The Secret War of the Phantom General

 Detective Comics #343 was released with a cover date of September, 1965. It can be found on Comixology and DC Universe. In addition, since this story also features Batman, it has been reprinted in Batman Family (Vol. 1) #4 and Showcase Presents: Batman Vol 2, as well as Showcase Presents Elongated Man.

Over in the letters page, readers were too busy puzzling over how Batman could actually lift a gorilla on the cover of #339 to discuss Ralph's story in that issue. However, Joel Pollack of Silver Spring, Maryland tries to offer advice on how to identify inkers on Carmine Infantino's work throughout the book. "I can sum it up in one word—expression. When Sid Greene inks Carmine Infantino, everyone looks happy, even when they're sad. With Joe Giella, everyone looks befuddled. When Infantino pencils, characters have very human expressions on their faces."

This would be the second team up story for Batman and Ralph, following from "Museum of Mixed-Up Men!" back in #331. The concept was to do a book-length story occasionally pairing up the two heroes instead of two separate stories. Readers weren't crazy about it, though.

"The Secret War of the Phantom General" would see the return of John Broome to writing for Ralph and Joe Giella on ink with Carmine Infantino on pencils and Ira Schnapp lettering. Julius Schwartz was editor.

The cover should be striking, but something about it just feels unappealing to me. Ralph seemingly has Batman and Robin at his mercy, tied up in his arms, at the command of the ghostly face behind them. I'm going to venture that it would look much better against an actual background instead of black, empty space.

Another error is the text on the cover and header trying to suggest that the villain of the story might not actually be alive, but they show him standing right there in the splash panel.

We haven't even started the story, and I'm already disappointed.

So yes, the splash panel shows us the villain General Von Dort with a hypnotic monocle that has put Ralph and Robin out of action with Batman trying very hard not to look to avoid the same fate. It's interesting and very Batman-central and Joe Giella returning to ink Ralph again looks okay.

Ralph doesn't turn up until page 6, so I'll sum up the story until then.

Batman and Robin are going to meet Ralph and Sue at a hotel when they hear about a hold up at the Gotham City Terminal. There are dozens of crooks and when Batman and Robin arrive, they only manage to take out a few before most of them escape. Batman notes military-style efficiency and a reporter decides to run "Is New Mystery Crime King A Military Mastermind?"

Batman and Robin go on to meet Ralph and Sue, the latter of which goes to the Gotham City Music Hall to go offscreen until the final panel of the story. (Sigh.)

Batman tells Ralph about the scene they just arrived from and when he mentions "military mastermind," Ralph freaks out and goes pale. He tries to connect dots as the story cuts away to a flashback introduced by a portrait of John Broome.

The flashback shows some Gotham City criminals being met by General Van Dort, a German general who was believed to be dead "with Hitler in that fatal Berlin bunker!" Van Dort says he's alive and has simply moved from traditional warfare to crime. He wants to take over the crime world in Gotham and claims he can't fail. When one crook asks him how he knows they won't turn him over to the police, he laughs and stares them with his monocle and says they wouldn't dare.

Seriously, I hate that we got this method of introducing the villain. The cover and title teases that the General might be dead and it's his ghost. Here, page 8, Van Dort clearly says that this isn't the case. While our protagonists might not know, we as an audience do, so that bit of suspense is gone. It's also really clumsy to have Ralph freak out and then there's no explanation for what happened for two pages.

Ralph explains that he was in South America and heard rumors about Van Dort. He heard that Van Dort left his base in the Andes for Gotham, which makes his freak out so surprising. Now that Batman and Robin have an idea of who they're dealing with, they all set out to investigate together.

The last panel shows Ralph putting his costume on. I'm going to assume he's finishing putting on after stepping out of the bathroom and he didn't strip down in front of Batman and Robin.

While out, Batman and Robin spot parachuting crooks descending on an auction and go break them up. However, these crooks were just a diversion while Van Dort steals an undisclosed item and heads back to the Andes.

As the heroes meet up again, absent until now Ralph reveals that he has discovered that Van Dort was working on a Death Ray, and was only lacking "a vital radioactive isotope called M-244." They realize that Van Dort has stolen the isotope and headed back to the Andes, so they head to Batplane to pursue.

Arriving, Ralph stretches his neck from the Batplane so he can strike a sniper. Good going, Ralph, it's about time that you got an action moment.

As the three heroes meet and take on Van Dort's men, they are identified as Batman and Robin. Ralph adds "And don't forget the Elongated Man!" Okay, that's a good moment.

Ralph spots Von Dort through a window and stretches in to demand his surrender. Von Dort uses his monocle and compels Ralph to turn on Batman and Robin. Ralph seems to be completely aware of what he's doing, but he can't stop his actions.

Batman and Robin manage to stop Ralph by twisting his arms around himself and squeeze him, making Von Dort's spell on him break.

So... What the heck just happened? Did Batman and Robin break a weird trance by forcing Ralph into a self-induced Heimlich maneuver?

Von Dort himself arrives on the scene and freezes Robin with the radiation from his monocle, and Batman—observing Von Dort's weapon—lowers his head and charges, knocking Von Dort out with a punch.

Why would a military mastermind like Von Dort just arrive on scene with no protection? Like, do it from the window and then go to escape or something. It's like he wasn't even trying.

Before I go to the final panels, this surprisingly wasn't the end of Von Dort. Five years later, Batman would face his son Willi Van Dort (they got the name wrong) along with Wonder Woman in The Brave and the Bold #87.

Batman and Robin get the authorities to pick up Von Dort and his crew and discuss how his monocle worked and how they narrowly stopped his death ray.

Later, Batman and Robin join Ralph and Sue in their hotel room for tea, Batman thinking that nothing ruffles Sue. (Lies.) "Just looking at her makes you realize that everything's all right in the world—and probably always will be!"

Well, that makes Identity Crisis hurt even more.

You know, I think it'd be fun if Sue has figured out that Bruce Wayne is Batman from observing Batman's mannerisms here while he's at ease and putting together what she probably knows about Bruce Wayne.

Well, I'm rather disappointed with this story. The lead in text, cover and title all tease that Von Dort might be dead, but it's quickly shown to not be the case and Batman and Robin take him down with just a bit of help from Ralph, who's definitely just a guest star here. The story idea of an former Nazi general finishing a death ray is not bad, but it's not carried to its full potential here. The wrap up is contrived and just too easy. It's too bad John Broome doesn't seem to care about Ralph very much after he introduced him back in The Flash. The best moment is the bit where Ralph announces himself to Von Dort's men.

Infantino's art is fine with some well-done moments, but nothing really spectacular.

Next time, Ralph goes to Paris.