Classics Illustrated #21 [HRN 114] - 3 Famous Mysteries

([December 1953])

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

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The Sign of the 4 (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 29 pages (report information)

Script

Arthur Conan Doyle (original author); ? (adaptor)

Pencils

Louis Zansky (as Zansky)

Inks

Louis Zansky (as Zansky)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Sherlock Holmes; Dr Watson; Miss Mary Morstan; Thaddeus Sholto; Inspector Jones; Toby (bloodhound); Jonathan Small; Tonga

Synopsis

Mary Morstan consults Sherlock Holmes about her missing father, mysterious pearls, and a curious invitation. They are led to Bartholomew Sholto, who has discovered a treasure in which she should share, but he has been killed and the treasure taken. Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Jones track the killers and thieves (Small and Tonga), whom Sholto's father had cheated in India. Small and Tonga are both killed.

Keywords

bloodhound; crime; detective; dog; England; India; murder; mystery

Indexer Notes

Watson is presented comically, as in the contemporary Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce films, rather than as in the original story.

The Flayed Hand (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Guy de Maupassant (original author); ? (adaptor)

Pencils

Allen Simons

Inks

Allen Simons

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

Henry Matson; Mrs Matson; Peter

Synopsis

Peter shows his friends a flayed hand, which belonged to a long-dead murderer. Henry Matson had gone wild, killing with a hatchet, until a strong man wrestled it away and killed him in his turn. The friends warn Peter that the dead killer may return, but he scoffs. That night, the hand strangles Peter as Marston gloats from beyond the grave.

Keywords

crime; ghost; hatchet; horror; murder; supernatural

Indexer Notes

Bloody hatchet blade in one panel

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Edgar Allan Poe (original author); ? (adaptor)

Pencils

Arnold Hicks (as Arnold L. Hicks)

Inks

Arnold Hicks (as Arnold L. Hicks)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Dupin; Poe; inspector; Jean; ape

Synopsis

A mysterious assailant brutally kills two women in the Rue Morgue. Dupin concludes that the killer must be an ape, and leads the hunt to track him down and kill him.

Keywords

ape; Borneo; crime; detective; France; horror; murder; mystery; Paris

Indexer Notes

Dupin's friend is specifically identified as Poe, as is not the case in the original. None of Dupin's thought processes are explained. Bloody razor shown, along with dead bodies and pool of blood.

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

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Born in Boston January 18, 1809, Poe was orphaned in early childhood.

Genre

non-fiction

Characters

Edgar Allan Poe; Guy de Maupassant; Arthur Conan Doyle

Synopsis

Short bios of the three authors

Indexer Notes

Portraits of the authors

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

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Build Your Own Library (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

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