Batman #53: A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, a Hole In the Ground!

Quick answer

Batman #53: A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, a Hole In the Ground! stands out in Gotham Vault because the issue title, character tags, and 1949-06-01 cover date create a distinct entry point into Batman. Readers can use it to jump from this issue into Batman, Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Commissioner Gordon (James Gordon), The Joker and related Batman continuity.

Issue summary

"A HAIRPIN, A HOE, A HACKSAW, A HOLE IN THE GROUND" (Batman) Joker is bored with all his riches and thinks the comedians on the radio and TV are hacks so he decides to write a book, or a whole volume of books on comedy so he will be remembered as THE authority on the subject. things are quiet as he starts but for his next chapter, he robs a jewelry store and only takes an old lady's hairpin. next, he steals a hacksaw from a mechanic and a ho from a farm, which he uses to steal a hole in the ground, specifically the first hole at the Winne-Kon-Toh golf club. Batman figures out the names of the stolen items are mimicking Joker's signature laugh (ha-ha-ho-ho) and the Joker sends a record to the GCPD warning him to watch for the echo. Batman figures that mean they are looking for 2 words ending in ah and 2 words ending in oh. he thinks the first 2 words refer to the visiting Maharajah of Mimpah but it's not till the next morning when he read that the Maharajah will be playing golf at Winne-Koh-Toh that he realizes Joker is after his golden clubs. Joker has set a teargas bomb in the first hole using the hairpin as a trigger and the dynamic duo show up just a little too late to stop him but they give chase and are lead to a novelty factory. Joker's men hold guns on our heroes and are ordered to blast them but it turns out they were only water guns, a fight ensues and Robin picks up…

Characters listed for this issue

B

BatmanOpen this Gotham Vault character file to see linked appearances, story arcs, and related com…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Nightwing (Dick Grayson)The first Robin, all grown up. Acrobat, detective, leader. The best of Batman without the da…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

Commissioner Gordon (James Gordon)The one good cop in a corrupt city. Keeps the GCPD running and the Bat-Signal lit. Never los…VIEW APPEARANCES ›

The JokerThe Clown Prince of Crime. Gotham's chaos agent. No one knows his real story, and that's the…VIEW APPEARANCES ›