DETECTIVE COMICS #526

Presenting: the 500th appearance of the Batman in the pages of DETECTIVE COMICS.

"ALL MY ENEMIES AGAINST ME!"
An ending -- and a beginning, presented by:
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Penguin arrives at a meeting of Batman's enemies called by the Joker. Joker explains that Killer Croc is out to kill Batman, and wants to beat him to it. Catwoman, present but hiding, leaves to warn Batman. Talia, in attendance, voices her objection and the villains turn on her, but she escapes by using Captain Stingaree as a shield when Mister Freeze tries to blast her. Talia and Catwoman both soon show up at the Batcave to warn Batman, though the Caped Crusader needs to separate them from fighting each other first.

Meanwile, Dick Grayson is on his way home from the Circus when Waldo the Clown and Jason Todd catch up with him. Waldo tells Dick he has the license plate of Croc's right-hand man, Slick, so Dick has Waldo and Jason come back to Wayne Manor with him. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon arrives at the theater where Joker's meeting was held, with his daughter, Barbara, tagging along. They're shocked to find Captain Stingaree frozen inside. Barbara finds a cigarette on the ground and leaves to change into Batgirl. Dick, Waldo, and Jason arrive at Wayne Manor, where Alfred tells Dick that Batman just left with Talia and Catwoman. Batgirl then appears and shows Dick the cigarette, which she believes belongs to the Pengin. Robin and Batgirl head out on their motorcycles, asking Commissioner Gordon to put out an APB on Slick's car.

Batman, Catwoman, and Talia arrive at an abandoned train station leased by the Riddler, and find him inside along with the Cavalier, the Mad Hatter, and the Scarcrow. The heroes defeat the four villains easily, though the Hatter vanishes. Meanwhile, Jason Todd finds the entrance to the Batcave and figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Out in the city, a mocked-up Bat-Signal summons Batman, Catwoman, and Talia to Gotham Park, where Signalman, the Spook, Mister Freeze, and Black Spider are waiting for them. The trio makes quick work of the villains, and Batman finds a piece of a city map in Signalman's pouch.

The police have found Slick's car at the Gotham Zoo, where Robin and Batgirl arrive to join them. Gordon leads them into the reptile house, revealing that Croc has fed Joe and Trina Todd to the crocodiles. Robin leaps into the pen and swats the reptiles away, dragging the Todds' bodies away from them. Meanwhile, Joker visits Croc at the Gotham Men's Club and tells him that the other villains are trying to kill Batman before he can. In the Batcave, Jason finds an old Robin-esque costume and puts it on. Just then, Batman, Talia, and Catwoman return to analyze the map. Jason sneaks into the Batmobile's trunk while the Batcomputer informs Batman and friends what part of Gotham the map depicts. The trio heads out again.

DETECTIVE COMICS #524

"DEATHGRIP"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dick Giordano
Letters: Todd Klein | Colors: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Batman is dumped in the Squid's squid tank, but manages to escape by kicking the squid and sending it into a frenzy that distracts the Squid and his assembled mobsters. Upon realizing Batman has escaped, Squid sends his men to find the Caped Crusader. But one man refuses -- Killer Croc, who leaves instead, but not before the Squid sees his face and threatens him. Outside, Croc notices the wounded Batman lurking by a chimney up above, but walks away rather than raise the alarm.

Later that night, the Squid gives a speech to his assembled men, while Croc walks up to a nearyby rooftop and assembles a sniper rifle. As the Squid talks, Croc aims and fires. The bullet pierces the squid tank and wings the Squid, then Batman bursts into the room. The Squid challenges the Dark Knight one-on-one and beats him, then draws a revolver and kills him. Then, suddenly, the Squid realizes his fight with Batman was a hallucination, and that he is actually lying on the floor, dying from Croc's bullet. Croc packs up his rifle and departs. The next morning, Batman and Commissioner Gordon watch as the Squid's corpse is taken away, and Batman presents Gordon with the bullet that killed the criminal, telling the commissioner that when they find the high-powered rifle that fired it, they will find the Squid's killer.

BATMAN #357

"SQUID"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Batman takes down a gang of drug dealers and asks them who is taking over Gotham's mobs. The leader of the delears says that it's the Squid. Later, a mobster named Joey Taylor is cornered by a motorcycle gang looking to take over the mobs as well, but the Squid and his henchmen appear and save Taylor, sending the bikers into retreat. Meanwhile, Batman and Commissioner Gordon discuss the Squid's incursion.

At the Squid's aquarium hideout, he demonstrates to Gotham's assembled mob brass the price for failure to serve him by executing a gangster named Eddie Colson in a squid tank. Late that night, Batman meets with reporter Olivia Ortega to hatch a plan to save Gotham's former top gangster, Tony Falco, from assassination at the Squid's hands. The next day, Ortega interviews Falco, who is subsequently sentenced to eighteen years in prison. But as soon as Falco is placed in a paddy wagon, the Squid breaks him out and takes him via speedboat to his hideout. But there, the Squid reveals he has deduced "Falco" is actually Batman in disguise. Squid's men gang up on Batman and knock him out, and when the Caped Crusader comes around, he is thrown into the squid tank.

Continuity Notes: Commissioner Gordon undergoes a physical exam at City Hall following his first thirty days back on the police force. The doctor orders Gordon to quit smoking and puts him on a diet, reminding him that he's not a young man anymore -- indeed, she lets us know that the commissioner is sixty years old.

BATMAN #356

"THE DOUBLE LIFE OF HUGO STRANGE"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dick Giordano
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Inside Wayne Manor, Hugo Strange dons the costume of Batman as Alfred and Dick Grayson look on. Later, Bruce Wayne leaves a date with Vicki Vale and nearly passes out driving home. He regains his senses to find himself parked in front of Wayne Manor. Bruce goes inside, where Alfred greets him with tea -- but Bruce refuses to drink the tea when he realizes it's drugged. Alfred then tries to stab Bruce, and Bruce knocks him out. Then suddenly, Alfred appears behind Bruce to offer him tea, and when Bruce turns, he realizes the Alfred he just fought is gone.

Later, Vicki arrives at Wayne Manor, where she is greeted by Alfred and Dick, who are concerned that Bruce never came home after leaving their date. Dick changes to Robin and heads out to track Bruce's comlink. Meanwhile, Bruce takes a shower and is attacked in his bathroom by Robin. In the ensuing struggle, Robin is killed and Bruce stumbles out of the bathroom in shock, where he finds Dick in the hallway. Inside the bathroom, a hidden panel swivels around, concealing the "dead" Robin, which is disposed of in the Batcave by Alfred at Strange's order. Upstairs, Duck attacks Bruce, and Bruce throws him down the stairs, where his head deatches, revealing him to be a robot. Bruce descends to the Batcave, where Strange, in his Batman costume, is waiting. He hands Bruce a Batman costume and as soon as Batman is dressed, the two begin to fight.

As they struggle, Robin appears, confused at the sight of two Batmen.. Strange, believing him to be one of his robots, orders Robin to kill Batman -- so Robin punches Strange and then Batman unmasks him. Furious, Strange activates his ersatz Wayne Manor's self-destruct system, and the house explodes. Later, back at the real Wayne Manor, Batman and Robin save Alfred from being killed by a Bruce Wayne robot, then settle in for some tea.

BATMAN #355

"NEVER SCRATCH A CAT"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: In her apartment, Selina Kyle rants about Vicki Vale dating Bruce Wayne. Later that night, as Bruce and Vicki cruise along beside a waterway, Cartwoman drives up in her "Cat-illac" and runs them off the road. Suddenly realizing what she's done, Catwoman dives into the river after them. Meanwhile, Bruce extricates Vicki from his car and they swim to the surface. Two Good Samaritans take Vicki to the hospital, while Bruce watches Catwoman drive off.

After staying by Vicki's bedside for two days until she awakens, Bruce heads for the Batcave and changes to Batman. He bids goodbye to Alfred and Dick, then heads for Selina's apartment. There he finds her pet panther, Diablo, alone and unfed since the night of the accident. Batman knocks out Diablo, then searches Catwoman's records and finds a receipt for rental of a warehouse facility. Batman heads there and finds Catwoman, who attacks him. As they fight, she raves about how much she hates him for ruining her life, but ultimately stays her hand before killing him. Batman apologizes for breaking her heart by dating Vicki, and the two make amends.

Continuity Notes: There are a handful of footnotes in this one: early on, we're told to see the previous issue of DETECTIVE COMICS for Bruce and Vicki enjoying breakfast as they talked about Selina's harassment of Vicki. Later, we're told that Rupert Thorne killed Commissioner Pauling in BATMAN #354. That issue is referenced again when Alfred reminds Bruce about his recent gunshot wounds. Further, another note points to the past two issues for occasions where Robin masqueraded as Batman to help him out.

BATMAN #354

"SHOWDOWN"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: At Gotham City Hall, Mayor Hill confronts Commissioner Pauling over the latter's having revoked Batman's status as a special deputy. Batman bursts in on the two, intimidating them with the possibility that Deadshot could testify against them. But after the Masked Manhunter leaves, Pauling trips an alarm to alert the Gotham Police, standing guard outside City Hall. Officer McClosky opens fire and hits Batman, sending him falling into an alleyway. But when the police, Pauling, and Hill move into the alley, they find Batman gone.

Meanwhile, Rupert Thorne meets with Doctor Thirteen at Hugo Strange's one-time clinic, Greytowers. Thirteen reveals that the Strange apparition Thorne has been seeing is a hologram, and asks Thorne if anyone would want to drive him mad and have him committed again. Thorne immediately thinks of Pauling and Hill, believing they want to get him out of the way now that he's helped them into office.

At the Batcave, Alfred is feeding Deadshot when the injured Batman gets home. Later, Thorne is at his townhouse when Batman appears. Batman says nothing, but a frazzled Thorne begins babbling about Pauling, Hill, Arthur Reeves, and Deadshot. Then embers from Thorne's fire ignite brandy he spilled when Batman arrived, and the townhouse goes up in flames. Thorne runs away, eluding Batman. Later, at City Hall, Thorne bursts in on Pauling, Hill, and McClosky, brandishing a gun. Thorne shoots Pauling as McClosky shoots Thorne at hte same time. Pauling is killed and Thorne injured. Batman appears and knocks out McClosky, and Hill proclaims his innocence, promising to reinstate Batman as a special deputy.

Outside, "Batman" unmasks as Robin, speaking with Alfred and the real Batman, recuperating from his injuries, over a communicator. Batman thanks his partner for a job well done.

DETECTIVE COMICS #520

"THE HAUNTING OF 'BOSS' THORNE"
Script Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: On a stormy night, Rupert Thorne answers his townhouse door to find the corpse of Professor Hugo Strange, wearing a Batman costume, standing on his porch, threatening that he will kill Thorne. The apparition vanishes and Thorne quickly makes a phone call to Doctor Thirteen for help. Meanwhile, Batman meets with Jim Gordon, Jason Bard, and Vicki Vale. The detectives ask Vicki to show Batman her photo of Rupert Thorne from the night he confronted her late boss, Morton Monroe, shortly before Monroe killed himself.

The next day, Doctor Thirteen visits Thorne, who explains that Hugo Strange is haunting him. Meanwhile, Batman visits Gotham Prison to speak with Deadshot about the photos he was given that allegedly proved Batman was actually Bruce Wayne. But Deadshot instead tells Batman that the prison's warden is in cahoots with Commissioner Peter Pauling, and arranged for Deadshot's escape to go after Wayne, and that the warden is now under orders to kill both Deadshot and Batman. Batman and Deadshot team up to take out the guards and leave the prison. As the unlikely duo drives away in the Batmobile, Deadshot reveals that the Wayne photos were given to him by Pauling and Thorne. Batman knocks Deadshot out and drives him to the Batcave.

Elsewhere, Doctor Thirteen visits Greytowers, the clinic once run by Hugo Strange. He explores until he finds Strange's secret lab, where the ghost of the deceased professor appears to menace him. Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred is cleaning the Batcave when Batman arrives with Deadshot. Alfred directs Batman to the television, where Commissioner Pauling says that due to the prison break, Batman is now Public Enemy Number 1 -- which leads Batman to break out in a fit of laughter.

DETECTIVE COMICS #519

"...LIKE A DREADNOUGHT IN THE SKY!"
Plot Gerry Conway | Script: Paul Kupperberg
Pencils: Don Newton | Inks: John Calnan
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Batman is in Washington, D.C. on a top from the Navy, and watches from atop the Washington Monument as a zeppelin enters D.C. airspace, broadcasting a ransom demand from Colonel Blimp -- ten million dollars for the submarine and warship he has captured, along with their crews. Batman hitches a ride aboard the ship, but finds a detonation device inside. He exits quickly, just before the hydrogen-powered blimp explodes and crashes.

Later, at the Batcave, the Batcomputer has pinpointed the likely location of the captured Naval craft, in the arctic. Batman dispatches Robin in the Batplane to investigate, while Batman drives the Batmobile to New Jersey on a hunch. Sure enough, he finds Blimp's hangar in the woods and sneaks inside, where he learns that the Department of the Navy has agreed to Blimp's demand. Meanwhile, Robin arrives in the arctic and finds the captured ship and sub, landlocked on the ice. He asks the battleship's crew to get the guns in working order, and soon afterward, a zeppelin dispatched by Blimp arrives. Its crew disembarks and is captured by the sailors, while Robin boards the airship and contacts Blimp, telling him his scheme is blown.

Batman takes that cue to show himself. He knocks out Blimp's men and confronts the villain, who gets off a single shot before Batman knocks him out and takes him into custody.

BATMAN #352

"THE KILLER SKY!"
Plot Gerry Conway | Script: Paul Kupperberg
Artist: Don Newton | Inker: John Calnan
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Carl Gafford | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: In the North Atlantic Ocean, a zeppelin emerges from the fog and uses a tractor beam to steal a military submarine. The next night, Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale are in attendance at a party abaord a cruise ship when the same zeppelin appears and steals a nearby battleship. While Vicki takes photos of the incident, Bruce ducks away and changes to Batman. He snags the airship with a batline, but the vessel's commander, Colonel Blimp, dispatches his henchmen to deal with the Caped Crusader.

The men attack Batman and eventually knock him off their craft, but they're unaware that he has left a tracking devise lodged in the hull. Later, a battered Batman arrives at the Batcave and explains to Alfred and Dick that he fell through a canopy of trees, using the foliage to break his fall. Despite his injuries, Batman insists on following his tracker, and Robin insists on joining him. Soon, the Batmobile drives through the morning light in the New Jersey countryside, in search of Blimp's blimp. But the Dynamic Duo drive over a landmine, which detonates and totals the Batmobile. After escaping this deathtrap, Batman spots his tracking device attached to a nearby tree. Elsewhere, in a long-abandoned zeppelin hangar, Blimp addresses his men with a speech about having killed Batman and making the world pay for what it has done.

Continuity Notes: In the story's opening pages, Batman visits Jim Gordon's hospital room, where the former commissioner is recovering from the beating he received in last week's DETECTIVE COMICS #518. As Batman lurks outside the window, he sees Barbara Gordon and Jason Bard visit Gordon, followed by the arrival of Commissioner Pauling and Officer McClosky, the man who led the beating. Batman enters the room and scares off the corrupt cops, after which Gordon asks the Masked Manhunter for help in exposing Mayor Hill's corruption.

(On a side-note, I feel like Paul Kupperberg's script this issue could've used a bit more input from editor Dick Giordano. In the span of two pages and eleven panels, Batman thinks to himself, "What have they done to you, old friend?" then greets Gordon verbally with "How are you feeling, old friend?", followed two panels later by Gordon saying, "Jason and I've gone as far as we can on this, old friend..." I get it, Paul. They're old friends.)

DETECTIVE COMICS #518

"THE MILLIONIARE CONTRACT"
Writers Gerry Conway & Paul Levitz | Artists: Don Newton & Bruce Patterson
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: In the Batcave, Robin, Alfred, and Father Green watch over Batman as he recovers from his vampiric condition. Father Green soon leaves, bringing Dala and the Monk, imprisoned, with him. Alfred and Robin (after changing to Dick Grayson) head up to Wayne Manor, where Dick is startled to find Bruce Wayne enjoying a cocktail with Vicki Vale. Bruce and Vicki leave for a date at Gotham's Crystal Ballroom, and Alfred reveals to Dick that he hired the Human Target to impersonate Bruce Wayne in order to throw off Vicki's suspicion that Bruce is Batman. Elsewhere, Rupert Thorne dispatches Deadshot to kill Bruce Wayne, who he believes to be Batman thanks to photos stolen from Vicki.

In the Batcave, Batman takes a call from a prison official who informs him that Deadshot has escaped. Despite his weakened condition, Batman heads out in the Batmobile to find the villain. He interrogtates Deadshot's weapon manufacturer, Augustino Coppola, and soon catches up with Deadshot outside the Crystal Ballroom. Batman and Deadshot fight, their battle taking them into the ballroom, where "Bruce" and Vicki are dining. Vicki is shocked to see Bruce and Batman in the same place and decides she was wrong about the Caped Crusader's true identity. With some help from "Bruce", Batman defeats and apprehends Deadshot, and departs.

Continuity Notes: When Doctor Loom-- I mean, Father Green leaves with the Vampiri siblings, he drops some very cryptic comments which lead Robin and Alfred to speculate as to how he know so much about them. This is quite intruguing, but so far as I can tell, none of these characters would ever appear again.

DETECTIVE COMICS #516

"PART TWO: 'ACADEMY OF CRIME': FINAL EXAMS!"
Writers Gerry Conway & Paul Kupperberg
Artists: Don Newton & Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: At the Adacemy of Crime, the Headmaster's class practice gunning down Batman. After class is dismissed, "Matches" Malone heads into downtown Hollywood with two of his fellow students. When he spots a fight on a rooftop across the street, Matches ditches the men and changes into Batman. He intervenes in the fight, but when the victim of the attack departs while Batman is distracted, the Caped Crusader leaves since there is no one to press charges against the attacker.

The next morning on a Hollywood backlot, the Headmaster asks Matches to assume the identity of Batman for the day's lesson. Suddenly realizing that the previous night's action was staged and the Headmaster is on to him, Matches enters the designated changing trailer and slips out just before the Academy class opens fire and destroys the trailer. Finding the trailer empty, the Headmaster sends his pupils out into the backlot to find Batman. But the Dark Knight takes the criminals out one-by-one until only the Headmaster and one student, Miles, are left. Batman dispatches Miles and the Headmaster grabs his defeated student's flamethrower. But he fails to kill Batman, and the Caped Crusader captures him.

Continuity Notes: While Batman is in California, a lot transpires back in Gotham City! First up, Rupert Thorne meets with Picture News editor Morton Monroe and demands Vicki Vale's Batman photos. Monroe returns to his office and requests same from Vicki, who blows him off and goes to visit Alfred, giving him two weeks (down from the prior issue's three weeks) to concretely refute her theory.

DETECTIVE COMICS #515

Yes, we skipped DETECTIVE #514. It was a fill-in and is not reprinted in DC's TALES OF THE BATMAN: GERRY CONWAY volumes. However, as it was written by Len Wein, it does appear in TALES OF THE BATMAN: LEN WEIN -- so someday, I might take a look at it.

"THE ACADEMY OF CRIME PART 1: COLLEGE FOR KILLERS"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: A trio of criminals robs a bank, but are jumped by Batman as they attempt escape. One of the men fires up his flamethrower and burns Batman, which prompts the ire of the men's instructor, the Headmaster. The entire scuffle was a training exercise at the Headmaster's Academy of Crime, and the Headmaster is none too pleased with his pupils' overzealousness.

A week later in Gotham City, Batman stops two muggers on the waterfront. When one of them mentions the Academy of Crime, Batman questions him and learns the school's location in Hollywood. Batman returns to Wayne Manor and changes into "Matches" Malone, then departs for California. Some time later, Matches enters the Academy's waiting room, but spies two Gotham criminals with whom he had an altercation in the past as they leave the buidling. Matches changes to Batman and tries to follow the men to get rid of them, but they depart while he is changing into costume. Batman changes back to Matches and enters the Headmaster's office.

Continuity Notes: The Headmaster states that Mirage, defeated in DETECTIVE COMICS #511, is one of his protégés. Later, as Batman fights the two men on the waterfront, he says this is "the second time [I've] heard mention of "the Academy"," though no footnote is provided. I'm trying to figure out if this a reference by Conway to something said "behind the scenes", or if Mirage mentioned the Academy and I forgot about it.

BATMAN #346

"HALF A HERO..."
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Two-Face stages an escape from Arkham Asylum with the use of a hypnotic coin. Batman and Commissioner Gordon investigate the scene, then return to Gotham City. The next night, Bruce Wayne is out on a date with Vicki Vale when he realizes that Two-Face had applied for early parole at a halfway house. Bruce changes to Batman and investigates the house, where he makes his way through an army of goons and a few deathtraps, eventually coming face-to-faces with Two-Face. But when Batman tries to arrest the villain, he unmasks himself as a woman named Margo; Two-Face's girlfriend. Two-Face seals the duo behind glass and floods the room with nerve gas. Margo is unharmed thanks to special filters, but Batman passes out.

Continuity Notes: That's not all! The summary above is quite thin, because this issue is crawling with soap opera:

Batman gives Commissioner Gordon a ride back to Gotham, and during their drive, the commissioner comments that he may well accede to newly-elected Mayor Hill's demand for his resignation. After he gets home, Gordon finds his concerned daughter, Barbara, visiting and fixing dinner. In the issue's final scene, the following night, Gordon turns in his badge and gun to Hill -- and after he leaves, Rupert Thorne shows himself and introduces Hill to his new police commissioner, Mister Pauling.

DETECTIVE COMICS #511

"THE 'I' OF THE BEHOLDER"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Batman, Robin, and Alfred watch a news broadcast of newly-elected mayor Hamilton Hill's victory party. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a masked man named Mirage uses an illusion-casting gem to rob the Raytona Raceway's box office. Vicki Vale, present to photograph the race, gets some pictures of Mirage's illusions before he escapes. But the next morning, she finds that the pictures show nothing but the raceway.

That night, Batman responds to the bat-signal, and Commissioner Gordon tells him about Mirage's recent crime spree. Word comes in that Mirage has been spotted on Long Island, and Batman leaves to find him. Meanwhile, Dick Grayson is already there as a spectator at a fashion event/jewelry show, and when Mirage appears, Dick changes to Robin -- but is quickly waylaid by Mirage's illusions. Batman arrives a moment later as is quickly defeated as well, allowing Mirage and his henchmen to escape.

Back in the Batcave, Batman devises an earpiece to counteract Mirage's illusions, then he and Robin canvas the city for the villain. Robin eventually returns to the Batcave empty-handed, but Batman finds Mirage robbing an armored car. He attacks and his earpiece works, until one of Mirage's men slugs him and breaks it. But Batman still overcomes Mirage's illusions and easily defeats him.

Continuity Notes: The above summary only accounts for about half this issue's content. There are also sub-plots galore! But before we get to them, there are a few footnotes: first, Batman recalls Arthuer Reeves' campaign was undone by the sham photos he tried to use to unmask Batman in BATMAN #344. That same issue is invoked a few pages later when Bruce recalls Vicki Vale showing up at the Wayne Buidling "day before last." Later, Dick recalls dropping out of Hudson University in DETECTIVE COMICS #495, and then notes that he spent six months with the Hill circus, with a note pointing to BATMAN issues 337 - 341 (specifically the backup stories). Again, still no mention made of the Teen Titans, which just feels really weird. A couple pages later, Bruce talks to Lucius Fox about "the mess Poison Ivy made of [the Wayne Foundation's] books," with yet another note pointing to BATMAN 344.

DETECTIVE COMICS #509

"NINE LIVES HAS THE CAT..."
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dan Adkins
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle wrap up a date, after which Selina is ambushed in her apartment by Cat-Man, who kidnaps her. Later that night, Alfred awakens Bruce to inform him that an alarm has been triggered at the Wayne Research Institute. Bruce changes to Batman and heads out to investigate. At the Institute, he is attacked and knocked out by Cat-Man. When Batman awakens, he finds himself tied down on the beach, where Cat-Man gloats that he will soon be drowned by the morning tide. Cat-Man departs and tide comes in, but Batman manages to free himself.

Batman finds Cat-Man's boat docked nearby, and climbs aboard to listen in as Cat-Man reveals to Selina that ever since she took a scrap of his magical costume, he has had a disfigurement on his face that will not heal. Batman enters the cabin and renews his fight with Cat-Man. The duel carries both out onto the deck, where Cat-Man plunges into the water and, unable to swim, screams for help. The next morning, Bruce bids Selina farewell as she departs Gotham via train to sort out her life.

Continuity Notes: Bruce and Selina discuss their adventure in Egypt with the so-called Pharaoh, with a footnote pointing readers to last issue. Two pages later, Batman and Commissioner Gordon check on Doctor Thirteen in the hospital, and another footnote directs readers to BATMAN issues 341 and 342 for his story. Batman is gratified to realize that Thirteen has no recollection of what happened to him in Wayne Manor that night, meaning the secret of the Batcave is preserved.

DETECTIVE COMICS #508

"SECRET OF THE SPHINX SINISTER!"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dan Adkins
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Batman enters Selina Kyle's apartment to find it ransacked, and Selina missing. The Darknight Detective brings Selina's cats back to the Batcave, along with a clue that leads him to believe the erstwhile Catwoman was kidnapped by a mummy. Bruce Wayne heads to the Gotham Metropolitan Museum to meet with his friend, Egyptology expert Gregory Griffin -- but Griffin is missing as well, his office in disarray. Bruce and Griffin's assistant, Donaldson, find a secreat passage to an Egyptian-style chamber, where a photo of Selina is hung above an altar. Donaldson translates some hieroglyphics which indicate Griffin believes Selina to be the reincarnation of Kara, Queen of the Sphinx.

Bruce heads to Giza, Egypt, where he confirms that Griffin and Selina recently entered the country. He heads into the desert and stakes out the Sphinx as Batman -- but when he's attacked by a group of jackals, Batman enters the Sphinx and finds Griffin in a burial chamber, now calling himself Khafre, Lord of the Nile. Batman surrenders to Griffin, who reveals his plan to send himself and Selina -- and now Batman as well -- into a deep, deathlike sleep from which they may never emerge. But Batman frees himself and rescues Selina. When Griffin chases them outside, he is attacked by the jackals. The next day, Bruce and Selina meet with an Egyptian policeman, who has found no sign of Griffin other than some scraps of his clothing on the desert sand.

DETECTIVE COMICS #507

"DRESSED TO DIE!"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dan Adkins
Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Letterer: Ben Oda | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Manikin prepares to kill Hoston, but Batman emerges from the flames to stop her. Manikin begins choking on the smoke from Hoston's burning office and retreats while Batman gets Hoston to safety. Manikin is picked up by her brother, Victor, who drives her to their mansion outside Gotham. The next day, Bruce Wayne visits the Gotham Gazette to speak with the managing editor, Bud Raleigh, about a name he heard Hoston mumble the night before -- Miranda. Somehow, Raleigh knows this must be a model from West Germany who had a celebrated career in Gotham for about a year before being disfigured in a horrific car accident just as she was about to move to Hollywood to pursue her fortune in the movies.

That night, Batman prepares a device to help him against Manikin, then leaves for the hospital, where Hoston is recovering. Manikin arrives to finish her mission of killing the designer, but Batman intervenes. Their fight carries them out of the building and then back inside to Hoston's room, where Hoston confesses to planting a bomb in Miranda's car. Batman uses his device to seal Manikin's costume entirely, cutting off her air supply. Manikin passes out just as Victor appears and removes her mask, revealing her hideously scarred face. Hoston then reveals that he tried to kill Miranda because she had abandoned him for the movies.

Continuity Notes: We get a footnote to last issue as Hoston recalls seeing Batman "overcome by the smoke" in his office.

Gerry Conway comes up with one of the goofier prior issue recaps you're likely to run across, as a police officer asks Batman a very simple question: what started the fire? And Batman proceeds, unprompted, to run down the events of his entire evening for the poor gentleman.

DETECTIVE COMICS #506

"WHO DIES FOR THE MANIKIN?"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Steve Mitchell
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Ten months ago, Batman arrives at the scene of an auto wreck. He pulls the car's lone occupant free, but she is horrifically burnt and rushed to the Gotham Burn Center. In the present day, Bruce Wayne watches the news and then prepares for a night out. He and his date, Crystal, arrive at the trendy Studio 52 nightclub, where a woman strides in and murders fashion designer Kevin Clane in front of the club patrons. Bruce follows her out the back door and changes into Batman, then confronts her in an alleyway. But the woman disrobes to reveal herself as a golden "Manikin" and easly subdues Batman with super-strength. A mystery accomplice then helps Manikin escape.

Batman takes Manikin's discarded dress to Selina Kyle for identification. Selina tells him that the dress is the handiwork of one of Gotham's greatest designers, Mister Hoston. Batman heads to Hoston's office and as they speak, the place is firebombed. Batman gets Hoston out into his showroom, where he is attacked again by Manikin. As flames spread out of the office and into the showroom, Manikin again subdues Batman and then goes after Hoston.

Continuity Notes: As Bruce watches the news, he tells Alfred that he wants to catch up on what's been going on in Gotham while he was in Alaska last issue. He sees a debate between mayoral candidates Arthur Reeves and Hamilton Hill, with the former accusing Batman of unchecked vigilantism and promising to bring him to justice, while Hill is more interested in a recent spike in police shootings, for which he plans to demand Commissioner Gordon's resignation if elected. (And again, in today's climate, it feels kind of weird that the story wants us to root against Hill over this!)

DETECTIVE COMICS #505

"WEREWOLF MOON"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Don Newton & Dan Adkins
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Inside a hospital room, a woman pleads for Batman's help to save the life of her daughter, who is dying of leukemia and who needs bone marrow transplant from her brother. Out in the hospital corridor, Batman and Commissioner Gordon discuss the identity of the girl's brother -- he is Anthony Lupus, a werewolf apparently killed years earlier. But Gordon reveals to Batman that Lupus may yet live, in Alaska. The Darknight Detective heads north and, as Bruce Wayne, recruits a guide from the local EPA office to help him find Lupus. They locate a wooden shack in the wilderness, but find it empty. Then, as they wait, the werewolf bursts in and attacks. Bruce drives it out the door, and the next morning his guide leaves.

Bruce changes to Batman and hunts Lupus, eventually finding and fighting him under the full moon. The Caped Crusader wins and Lupus turns back to normal. Batman holds him captive in a silver net for one more night of the full moon before the pair returns to Gotham City.

Continuity Notes: Per Batman's exposition and a footnote, Anthony Lupus first appeared in BATMAN #255, by Len Wein and Neal Adams, where he was a star athlete mutated by the fiendish Professor Milo. Batman believed Lupus was killed by a lightning bolt, but apparently Gordon has known for a couple of months that he may be alive and has elected not to mention it to Batman.

BATMAN #338

"THIS SPORTING DEATH!"
Script: Gerry Conway | Plot Assist: Roy Thomas
Artists: Irv Novick & Frank McLaughlin
Letters: John Costanza | Colos: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Dick Giordano

The Plot: Late at night on the field of Gotham Stadium, a man in sports gear kills a sportswriter named Hank Klugmann. Later, Commissioner Gordon calls Batman to assist with the investigation, which is the latest in a series of sports-related murders. The next morning, Bruce Wayne inspects the field in the daylight, but finds no leads. Later that night, the Batman stakes out a Sunday Night Hockey game. The mysterious "Sportsman" skates onto the ice and blows up star player Pierre Foote with an exploding basketball. Batman chases the Sportsman out of the arena, but the villain escapes by throwing a razor-edged tennis raquet at the Caped Crusader.

The next day, Bruce Wayne visits Gotham's Sports World Mall, looking for leads on the raquet. As he asks a saleswoman about it, a shop buyer named Martin Mantle makes a break for it. Bruce follows, but loses Mantle. He changes to Batman and finds the Sportsman terrorizing the mall patrons. Batman falls into a pitching machine's net, and elicits a confession from the Sportsman -- he was an unathletic child, and his father, a sports physician, concocted a formula to make an athlete of anyone. He injected young Mantle with the formula, and the boy grew up to become a sports star, dominating every school and collegiate sport in which he participated. But eventually he learned that the formula in his veins was killing him, and he became the Sportsman to take revenge on all the sporting world.

Batman then triggers the pitching machine, which launches a ball at Mantle. Briefly stunned, the Sportsman is easily dispatched by Batman and arrested by the police.