Detective Comics #409

Detective Comics #409 (On Sale: January 28, 1971), has a Batman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Batman in "Man in the Eternal Mask" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Frank Giacoia. Batman is called in to investigate after a portrait of late philanthropist Hiram Cronin is vandalized in the Gotham Museum. Batman visits the artist Rene Leclerq who is completing a portrait of the Caped Crusader. This portrait has also been vandalized.

Batman has Rene fix the painting, which they then unveil at the museum. That night, the vandal returns and Batman is waiting. However, Batman is knocked out. When he recovers, he tracks down Leclerq who is being confronted by Tracy Calhoun, a former portrait subject. 

Calhoun was disfigured in a car crash after Leclerq made him late for an appointment. The former athlete blames the artist and has been destroying his work. Batman arrives in time to save Leclerq. Calhoun is killed when his own portrait falls on top of him. Reprinted in Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams (2004), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus (2016), and Batman by Neal Adams #2 (2019).

Continuing from the last issue, our Batgirl Backup is "Night of the Sharp Horns" by Frank Robbins, Don Heck, and Dick Giordano. On the ranch of Don Alvarado, Batgirl waits for the return of a mysterious man who killed a bull the previous night. This time she witnesses the man practice fighting a bull. She interrupts the fight and unmasks him as Paco, an aspiring bullfighter. Paco claims not to have been responsible for the death of the other bull.

In interrupting the fight, Batgirl puts herself in the way of the bull. She flees and takes refuge in Alvarado's arena. There, another masked man directs a bull to attack her. She subdues the bull using rodeo skills. She then unmasks this man as Manolo, the mentor of bullfighter El Granados. Manolo explains that he wanted to kill the bulls to protect El Granados who is past his prime. El Granados agrees to retire from the sport. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.