“The MERMAN Batman!!
“The Merman Batman!” in Batman #118 begins with Batman being struck by lightning as he falls into Gotham Harbor. Robin assumes the worst and cries out that the world has lost Batman forever. A short time later, Robin begins receiving Morse code on his belt radio and realizes that Batman is alive, but somehow trapped under the bay as a human fish. Amazingly, our hero did not die, but was strangely transformed into a water breather by the lightning bolt and can no longer breathe air.
After fashioning a glass helmet to hold water for him to breathe, Batman eventually regains his ability to breathe air and is soon back to normal. This story, written by Batman’s co-creator Bill Finger, is typical of many Batman adventures of the late 1950s where Batman is strangely transformed and placed in seemingly impossible situations, only to return to normal by the end of the story.
Big Batman THANKS and Kudos to Bill Jourdain for his expert commentary and to the talented artists and writers of DC Comics who captivated and inspired millions of readers during this magical Golden Age. Bill Jourdain has been an avid reader and collector of comic books for over 40 years. He has an extensive collection of comics spanning the 1930s to the 1970s. Bill previously produced a podcast devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books, has penned articles about the Golden Age for Alter-Ego magazine and Comics Now! magazine, and has maintained websites devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books and the Golden Age of Batman. Bill resides in north Georgia with his wife and children, and somehow finds time away from comic books to practice law.