Bruce Wayne is a nice young chap - but he certainly must lead a boring life... seems disinterested in everything. 
Detective Comics #27 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1939. It was published on March 30, 1939.
Synopsis for The Bat-Man: "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"
Commissioner Gordon relaxes at home entertaining his young socialite friend Bruce Wayne. Wayne asks if anything exciting has happened lately, and Gordon explains that a fellow called the "Bat-Man" is puzzling him. Gordon receives a call that chemical manufacturer Lambert has been found murdered. They have Lambert's son in custody, whose fingerprints were found on the knife. Gordon invites Bruce Wayne to the Lambert mansion with him, and Bruce Wayne says he has nothing better to do.
The Bat-Man debuts.
When they arrive at the crime scene, young Lambert insists he is innocent. The lad explains that he arrived home early and saw his father lying on the floor. When he entered the library, he saw a figure escaping out the window. He pulled a knife out of his father's back, and his father's last word was "contract." Lambert's son recalls that his father had three associates, Alfred Stryker, Paul Rogers, and Steve Crane. Steve Crane calls Gordon on the phone. Lambert told Crane that he had received a death threat the previous day. Crane has received a similar death threat, and asks for police protection. Bruce Wayne decides to go home, and Gordon rushes over to the Crane residence.
Police pursue the Bat-Man.
Steven Crane is killed by a gunman who enters through the window. The thug and his partner steal a paper from Crane and climb onto the roof. They are confronted by a figure they recognize as the Bat-Man, standing in the moonlight. The Bat-Man punches the first thug out, then grabs the second one in a headlock and throws him off the second-story roof. He grabs the paper and escapes as Gordon is pulling up. The GCPD try to arrest the Bat-Man, but they are unable to catch him. Gordon learns that Crane has been murdered, and moves on to the next business partner. The Bat-Man smiles when he reads the paper he stole, and drives off in his automobile.
Paul Rogers visits the laboratory of Alfred Stryker, having learned of Lambert's death by news broadcast. Stryker's assistant Jennings clubs Rogers over the head and ties him up. Jennings explains that he will lower a gas chamber over Rogers and kill him the same way he puts animals to sleep. Jennings leaves to activate the gas. The Bat-Man leaps into the room through an open transom, which is some kinda old-timey ceiling window I guess. The Bat-Man grabs a wrench and dives inside the gas chamber before it closes.
"A fitting end for his kind."
He plugs the gas jet with a handkerchief, and busts through the glass with his wrench. Jennings returns and tries to pull a gun on the Bat-Man, but the Bat-Man punches him in the face really hard. Alfred Stryker enters and demands to know what happened. When Rogers explains that Jennings tried to kill him, Stryker pulls out a knife to finish the job. The Bat-Man is hiding in the shadows, and he grabs Stryker from behind to stop him.
The Bat-Man explains to Rogers that they were all partners in the Apex Chemical Corporation. Stryker had made secret contracts with all of them to pay them a sum of money each year until he owned the business. He grew tired of waiting and decided to kill them so he wouldn't have to pay. Stryker breaks out of the Bat-Man's grip and pulls a gun on him. The Bat-Man punches Stryker so hard in the face that Stryker breaks through a railing and falls into a tank of acid. The Bat-Man remarks that this is a fitting end for his kind, and leaves via transom. Rogers tries to thank the Bat-Man, but he is already gone.
Batman is... BRUCE WAYNE?!
Later at his house, Commissioner Gordon relates this story to Bruce Wayne. Bruce remarks that this is a lovely fairy tale, and leaves. Gordon thinks to himself that Bruce Wayne is a nice young chap, but he seems to lead a very boring life. Bruce returns home to Wayne Manor, where it's revealed that he is in fact the Bat-Man.
Appearing in The Bat-Man: "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Template:Apn (First appearance)
Villains:
- Alfred Stryker (Single appearance; dies)
- Jennings (henchman)
Other Characters:
- GCPD (First appearance) (not yet named)
- Lambert (Single appearance; dies)
- Lambert, Jr. (Single appearance)
- Paul Rogers (Single appearance)
- Steven Crane (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- Gotham City (First appearance) (not yet named)
- Apex Chemical Corporation (Mentioned only)
- Crane Residence
- Gordon Residence
- Lambert Mansion
- Stryker Laboratory
- Wayne Manor (First appearance)
Items:
- Batsuit (First appearance)
- Utility Belt (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Bruce Wayne's Automobile
Synopsis for Speed Saunders: "Killers of Kurdistan"
Appearing in Speed Saunders: "Killers of Kurdistan"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- The Veiled Prophetress of the Killers of the Kurdistan (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Trel Awney (Single appearance; dies)
- Tom (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
- Kurdistan
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Buck Marshall: "Bullet Bluff"
Appearing in Buck Marshall: "Bullet Bluff"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Pepper
- Sheriff
Villains:
- Jack Stark (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Matt Doyle (Single appearance)
- Jerry Kane (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
- 19th Century
- Sage City
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "The Mysterious Murders"
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "The Mysterious Murders"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Enemy spies (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Congressman Booker (Single appearance)
- Congressman Stoker (Single appearance)
- Booker's secretary (Single appearance)
- Cognressman Little (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for The Crimson Avenger: "Murder on the Oceanic Line Docks"
Appearing in The Crimson Avenger: "Murder on the Oceanic Line Docks"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
- Template:Apn
Villains:
- Frank (Single appearance)
- Mike Moran (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Alan Gold (Single appearance)
- Beard (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Bruce Nelson: "The New Orleans Mardi Gras Murders, Part 1"
Appearing in Bruce Nelson: "The New Orleans Mardi Gras Murders, Part 1"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ed Lane (First appearance)
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Lili Gravet (Appears only as a corpse)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu"
Appearing in "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu"
Featured Characters:
- Denis Nayland Smith
Supporting Characters:
- Dr. Petrie
Villains:
- Fu Manchu
Other Characters:
- Greba Eltham (Flashback and main story)
- Rev. J. D. Eltham
- Vernon Denby
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "Illegal Aliens"
Appearing in Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "Illegal Aliens"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Kwan Joy Lo (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ven Lo (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "The Murderer on Vacation"
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "The Murderer on Vacation"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
- Template:Apn
Villains:
- Blackjack Benson (Single appearance)
- Helger Wetjen (Single appearance)
- Gale Dennis (Single appearance)
- Nickey (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Dick Kelly (Single appearance; dies)
- Heine (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue has been reprinted many times, because it is the historic first appearance of Batman. Famous First Edition C-28 and Millennium Edition: Detective Comics #27 reprint the full issue in its entirety. The Bat-Man story is reprinted or partially reprinted in several more issues.
- Batman #200
- Batman Archives Vol 1
- Batman Chronicles Vol 1
- Batman: From the 30's to the 70's
- Batman in the Forties
- Detective Comics #387
- Detective Comics #627
- Detective Comics (Volume 2) #27: Special Edition
- Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years
- "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" has been revised and rebooted several times. It is retroactively said to be part of the universe Earth-Two, with DC's other Golden Age stories. Roy Thomas wrote an expanded version of the story in 1986, tying it into the rest of Bruce Wayne's origins.[1] Mike Friedrich wrote an Earth-One version of the story in 1969.[2] Marv Wolfman and Alan Grant wrote two different Post-Crisis versions of the story in 1991.[3] Brad Meltzer wrote a 2014 version of the story taking place in New 52 continuity.[4]
- The expanded version of this story in Secret Origins (Volume 2) #6 adds some details and changes others.
- This is Bruce Wayne's second outing as Batman. His first case was stopping "Slugsy" Kyle.[5]
- Bruce Wayne visits Jim Gordon for advice on a potential career in the NYPD. Gordon was an old friend of Bruce's uncle, Philip Wayne.
- The elder Lambert is given the first name "David."
- The younger Lambert is given the first name "John."
- The officer who arrests John Lambert is called "Sgt. Farraday."
- Batman shatters the glass case and saves Paul Rogers without entering it himself.
- There is no killing. The thugs on the rooftop are handled non-lethally. Alfred Stryker is not intentionally pushed into the vats, he escapes and trips over a railing. Batman yells out to caution Stryker, but still utters "a fitting end for his kind" at the man's death.
Trivia
- The basic plot to "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" is widely thought to have copied another series. Theodore Tinsley wrote an almost identical story about The Shadow titled "Partners of Peril" several years earlier.
- Batman is called The Bat-Man in this issue.
- This issue shows that Bruce Wayne enjoys pipe tobacco.
- Gotham City has not yet been named in this issue, and Commissioner Gordon is not given a first name.
- The cover to this issue is iconic, and many artists have done homages. This is a list of examples.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Batman Recommended Reading
- Batman (Volume 1)
- Batman (Volume 2)
- Batman (Volume 3)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 1)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 2)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 3)
- Batman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham Knights (Volume 1)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1)
- Batman: Streets of Gotham (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 2)
- The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 2)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
Links and References
Template:Batman Links
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.