Last entry on the Sunday stories, I pointed out that for all the expanded panels we have on a Sunday, these stories are short and move swiftly and this one is no exception as it begins, as my Batchum Jim Beard would say, "in media res" as Batman is fuming over two cleverly planned robberies, two nights in a row and no leads on who or how they do it.
The third such crime picks up the story as they robbers attack a dockside bank known as "Sailors National" by diving beneath it and planting explosives that stun the guard so that he looks unconscious to the crooks. But he is well enough to trip the silent alarm, alerting Gordon who then alerts Batman to the crime. And here we see the first use of a communication signal for Batman other than the Batsignal as Batman has a radio in his house, one assumes with a particular frequency, where he is tipped off to the robbery and so they head out.
They arrive to find the crooks getting away via the hole they blasted in the ground. Batman and Robin follow and climb on the boat and starting beating on the gang. One of the gang starts the boat and takes it out to sea as the police approach with the threat of finishing off the Dynamic Duo.
The two manage to get thrown off the boat before any real violence can occur save for Robin getting kicked in the chest as he's removed. But it's that kick that give Batman a clue as it leaves behind mud or clay on Robin's chest. An analysis shows it could only have come from the West River where a tunnel is currently under construction. Batman finds there is a bank nearby - the next target.
They visit the foreman of the tunnel construction and get prepared to deal with encountering the gang. The tunnel is underground and the air pressure is different so they have to enter a compression chamber in order to compensate. Eventually, they meet the gang, but there is an explosion and the air pressure changes suddenly.
The story ends with Batman and Robin helping the workers shore up the hole allowing the pressure in the tunnel to stabilize. Meanwhile, the gang makes their escape by getting into the decompression chamber. But Batman calls ahead and has the process slowed down so that when he and Robin emerge from the other chamber, they are ready to capture the gang who are sluggish from a lack of full oxygen.
These Sunday strips are proving pointless so far compared to the more detailed weekday strips which are much more interesting. I get that they don't want to extend it too long over a course of months, but there's little details in these stories which makes them pointless. The only thing working for it is the artwork which is fantastic for a newspaper strip.
So what are we on to next? We're back to Detective Comics, Citizens!
