Batman #5 - Story 2

April 15, 1941

"Book of Enchantment"

Ugh, it's another story that goes beyond the usual for Batman and Robin. In fact, Batman even comments that it's not exactly his line. The story opens as usual with a quick panel of the two stopping a pair of thieves robbing a house. The owner of the house introduces the two to his machine, which can project people into any book. He sent his daughter into a book of fairytales two days previous and she hasn't returned. He asks the two to go in and rescue her.

From there, we're "treated" to a series of encounters as Batman and Robin make their way through the fairytale land. They meet Simple Simon, Humpty Dumpty, and the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. It all culminates in an encounter at the witch's castle where they rescue the woman and escape on a magic carpet.

It's a pointless story and I'm glad to see they put it in a Batman issue instead of an issue of Detective as they did previously. If I were a kid reading Batman, I would have been upset with my monthly Batman fix being a fairy tale. At least in Batman, we can say it's just one bad story among four.

Will the next story in the issue prove as bad? Stay tuned, Citizens!