Detective Comics #38

(April 1940)

[Robin the Boy Wonder] (Table of Contents)

The Batman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Bill Finger

Pencils:

Bob Kane (signed)

Inks:

Jerry Robinson

Colors:

?

Letters:

Jerry Robinson

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson] (Intro; Origin); John Grayson (Intro; Death); Mary Grayson (Intro; Death); Mr. Haly; Boss Zucco [Anthony Zucco](villain; Intro); Blade (villain; Death)

Synopsis:

Dick Grayson watches his parents die and overhears the killers confessing the point, and he decides to tip off the Police. However, the Batman intervenes to save the boy's life, and trains him to become his partner, Robin the Boy Wonder. Then the duo head out to gather evidence needed to put the criminals behind bars.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #73-168329 (October 1971)
• in Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #7 (October-November 1974)
• in Lynvingen (Williams Forlag A/S, 1969 series) #4/1975 ([april] 1975)
• in Batman Album (K. G. Murray, 1976 series) #37 (October 1979)
• in Batman Archives (DC, 1990 series) #1 [Standard printing] ([June] 1990)
• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (April 2000)
• in Batman in the Forties (DC, 2004 series) #[nn] ([March] 2004)
• in The Batman Chronicles (DC, 2005 series) #1 ([March] 2005)
• in Detective Comics Special Reprint (DC, 1995 series) #38 (1995)

Indexer Notes

Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 2-13-09.

[The Electrical Assassin] (Table of Contents)

Spy / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Maurice Kashuba (signed)

Inks:

Maurice Kashuba (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Bart Regan

[Dr. Hydkil] (Table of Contents)

Red Logan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Ken Ernst

Inks:

Ken Ernst

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Red Logan; Dr. Hydkil [villain].

[Phoney Jewel Robbery] (Table of Contents)

The Crimson Avenger / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Pencils:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Inks:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Crimson Avenger [Lee Travis]; Wing.

Kidnapped (Table of Contents)

Monthly Book Review / filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

fact

The Kidnaped Singer [sic] (Table of Contents)

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

Credits

Script:

Gardner F. Fox

Pencils:

Fred Guardineer

Inks:

Fred Guardineer

Colors:

?

Letters:

Fred Guardineer

Content Information

Genre:

detective

Characters:

Speed Saunders

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (April 2000)

Indexer Notes

Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (2000 series) lists the writer as being Fred Guardineer. Fred Guardineer never wrote this strip, fact added by Craig Delich 2-13-09.

[The Gambler's Protector] (Table of Contents)

Steve Malone, District Attorney / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Don Lynch (signed)

Inks:

Don Lynch (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

detective

Characters:

Steve Malone

At The Artic Circle (Table of Contents)

Cliff Crosby / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Chad Grothkopf

Pencils:

Chad Grothkopf

Inks:

Chad Grothkopf

Colors:

?

Letters:

Chad Grothkopf

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Cliff Crosby

The Case of the Vanishing Train (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Richard Martin (signed)

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

mystery

[The Big Fire] (Table of Contents)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Dennis Neville (signed)

Inks:

Dennis Neville (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

detective

Characters:

Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan.