Detective Comics #309

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE MYSTERY OF THE MARDI GRAS MURDERS Batman and Robin track an escaped convict through Gotham's Mardi Gras carnival. Once there, the Dynamic Duo have to solve a murder mystery and they are assisted by the great photographer Vicki Vale, who recently returned from a long assignment in Europe. Vicki provides a picture as evidence of the murderer, and with that, Batman and Robin are able to track down the killers across the carnival. When the criminals are captured, Batman is crowned as the king of the carnival along with Batwoman. However, Batman decides to also allow Vicki Vale on the parade float, creating an inevitable conflict between Vicki and Batwoman. THE MAN WHO SAVED EARTH Diane Meade checks up on missing recluse Horace Reeves and goes missing herself, which prompts Captain Harding to assign John Jones to follow up on her. It transpires that a flying saucer has landed near Reeves's shack, that Reeves is unconscious and a prisoner in the saucer (as is Diane, though Jones does not know it), and that the Centurians who have piloted the spacecraft there believe that Earthmen will be easy to defeat. J'onzz gets Reeves back to his shack, assumes the form of Reeves with his chameleon powers, and returns with the aliens and Diane to Centuria. There he assumes his Martian form, defeats everything the Centurians can throw at him, and convinces them that all Earth males have powers like his own...though he has to admit that females like Diane do not possess such powers. Ryx, the enemy Centurian, attempts to conquer Centuria on his own after being balked, but the Manhunter defeats him. Both J'onzz and Diane are allowed to return to Earth, with Diane thinking that Reeves is J'onzz's secret identity. When they land on Earth, Reeves has awakened. J'onzz goes looking for some water for Reeves. While he is out, the Centurians present Reeves with an award for saving their planet.