Charles Barden

A wealthy businessman and lover of children who purchases an entire amusement park situated at Gotham Beach and has it transported to a private island, renamed Playland Island, where he plans to make it available to children without charge.

When Barden is found murdered in the funhouse in February 1959, there are three prime suspects: Wilton, Barden's nephew, who had hated his uncle for spending his money on the amusement park instead of giving it to him to squander; Macklin, Barden's prospective son-in-law, who had been bitter at Barden for refusing him permission to marry his daughter until after Macklin had finished college; and Carter, an associate of Barden, who had resented Barden for having with­drawn his financing from Carter's careless business ventures. Batman ultimately deduces that the killer is Carter, who had murdered Barden after Barden had discovered that the robot clown inside the funhouse was being used as a drop-off point for stolen jewelry.