Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #20
Published December 1943-January 1944
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 60
Editing Jack Schiff; Whitney Ellsworth (editor-in-chief)

Cover Details

Characters Batman; Robin.
Genre superhero
Pencils Dick Sprang (verified by Sprang)
Inks Dick Sprang (verified by Sprang)
Letters typeset
Reprinted In Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #73-168329; in Untold Legend of the Batman, The [MPI Audio Edition] (DC, 1980 series) #2; in Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (DC, 1992 series) #5 (November 2006).

12 page Batman story "The Centuries of Crime"

Characters Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Alfred Beagle; Percival Pruitt; Villains: the Joker, Professor Ecla Tate, Swami Meera Kell.
Synopsis The Joker enlists the aid of a fradulent scientist and swami, convincing them that they can successfully carry out their "fleecings" of victims: in the past and the future!
Genre superhero
Script Don Cameron (credit by OHearn)
Pencils Jack Burnley (verified by Burnley)
Inks Jack Burnley (verified by Burnley); Ray Burnley (backgrounds, confirmed by Burnley)
Letters Betty Bentley (confirmed by Burnley)
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-6-09.
Reprinted In Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (DC, 1992 series) #5 (November 2006).

1 page Jerry the Jitterbug filler

Characters Jerry the Jitterbug
Genre teen humor
Script Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Letters Henry Boltinoff

12 page Batman story "The Trial of Titus Keyes"

Characters Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Jack Paley; Nick; Titus Keyes (I); Detective Flam; Patrolman Patrick Francis Aloysius Michael O'Brien; V: Slick Fingers [George Collins].
Synopsis Batman and Robin, figuring that the case in court against Titus Keyes is much too pat, investigate and discover the real culprit: the cell-mate of Keyes when he was in prison.
Genre superhero
Script Bill Finger (credit by OHearn)
Pencils Bob Kane (signed)
Inks Jerry Robinson (verified by Robinson)
Letters George Roussos (verified by Roussos)
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-6-09.
Reprinted In Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (DC, 1992 series) #5 (November, 2006).

1 page Hectic History filler

Genre humor
Script Jack Farr
Pencils Jack Farr
Inks Jack Farr
Letters Jack Farr
Notes Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 1-6-09.

12 page Batman story "The Lawmen of the Sea"

Characters Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; "Whittling" Willie Binger; Spinner Powell; Sgt. Daniels; V: Shark Hawkey (I).
Synopsis In the 2nd story of a series involving various Police divisions, Batman & Robin team-up with the Harbor Patrol to track down harbor pirates!
Genre superhero
Script Bill Finger (credit by OHearn)
Pencils Jack Burnley (verified by Burnley)
Inks Jack Burnley (verified by Burnley); Ray Burnley (backgrounds, confirmed by Burnley)
Letters Betty Bentley (confirmed by Burnley)
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-6-09.
Reprinted In Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (DC, 1992 series) #5 (November 2006).

Half page Clancy the Cop filler

Characters Clancy the Cop
Genre humor
Script Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Letters Henry Boltinoff

2 page text story "Convoy Sighted"

Genre adventure
Script Walt Abbot (signed)
Letters typeset

12 page Batman story "Bruce Wayne Loses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson"

Characters Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Alfred Beagle; Villains: George Grayson [I](Dick Graysons uncle), Clara Grayson [I](Dick Graysons aunt), Fatso Foley (I).
Synopsis One day a couple show up at the Wayne mansion claiming to be the Aunt & Uncle of Dick Grayson, and they successfully get custody of the boy. But Batman smells a rat when the couple call up Bruce Wayne and offer him the opportunity to "buy" Dick back!
Genre superhero
Script Bill Finger (credit by OHearn)
Pencils Bob Kane (signed)
Inks Jerry Robinson (verified by Robinson)
Letters George Roussos (verified by Roussos)
Notes Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 1-6-09.
Reprinted In Batman Family (DC, 1975 series) #10 (March-April 1977); in Batman: The Dark Knight Archives (DC, 1992 series) #5 (November, 2006); in Batman Album (K. G. Murray, 1976 series) #37