David V Reed gives some interesting details on how Batman operates in his story from Detective 465 (Nov. 76), with art by Ernie Chan and Frank Giacoia.
We discover that, a long time earlier, Batman had established a fake identity, and provided him with a home, office and secretary. This identity would exist solely to be given by Commissioner Gordon is he were ever to be captured and forced to reveal Batman’s identity. So when someone show up at the office asking questions, Bruce realizes Gordon has been kidnapped.
We also see part of Batman’s intelligence gathering network. In disguises, he leaves and retrieves coded messages on grocery story bulletin boards.
The latter part of the story is not as interesting, as Batman beats people up and fights his way to Gordon and the kidnappers.
The Calculator stays in Star City, awaiting the Elongated Man, as he and Sue are scheduled to attend a comic book convention in this story, by Bob Rozakis, Ernie Chan and Terry Austin.
This one is all about stealing Ralph’s day. His initial attack is passed off as the actions of a cosplayer, and Ralph is completely unprepared as he enters the hall, and causes everyone around his to stretch uncontrollably. Of course he gets blamed. The Calculator is on hand, but remaining perfectly still, and Ralph realizes that it’s movement that sets off the stretching.
And thus we get the only story in which Ralph Dibny tortures a villain into giving up, simply by squeezing him. And though he doesn’t realize it, he even presses the Calculator’s special button.
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