Detective Comics #105

September 21, 1945

"The Batman Goes Broke"

This is an interesting one as we've had stories where Bruce Wayne has gone broke before. Indeed, there are entire story arcs where Wayne loses his fortune. But this one opens with Batman already broke and unable to afford a taxi in order to chase after an escaping Simon Gurlin. Robin is dejected as this was to be their last case. They cannot afford to keep up their crimefighting ways.

And how does Bruce make his money? He owns a motor company. Wayne cars? We don't know, but the 3,000,000 he lost to his treasurer is enough to wipe him out. It''s so bad that Alfred can't enough offer them a stake to get restarted as he's flat broke too thanks to investing in Wayne Motors.

Dick gets a job as a newspaper boy which allows him to hear about what's happening on the streets. One of Gurlin's men is spotted by Batman who observes him buying. apaper, but he gets away with Batman getting winged in the leg. Hope his medical insurance is still in effect.

They determine that the man is meeting Gurlin in Landsboro thanks to a newspaper ad they see. Between the money Dick earned selling gas and Alfred made cutting grass, they are able to buy enough gas for the Batmobile to get them there. On the way there, they get run off the road and the front tire is wrecked. The two get a quick job at a nearby circue to make the $20 needed to repair it.

They arrive in Landsboro where the man who brought the paper from Dick recognizes him and tries to take him, but Batman stops it as the men get away, saying his broken radio is more important. He finds the only radio store in town where he knew he was heard by Gurlin's men who now wait in ambush. The Duo round up the men and return to Gotham where Bruce finds his money restored as the Treasuer was captured. (See, the police can be useful.)

A simple story that is fun, but nothing like future stories of money lost by Wayne. Coming up next we're finally getting into issue 32 of the anthology Batman comic. Stay tuned!