Detective Comics #360

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE CASE OF THE ABBREVIATED B A T M A N! Batman is a witness at the trial of Gunshy Barton, presenting to the court his testimony of Barton's arrest. As Batman explains how he captured Gunshy and his gang when they attempted to rob the E-Z Loan Company, Barton pays close attention to the stenographer machine and begins to believe that he might not have been caught by Batman if he developed his own abbreviated language to make it easier for him to give orders while committing crimes. Found guilty, Gunshy is sentenced to time in prison, where he begins studying abbreviated languages so that he can take advantage of them when he finally gets out. Paroled on good behavior some time later, Gunshy gathers together a mob and tells them his plan, but when he spots one of his men has a revolver, he tells him to get rid of it. That night, Gunshy Barton takes his gang out on a series of spectacular crimes using is new abbreviated language and it works out well for the gang of crooks. Eventually, they draw the attention of Batman and Robin who attempt to capture Gunshy and his gang. Despite having the upper hand, the Dynamic Duo are surprisingly taken down by the crooks, thanks in part to Gunshy's new language. After gloating over his victory to Commissioner Gordon over the Batphone in the Batmobile, Gunshy has his gang wrap up Batman and Robin in silk rugs and leave them outside the police station. However, upon returning to his hide out, Gunshy gets a surprise when he finds that Batman and Robin are still inside their truck of stolen loot. The Caped Crusaders have their hands full, fighting Gunshy and his gang, due to the fact that Gunshy has set up an elaborate array of traps, that are activated by pushing a sequence of letters on the wall of the room. Batman and Robin manage to dodge these traps, prevent Gunshy from being able to give more orders to his man, and round them all up. Knowing that he is defeated, Gunshy surrenders to the two masked heroes. Later when he tells the story to Commissioner Gordon, the Commissioner asks Batman how he and Robin managed to escape from the rugs. Batman explains during the first fight with Gunshy's goons, his glove was removed and he broke a nail while hitting one of Barton's men. With the jagged edge of his fingernail he managed to cut himself free of the rug, untie Robin, and then stuff the rugs with rugs, to make it look as though they were still in the rugs. With the case over, Robin in a mockery of Gunshy's abbreviated language says the case is BATMAN, as in Barton's Abreviated Talk Mobsters Are Nabbed. LONDON CAPER OF THE ROCKERS AND MODS