The Robots of Batman really follow the Robots of Superman (which we did here.) So let’s start with what you won’t see here. I have not included the many stories that feature the Superman robot. I have only included robots that are about Batman and Robin. As with the Robots of Superman, most often the robots look like humans. I have tried to look for stories where the tin robot is more prominent. I have included Giant Robots and human-sized robots.
As I have mentioned elsewhere: the Comics Code was actually a big help for robot comics. Since comics publishers voluntarily agreed to stay away from Horror images, the robot flourished. As long as the giant, scary thing was a robot, no Code issues. I don’t know that DC Comics really cared all that much. The editors were all old SF Pulp editors (Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger) so the Science Fictional version worked fine for them.
Golden Age
“The Robot Robbers!” (Batman #42, August-September 1947) was written by Bill Finger. Three escaped cons team up with a scientist to send gigantic robots into Gotham to steal. Batman uses bazookas and lightning to take them out. This one appeared twenty-one years after Edmond Hamilton created the giant robot in “The Metal Giants” (Weird Tales, December 1926). After seven years of chasing the Joker, it is nice to Batman and Robin do a little invasion Science Fiction. Hamilton will show up here later.
“The Robot Cop of Gotham City!” (Batman #70, April-May 1952) was written by Bill Finger. Will a robot replace the Caped Crusader? It doesn’t look good until the robot cop fails to smell smoke.
Silver Age
“Batman’s Robot Twin!” (Detective Comics #239, January 1957) was written by an unknown author. The first Batman robot story has the mechanical double dogging Batman until he fries it with electricity. He, of course, wears a rubber insulated Bat Suit.
“The Secret of Mechanical City!” (Batman #114, March 1958) was written by Bill Finger. A scientist creates a fantastical city that includes giant robots. Finger may have been inspired by the World’s Fair of 1939 which was so special to Science Fiction writers. Born in 1914, a twenty-five year old Finger may have attended.
“Origin of the Superman-Batman Team!” (World’s Finest #94, May-June 1958) was written by Edmond Hamilton. This story is mostly about Batman feeling bad because Superman has a new partner, Powerman. He turns out to be a robot. Hamilton was one of the SF greats who created the image of killer robot as well as the giant robot. His work on Batman and Superman comics is fun, if not terribly experimental.
“Prisoners of the Giant Robots!” (Detective Comics #258, August 1958) was written by an unknown author. More giant robots owned by thieves with a scientist sidekick. These ones have flame-throwers in their mouths!
“The Mystery Seeds From Space!” (Batman #124, June 1959) was written by Dave Wood. A giant seed from space shows up, produces a robot that Batman and Robin destroy with high frequency sound. The duo ponder life on other worlds.
“The Interplanetary Batman!” (Batman #128, December 1959) was written by Bill Finger. Due to a misunderstanding, Batman and Robin are apprehended and placed in a space prison. They are dogged by the prison’s canine robots. They destroy them by attracting insects that go inside them and ruin their circuits. After surviving many weird and alien dangers, the Dynamic Duo learn they were bait to catch a space pirate.
“Batman, Robot!” (Detective Comics #281, July 1960) was written by Bill Finger. When Batman gets trapped in a collapsed mine, the Batman Robot takes over. The machine’s identity is discovered but Batman still gets the crooks after Robin saves him.
“The Negative Batman!” (Detective Comics #284, October 1960) was written by an unknown author. Batman gets reversed by photography, a change that will slowly sap all his strength. The crooks trap him inside a camera but the good guys win because the Negative Batman is a robot. Go figure. That’s going happen a lot from now on…
“Batman’s Master!” (Batman #138, March 1961) was written by Bill Finger. The Tiger Gang take over Batman’s mind using hypnosis. The ruse works to get the robot Batman inside the gang as the hypnotist. Batman was never really under the control of the bad guys.
“Robin’s Robot!” (Detective Comics #290, April 1961) was written by Bill Finger. It was inevitable: Robin would get his own robot. When Robin gets zapped with green radiation, he is out of the fight. Good thing Batman created a robot version of him. By the time the crooks are caught we learn the robot is the green one and Robin pretended to be his own robot.
“Batman’s Robot-Guardian!” (Batman #142, September 1961) was written by Bill Finger. Tal-Dar the alien sends Batman a guardian robot as a thank you. The Caped Crusader finds the protection cramps his style so he tricks it with the Batman robot. Guardian bot gets wrecked. Not much gratitude there, BM.
“The Beast of Koba Bay!” (Detective Comics #297, November 1961) was written by Bill Finger. The Beast of Koba Bay is a Loch Ness Monster type creature. Turns out it is fake and owned by criminals. (Kinda like Nessie in “Lord of Batmanor“.) Batman takes it out with a second robot. The Beast seems more like Godzilla than Nessie.
“The Hostages of the Island of Doom!” (World’s Finest #125, May 1962) was written by Jerry Coleman. The robot is in the opener of this one. The villain captures Batman and Robin with a giant robot. The top of the bot snaps closed on them then flies off to the Island of Doom. It is up to Superman to rescue them. Classic giant robot!
“The Secret Behind the Stone Door!” (Batman #150, September 1962) was written by Bill Finger. Robots are created for the making of a movie that features a Roman emperor as well. The actor goes nuts and tries to use the robots for evil.
“Menace of the Robot Brain!” (Detective Comics #324, February 1964) was written by Dave Wood. Batman and Robin follow a villain to his secret fortress inside a giant robotic head. Robin hijacks the brain to control and save the bad guy. Giant heads will show up later in Zardoz (1974) and on Star Trek.
Bronze Age
“Batman — King of the World!” (Justice League of America #87, February 1971) was written by Mike Friedrich. Bruce Wayne finances an Incan excavation that finds a giant robot. Batman goes nuts, using the robot to defeat all the members of the Justice League. The story shifts away from the robot for the second half. Too bad.
Conclusion
The artwork and writing here are very consistent in the Silver Age. Bill Finger wrote most of the scripts while Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris usually drew the stories. We see all the usual SF tropes: giant bots, human-looking bots, monsters that turn out to be bots, even mind-controlling robots. The flame-throwers were kinda new. You might like the convoluted tales where Batman uses the robot to throw off suspicion of his true identity but I find those tedious. (Superman did lots of them too.) I like the giant robot monsters on a rampage stuff. It’s more H. G. Wells derived, I guess. There’s plenty of everything here, so enjoy.
