Detective Comics #378

Detective Comics #378 (On Sale: June 27, 1968) has a very cool, very dramatic cover by Irv Novick.

"Batman! Drop Dead... Twice" is by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Joe Giella. Batman and Robin have a falling out which causes the Boy Wonder to leave the team. At the same time Salvo, a professional crook, and his apprentice Chino have a similar fight. Chino rents a room and takes in Dick Grayson as his roommate. Dick soon discovers that Chino is a crook, but he hopes that he can set the boy straight. Instead Chino intends to use Dick as bait to kill Batman. Chino dresses Dick in a Robin costume, then sends Batman a note that will lead him into a trap.

Meanwhile, Salvo has also learned about the Batman-Robin split. He dresses his assistant Chopper as Robin and uses the same plan as Chino to set a trap for Batman. The Caped Crusader then receives two notes that claim Robin is a prisoner. Batman must then perform two rescues simultaneously.

The Elongated Man back-up, "Menace of the Man-Killing Shooting Gallery," is by Gardner Fox and Sid Greene. Hanford Jenkins has been threatened by a local syndicate. They have planted weapons in his apartment disguised as ordinary objects. Before the weapons are activated, they make a telltale click. When Jenkins hears the click, he shoots the objects with a gun to stop them from exploding.

When the Dibnys visit their friends who live in the same building as Jenkins, they hear gunshots. The neighbors have become accustomed to the shots, but Ralph becomes suspicious.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.