Detective Comics, #207

Published: May 1954

Cover

Detective Comics #207

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Issue Contents:
Batman, the Magician!
1 page superhero
Characters
  • Batman [Bruce Wayne]
  • Robin [Dick Grayson]
Credits
Binky Says: "Welcome, Amigo!"
Story 1 1 page advocacy; teen
Characters
  • Binky Biggs
Credits
Story Notes

Inside front cover.

Batman the Magician!
Story 2 12 pages superhero
Storyline

The great magician Merko is kidnapped by a gang "Boss", wanting him to find a way to remove a pair of handcuffs from his wrists that were put on him by a rival gang and which supposed contain explosives. Batman and Robin substitute for Merko and his assistant on stage until they get a lead to the whereabouts of Merko, and can save him.

Characters
  • Batman [Bruce Wayne]
  • Robin [Dick Grayson]
  • Merko the Great (magician)
  • Moriarity Gang (villains)
  • Pete (villain)
  • un-named gang "Boss" (villain)
Story Notes

Note from Anthony Tollin: Will Murray and I both believe that the 1954 "Batman the Magician" story in Detective Comics #207 is scripted by Gibson. Stylistically, it has the structure and parallel storylines common to his novels that were not usually found in Finger's scripts ... and it also shows a familiarity with real stage magic illusions that makes me suspect that this was one of the half-dozen Batman stories scripted by Gibson around that time. (The scriptwriter also clearly indicates that Batman has found his own, different ways of performing the illusions other than the ones regularly used by stage magicians ... which also makes me suspect that this was written by a real magician who did not want to explain/ruin the actual gimmicks performed by his fellow illusionists.) Also, even though editor Mort Weisinger was notorious for giving one writer's plots to another writer, I would think that he would want to have a story about stage magic written by the best writer to do it ... the real magician and former manager of the huge Blackstone touring show. I doubt if the person who ID'd the story as being by Finger was considering Gibson as a possibility.

Story 3 1 page children

"I'm afraid of wild animals in these woods..."

Credits
Story 4 1 page humor

"I'll play out in the field, fellows!"

Characters
  • Casey the Cop
The Secret of the Flying Saucers!
Story 5 6 pages detective-mystery
Characters
  • Roy Raymond
Credits
Story 6 2 pages humor; teen

"Hello. Yes, this is Jerry. Friday night?"

Characters
  • Jerry the Jitterbug
Beware the Sea Serpent!
Story 7 6 pages detective-mystery
Characters
  • Captain Compass [Mark Compass]
Credits
Story 8 0 pages
Story 9 1 page

"PAID+R="

Meet a Killer
Story 10 2 pages non-fiction
Credits
Story 11 1 page

"Why was the White House in Washington painted white?"

Credits
Story Notes

Script credit by Craig Delich.

Editorial Advisory Board
Story 12 1 page
Conjurers of Crime!
Story 13 8 pages detective-mystery
Characters
  • Mysto
Story Notes

Woolfolk credit from Martin O'Hearn at http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/.

The Line of Stars Presents
Story 14 1 page
Story 15 1 page
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Story 16 1 page
Story Notes

Back cover.