365 Days of Defiance, Day 253: Deep underwater is where I left my love

Where are Batman and Robin this week? Gotham City? Blüdhaven? It's Markovia, right? I bet it's Markovia.


Panels from "Atlantis Goes to War!" in Batman (1940 series) #19 (October-November 1943), script by Don Cameron, pencils and inks by Dick Sprang, letters by George Roussos
AW HECK NO it's Atlantis! So you just know that Batman's gonna meet Aquaman. Or maybe Sub-Mariner. Wouldja believe Mark Harris?

But actually no! With his usual Batluck, he's meeting Nazis! Hey, have you ever seen Batman do a double-take? Study this panel carefully!


And hey, it turns out that the Prince is a double of Robin! Yes, this is the story where Robin dies and the Prince of Atlantis takes his place for the next 40 years! Naw, I'm jus' foolin' ya. But this is a Prince and the Pauper riff. With Nazis!


Robin strikes back against Atlantian Centurions! (Hey, why doesn't that armor rust?) Also: a face-off with his double! This is the scene where he and the Prince fight and Batman has to decide which one of them to shoot.


Dick knocks out the Prince and impersonates him in order to save Batman, who's about to be executed. But the Nazis prove to be treacherous scum. (Of course.)


Batman is freed and Atlantis shakes off the duplictious Nazis thanks to the decrees of the Atlantean Princess, with whom Dick Grayson has fallen in love!


Aw, don't mope, Dick. I'm sure there'll be another princess for you to fall in love with coming along in a dec ade or four.


Anyway! Punch Nazis, on the ground and under water.