Batman 1940 #173 - 5.5 - $35.75

flake front cover

While the Caped Crusaders are raiding the hideout of Mr. Incognito, a photographer takes pictures of the action with a special x-ray film, revealing the criminal's identity. The man offers to provide the identity to the Police for a million dollars while also offering the secret identities of the Dynamic Duo to the underworld for a price.

Batman is asked to investigate when four air-tight cases are blown when the juries involved return "not guilty" verdicts. Batman soon discovers that one juror, Franklin Knott, has been on all four juries in disguise. Knott, who is running for Governor, was a former lab assistant of a Dr. Grover, who had discovered E-rays (which can influence human behavior), and which rays Knott has been using on jury members.

On-sale date from ad in Detective Comics #341 and copyright registration.

• Secret Identities for Sale! - Inker credit from Nick Caputo; we originally credited Murphy Anderson.
• Treasure Chest of Fun - Inside front cover.
• Secret Identities for Sale! - Credits for script and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. Records show that Bob Kane was paid for the pencils, but scholars agree that pencils were actually by Moldoff. Story in in two parts: unnumbered Part 1 (7.67 pages) and Part 2 (4.67 pages, title is same as for 1st part but without exclamation point).
• Flight of the P-26 - On the page between page 6 and page 7 of the previous story sequence.
• - At the bottom of page 8 of the previous story sequence.
• How to Build Prrrrfect Models - On the page immediately following page 8 of the previous story sequence.
• - On the page immediately following page 8 of the previous story sequence.
• Well Worth Digging For... - On the page immediately preceding page 9 of the previous story sequence.
• - On the page immediately preceding page 9 of the previous story sequence.
• Walk, Batman -- To Your Doom! - Credits for script and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. Records show that Bob Kane was paid for the pencils, but scholars agree that pencils were actually by Moldoff.
• - On the page between page 5 and page 6 of the previous story sequence.
• - On the page between page 7 and page 8 of the previous story sequence.
• - On the page between page 7 and page 8 of the previous story sequence.
• - Inside back cover.
• - Back cover.