(May 1954)

DC, 1937 Series
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Price
0.10 USD
Pages
44
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1954-03-24
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
National Comics Publications Inc.
Brand
Superman DC National Comics
Editing
Whitney Ellsworth

Issue Notes

On-sale date from copyright registration.

Batman, the Magician! (Table of Contents)

Batman with Robin / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Win Mortimer
Inks
Win Mortimer
Colors
?
Letters
Ira Schnapp (sourced)

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
Reprints

Binky Says: "Welcome, Amigo!" (Table of Contents: 1)

Binky / public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Schiff
Pencils
Bob Oksner
Inks
Bob Oksner
Letters
Ira Schnapp

Genre
advocacy; teen
Characters
Binky Biggs

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

Batman the Magician! (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman with Robin / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger (see notes)
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Bob Kane)
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff; Charles Paris
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Merko the Great (magician); Moriarity Gang (villains); Pete (villain); un-named gang "Boss" (villain)
Synopsis
The great magician Merko is kidnapped by a gang "Boss", wanting him to find a way to remove a pair of handcuffs from his wrists that were put on him by a rival gang and which supposed contain explosives. Batman and Robin substitute for Merko and his assistant on stage until they get a lead to the whereabouts of Merko, and can save him.
Reprints
Keywords
Gotham City; Gotham Gazette

Indexer Notes

Note from Anthony Tollin: Will Murray and I both believe that the 1954 "Batman the Magician" story in Detective Comics #207 is scripted by Gibson. Stylistically, it has the structure and parallel storylines common to his novels that were not usually found in Finger's scripts ... and it also shows a familiarity with real stage magic illusions that makes me suspect that this was one of the half-dozen Batman stories scripted by Gibson around that time. (The scriptwriter also clearly indicates that Batman has found his own, different ways of performing the illusions other than the ones regularly used by stage magicians ... which also makes me suspect that this was written by a real magician who did not want to explain/ruin the actual gimmicks performed by his fellow illusionists.) Also, even though editor Mort Weisinger was notorious for giving one writer's plots to another writer, I would think that he would want to have a story about stage magic written by the best writer to do it ... the real magician and former manager of the huge Blackstone touring show. I doubt if the person who ID'd the story as being by Finger was considering Gibson as a possibility.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Fleer's Dubble Bubble Gum / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Casey the Cop / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I'll play out in the field, fellows!
Genre
humor
Characters
Casey the Cop
Reprints

The Secret of the Flying Saucers! (Table of Contents: 5)

Roy Raymond TV Detective / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ruben Moreira (signed)
Inks
Ruben Moreira (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Roy Raymond
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6)

Jerry the Jitterbug / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Hello. Yes, this is Jerry. Friday night?
Genre
humor; teen
Characters
Jerry the Jitterbug
Reprints

Beware the Sea Serpent! (Table of Contents: 7)

Captain Compass / comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script
Otto Binder
Pencils
Joe Certa
Inks
Joe Certa
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Captain Compass [Mark Compass]

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Scripto / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Annie Gram / activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
Martin Naydel
Pencils
Martin Naydel
Inks
Martin Naydel
Colors
?
Letters
Martin Naydel

First Line of Dialogue or Text
PAID+R=

Meet a Killer (Table of Contents: 10)

text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Jack Miller (credited as Joseph Macready)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
non-fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11)

Quick Quiz / activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Horace Elmo
Pencils
Horace Elmo
Inks
Horace Elmo
Colors
?
Letters
Horace Elmo

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Why was the White House in Washington painted white?

Indexer Notes

Script credit by Craig Delich.

Editorial Advisory Board (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Conjurers of Crime! (Table of Contents: 13)

Mysto Magician Detective / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Woolfolk
Pencils
Leonard Starr
Inks
Leonard Starr
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Mysto

Indexer Notes

Woolfolk credit from Martin O'Hearn at http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/.

The Line of Stars Presents (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Tomahawk / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Jowett Institute of Physical Training / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Tootsie Roll / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Batman, the Magician!
    Batman with Robin
  2. 1. Binky Says: "Welcome, Amigo!"
    Binky
  3. 2. Batman the Magician!
    Batman with Robin
  4. 3. ["I'm afraid of wild animals in these woods..."]
    Fleer's Dubble Bubble Gum
  5. 4. ["I'll play out in the field, fellows!"]
    Casey the Cop
  6. 5. The Secret of the Flying Saucers!
    Roy Raymond TV Detective
  7. 6. ["Hello. Yes, this is Jerry. Friday night?"]
    Jerry the Jitterbug
  8. 7. Beware the Sea Serpent!
    Captain Compass
  9. 8. [no title indexed]
    Scripto
  10. 9. ["PAID+R="]
    Annie Gram
  11. 10. Meet a Killer
  12. 11. ["Why was the White House in Washington painted white?"]
    Quick Quiz
  13. 12. Editorial Advisory Board
  14. 13. Conjurers of Crime!
    Mysto Magician Detective
  15. 14. The Line of Stars Presents
    Tomahawk
  16. 15. [no title indexed]
    Jowett Institute of Physical Training
  17. 16. [no title indexed]
    Tootsie Roll
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Nick Caputo
  • Craig Delich
  • Jan Roar Hansen
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Lou Mougin (R.I.P.)
  • Matthew Peets
  • Derek Reinhard
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Van Dore