Detective Comics #779, published by DC in 2003, features "Dead Reckoning, Part Three." Batman investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the Penguin's alleged murder, leading him to uncover the unsettling history of actor Paul Sloan, who vanished years ago and now re-emerges. This issue also contains "Spore, Part Four," a backup story where a mutated Batman defeats and absorbs Superman, leading to an alien takeover of Earth. It is notable as a key chapter in the "Dead Reckoning" arc, continuing a significant Batman mystery.