Comic Title: Batman #221
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 909 Third Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May 1970
On Sale Date: March 3, 1970 Newsstand Date March 3, 1970
Source: House Ad, Justice League of America #80, Page 4

Newsstand Date March 3, 1970
Source: Comic Reader, #77

Copyright Date March 3, 1970
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1970

Frequency: Monthly, with the exception of April and October
Cover Price: $0.15
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Title: "A Bat-Death for Batman"
Pages: 16

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

Writer: Frank Robbins
Penciller: Irving H. Novick
Inker: Dick Giordano

Reprinted In:
Showcase Presents:Batman Vol. 5 TPB (2012)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Detective Comics #398; next appearance in Batman #221)

Villain(s)

• Ilga (Von Ritter's wife; no further appearances)
• Professor Otto Kramm (a bio-chemist; dies in this story; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Ordwein (a health inspector; no further appearances)
• Two fishermen (no further appearances)
• Platt (a farmer; no further appearances)
• Baron Willi Von Ritter (no further appearances)
• A valet (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Bruce Wayne travels to Germany to conduct business. While passing through customs, he is detained by a public health official who informs him that a mysterious chemical has been turning tame animals into killers. He suspects the chemicals originate from the plant of Baron Willi Von Ritter with whom Wayne is conducting his business. Bruce agrees to investigate.

At Von Ritter's castle, Bruce becomes Batman and searches the catacombs beneath the castle. He finds a lab where Von Ritter's bio-chemist Otto Kramm is conducting experiments on animals. Kramm leaves Batman to die from an attack by real bats, but the Caped Crusader confuses their radar with foil strips. Batman the confronts Kramm and his partner, Von Ritter's wife Ilga. Ilga injects Kramm with the serum, and he attacks her. Batman then defends himself, resulting in Kramm's death at the hands of a lamb, also affected by Kramm's serum.