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#24
Detective Comics, #23

Published: January 1939

Cover

Detective Comics #23

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Issue Contents:
The Ski Murder (1)
1 page detective-mystery
Characters
Credits

Featuring Fun Comics; Action Comics; Adventure Comics

Story 1 1 page

"Chee I hit th' jack-pot this time!"

Storyline

Criminal robbing a safe full of comic books.

Credits
Story Notes

Inside front cover.

Story 2 0 pages
Story Notes

Inside front cover.

The Ski Murder
Story 3 6 pages adventure; detective-mystery
Storyline

While on vacation Saunders meets a girl who used to run with a gang. And there's a dead body.

Characters
  • Speed Saunders (mainstream Universe)
  • Margot Lee (introduction)
  • Joe French (dies)
Credits
Story 4 1 page non-fiction; crime

"Criminals Fear the Microscope!"

Characters
  • Allan Pinkerton
Story Notes

Four unrelated fact panels.

Here's A Knockout Gift For Christmas!
Story 5 0 pages
The Corpse in the Car Trunk (1)
Story 6 6 pages detective-mystery

"So sorry to rush off..."

Storyline

Larry is mistakenly accused of murdering one of Lord Ashley's servants.

Characters
  • Larry Steele (mainstream Universe)
  • Baron Pakloff (introduction, villain)
  • Lord and Lady Ashley (introductions)
Credits
Nuggets of Lead
Story 7 6 pages adventure; western-frontier
Characters
  • Buck Marshall (mainstream Universe)
  • The Sheriff
  • Ned Forbes (dead body)
  • Spencer (villain, introduction)
Credits
Story Notes

story in black, white, and red

The Zombie Killers (1)
Story 8 6 pages superhero

"In the offices of the Union Leader..."

Storyline

The Boss uses zombies to try to wipe out his underworld rivals.

Characters
  • The Crimson Avenger (mainstream Universe)
  • Lee Travis (mainstream Universe)
  • "The Boss" (villain, introduction)
  • his zombies (introduction)
  • Red Nelson
  • Little Joe
  • Linda Perry
Credits
Gamblers Waterloo
Story 9 6 pages detective-mystery
Storyline

At the homecoming game Bruce Nelson uncovers a gambling ring.

Characters
  • Bruce Nelson (mainstream Universe)
  • The XYZ Gang (introduction, villains)
  • Big Pete Rines (introduction)
  • Pop Barris
  • Prof. Grigson
Credits
Story Notes

Not on Bails' list of Fox stories. Does not resemble writing in Speed Saunders story at all.

Railroad Riddle
Story 10 2 pages
Characters
  • Harvey Gray (railroad president)
Credits
Story Notes

Text story with illustrations.

Be Popular With Your Friends!!

Featuring H. May

Story 11 0 pages
Storyline

Black Eye Joke (Kaleidoscope) - An Imitation Telescope

Special Christmas Offer
Story 12 0 pages
The Celebrity Deaths (1)
Story 13 8 pages adventure; spy

"A great luncheon affair..."

Storyline

A murderer is disguising his work as heart attacks.

Characters
Credits
The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 7 (1)
Story 14 2 pages adventure; crime

"Who is he sir..."

Characters
  • Dr. Fu Manchu
  • Sir Dennis Nayland Smith
  • Dr. Petrie
  • Inspector Ryman
Credits
Reprint Notes

from Dr. Fu Manchu daily (Bell Syndicate)

Story Notes

Adapted from The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer. The strip appeared in newspapers in 1930 and 1931.

Featuring Kops and Robbers

Story 15 1 page humor

"Could I interest you in a lifetime subscription?"

Credits
Story Notes

Four unrelated gag panels. The balance of this page is taken up by the Statement of Ownership.

Story 16 0 pages
Credits
Wilson Stamp Sales; A Great Lady (1)
Story 17 1 page non-fiction
Story Notes

Page includes several small ads from stamps dealers.

Story 18 0 pages
The Many Murder Attempts of McQuade (1)
Story 19 6 pages adventure; crime; detective-mystery

"A lone figure walks down a quiet street at night..."

Storyline

A man rings Cosmo's door in the middle of the night and claims someone wants to murder him. So Cosmo takes his place.

Characters
  • Cosmo (mainstream Universe)
  • McQuade (introduction, villain)
  • Leroy
Credits
Story Notes

story in red, white, and black

In Two Billion A.D., Part 1 (1)
Story 20 13 pages adventure; detective-mystery

"In the course of one of their routine cases..."

Storyline

Professor Kenton tells Slam and Shorty about the fourth dimension and then takes them for a visit to the year 2,000,000,000 A.D. in his time-flier.

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

For the first time, Wayne Boring (who may have ghosted the strip previously) is evident on inks.

Story 21 1 page
Credits
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Story 22 0 pages

"The following are the names of the winners..."

Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Story 23 1 page
Story Notes

Back cover.