Batman #13 - Story 1
August 12, 1942
"The Batman Plays a Lone Hand"
This is a good story, if an unlikely one. Batman has often shown great concern for Robin's welfare, even getting violently angry when a villain goes too far in threatening the Boy Wonder. But Batman allows Robin to be placed in that danger on an almost daily basis. So, here's a story where basically Batman breaks up with Robin in order to protect him from a gangster.
The story opens with Bruce packing as he wants to distance himself from Dick. He goes so far as to prove he is serious by taking down a large framed picture of Robin that hangs in one of the rooms. Weird. Weirder still, he leaves Dick alone in the house and plans to go somewhere else. Now, we do not have Alfred yet to care for Dick. And Bruce leaving his base of operations seems a little much, considering we haven't established other locales for him to operate out of yet.
Dick leaves home in frustration, selling his two-way radio to make enough cash to get him started on his new life. He sees Batman swinging by with what appears to be someone else as Robin. That sets him into an even greater funk.
Meanwhile, Batman is called in to help capture The Thumb and his gang. This isn't a super villain, just a got with the nickname, The Thumb. Batman catches up and pursues the gangster, but The Thumb shoots down the new Robin, hoping to throw Batman off his game.
They manage to get away and we see that the new Robin is just a dummy. Thumb plants an ad in the newspaper telling Batman to visit a certain address. He goes, but dressed as a Fuller Brush salesman. Once inside, he reveals himself and takes on the gang. They trap him though and bury him behind a wall of bricks.
Batman uses his radio to contact Robin, but remember the radio was sold. Thankfully, Dick overhears some of Thumb's gang bragging about getting Batman. He follows them back to the hideout and is captured. They open the wall to leave him with Batman, but Batman has escaped his bonds. Together, the two round up the gang.
