Cover: Win Mortimer

Detective Comics #217

Mar 1955 · DC · 0.10 USD

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“The Mental Giant of Gotham City!”

In "The Mental Giant of Gotham City!", young Barney Barrows—driven by a dream to become a policeman—finds his path blocked by a failed mental test. But after a lab explosion grants him an enormous intellect and a swollen head, Barney turns his newfound mind against Gotham’s guardians, forcing Batman and Robin to obey his commands. Written by Edmond Hamilton and brought to life with sharp, expressive art by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris, this 1955 classic features a cover by Win Mortimer that captures the story’s eerie, larger-than-life tension.

writer Edmond Hamilton · artist Dick Sprang · inker Charles Paris · cover Win Mortimer

More listings for this title

GD $215 GD $290 CGC 4.5 $500 Detective Comics #217 (DC Comics March 1955) $100 Detective Comics #217 💦 NICE BATMAN BOOK! COMPLETE & UNRESTORED 💦 1955 $119

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Full credits

writer Edmond Hamilton

artist Dick Sprang

inker Charles Paris

cover pencils, inks Win Mortimer

Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers

▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers

Wanting to be a Policeman terribly, young Barney Barrows discovers that he can't pass the mental test to become one. However, a freak explosion in the Police lab exposes Barney to radiation which swells his mental capacity and head. He figures out Batman's true identity and forces the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder to do his bidding.

Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).