Detective Comics #398

Detective Comics #398 (On Sale: February 26, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams.

This issue begins with our cover-story "The Poison Pen Puzzle" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Joe Giella. It begins with Bruce Wayne on a jet headed for Los Angeles where Wayne Enterprises is about to buy into the picture business by purchasing a stake in Seven-Star Pictures. Sitting next to him is writer Maxine Melanie, who creates quite a stir on the plane when her identity is revealed by a couple of flight attendants. Her latest Hollywood tell-all "novel" has just been published and when she asks Bruce if he would like an autograph, he makes it clear how he feels about her type of literature, "I wouldn't be seen dead with your--book!"

But as fate would have it Seven-Star Pictures has just optioned the thing and after landing Bruce makes a big stink in the boardroom of Seven-Star, threatening to call of the merger if Seven-Star makes the movie. One of the board-members rightfully accuses Bruce of being a boorish "censor" for criticizing a book he has not read and when they go to get Bruce their advanced copy, they find it missing. This sends Bruce to a nearest bookstore where Maxine just happens to be signing her work.

Bruce is told that if he wants an autograph from Maxine that he better bring his own pen as "Maxine ran out of hers hours ago..." Just then an old woman asks to be let into the line awaiting autographs as she is "too frail to take this pushing around." As Maxine signs her book, she spasms, screams and collapses. The old woman tries to beat a hasty retreat but drops her book. Bruce tries to return it to her and is flipped onto his back by the old broad. By this time a doctor has shown up and pronounces Maxine dead. Bruce notices that there is a pin-prick in Maxine's finger and that there is a needle sticking out of the pen. When Bruce looks at the dropped book he sees that it is an advanced copy.

Back at Seven-Stars Bruce finds that they know of Maxine's death and that one of their top "properties," Loren Melburn has confessed to the murder. She is half of Hollywood's "perfect couple" with husband Dorian Spence. They were both "speared by Maxine's poison-pen in her novel." They mention to Bruce that there is a third major star mentioned in the book, Ronald Dart, who also had motive to kill Maxine. Another board-member walks in and announces that Dorian Spence has also confessed to the murder of Maxine.

Bruce says he will handle this personally and as Batman visits the Los Angeles police where he tels them to announce that Batman is on the case. Later Batman visits the Spense's where Dorian tries to convince him that he is the real killer. Planning to head over to Rod Drake's place next door Batman is confronted by Drake in the garden, where he says he overheard Spence planning Maxine's death. When Drake comes out of the shadows he is wielding a fireplace poker and is not Drake, but Dorian Spense. But just as quickly he is grabbed by Dorian Spence who pulls the mask off the attacking Spence to reveal Rod Drake.

Drake confesses that he fed Maxine most of the dirt in her "novel" with the promise that he would star in the movie version. Only, she reneged and he decided to kill her for it. Does much of this make any sense at all? Not really.

The back-up is Robin in "Moon-Struck" by Frank Robbins, Gil Kane and Vinny Colletta. Hudson University is being visited by a moon rock which NASA is giving to Russia and is being accepted by Russian Exchange Professor Zukov. Geeky student Herb Stroud, the campus "profit of doom" who "showers every hour--on the hour" arrives to say that the moon rock may be dangerous. His prediction appears to have been right as the rock flashes green and Herb's skin turns the exact same color. The campus is quarantined and NASA people grab Herb for testing. They can find no radiation issues at all.

Meanwhile Robin is suspecting a hoax and is visiting the showers and finds a strange bar of green soap with an odd scent. Just hen the lights go out and so does Robin, who is attacked trying to keep the soap. When he awakens he smells an odd scent on the hand of the person who awakened him. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB. Not much to say about this one except the art is horrible and I don't blame Gil Kane.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Detective Comics #381

Detective Comics #381 (On Sale: September 26, 1968) has a dramatic cover by Irv Novick.

We begin with "One Drown -- One More to Go" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Joe Giella. Batman detects an coded infra-red signal being transmitted from a lighthouse that calls for the death of Robin. Batman orders Robin to return to the Batcave where he will be safe. He then investigates the lighthouse of Cyrus Spume. He spots the crooks plotting to kill Robin, but he wants to find their leader.

Batman arranges for Robin to appear to die by killing him himself. The crooks then proceed with a diamond robbery. Batman tries to stop them, but he is caught.

The Elongated Man back-up "The Come-and-Go Mansion Mystery" is by Gardner Fox and Sid Greene. On their way to a New England hotel Ralph and Sue Dibny spot an old Victorian mansion. When they inquire about the mansion, the hotel manager tells them that it burned to the ground a year ago. The Elongated Man investigates the mystery and finds that crooks have created an inflatable mansion that they inflate on foggy nights. They are trying to coerce the butler of the former mansion owner into remembering where many of the art treasures that were taken from the house before it burned down are currently hidden. The butler leads them to the paintings, but the Elongated Man stops the crooks from stealing them.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

DC Special #1

DC Special #1 (On Sale: August 6, 1968), or as they called it, "The Daring and the Different," a, wow I've never seen one of these before, reprint book! This first issue is a tribute to Carmine Infantino, at this point, the head of DC Comics and sports a cover by said head honcho.

We begin with "The Mystery of the Menacing Mask," a Batman story from Detective Comics #327 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella. This story introduces the "New Look" Batman, which included changes to the general direction of the feature. The stories now rely less on science fiction, aliens, and giant monsters. Instead the stories focus on Batman's detective abilities and include more down-to-Earth opponents. Other changes include the loss of Batman's supporting cast: Batwoman, Bat-Girl, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bat-Hound.

Artistically, the "New Look" includes a stylistic change to the pencils of Carmine Infantino. Bob Kane had gotten credit for all Batman stories up to this point even though the vast majority were done by ghost artists. His name no longer appears on the stories.

Batman's costume now includes a yellow oval around the Bat-symbol on his chest. This change was first seen in World's Finest Comics #141, which predates this story.

While trailing a jewel thief, Batman is caught in an explosion. He is unharmed, but a red "X" suddenly appears on his forehead. A similar mark appears on Robin's forehead, then both marks disappear. After analyzing his mask, Batman is able to trace the chemical in the mark to Frank Fenton, the thief. However, Fenton is able to use the marks to paralyze Batman and Robin, then escape.

Batman and Robin decide to search Gotham Village, where several crooks have disappeared, to locate Fenton. They meet Linda Greene, who shows them a map with an "X" like the one on their foreheads. Batman then follows Linda's fiance James Greene. The trail leads to an underworld hide-out. Fenton is there and tries to protect the crooks using his power over Batman. However, Batman and Robin use lead liners on their heads to protect themselves from the paralyzing rays. After taking down the crooks, including Fenton, Batman learns that the hide-out is run by the leader of a Committee to Preserve Gotham Village, Roland Meacham.

Next is "The Doorway to the Unknown," a Flash story from Flash #148, and also created by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella. When Flash returns home after an adventure, he finds Fred Dallman waiting in his apartment. Dallman explains that he has embezzled money from his bank and that another man, David Dean, was convicted of the crime. Dean was sent to prison and is now a hostage held by escaped convicts. After Dallman finishes his story, he disappears.

Flash races to Arizona City where the jail break occurred. He finds and rescues Dean, who explains that his brother Jack is also in trouble. Flash protects Jack, who is being recruited by some hoodlums. Then Flash searches for Dallman. Flash learns that Dallman died in a car crash before he confessed in Barry's apartment. Flash finds the money and clears Dean, but he remains puzzled by the after-death appearance of Dallman.

This is followed by "The Scientific Crook-Catcher," a Detective Chimp story from Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #29 and created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino. Bobo, the Detective Chimp, goes undercover as a scientist to enter a science convention in search of criminal Larry the Lynx. Bobo tries to maintain his cover, but his disguise is pulled off by one of the machines. Bobo suspects Larry the Lynx was responsible and unmasks the crook. Bobo then chases Larry through the exhibit hall and eventually makes the capture.

Next we have "Mystery of the Giant Footprints," an Adam Strange story from Mystery In Space #57, by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. When Adam Strange returns to Rann using the Zeta Beam, Alanna takes him to visit a sinking island where they encounter several giants. The giants are Rhollians, an alien race which is affected by the metal Orichalkum. The presence of the metal is the galaxy has caused their race to grow, and it will eventually kill them. The aliens have found Orichalkum on the island and plan to sink it as they did ancient Atlantis. With the island and the Orichalkum underwater, it cannot affect them.

Adam and Alanna are briefly captured, but escape and lead the Rhollians on a chase across the island. The island begins to sink, as it does on a regular basis, convincing the aliens that their work is done. They leave the planet, and Adam and Alanna are rescued. Alanna plans to send a ship after them to insure they do not return.

We end with "Challenge of the Headless Baseball Team," a Strange Sports story from Brave and the Bold #45 by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.

Besides the obvious fact that this was just a reprint book, I found myself buying most issues of DC Special.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.