Cover: Carmine Infantino & Murphy Anderson

Detective Comics #351

May 1966 · DC · 0.12 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Cluemaster★ 1st appearance — Arthur Brown

About this Issue

Detective Comics #351 marks the Silver Age debut of Arthur Brown, the Cluemaster — a villain whose creation quietly planted a seed that would bloom decades later into one of DC's most beloved supporting characters. Because Cluemaster is the father of Stephanie Brown, this issue is the ultimate narrative origin point for Spoiler, the fourth Robin, and the third modern Batgirl, making its ripple effect far larger than the character's mid-tier status would suggest. The lead story is also notable for giving Aunt Harriet her most substantive role in the entire Batman mythology, running a parallel secret-identity subplot that converges cleverly with the Cluemaster's own scheme to unmask the Dynamic Duo. As a package, the issue showcases the Silver Age Detective Comics formula at its height: a two-story anthology structure pairing a new Batman villain with a self-contained Elongated Man backup, all written and drawn by the same creative team.

In "The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes!", Batman and Robin face a puzzling new foe whose crimes twist logic and defy expectation, all while Aunt Harriet stumbles upon the hidden entrance to the Batcave. Meanwhile, the Elongated Man’s long-lost costume goes missing just as he plans to donate it to the Central City Flash Museum. Written by Gardner Fox and brought to life with dynamic art by Carmine Infantino, inks by Sid Greene, and lettering by Joe Letterese, this 1966 issue delivers a clever, offbeat mystery with a touch of whimsy. The cover, penciled by Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson, captures the chaotic flair of the story’s central riddle.

Contains 2 stories

The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes!

13.67 pp · Superhero

In "The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes!", Batman and Robin are drawn into a twisted game of wits as the Cluemaster sets a series of baffling traps meant to unmask them. With each clue leading deeper into a labyrinth of deception, the Dark Knight must unravel the villain’s riddling mind before the chase ends in disaster.

The Case of the Costumed-Made Crook!

9.67 pp · Superhero

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $12

CGC 9.8 · 1 in census $2,280*

CGC 9.6 · 2 in census $847

CGC 9.4 · 8 in census $491

CGC 9.2 · 4 in census $165

CGC 9.0 · 7 in census $143

CGC 8.5 · 8 in census $123

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CGC 8.0 · 13 in census $76*

CGC 7.5 · 6 in census $65*

CGC 7.0 · 8 in census $65

CGC 6.5 · 8 in census $40

CGC 6.0 · 3 in census $38*

CGC 5.5 · 5 in census $30*

CGC 5.0 · 3 in census $30*

CGC 4.5 · 6 in census $23*

CGC 4.0 · 3 in census $23*

CGC 3.5 none in existence

CGC 3.0 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 2.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 2.0 none in existence

CGC 1.5 none in existence

CGC 1.0 none in existence

CGC 0.5 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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VG $9.99 VG $14 VG $14.95 VG $15 VG $15.99 VERY GOOD $18 FN $19.99 VG $20

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History

The issue was written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Carmine Infantino, with Sid Greene inking the Batman lead story and Infantino handling the Elongated Man backup solo — a transition noted by contemporary readers because Infantino had previously been inking his own Elongated Man pages in a looser style. The cover was penciled by Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson. Credits for the issue were verified from editor Julius Schwartz's personal editorial records, later provided to DC Comics and catalogued by the Grand Comics Database. Published by National Periodical Publications with a cover date of May 1966, it hit newsstands on March 29, 1966.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Cluemaster (Arthur Brown), created by writer Gardner Fox and penciler Carmine Infantino; cover date May 1966, on-sale March 29, 1966.
Cluemaster is established as a failed game-show host turned criminal who leaves non-riddle clues at crime scenes — deliberately distinguishing him from the Riddler, whose clues take the form of riddles.
Arthur Brown is the father of Stephanie Brown, making this the ancestral key issue for Spoiler (Det. Comics #647, 1992), the fourth Robin, and one iteration of Batgirl — a legacy lineage that gave the character lasting significance decades after his debut.
The Batman lead story, 'The Cluemaster's Topsy-Turvy Crimes!', gives Aunt Harriet her largest role in the character's publication history: she accidentally discovers the secret elevator to the Batcave and spends the issue trying to prove Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are Batman and Robin.
The issue contains a second story, 'The Case of the Costumed-Made Crook!', a standalone Elongated Man backup in which Ralph Dibny tracks a thief who stole his old costume to donate to Central City's Flash Museum; the Flash appears in a cameo at the story's conclusion.
Cover art by Carmine Infantino (pencils) and Murphy Anderson (inks); interior Batman art by Infantino (pencils) and Sid Greene (inks); interior Elongated Man story by Infantino alone.
The Batman lead story has been reprinted in Batman Family #2, Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 2, and Tales of the Batman: Carmine Infantino (2014); the Elongated Man backup was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Elongated Man Vol. 1.
Cluemaster remained a minor background villain for decades before Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle reimagined him in Detective Comics #647 (1992), a revival that introduced Stephanie Brown/Spoiler and ultimately elevated the 1966 debut issue's significance retrospectively.