Detective Comics (vol 1) #372 FN

THE FEARSOME FOOT-FIGHTERS!

Batman is called in by Commissioner Gordon to investigate a strange series of crimes wherein the wealth of Gotham City have been burgled of valuables, however the thieves have left behind I.O.U. cards. Batman takes the case and notes that the writing on the cards are old style writing that is used at the Royal Karonian restaurant. Batman decides to investigate as Bruce Wayne, taking a woman named Andrea -- who Bruce has abruptly ended dates with in the past -- to the restaurant to investigate. Looking at the menu, Bruce identifies that the writing on the menus match that of the I.O.U. notes. After dinner, Bruce then spots a pair of Karonian men using their savate skills to fight a single man. Putting Andrea into a cab, Bruce intervenes and stops the two men from attacking their victim further allowing him to escape. However, Batman learns that the two men are part of a Karonian festival and that they had identified the man they were attacking as a Karonian criminal named Marne Zoldin. Believing that there is a connection between these men and the I.O.U's Bruce decides to investigate further, by patching things up with Andrea and taking her to Karonian Festival. There Bruce and Andrea witness a near accident when one of the acrobatic performers just barely saves himself from a nasty fall. Deciding to snoop around some more, he cuts his date with an even more furious Andrea to spy on the Karonians. Following their car to the outskirts of Gotham City, Bruce changes into his Batman costume and arrives at the house they pulled up to just in time to see the Karonians leave the premises. Inside, Batman finds Marne Zoldin, who has been severely beaten. Questioning the man, he explains that he is a freedom fighter who has been working against the Karoninan dictator named Kobar. He explains that he was behind the thefts to fund his resistance movement and had every intention to pay all those he stole from back the money he took, however he explains that the Karonians that are loyal to Kobar had stolen the loot and intend to deliver it to Kobar. Zoldin falls unconscious before he can tell Batman where Karonians went. However, Batman has deduced their location and tracks them to the Rainbow Hotel, where he easily defeats the Karonians despite their superior numbers and savate skills. With the Karonians in police custody and the stolen loot returned to their rightful owners, Batman learns that Zoldin has died. When his wife has come to collect his body, she tells Batman and Commissioner Gordon that she will continue her husbands fight to bring democracy to Karonia. Later when relating the story to Dick and Alfred, Bruce tells them that he learned where the Karonians were staying because the last word that Zoldin said was the word "Gabort" which in Karonian means Rainbow.

ELONGATED MAN THROWS HIS WEIGHT AROUND