Detective Comics #29 and Detective Comics #30 are two comics published in 1939 by DC (then National) Comics. They are notable for containing the first two-part story in the Batman series, consiting of "The Batman Meets Dr. Death" and "The Return Of Dr. Death".
The story begins with the books villain, Doctor Karl Hellfern, soon to be known as Doctor Death, lurking in his study, announcing to his Indian servant Jabah that he has completed his laboratory experiments. He reveals his plan to use a lethal pollen extract that will be used to hold the world's wealthy hostage until they pay tribute to him. Though Doctor Death has enough foresight to know that this crime will attract attention from the Batman—so he wisely decides to kill the Batman before initating his plans. As nobody knows his true identity, Doctor Death places a personal ad in the newspaper. A relaxing Bruce Wayne comes across this ad, which tells him to pick up a letter from the post office under the name of John Jones. Bruce rushes to get the letter, which he finds the time and location of a murder Doctor Death plans to commit that night.
Returning home, Bruce Wayne hastily suits up and arranges his Batman equipment. He puts glass pellets of choking gas into his belt compartment. He also equips suction gloves and knee pads to help him climb the building. Batman then drives to the crime scene in his automobile and scales the side of the building with his rope and suction cups. When he enters through the window, two thugs ambush him with guns, but they underestimate his agility and he knocks a statue over on top of them. punching them as they lay pinned on the ground. They refuse to give the name of their employer, but the Batman threatens to murder them if they don't talk. Jabah then ambushes Barman with a gun and shoots him in the chest. Despite this injury, the Batman is able to escape by throwing a pellet of choking gas and leaping out the window.
The next day, Bruce Wayne then places an ad in the newspaper, announcing that the Batman accepts Doctor Death's challenge. He then visits the family doctor, who is surprised to see him with a bullet wound. Bruce laughs off the doctor's questions and does not explain the real reason of how he got it, chalking it up to accidentally misfiring a gun at point blank range near himself.
Doctor Death, livid that his underlings have failed him, sends Jabah to kill a man named John P. Van Smith who refuses to pay his tribute. By sheer coincidence, Bruce sees Jabah while driving down the street, and proceeds to follow him. Jabah blows poison at Smith and escapes, but Bruce Wayne intervenes and saves the man's life. Bruce then follows Jabah back to Doctor Death's hideout, and returns in the guise of The Batman.
Batman breaks through Doctor Death's window with a glass cutter, instantly taking down Jabah by choking him with his lasso. Doctor Death escapes through a trap door in the ground, but the Batman follows him through it before it can close. Doctor Death runs back upstairs, and realizes that he is cornered. Rushing into his laboratory, Doctor Death desperately grabs his flammable chemicals to throw at the Batman, but Batman hastily grabs a fire extinguisher and throws it at Doctor Death, which makes his chemicals fall on the floor, where they ignite a terrible blaze, and the entire laboratory goes up in flames. Doctor Death stands in the fire and laughs at the Batman for being a fool. The Batman remarks that Doctor Death is the poor fool, having gone completely mad. The story concludes with Batman looking on. believing that Doctor Death has perished in the fire as he murmurs "Death...to Doctor Death!"...
The following issue, set less than a week after the previous one, Bruce Wayne reads in the newspaper about a wealthy man named Mr. Jones who has died under mysterious circumstances. When he reads that the corpse has turned purple. Bruce instantly recognizes this as the work of Doctor Death, whom he had believed to have died. Bruce visits Jones' widow, who reveals that her husband was being blackmailed by Doctor Death. Having lost their money in the Great Depression, Mrs. Jones was planning to hand over her diamond heirlooms.
Bruce quickly suits up as the Batman, and prepares to face Doctor Death once again. He stores gas vials in his belt in case he needs them. That night, Batman breaks into the Jones estate, and opens their safe.
It is then revealed to the reader that Doctor Death is indeed still alive, but is now horribly disfigured by severe burns from the chemical fire he was caught in, and he now has a new henchman, a burly Cossack named Mikhail. Doctor Death sends Mikhail to steal the Jones' diamonds, unaware that Batman is waiting for him. Mikhail finds the safe open, which makes it easier for the Batman to trail him home. Mrs. Jones interrupts them and Batman is forced to knock Mikhail out. He throws Mikhail out the window, so the big Cossack will wake up and think he got free. Batman then revives the fainted Mrs. Jones, and trails Mikhail to the Ivan Herd Pawn Shop. Mikhail leaves after fencing the diamonds, and returns to his apartment. The Batman climbs up the side of his building, using his rope, and drops down through a skylight. He breaks into Mikhail's bedroom and uses the choking gas to make sure Mikhail stays asleep. But Mikhail recovers, and points a gun at the Batman, who leaps out the window, then swings back around with his rope. Mikhail sticks his head out the window, and the Batman breaks Mikhail's neck by kicking him in the head.
Batman then returns to Ivan Herd's pawn shop to recover the diamonds. He swings in through the window and confronts Ivan Herd, who recognizes him and tries to run, but the Batman catches him with his lasso. It's revealed that Ivan Herd is actually Doctor Death in disguise. He wore a skin mask, to disguise the fact that his face was destroyed in the fire. The Batman leaves Doctor Death tied up for the police. The police are surprised to find the jewels recovered and a note explaining their rightful owner.
Tropes For Both Issues:
- Disney Death: Doctor Death seemingly dies in the ending of issue 29, but 30 reveals he survived the fire accident.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Doctor Death tries to use his chemicals to burn Batman alive, but Batman improvises and tosses a fire extinguisher at him, knocking the chemicals right by him, which explode and burn him alive.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When Batman gets ambushed and shot in the shoulder by Jabah, he realises he's in over his head and casts a smoke bomb, allowing him to escape and then recuperate from his injury.
- Latex Perfection: In his Ivan Herd disguise, Doctor Death wears a foolproof face mask to cover up the severe burns he got from the chemical fire in his previous encounter with Batman.
- Laughing Mad: As he seemingly perishes in the end of issue 29, Doctor Death is reduced to cackling like a lunatic as the flames envelop him.
- No, You: The ending exchange between Doctor Death and Batman as the former burns alive at the end of issue #29.
- Utility Belt: Issue 29 has the first on-panel appearance of Batman's belt, which he uses to store choking bas bombs.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Doctor Death tries to pull this via a trapdoor, but Batman manages to follow him through it before it can close
