Detective Comics #38

(April 1940)

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

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

[Robin the Boy Wonder] (Table of Contents: 2)

Batman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Bill Finger

Pencils

Bob Kane (signed)

Inks

Jerry Robinson

Colors

?

Letters

Jerry Robinson

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Batman. That amazing, weird figure of night, at last takes under his protecting mantle an ally in his relentless fight against crime...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson] (introduction, origin); John Grayson (introduction, Dick's father, death); Mary Grayson (introduction, Dick's mother, death); C. C. Haly [as Mr. Haly] (Haly Circus owner); Boss Zucco [Anthony Zucco] (villain, introduction); 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

• in Batman from the 30s to the 70s (Crown Publishers, 1971 series) (1971)
• in Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #7 (October-November 1974)
• in Batman Classics (Classics/Williams, 1970 series) #61 (1975)
• in Läderlappen (Williams Förlags AB, 1969 series) #4/1975 ([1975-04-dd])
• in Lynvingen (Illustrerte Klassikere / Williams Forlag, 1969 series) #4/1975 ([april] 1975)
• in Batman Album (K. G. Murray, 1976 series) #37 (October 1979)
• in Batman Especial - As Várias Faces de Batman (Editora Abril, 1989 series) (outubro de 1989) [recolorida, traduzida]
• in Batman Archives (DC, 1990 series) #1 ([July] 1990)
• in Detective Comics Special Reprint (DC, 1995 series) #38 (1995)
• in Detective Comics Special Reprint [Toys 'R' Us Special Replica Edition] (DC, 1997 series) #38 (1997)
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #3 - Batman 1
• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Batman in the Forties (DC, 2004 series) ([May] 2004)
• in The Batman Chronicles (DC, 2005 series) #1 ([May] 2005)
• in Batman Anthologie (Panini Deutschland, 2014 series) (2014)
• in DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection (Eaglemoss Publications, 2015 series) #22 - Robin - Das erste Jahr
• in Robin, The Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC, 2015 series) ([July] 2015)
• in Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2015 series) #1 (2015 [January 2016])
• in Batman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([October] 2016)
• in Detective Comics: Batman 80th Anniversary Giant (DC, 2019 series) #1 (2019)
• in Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman (DC, 2019 series) ([May] 2019)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)
• in Batman Antologia (Panini Brasil, 2020 series) ([agosto] 2020)
• in Batman & Robin Anthologie (Panini Deutschland, 2020 series) (2020)
• in Robin: 80 Years of the Boy Wonder: The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2020 series) ([November] 2020)

Keywords

Gotham City; Haly Circus; slingshot; Wayne Manor

Indexer Notes

The splash page replicates the cover.

[Phono-Post Stamps] (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Detective Stamp Page / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[The Electrical Assassin] (Table of Contents: 4)

Spy / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils

Maurice Kashuba (signed)

Inks

Maurice Kashuba (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Early evening... great tentacles of electricity splotch the sky above Washington, D.C. to the accompaniment of ominous rumbles of thunder...

Genre

adventure; spy

Characters

Bart Regan; Chick Cavanaugh (Secret Service agent, death); Nell Johnson (villain, death); Carter (villain, a scientist, death)

Synopsis

Bart nearly loses his life when he investigates a scientist's invention that produces lightning, which can be directed to any target the scientist desires, and with which he plans to terrorize the nation and eventually control it.

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

Keywords

Capitol; Washington

[Dr. Hydkil] (Table of Contents: 5)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Ken Ernst

Inks

Ken Ernst

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Red Logan, ace reporter of the Times Courier, and his friend Ivan take an evening stroll through one of London's side streets.

Genre

adventure

Characters

Red Logan; Ivan; Inspector Enright; Simpson (Policeman); Mitchell (Policeman); Archie (Times Courier employee); Dr. Hydkil (villain); Gluko (villain, Hydkil's assistant)

Synopsis

Red becomes involved in a murder mystery that has all the earmarks of a vampire killer. Instead he runs smack dab into a crazed medical genius bent on becoming another Frankenstein!

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

[Phoney Jewel Robbery] (Table of Contents: 6)

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

Script

Jack Lehti (signed)

Pencils

Jack Lehti (signed)

Inks

Jack Lehti (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It is the opening night of the opera, all society is present, including the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Duprey...

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Crimson Avenger [Lee Travis]; Wing; Mrs. Duprey; Mac (Globe-Leader reporter); Mike (Policeman); Mr. Duprey (villain); "Gimpy" Malone (villain); Joe Scalponi (villain)

Synopsis

The Crimson investigates and puts to an end an insideous plan in which wealthy people pay to have their jewels stolen, then get them returned after having collected the insurance on them.

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

No. 1 - Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson (Table of Contents: 7)

Detective Comics Monthly Book Review / text article / 0.75 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Reprints

• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy Air Rifle for Your Birthday (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Daisy Air Rifles / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

Amazing New Printing Press (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Peck Brothers / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10)

Uncle Otto / comic story / 0.17 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Ahchoo!

Genre

humor

Reprints

• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

Boys Build This Cape Cod Cottage (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Miniature Homes Co. / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

The Kidnaped Singer (Table of Contents: 12)

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

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Inks

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Fred Guardineer

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Speed enjoys a night at the Social Theater...

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Speed Saunders; Lora de Thiessi (Torch singer); Jim (backstage employee); Marie (Thiessi's maid-servant); un-named Police Captain; Jim (airport pilot); un-named fiancee of Lora de Thiessi (villain)

Synopsis

Speed uncovers a plot by the supposed fiancee of singer Lora de Thiess, who had gotten himself into debt by gambling, then put the touch on Lora's theater to ransom her back from a kidnapping.

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

Indexer Notes

Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) lists the writer as being Fred Guardineer, but, per Craig Delich, Guardineer never wrote this strip.

[The Gambler's Protector] (Table of Contents: 13)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Don Lynch (signed)

Inks

Don Lynch (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hello, Chief. Hear you're having trouble cleaning up the gambling and policy rackets.

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Steve Malone; Chief of Police Runyan; Happy (Malone's secretary); Butch Smaltz (villain); un-named Police Commissioner (villain); Butch (villain)

Synopsis

Steve makes the discovery that the city's criminal rackets are being financed by the Police Commissioner.

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

[At the Arctic Circle] (Table of Contents: 14)

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

Script

Chad Grothkopf

Pencils

Chad Grothkopf

Inks

Chad Grothkopf

Colors

?

Letters

Chad Grothkopf

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Cliff Crosby and Dr. Broussard, famous explorers, are now at the Arctic Circle.

Genre

adventure

Characters

Cliff Crosby; Dr. Broussard; Aga (Kingdom Chief); Sabu (villain, phony Kingdom Chief); Sengi (villain)

Synopsis

Having to bail out of their plane over the arctic regions, Cliff and Dr. Broussard are shocked to find African natives living in the arctic with little clothing on. They are brought before the Chief of the Sabu Kingdom and informed about a serum the natives drink that permits them to live in the coldest of weather without clothing!

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

The Case of the Vanishing Train (Table of Contents: 15)

text story / 1.34 pages (report information)

Script

Richard Martin (credited)

Letters

typeset

Genre

detective-mystery

Reprints

• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

G-Boy Repeating Toy Cap Pistol (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

G-Boy Repeating Cap Pistol / advertisement / 0.08 page (report information)

Earn Big Money! (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Wehman Laugh League / advertisement / 0.08 page (report information)

Boys Earn Money and Big Prizes (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

The Crowell-Collier Publishing Co. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[The Big Fire] (Table of Contents: 19)

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

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils

Dennis Neville (signed)

Inks

Dennis Neville (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hurry up, Shorty, or we'll be late.

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Tommy Crane (crippled boy); un-named apartment building janitor (villain)

Synopsis

Slam and Shorty help rescue people from a burning apartment building.

Reprints

• in Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 38 (DC, 2000 series) (April 2000)
• in Detective Comics 38 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2020 series) ([May] 2020)

Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines! (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

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

Pick Your Prize (Table of Contents: 21) (Expand) /

Lancaster County Seed Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

A Sensational Offer to Readers of Detective Comics (Table of Contents: 22) (Expand) /

Book Coupon Exchange / advertisement / 1 page (report information)