Detective Comics #142

(December 1948)

"Strike or spare... it's a snap!" (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Kodak Cameras and Film / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Crime's Puzzle Contest! (Table of Contents: 2)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Dick Sprang (signed as Bob Kane)

Inks

Charles Paris

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Once again that puzzle-prince of cryptic crime, The Riddler, terrorizes Gotham City with his evil enigmas!

Feature Logo

Batman with Robin - The Boy Wonder [40's face]

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; The Riddler [Edward Nigma] (villain)

Synopsis

The Riddler returns from the "dead" to continue his campaign of puzzle contests to baffle the police and the Dynamic Duo.

Reprints

• in Batman Archives (DC, 1990 series) #7 (2007 [January 2008])
• in Batman Arkham: The Riddler (DC, 2015 series) ([July] 2015)
• in Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2015 series) #6 (2018 [February 2019])

Keywords

Batarang; Batmobile; Batplane; Gotham City; Rainbow Club

Indexer Notes

Inker credit verified by Craig Delich; we previously suggested Howard Sherman or Gene McDonald.

The splash page replicates the cover. The story title does not match the cover title.

Champion Football Coach of Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Wheaties / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

The Farmer in the Till! (Table of Contents: 4)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Howard Sherman

Inks

Howard Sherman

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

When slick city crooks apply hoe and shovel to the good earth, you can bet there's going to be dirty work at the crossroads!

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Mugs Mulligan; Mugs Mulligan's gang

Synopsis

City bank robbers dressed as farmers hold up rural banks.

Keywords

bank robbers; detectives; farmers

Indexer Notes

Inker credit by Craig Delich; we previously credited John Daly.

Fellows! Girls! Get Captain Tootsie's mystifying, baffling "Bag of Magic Tricks" (Table of Contents: 5) (Expand) /

Captain Tootsie; Tootsie [all other candies] / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Boys - It's Free! (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Chemcraft Chemistry Sets [Porter] / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

"Champ wants to see you wearing a Gene Autry Sweatshirt... and so do I!" (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

J.T. Flagg Knitting Co., Inc.; Gene Autry Sweatshirt / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

The Robot Bandit! (Table of Contents: 8)

Robotman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Otto Binder

Pencils

Jimmy Thompson

Inks

Jimmy Thompson

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Robotman - let me introduce you to my servants. They're all robots... costly machines... obeying spoken commends - yet one of them is robbing me!

Genre

detective-mystery; science fiction; superhero

Characters

Robotman [Robert Crane; aka Paul Dennis]; Joshua Lloyd; robot servants numbers 1-9; Smithers; Doc Sparks

Synopsis

Millionaire in a wheelchair Joshua Lloyd is being robbed by one of his nine robot servants (with which he replaced his staff), and asks Robotman to investigate undercover as "robot servant number 10".

Keywords

mystery; robots; servants; theft; undercover mission

Boys! Look at all the Spectacular Buzz-With-Action Models you can build with Erector (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Erector / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

[Cold Feet, Courtesy of Pete] (Table of Contents: 10)

Jerry the Jitterbug / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Pete asked me to meet him downtown!

Feature Logo

Jerry the Jitterbug

Genre

humor; teen

Characters

Jerry the Jitterbug; Pete

Synopsis

Jerry's pal Pete requests that Jerry meet him on a cold street corner - for an unconventional reason.

Keywords

cold weather; street corner; winter setting

Indexer Notes

Top half of page.

Most Exciting Boot You Ever Saw! (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Hood Rocket Boots / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

When You Close Your Mind (Table of Contents: 12)

text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script

William Morrison (credited)

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Why do we sleep?

Genre

non-fiction

Synopsis

Text article on the necessity and different reasons for sleep in humans, animals, plants... and even microbes.

Keywords

sleep

Given Premiums or Cash Commission Given (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Wilson Chemical Company Cloverine Brand Salve / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editorial Advisory Board (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

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

Adventures of Nip & Tuck Saved by Trade and Mark (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Smith Brothers Cough Drops / comics-form advertising / 0.5 page (report information)

The Mystery of Secret X (Table of Contents: 16)

The Boy Commandos / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Curt Swan

Inks

Steve Brodie

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You are powerless to stop me, Carter! In my hand, I hold Secret X! With it, I can control a nation!

Genre

adventure; crime; war

Characters

The Boy Commandos [Captain Rip Carter; Tex; Andre Chavard; Brooklyn [Dan Turpin]]; Professor Vanners; Killer Arnie Benet; Big Jack Bellaire; prison warden; police chief

Synopsis

Professor Vanners went to prison taking the mysterious "Secret X" with him. Killer Arnie Benet devises a scheme to break himself and Vanners out of prison, in exchange for being cut in on "Secret X". Once Vanners and Benet are safely hidden away, high stakes robberies begin to mount. Robberies that could only have been pulled-off with confidential information.

Keywords

mystery; prison break; robberies

Oh! Boy! Lionel Trains! (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Lionel Trains / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

For Thrills! For Action! (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

DC Comics; Action Comics; Sensation Comics; Adventure Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Want a Daisy for Christmas? Try This: (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Daisy Air Rifles / Daisy B-B Guns / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Christmas Gift Every Boy and Girl Wants Most... (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Schwinn Bicycles / advertisement / 1 page (report information)