No typical mysteries to solve here

Detective Comics No. 449
DC Comics
Creators: Elliot S. Maggin, Ernie Chan, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (PBHN), Mary Skrenes and Dick Giordano
Cover date: July 1975

This is yet another of those older Batman issues I’ve been looking at of late. This one in particular is a comic I bought and read off the stands at the time, subsequently lost track of for one reason or another, and purchased again in adulthood out of a sense of nostalgia.

I never forgot the cover to this issue’s main story, “The Midnight Rustler of Gotham City!,” as it isn’t every day you see Batman depicted on horseback amid stampeding cattle. And re-reading the issue now did not disappoint.

Commissioner Gordon seeks Batman’s help in solving the mysterious disappearance of several herds of cattle from slaughterhouses during a beef shortage. Batman tracks down a suspect and some of the missing cows in less than an hour, but something continues to nag at the back of the Masked Manhunter’s consciousness. This continues for a week before Batman’s sharp mind and keen detective skills ferret out the real mastermind, who is finally brought to justice, but not before the scene on the cover plays out with Batman on horseback trying to round up the remaining missing cattle that are loose on the roadways of Gotham.

One doesn’t usually expect to find horses and cows running through a Batman tale, but I think the reason this story continues to hold up is it again showcases the hero’s brains and his analytical mind. Batman has no powers, and he has honed not only his body but also his mind to allow him to stand side by side with other heroes with fantastic abilities.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the back-up story in this issue. As soon as I saw the title page of the Elongated Man story, “The Mystery Man Who Walked On Air,” I remembered it, too, and started to chuckle. I just hadn’t remembered that it was in this particular issue of Detective Comics. This is one of the few Elongated Man solo stories I recall reading as a kid, but I always liked the character in the satellite-era of the Justice League. This story is a fun romp as Ralph Dibny (the Elongated Man) tries to solve the mystery of this little old man who keeps showing up and defying the laws of physics. Turns out it is all a prank arranged by Ralph’s wife, Sue, for his birthday. It showcases the fun this couple often was in the Silver Age of comics.

So this issue once again earns a “great read” seal of approval from me! Come back in two week for a look at a nearly 10-year-old original graphic novel that is soon to debut once again.