Detective Comics #37
February 6, 1940
(The Screaming House)
The first thing that stands out here is Batman is driving a different car from the red one he's had through most of the past issues. He doesn't refer to it as the Batmobile, but it certainly looks like it as he pulls up to a house on a lone road to ask for directions. Have to love this 40's conceit as we are decades away from even the idea of a computer that might have those directions.
As he approaches, he hears screams from within. There, he finds a man named Joey tied to a chair and being worked over by a group of thugs who work for a man named Turg. Batman leaps into action, taking the thugs out and then freeing Joey. Once free, Joey gets the jump on Batman and repays his kindness by clubbing him from behind. (Batman really needs to work on that.) When Batman comes around, he finds that Joey killed all the thugs.
Bruce looks up the name turg in the phone book and only finds three listings. the first two check out as clean, so Bruce stops at grocery store of the third. there, he discovers Joey with Turg who doesn't look to be a honest.
That night, Batman returns to the store and confronts Turg. He turns off the lights and drives the men crazy as he walks about wearing night vision goggles. He announces he's leaving as he hides to listen to their plans. As the lights go on, Turg reasons that Joey is working with Batman as he recognized him when he first saw him. He kills Joey before giving him a chance to explain. The men all leave.
Batman discovers Joey isn't dead, but he's not long for it as he explains to Batman that he was just looking to make some fast money, but Turg is an enemy spy looking to blow up a foreign ship, making it look like America did it, creating an international incident.
Batman makes it to the dock and is caught by the thugs. Turg is nowhere to be found as they bundle Batman in a sack and toss him in the river to drown. He is able to free himself and stop the boat filled with explosives from hitting the foreign vessel. He then heads to the home of a Count Grutt based on a phone number Joey told him about before passing. He discovers Grutt was Turg in disguise. He fights with Batman who punches him and sends him into a sword, impaling him. Another one bites the dust.
