Comic Title: Detective Comics #439
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Cover Date: Feb/Mar 1974
On Sale Date: November 29, 1973 Newsstand Date November 29, 1973
Source: Comic Reader, #101

Copyright Date November 29, 1973
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1974

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.50
Page Count: 96
Editor: Archie Goodwin

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "The Tantalizing Troubles of the Tripod Thieves"
Pages: 10

Feature(s):
Elongated Man (of Earth-1)

Writer: Gardner F. Fox
Artist: Carmine Infantino

Reprinted From:
Detective Comics #355 (1966)

Feature Character(s)

• Elongated Man (last appearance in Detective Comics #354; next appearance in Detective Comics #356)

Guest Star(s)

• Zatanna (last appearance in Green Lantern #42; next appearance in Justice League of America #51)

Supporting Character(s)

• Sue Dibny (last appearance in Detective Comics #354; next appearance in Detective Comics #356)

Villain(s)

• Marshal Maitland (a prop shop owner; no further appearances)
• Two jewel thieves (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
The Elongated Man sees two jewels thieves flying through the air. Puzzled he attempts to catch them. The thieves can't explain why they are flying and despite Elongated Man's efforts to stop them, they get away. Elongated Man follows them to a prop shop where he finds Zatanna. She was responsible for the flying crooks, as she summoned them to help find a stolen magic artifact.

The prop shop owner double-crosses Zatanna when he learns that the artifact is valuable. Elongated Man then helps Zatanna defeat the crooks and the shop owner, who is also an underworld fence. Zatanna then recovers the Ting Tripod and the Book of I Ching which will allow her to penetrate the dark realm to help locate her father. Though Elongated Man offers to help, Zatanna chooses to go alone.