Comic Title: Detective Comics #161
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: July 1950
Approx. On Sale Date: May 19, 1950 Copyright Date May 17, 1950
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1950
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 48
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The Men Who Died on Time"
Pages: 12

Feature(s):
Batman (of Earth-2)

Penciller: Lew Sayre Schwartz
Inker: Charles Paris

Reprinted In:
Batman Archives Vol. 8 HC (2012)
Batman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 7 HC (2019)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Detective Comics #160; next appearance in World's Finest Comics #47)

Supporting Character(s)

• Robin (last appearance in Star Spangled Comics #106; next appearance in World's Finest Comics #47)
• Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in Star Spangled Comics #106; next appearance in Batman #60)

Villain(s)

• The Avenger (Charles Waters; aka Wright; first name also given as Bill; partners of Dice and Barker; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• James Dice and Fred Barker (murder victims; no further appearances)
• Connie Bell and Carl Rowland (an actress and her boyfriend; no further appearances)
• Fells, Eddy Grace, and Thomas Slade (a butler, an actor, and an ex-partner of Dice and Barker; no further appearances)
• Dr. French (no further appearances)
• Rutledge (a bank manager; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
James Dice, Fred Barker, and Charles Waters own a successful theatre production company. Both Dice and Barker receive death threats, then die of mysterious circumstances. Batman questions suspects including Waters and their ex-partner Thomas Slade.

After Waters dies too, Batman discovers that the men all wore watches with concealed needles. They were poisoned by the needles which were released at a given time. More suspects emerge, and a witness who sold the watches comes forward.

Batman believes he has solved the crime. He is then attacked and nearly killed in an alley. A clue found at the scene confirms Batman's suspicions. He then reveals that Waters is still alive and masquerading as the witness Wright. Waters was embezzling money and killed his partners to cover it up.