In DC Comics, Batman is known to be an extremely vocal opponent of guns, but in a comic cover from one of his earliest appearances, he’s shown hilariously breaking his most important rule! Suffice it to say, Batman using a turret as a weapon while Robin feeds him ammo is a giant step across his “no gun” rule, but at least the cover image is plugging a good cause.
Shown on the front of 1943’s Batman #15, this issue is made up of four separate stories that see the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin thwart the evil plans of those that would do them harm. Not readily made apparent as to which story this cover takes its cues from, the third entry titled “The Two Futures,” by Bill Finger and Jack Burnley (who also pulls triple duty illustrating this issue’s cover and another story contained within) is the closest thing fans get to help them understand why Batman is gleefully wielding a tool of mass destruction on the cover.
Acting as a sort of “What If?” story depicting the world in which the Axis powers of World War II win followed by a potential (and preferable) future where they lose, Batman and Robin are given a peek into both futures during a trip to Gotham University. While there, they strike up a conversation with the intellectuals of the school to learn exactly what it’ll take to win (or lose) a war such as this, while also calling back to a hilarious cover that tosses Batman’s biggest rule out the window.
Captured and imprisoned in a Gotham where the Nazis have taken over and started ruling with an iron fist, both Batman and Robin are seen using a gun in this specific part of the story, just not in the way the cover — or fans — would expect. Using a bayonet to quite literally carve steps into then break their way out of their cell, Batman and Robin go on to use the weapon to literally beat down Nazi scum while never firing a shot. Meanwhile, the second part of the story sees a world where the Allies win, depicting Batman and Robin as capable pilots in the sky, still never utilizing a single bullet to get the job done and save the day.
So where did this cover image come from if the story seen here doesn’t show them using a turret at all? Well, and as the final panel of this story explains, the cover comes from the need for American citizens to continue to do their part in the war effort by buying bonds and stamps, with a tiny disclaimer also set on the cover to further this call for help. Printed below the creepy smiling faces of a strapped-up Batman and Robin, the words “Keep those bullets flying,” acts as a call to figurative arms for Americans, with the idea of Batman and Robin also helping the cause no doubt doing wonders to boost morale at home and abroad.
So while it’s hilarious that the creators behind this now iconic Batman cover image decided to use a giant turret to drive this point home, the idea behind the cover is as good intentioned as any, even more so coming from a man who doesn't like firearms to begin with. And although the character of Batman may never break his “no gun” rule for real, but it’s a fun cover to see in hindsight, especially with the best possible future scenario eventually coming to pass in real life.