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BATMAN No. 28 Provenance: DC Universe Collection Publisher: DC [Indicia: Detective Comics, Inc.] Date Published: April-May, 1945 Description: CGC certified: VG/Fine (5.0). White pages. Grader notes: "Cover tanning; light foxing to cover; light spine stress lines to cover; spine splits to cover." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION. CGC Census: 220 graded copies (196 Universal, 5 Qualified, 19 Restored). GPAnalysis: A 5.0 sold for $600 in 3/17; a 4.5 sold for $576 in 2/23; a 5.5 sold for $810 in 2/23. Credits: Cover: Jack Burnley and Charles Paris (inks). Scripts: Don C. Cameron, Joe Samachson (?), Bill Finger, Al Schwartz. Art: Jerry Robinson (signed as Bob Kane). Overstreet: "Joker story." Bat-cyclopedia: "In April-May 1945 Batman and Robin battle the JOKER; smash an epidemic of 'short-confidence rackets' masterminded by MICHAEL STRAIT; and apprehend JOHN SKYE." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 118. Details: The Joker pulls an epic shuck-and-jive on Gotham's gullible elite by building a fake neighborhood in a giant abandoned warehouse, and convincing rich guys that it's "an exciting, little-known section of Gotham City where their private fantasies will be fulfilled." Soon enough Batman and Robin come along and spoil the Joker's fun. * Meanwhile, con man Michael Strait, aka "The Count," runs his own shuck-and-jive on Gotham's apparently endlessly gullible rich guys, until Batman and Robin once again lower the boom. Batman's War on the Poor? A fan-fave theory that's been gaining online traction in recent years posits that Batman is actually, as one commentator puts it, just a "rich man beating up poor people so he can call himself a hero." This theory seems to find support in this ish, in which two stories feature Batman running himself ragged to protect the bank balances of Gotham's decadent elites. Heck, even Alfred eventually buys into this theory, telling Bruce Wayne in a recent Batman mag, "I'll tell you what's bothering me. Some nights, all I see is an old soldier helping a very rich man to leave his mansion at night in his expensive car to visit horrible beatings upon poor people.... It might have been easier for you to BUY Gotham City. Instead, you scratch away at it every night. Impoverished people forced into crime or suborned by gangsters with not a hundredth of your own resources." — Warren Ellis, The Batman's Grave #1 (2019). That said, the "Batman vs the underclass" theory is refuted in this very ish. After Batman kiboshes gangster John Skye, he petitions Washington to pass legislation to help ex-cons get decent jobs and reintegrate into society: "The great lesson of democracy is that all men are created equal. Why then should anyone continue to suffer for a mistake after this debt has been paid?" The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION comprises over 40,000 comic books, including a copy of every single DC comic published for retail sale from 1934 to 2014. The collection was amassed by British music producer Ian Levine over the course of several decades, and it's been hailed as the single greatest collecting accomplishment in comic book history. This collection served as the basis for former DC Comics president Paul Levitz's monumental book 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, published by Taschen in 2017. PBA is proud to present this epic collection in a series of themed sales over the next two years. To join the DC Universe Collection notifications list, contact pba@pbagalleries.com. Enjoying PBA's Batman sale? A very small number of softcover and limited edition hardcover auction catalogues are available for purchase. The catalogues are fully illustrated, thoroughly researched, and make excellent reference works for Batman fans. To order a copy, or to inquire about consignment opportunities, contact Ivan Briggs, PBA's Director of Comics: ivan@pbagalleries.com. Item#: 360778 Headline: BATMAN #28 * Batman's War on the Poor?