Batman #7 - Story 4
August 13, 1941
"The People Vs. the Batman"
This is it, Citizens! This is the story where Commissioner Gordon makes Batman an honorary member of the Gotham City Police Force. But what lead to it? Well, it's quite the story as Bruce Wayne is charged with murder and Batman has to solve the crime.
We open the story, mid-action, as Batman is listening in on some gangsters who are talking about a poultry racket when they spot Batman. I had to laugh as even the concept of chickens could be criminalized. A fight begins and the lights go out. When they come back on, the police have arrived and Batman makes his escape.
It took a couple of readings of the first panels to follow the train of thought for this, but basically Delmar, a legitimate businessman of some type, is the head of rackets for a certain section of Gotham City. Batman apparently overheard this and so Freddie Hill, who works with Delmar is afraid he will be picked up as Batman investigates. So he sends Weasel to kill Delmar and then he will take over the rackets.
The next day, Bruce goes to Delmar's office as part of his investigation. Weasel comes in and shoots Delmar while yelling out for Bruce not to shoot Delmar as he takes another shot through his own hat. Bruce is startled by the actions so he doesn't think as Weasel throws the gun to him as the secretary enters. He then punches Bruce, stunning him. The police arrive and arrest Bruce. These scenes are well played out on the page.
Gordon arrives and between Weasel's and the secretary's testimony, plus the shot hat, it looks bad for Bruce as Gordon interviews him in jail. Dick visits and vows to get Bruce out of jail.
That night, Robin visits Weasel's apartment and finds the killer being threatened by two more of Hill's men who want to make sure Weasel will never gain a conscience by taking him away to kill him. Robin stops the two, but Weasel knocks Robin out and plans to make a run for it. He is knocked down by a car driven by Hill's men.
Weasel barely survives and lies in a coma in the hospital with police protection. Hill decides to dress one of his men as Batman and finish Weasel. The cops will think Batman did it. He barely gets in the room when a nurse spots him. The guy won't go back because there are too many police officers, but it worked. The police think Batman is in on this.
Robin frees Batman by studying the sewer lines beneath the prison. Together, they go to Delmar's house to find the evidence they need to show he was a racket boss. There, they find Hill and his men also looking for the evidence. Hill gets the drop on Robin as the evidence is found in the leg of a table. Batman surrenders and the two are chained up and tossed in the river.
Meanwhile, Weasel comes to and escapes from the hospital even though he knows he won't last long. Also, the police discover Bruce is no longer in his cell.
Batman frees himself from his bonds by using a jagged can and then frees Robin. The two get to the surface and take out Hill and his men.
In court, the DA is asking for an immediate guilty verdict on Bruce because of his escaping jail. Batman arrives with Hill who denies he has anything to do with this and that Batman is setting him up. The DA is not impressed, but then Gordon gets up and makes a speech about how Batman has helped the city so many times in the past. It's an interesting twist and while he makes the case well, like Batman's softening we never see how Gordon came to this support that he is willing to risk his reputation and career by making such a statement leading to his declaring Batman will work with the police from now on.
And then, in a moment of perfect timing, Weasel arrives in the court and his dying words pin it all on Hill. Bruce is freed and notes the irony that he was saved by himself.
