We begin with "Half an Evil" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano. When a parade balloon is stolen in broad daylight, Commissioner Gordon lights up the Bat-Signal at night to contact Batman, despite the disapproval of Arthur Reeves. When Batman arrives at the GCPD Headquarters, they start investigating the mysterious robbery, but they are suddenly interrupted by an officer informing them about a crime at the Nautical Museum. Gordon and his men get going, but Batman arrives first by his own means. Once inside, he confronts a couple of masked thugs, the same that stole the parade balloon. After taking one of them down, Batman interrogates the second thug and learns that he doesn't know who is the man he is working for, but that he always keeps his face concealed while tossing a coin.
After leaving the criminals for the police, Bruce Wayne returns to his penthouse at the Wayne Foundation building and he informs Alfred that his long-time enemy, Two-Face is back on crime. After remembering how the former District Attorney, Harvey Dent became Two-Face and turned to crime, Bruce investigates some of the clues provided by the thugs he captured. Searching a book about ocean and ships, Bruce learns that Two-Face is looking to strike on a boat docked at the Marina across Gotham River and he goes to stop the master criminal.
When Batman arrives at the scene, he takes down a couple more of Two-Face henchmen and he discovers that Two-Face's plan is to steal, sink, and raise an old two-masted ship belonging to Captain Bye, seeking a cache of gold doubloons Bye had hidden in the vessel. Following the ship to a dark swamp, where Two-Face has planned that it would emerge, Batman finally confronts the criminal, unaware that while on the rising, the ship has carried a homeless man to the top of the mast. Batman is distracted trying to save the man and Two-Face takes the opportunity to attack Batman and tie him to the ship's mast. After stealing the historic doubloons, Two-Face gets ready to leave, but Batman tricks him into using his coin in order to decide to save the homeless man or not. When the good side of the coin shows up, Two-Face is compelled to save the man and Batman takes the chance to free himself and capture Two-Face while also saving the homeless man. Reprinted in Best of DC #14 (1981), Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told HC (1988), Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told TPB (1989), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 HC (2006), Batman Vs. Two-Face TPB (2008), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2013), Batman Arkham:Two-Face TPB (2016), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus HC (2016), Two-Face: A Celebration of 75 Years HC (2018), and Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2020).
Our fist backup is Robin in "Vegeance for a Cop" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. A police officer is brutally attacked outside of the Hudson University and Robin starts investigating the crime in order to bring the attacker to justice.
In search of the assailant, Robin joins a commune and finds the shooter among a group of hippies, but he is not allowed to leave with him as they all get ready to confront the Teen Wonder. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).
Our bigger and better reprint is Batman in "Trail of the Talking Mask" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Detective Comics #335 (1965). Batman and Robin attempt to stop a jewel robbery, but the three perpetrators escape without noticing the Dynamic Duo. Batman suspects the crooks were automatons controlled via remote. He was tipped off to the robbery by private investigator Hugh Rankin. Rankin has followed the crooks himself, and in so doing, leaves a trail for Batman to follow.
Ranking arrives at the crooks' hide-out first. He is quickly apprehended by the gang's boss the Make-Up Man. When Batman arrives, a trap has been prepared to kill them. Batman escapes the trap and defeats the gang. Rankin is released, but Batman then realizes he is an imposter. The Make-Up Man is captured, and the real Rankin is found.
Edited by Julius Schwartz.
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