Batman Sunday Newspaper Strip - Story 8
August 5 - September 16 1944
(Mardi Gras)
Bruce and Dick are invited to a Mardi Gras party in New Orleans by a person who they don't even know, but has a connection of both knowing a fraternity brother of Bruce's. That's an interesting little tidbit because other than the death of his parents, we haven't really explored any of Bruce's past. I had to admit, it was cool that the two could go to Mardi Gras dressed as Batman and Robin and still be referred to as Bruce and Dick since everyone is in costume. And it wouldn't be a Batman story if we don't get to a gang of suspicious looking people watching over one of the other party attenders as she slips Batman an envelope.
The story takes a quick turn in the second week after the gang fails to retrieve the envelope and head back to their boss, the host of the party who begins to make the connection that Batman and Robin are Bruce and Dick as he provided them with the costumes. They didn't wear them though, preferring to wear their real ones.
The two return to the home of their guest where they set up their alibi. Bruce realizes he cannot just give the woman her envelope back without revealing who is he so they open it and find it is dated from the 1800s and inside is an ace of spades card.
That night, the two attend a parade as Batman and Robin where Batman is elected King of Mardi Gras and gets to stand with his Queen, the niece of the woman who gave him the envelope. As the crowd cheers, he urges her to tell him the secret of the card.
The story quickly progresses as the card is the key to hidden treasure on board a hulled ship in a swamp. Batman and Robin are captured by the gang and trapped, but they escape.
It's a simple enough story and worthy enough of a Sunday comic strip. It would be disappointing if it was a comic book story, but here it works. And what's next? We're back with a look at World's Finest, Citizens!
