When Was Batman First Wanted By the Police?

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Jun 15, 2019

In their latest spotlight on notable comic firsts, CSBG reveals when Batman was first wanted by the police!

In "When We First Met," we spotlight the various characters, phrases, objects or events that eventually became notable parts of comic lore, like the first time someone said, "Avengers Assemble!" or the first appearance of Batman's giant penny or the first appearance of Alfred Pennyworth or the first time Spider-Man's face was shown half-Spidey/half-Peter. Stuff like that.

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Joseph M., we look at the first time that Batman was wanted by the police!

This is a tricky one, as the answer might come REALLY soon and if that's not the case, then the answer is probably not much later than the first answer!

In Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (by Bill Finger and Bob Kane), Batman deals with some bad guys when the cops show up and it sure sort of looks like the cops are after Batman, right?

However, it is not clear that they're after him, so I won't count it.

This takes us to Batman's SECOND appearance ever, in Detective Comics #28 (by Finger and Kane), when Batman takes out a pair of jewelry robbers right when the cops walk in on him and assume that he's in charge of a jewelry thievery ring...

I don't know that you'd say he was WANTED, per se, though, as he was able to just call up the cops to clear himself...

and he was definitely cleared by the end just via a note...

Eight issues later, in Detective Comics #36 (I think Jerry Robinson was possibly doing inks by this point, but otherwise, Finger and Kane was the creative team), Batman is accidentally framed for killing an FBI agent...

He's cleared by the end of the issue...

So yeah, I think Detective Comics #28 is really the correct answer. However, if you're specifically interested in the first time that it seems like the cops went after Batman strictly for the fact that Batman was being Batman, then that would be in Batman #1 (by Finger, Kane and Robinson), where Batman fights against the Joker and is knocked out and the cops decide to arrest Batman - even SHOOT AT HIM when he tries to get away...