Comic Title: Detective Comics #197
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: July 1953
Approx. On Sale Date: May 29, 1953 Copyright Date May 27, 1953
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1953
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.


Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 40
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The League Against Batman"
Pages: 12

Feature(s):
Batman (of Earth-1)

Writer: David Vern Reed
Penciller: Dick Sprang
Inker: Charles Paris

Reprinted In:
Batman #218 (1970)
Batman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 9 HC (2021)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Batman #75; next appearance in Detective Comics #203)

Supporting Character(s)

• Robin (last appearance in Batman #75; next appearance in Detective Comics #203)
• Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in Batman #75; next appearance in Detective Comics #203)

Villain(s)

• Wrecker (Dwight Forrow; first appearance; next appearance in Justice League of America #41)
• Doug Forrow and the Wrecker's gang (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Skip Denton (a criminal suspect; no further appearances)
• Mr. Baglund (a sculptor; no further appearances)
• Burke and Thomson (bodyguards; no further appearances)
• Ben Mosser (a film maker; no further appearances)

Comments:
The Wrecker returns in Justice League of America #41, which establishes this story as taking place on Earth-1.

Synopsis:
A new hooded criminal known as the Wrecker strikes against Batman by destroying objects dedicated to the crimefighter. He destroys Batman toys, signs, and sculptures, claiming to seek revenge for his three brothers who were executed after Batman captured them.

Dwight Forrow, a man who wrote a book about Batman, receives a death threat and is assigned two police bodyguards. The Wrecker still succeeds in carrying out the threat, apparently killing Forrow.

Batman and the police believe that the Wrecker is Skip Denton, who had three criminal brothers. However Batman finds a clue that proves the real identity of the Wrecker. Police apprehend Denton, but Batman clears him by finding Forrow alive. Forrow and his brother were running an insurance scam and set Denton up. A sunburn on Forrow's hand gave the crook away and allowed Batman to apprehend him.