Batman #112
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeBatman #112 holds a firm place in Silver Age history as the debut of Signalman (Phillip Cobb), a clue-dispensing Gotham villain created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff who became a recurring member of Batman's rogues' gallery. The issue packs three distinct stories into 36 pages, showcasing the anthology structure typical of late-1950s Batman comics while also delivering a second outing for the chemist-villain Professor Milo and another time-travel adventure with Professor Carter Nichols — reflecting the era's heavy reliance on science-fiction and fantasy conceits under editor Jack Schiff. Though Signalman never rose to the A-list, his clue-based crimes offered a variation on the puzzle-villain formula then being explored across the Batman titles, and the 'Am I Really Batman?' story demonstrated an early willingness to destabilize Bruce Wayne's identity through psychological menace rather than physical threat.
In "The Signalman of Crime," Professor Nichols enlists Batman and Robin to help test his time ray, sending him back to ancient Rome—only to vanish when he fails to return. With the scientist stranded in the past, the Dynamic Duo must follow him through time to track down the missing professor before the experiment spirals out of control. Written by Edmond Hamilton and illustrated by Dick Sprang, with inks by Charles Paris and lettering by Artie Simek, the cover by Sheldon Moldoff captures the mystery of the journey.
In "The Signalman of Crime," a mysterious figure in a strange, signal-themed costume terrorizes Gotham with a string of odd, methodical crimes. Batman, ever vigilant, follows the trail of clues left behind, unraveling the criminal’s pattern before the Signalman can strike again.
In "Batman's Roman Holiday!", Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson join Professor Nichols on a wild adventure when he activates his time ray, sending them plunging into ancient Rome. With the professor missing and no sign of his return, Batman and Robin must navigate the bustling streets of the past to track him down before time itself unravels.
In "Am I Really Batman?", Batman awakens in a mental ward, disoriented and questioning his own identity after being drugged with amnesia gas by the mysterious Professor Milo. Struggling to piece together who he is, the Dark Knight confronts a chilling uncertainty—his memories, his purpose, and even his very name now feel like someone else’s.
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The issue was edited by Whitney Ellsworth and written by two of the title's principal scripters of the period: Bill Finger, who scripted stories one and three, and Edmond Hamilton, who wrote the Roman Holiday time-travel piece. Sheldon Moldoff penciled the Finger stories while Dick Sprang handled Hamilton's script, with Charles Paris inking throughout — an arrangement that reflected the ghost-artist system Bob Kane had maintained for years, with Moldoff having recently become the primary Batman penciler under Schiff's editorial direction. The Comics Code Authority context loomed over every story choice: Schiff's tenure was characterized by whimsical, science-fiction-inflected plots that kept content uncontroversial, and Batman #112's mix of puzzle crimes, ancient-Rome time-travel, and amnesia gas fits squarely within that editorial philosophy.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Signalman (Phillip Cobb), created by writer Bill Finger and penciler Sheldon Moldoff, debuting in the story 'The Signalman of Crime.'
- Signalman's gimmick — leaving elaborate signal-and-symbol-based clues to taunt Batman and police — is noted in DC continuity sources as similar to the Riddler's, though within the story Cobb cites the Joker and the Penguin as his own inspiration.
- The issue contains three separate stories: 'The Signalman of Crime' (Finger/Moldoff), 'Batman's Roman Holiday' (Edmond Hamilton/Dick Sprang), and 'Am I Really Batman?' (Finger/Moldoff).
- Professor Milo appears in 'Am I Really Batman?' deploying an amnesia gas that saps Batman's will to live; Alfred and Robin work together to sustain Bruce Wayne's identity and pull him back — but this is Milo's second appearance, not his first (his debut was Detective Comics #247, September 1957).
- 'Batman's Roman Holiday' is the second time Professor Carter Nichols sends Batman to ancient Rome; locals greet Batman as 'Batmanus' of legend from his earlier visit, establishing early Silver Age continuity across issues.
- The issue was edited by Whitney Ellsworth, published by National Comics Publications Inc. (DC), went on sale October 8, 1957, and carried a cover date of December 1957.
- All three lead stories were reprinted individually: 'The Signalman of Crime' in Wanted #1, 'Batman's Roman Holiday' in 80-Page Giant #12, and 'Am I Really Batman?' in Batman Annual #4; the issue is also collected in Batman: Black Casebook.
- A one-page humor strip by Henry Boltinoff ('Casey the Cop' / 'Warden Willis') rounds out the issue alongside a short prose text piece titled 'Trouble on the London Express.'
Cast · 8 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Gang Busters #35 (1953)
Reprinted in Batman #93 (1958), Mighty The 100-Page Comic! #4 (1958), Batman Annual #4 (1963), 80 Page Giant Magazine #12 (1965), Superman #13/1967 (1967), Batman Annual #1968 (1968), Superman #14/1968 (1968), Wanted. The World's Most Dangerous Villains #1 (1972), Batman: The Black Casebook #[nn] (2009), DC Comics Classics Library: The Batman Annuals #2 (2010), DC's Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Super-Villains #[nn] (2020)
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