Batman #29 - Story 3

April 13, 1945

"Heroes by Proxy"

Our third story opens with a pair of private eyes, Hawke & Wrenn, facing the fact that their firm is going broke. One of them comes up with the idea of becoming Batman and Robin in order to make a name for themselves and raise the money needed to save the business.

We cut to the home of Bruce Wayne, where he and Dick and Alfred are returning after a fishing vacation. They walk in to find their home has been ransacked and they have been robbed. Bruce calls the police to report the crime, despite Dick's saying they can just handle the case themselves. But in a moment clear out of Batman 66, Bruce points out it is the law to report a crime. I can hear Adam West saying this with such conviction. And yet, people say the TV show was silly, the comic never had such camp in it.

You can hear Adam West delivering this line with such conviction.

Yeah, right.

Bruce never get to make the call though as Batman and Robin make an appearance. Robin has a balding head (Shades of Victor Paul!) and they are clearly clumsy, wearing costumes that look like something Adam might have worn. They offer to find the criminals for a reward because they have fallen on hard times.

Bruce agrees and proceeds to follow the two as the real Batman and Robin. The fake Dynamic Duo managed to have found some clues that lead them to the real robbers, who immediately shoot at the two, sending them scattering. The real Duo leap in and attack the crooks, but one of them shoots Batman and they get away.

Meanwhile, our fake Duo is in hiding. Batman is feeling guilty as he has ruined the name of the two with his cowardice in running away. He is determined to track the two down and they get the chance when they see the crooks driving away.

They follow them back to their hideout where the fake Duo are knocked out as the real Batman and Robin arrive to mop them up. Batman gives the detectives the win in the case by getting out of their costumes and being themselves as they presented the crooks to the police.

This was a fun story and it could easily be built out into something bigger with perhaps one of the Rogue's Gallery being the main villain and our fake Duo being the ones caught in the death trap at the end of part one.

What's next? The last story of this issue, Citizens!