BATMAN #16

COVER TAGLINE: None TITLE: The Joker Reforms STORY ARC: None COVER DATE: April/May, 1943 WRITER: Don Cameron ARTIST: Bob Kane INKER: Jerry Robinson EDITORS: Jack Schiff COVER: Jerry Robinson PRICE: $.10 U.S. CHARACTERS: Batman (Bruce Wayne); Robin (Dick Grayson); Joker PLOT: The Joker and his men escape Gotham City after stealing a fortune in jewels. Their plane crashes in the Ozarks. Joker goes down with the plane, while his men parachute to safety. The crash gives the Joker amnesia. He finds the jewels and turns them over to police, claiming to be Ed Smith. Batman and Robin trail Joker to the town of Farr Corners. They learn about his amnesia and play along. Joker's henchmen try to jump Batman, but the Joker helps the Caped Crusaders, proving to Batman that he is honest. Joker eventually remembers where the rest of his loot is hidden. He intends to turn it over to the police, but his henchmen jump him. Batman and Robin save him, but the blow to the head restores the Joker's memory. Batman apprehends the Joker and his henchmen and recovers the stolen loot.

TITLE: The Grade A Crimes WRITER: Ruth Lyon Kaufman ARTIST: Jack Burnley INKER: Jack Burnley EDITORS: Jack Schiff CHARACTERS: Batman (Bruce Wayne); Robin (Dick Grayson); Commissioner James Gordon PLOT: A series of early morning jewel robberies stump the police. Batman and Robin tangle with a pair of the thieves, but they are unable to apprehend them. Later, Batman realizes that the crooks disguise themselves as milkmen to make their escape. Batman stakes out the next target, then lets the crooks get away. He trails them to a dairy farm, where he and Robin apprehend the gang and recover the jewels.

TITLE: The Adventures of the Branded Tree WRITER: Don Cameron ARTIST: Jack Burnley INKER: Jack Burnley EDITORS: Jack Schiff CHARACTERS: Batman (Bruce Wayne); Robin (Dick Grayson); Alfred Beagle PLOT: Batman and Robin overhear a gunshot in the woods near a paper mill. They find three city crooks attacking some lumberjacks. The crooks get away, so Batman questions the still living lumberjack. He explains that he was cutting down a tree with a dagger-shaped mark on it when the crooks attacked. Suspecting the crooks will return, Batman stays near the mill. The crooks get jobs at the mill to look for the tree with the dagger-shaped mark. Batman finds them, but once again the crooks escape. Before they do, they hide the contents of the tree in a roll of paper. Later Batman and Robin see the paper being delivered. The crooks strike again, but this time Batman captures them. He also recovers stolen jewels that the crooks had originally hid inside the tree.

TITLE: Here Comes Alfred WRITER: Don Cameron ARTIST: Bob Kane INKER: Jerry Robinson EDITORS: Jack Schiff CHARACTERS: Batman (Bruce Wayne); Robin (Dick Grayson); Alfred Beagle PLOT: Crooks attack a recently arrived passenger from England. Batman and Robin are on hand to fight off the crooks, who manage to escape. The intended victim is an amateur sleuth named Alfred. Later, Alfred arrives at Bruce Wayne's home. Alfred's father Jarvis was Bruce's father's butler. Alfred intends to carry on in the family tradition. Despite Bruce's protests Alfred makes himself comfortable. That night the crooks return trying to steal Alfred's valise. Batman once again chases away the crooks. While Batman follows them, Alfred accidentally discovers the Bat-Cave and the secret identities of the Dynamic Duo. Having trailed the thieves to a music hall, Batman and Robin are captured. Alfred also follows and manages to rescue them. Batman then apprehends the crooks, who are after the crown jewels of Dorian. The Duke of Dorian was a passenger on the ship that carried Alfred. The following evening, Alfred brings Bruce and Dick their uniforms, revealing that he knows their secret identities. Bruce is surprised, but decides to keep the trustworthy man on as his butler.

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