
- D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers were last seen in Batman #32 (Dec 1945).
- Slam Bradley gets head-whapped unconscious, with a blackjack.
Trivia
- Also appearing in this issue of Detective Comics were:
- Editorial Advisory Board (promotional text)
- "'R' is for Rabbit" (full page ad for one or more other current DC publications)
- Chief Hot Foot by Henry Boltinoff
- "Two of America's Most Famous Boys!" (full page ad for the current issues of Star-Spangled Comics #67 and Adventure Comics #115)
- "The Talking Cat" (text story) by Mal Terret
See Also