(September 1939)

DC, 1937 Series
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Volume
[3]
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
68
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1939-07-30
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Editing
Vin Sullivan

Issue Notes

On sale date from the publication date found in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, New Series, Volume 34, 1939, Number 3. Class B periodical. Copyright number B 424437. Volume number not listed in the original comic indicia.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Julie Madison; The Monk
Reprints
Keywords
bats; castles

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

All-American Comics; Movie Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[Batman vs. the Vampire, Part 1] (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed); Sheldon Moldoff (backgrounds)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Sheldon Moldoff

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The Batman, weird menace to all crime, at last meets...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Julie Madison (Bruce's fiancée, introduction); Dr. Trent; the Monk (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
When Batman discovers Julie in a trance, he is advised by a doctor to take her to Hungary, where he faces a living vampire, who wishes to kill the Caped Crusader and feed Julie to his werewolves.
Reprints
Keywords
Baterang; Batgyro; Hungary; Lunar Lines; New York; Paris

Indexer Notes

Batman uses two new weapons in this story: the Batgyro and the Baterang.

This is the first appearance of Julie Madison, introduced as Bruce's fiancée. She would show up in a few additional issues until she breaks off her engagement to Bruce in Detective Comics #49.

Storyline continues in the next issue.

[Latest Arrivals for World's Fair] (Table of Contents: 3)

Detective Stamp Page / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Strikingly depicted on a new Russian set, issued in honor of the New York World's Fair, is the...
Characters
Carlis Ulmanis

Indexer Notes

Page includes several small ads from stamps dealers.

[Waging Battle Against Highway Piracy!] (Table of Contents: 4)

Crime Never Pays / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Vin Sullivan ?
Pencils
Vin Sullivan ?
Inks
Vin Sullivan ?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Along 3,000,000 miles of the U.S. highways, undercover agents of the...
Genre
non-fiction; crime
Keywords
bloodhounds; fingerprinting

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Policeman! / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Paul Gustavson
Pencils
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gustavson)
Inks
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gustavson)
Colors
?
Letters
Paul Gustavson

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Hey, O'Toole - You're takin' the corners too fast again!
Genre
humor
Characters
O'Toole; Murphy

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich. All Gustavson credits verified and courtesy of Terry Gustafson, Paul Gustavson's son.

Killer's Bait (Table of Contents: 6)

Buck Marshall, Range Detective / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Homer Fleming (signed)
Inks
Homer Fleming (signed)
Colors
? (red tones)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Here's the layout - this onery gun-slick enters the...
Genre
western-frontier
Characters
Buck Marshall; Jim Murray; Bart Rice; Jeff Turner; Joe Turner; Red; Burbage
Synopsis
Buck investigates a bank robbery.
Keywords
Cattlemen's Bank; Slash-T Ranch

Indexer Notes

Story printed in red and black only.

[The Mystery Plane] (Table of Contents: 7)

Spy / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Mart Bailey (signed as M B)
Inks
Mart Bailey (signed as M B)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Behind closed doors is guarded the Navy's sensational new "mystery plane"...
Genre
adventure
Characters
Bart Regan; unnamed mechanic
Synopsis
Bart is tasked with finding and recovering a stolen plane.

Indexer Notes

Bailey signs his initials on the final page.

[Mrs. Velvet] (Table of Contents: 8)

Larry Steele, Private Detective / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ken Ernst (signed)
Inks
Ken Ernst (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
You've got to help me, Steele!
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Larry Steele; Amos Velvet; Williams; Dr. Taylor; Sgt. Britt
Keywords
Ken Ernst signs his name on the final page.

Newspaper Nightmare (Table of Contents: 9)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox (credited as Paul Dean)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The city room of the Daily Star hummed with the feverish activity of...
Genre
adventure; detective-mystery
Characters
Pete Barrows; Teddy Smith; Henry Parson; Inspector Burke; Harrison Banks
Synopsis
A murder occurs at a newspaper and Inspector Burke is assigned to the case.
Keywords
Daily Star

The Mammoth Mystery (Table of Contents: 10)

Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Fred Guardineer (signed)
Inks
Fred Guardineer (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Fred Guardineer

First Line of Dialogue or Text
What a clever way to kill a man!
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Speed Saunders; Bushland Bill Mercer; Elkins; Rosita; Joe; Jumbo (elephant)
Synopsis
Speed looks into a murder that occurred at a circus.
Keywords
circus

[Friday the Thirteenth] (Table of Contents: 11)

Bruce Nelson / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Tom Hickey (signed)
Pencils
Tom Hickey (signed)
Inks
Tom Hickey (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Friday the thirteenth.
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Bruce Nelson; Col. Lonsdale; Carol Londsdale; Frederic Pearce
Keywords
Lonsdale Estate

[Dr. Dupre] (Table of Contents: 12)

Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Sven Elven ?
Pencils
Sven Elven (signed)
Inks
Sven Elven (signed)
Colors
? (red tones)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Cosmo finds a note in the day's mail of great interest.
Genre
adventure; detective-mystery
Characters
Cosmo; Dr. Brigg; Jose Sierra; Dr. Crane; Dr. Dupre; Miss Page; John Vanderman
Synopsis
A series of victims have become feebleminded in similar fashion so Cosmo decides to look into the matter.

Indexer Notes

Story printed in red and black only. Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

[The Zoo Murder] (Table of Contents: 13)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks
Joe Shuster (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Thought that was funny, eh?
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Dugan
Keywords
zoo

The Comic Book of Tomorrow Is Here Today!! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

New York World's Fair Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

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

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman
  2. 1. ["The greatest scoop in comic magazine history!"]
    All-American Comics; Movie Comics
  3. 2. [Batman vs. the Vampire, Part 1]
    Batman
  4. 3. [Latest Arrivals for World's Fair]
    Detective Stamp Page
  5. 4. [Waging Battle Against Highway Piracy!]
    Crime Never Pays
  6. 5. ["Hey, O'Toole - You're takin' the corners too fast again!"]
    Policeman!
  7. 6. Killer's Bait
    Buck Marshall, Range Detective
  8. 7. [The Mystery Plane]
    Spy
  9. 8. [Mrs. Velvet]
    Larry Steele, Private Detective
  10. 9. Newspaper Nightmare
  11. 10. The Mammoth Mystery
    Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator
  12. 11. [Friday the Thirteenth]
    Bruce Nelson
  13. 12. [Dr. Dupre]
    Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
  14. 13. [The Zoo Murder]
    Slam Bradley
  15. 14. The Comic Book of Tomorrow Is Here Today!!
    New York World's Fair Comics
  16. 15. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Craig Delich
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Del Gruber
  • Merlin Haas
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Bob Hughes
  • John Monagle
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Matthew Peets
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore