Detective Comics #438

(December 1973-January 1974)

Don't Be Half a Man! (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension System / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

A Monster Walks Wayne Manor! (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Archie Goodwin (credited)

Pencils

Jim Aparo (credited)

Inks

Jim Aparo (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Jim Aparo

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne] (also flashback); Commissioner Gordon (also flashback); Alfred Pennyworth (flashback); Ubu (also flashback, death); Dr. Varnov (also as Dr. Strang, first appearance); Liverpool (thug, first appearance, death); Kolb (first appearance, flashback, death); Patch (first appearance, bartender)

Synopsis

At the unused Wayne Manor, Batman goes up against an obsessed Swiss scientist who desperately needs to study Ra's al Ghul's demented henchman Ubu, to mine the secrets of a Lazarus Pit.

Reprints

• in Batman Classics (Classics/Williams, 1970 series) #56 (1974)
• in Superman (Egmont Ehapa, 1966 series) #9/1974 (27. April 1974)
which is reprinted
• in Batman Superband (Egmont Ehapa, 1974 series) #16 (1982)
• in Lynvingen (Illustrerte Klassikere / Williams Forlag, 1969 series) #11/1974 ([november] 1974)
• in Läderlappen (Williams Förlags AB, 1969 series) #12/1974 (1974-12-dd)
• in Tales of the Batman: Archie Goodwin (DC, 2013 series) ([September] 2013)
• in Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo (DC, 2012 series) #2 ([November] 2013)
• in Batman Collection - Jim Aparo (Panini Deutschland, 2013 series) #4 ([Juli] 2015)

World of the Magic Atom! (Table of Contents: 3)

The Atom / comic story / 23.84 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited) (sourced)

Pencils

Gil Kane (credited) (sourced)

Inks

Sid Greene (credited) (sourced)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (reprint editor)

Job Number

N-754

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Atom [Ray Palmer]; The Druid (villain) (first appearance, also flashback); Hawkgirl [Shayera Thal] (flashback) (cameo); Hawkman [Katar Hol] (flashback) (cameo); Zatanna (guest) (also flashback); Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara] (flashback); Timor (a dragon); Biff Barker (first appearance, gang boss)

Synopsis

Atom helps Zatanna search for her father in a sub-atomic world ruled by the Druid.

Reprints

• from The Atom (DC, 1962 series) #19 (June-July 1965)

Indexer Notes

Story across 25 pages in three parts of 11.67, 5.67, and 6.5 pages in length.

This is the first chapter of Zatanna's search for her father, which is reprinted in various DC Super Spectaculars in this period. Reprint info correction from Robert Gee.

Superman the Man of Steel - World's Greatest Comics Hero Appears in… (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

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

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Smash-Up Derby (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Kenner Toys / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Free 100 Decals (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Stickums Decals / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Scary, Life Size Monster Ghost (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Monster Ghost / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

Vampire Bat (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Toy Vampire Bat / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

Zatanna Gets the Help of Green Lantern (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Green Lantern; Zatanna / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

For a Fun-Filled Halloween from-- (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

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

The Men Who Moved the World! (Table of Contents: 12)

Hawkman / comic story / 12.67 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited)

Pencils

Joe Kubert (credited)

Inks

Joe Kubert (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (reprint editor)

Job Number

N-755

Genre

superhero

Characters

Hawkgirl [Shiera Sanders]; Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Khrem (villain); Setph (villain)

Synopsis

The Hawks fight three aliens who are trying to move the Earth out of its orbit

Reprints

• from The Brave and the Bold (DC, 1955 series) #44 (October-November 1962)

Pirates Strike Again! (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

MPC Model Kit / advertisement / 2 pages (report information)

Just Put an X Next to the Comics You Want! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

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

The Masked Manhunter… the World's Greatest Detective Appears in… (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

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

Erupting into 3-Dimension (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Free Patches (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Super Values Products / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

These 3 Big Drafting Kits Given To You! (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

North American School of Drafting / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Make Excellent Extra Cash... (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Engravaplates Social Security Cards / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Honor House Products / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Gotham Gang Line-Up! (Table of Contents: 21)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 14.34 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Finger (credited)

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (ghosted for Bob Kane)

Inks

Joe Giella (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (reprint editor)

Job Number

N-753

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne] (also flashback); Commissioner James Gordon; Aunt Harriet (first appearance); Alfred Pennyworth (death); Robin [Dick Grayson]; Tri-State Gang [Paul Pardee (villain); Hippo (villain); Duke (villain); Mike (villain); Joe (villain)]

Synopsis

Alfred is apparently killed when rescuing Batman and Robin. Dick's aunt, Aunt Harriet, arrives to take care of the two "helpless boys".

Reprints

• from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #328 (June 1964)

Indexer Notes

Story in two parts of 6.67 and 7.67 pages.

Death of Alfred, which leads into the Outsider serial.

Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder

[Super-Hero Stick-Ons!] (Table of Contents: 22) (Expand) /

Super-Hero Stick-Ons or Hang-Ups / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The New American Revolution (Table of Contents: 23) (Expand) /

Prez / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Alfred… Dead? (Table of Contents: 24) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

[1972 Shazam Awards] (Table of Contents: 25) (Expand) /

Behind the Scenes at the DC Comic World / in-house column / 1 page (report information)

The House That Fought Green Lantern! (Table of Contents: 26)

Green Lantern / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited)

Pencils

Gil Kane (credited)

Inks

Joe Giella (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (reprint editor)

Job Number

N-756

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]

Synopsis

Green Lantern pursues a fleeing criminal to a deserted house which has been rigged to seem haunted.

Reprints

• from Green Lantern (DC, 1960 series) #28 (April 1964)

Chapter Two: The Manhunter File (Table of Contents: 27)

Manhunter / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Archie Goodwin (credited)

Pencils

Walter Simonson (credited as Simonson) (signed as Simonson (brontosaurus))

Inks

Walter Simonson (credited as Simonson) (signed as Simonson (brontosaurus))

Colors

?

Letters

Joe Letterese; Walter Simonson (titles and sound effects)

Job Number

L-244

Genre

superhero; detective-mystery

Characters

Manhunter [Paul Kirk] (flashback); Damon Nostrand (first appearance); Christine St. Clair; Raoul Salazano (flashback)

Synopsis

Christine St. Clair shows her current file on Manhunter to her boss, Damon Nostrand. She fills him in on the fact that some of the bodies of the men that Paul Kirk has eliminated have his face and fingerprints, and all end up being stolen from the morgues by unknown parties. Christine learns that Kirk is a master of an ancient Japanese fighting discipline called Ninjutsu, and that Kirk must also have some kind of rapid healing abilities. After Christine leaves Nostrand's office, he burns up the files.

Reprints

• in Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly (K. G. Murray, 1965 ? series) #119
• in Manhunter (DC, 1984 series) #1 ([May] 1984)
• in Batman (Editora Abril, 1984 series) #2 (Agosto 1984)
• in Manhunter: The Special Edition (DC, 1999 series) ([September] 1999)
• in Tales of the Batman: Archie Goodwin (DC, 2013 series) ([September] 2013)
• in Manhunter by Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson: The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2021 series) (2020 [April 2021])

Indexer Notes

Part 2 of 6. Story ends in Detective Comics #443.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 28)

Batman's Hot-Line / letters page / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Archie Goodwin (credited as Archie)

Letters

typeset

Job Number

L-255

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What you're holding...

Feature Logo

Batman's Hot Line [telephone]

Genre

superhero

Indexer Notes

Includes an editorial explaining the switch to the 100 page format. Letters of comment from Mike Shoemaker, Greg Thornhill, David Mollett, and Bob Rozakis.

Karate Judo-Savate (Table of Contents: 29) (Expand) /

Universal Self-Defense System / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Surprise Coin Packet (Table of Contents: 30) (Expand) /

Hobby Coin Co. Coins / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

This Can Be Your "Big Break"... (Table of Contents: 31) (Expand) /

Cleveland Institute of Electronics [lessons] / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 32) (Expand) /

Aurora Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)