Detective Comics, #38
Published: April 1940
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Issue Contents:
Robin - The Boy Wonder
"The sensational character-find of 1940..."
Characters
Credits
- Pencils: Bob Kane
- Inks: Jerry Robinson
Story Notes
Inside front cover.
Robin the Boy Wonder (1)
"The Batman. That amazing, weird figure of night, at last takes under his protecting mantle an ally in his relentless fight against crime..."
Storyline
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.
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)
Credits
- Script: Bill Finger
- Pencils: Bob Kane
- Inks: Jerry Robinson
- Letters: Jerry Robinson
Story Notes
The splash page replicates the cover.
Phono-Post Stamps; New Values Needed (1)
Story Notes
Page includes many small ads from stamps dealers.
The Electrical Assassin (1)
"Early evening... great tentacles of electricity splotch the sky above Washington, D.C. to the accompaniment of ominous rumbles of thunder..."
Storyline
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.
Characters
- Bart Regan
- Chick Cavanaugh (Secret Service agent, death)
- Nell Johnson (villain, death)
- Carter (villain, a scientist, death)
Credits
- Script: Jerry Siegel
- Pencils: Maurice Kashuba
- Inks: Maurice Kashuba
Dr. Hydkil (1)
"Red Logan, ace reporter of the Times Courier, and his friend Ivan take an evening stroll through one of London's side streets."
Storyline
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!
Characters
- Red Logan
- Ivan
- Inspector Enright
- Simpson (Policeman)
- Mitchell (Policeman)
- Archie (Times Courier employee)
- Dr. Hydkil (villain)
- Gluko (villain, Hydkil's assistant)
Phoney Jewel Robbery (1)
"It is the opening night of the opera, all society is present, including the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Duprey..."
Storyline
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.
Characters
- The Crimson Avenger [Lee Travis]
- Wing
- Mrs. Duprey
- Mac (Globe-Leader reporter)
- Mike (Policeman)
- Mr. Duprey (villain)
- "Gimpy" Malone (villain)
- Joe Scalponi (villain)
Credits
- Script: Jack Lehti
- Pencils: Jack Lehti
- Inks: Jack Lehti
No. 1 - Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy Air Rifle for Your Birthday
Amazing New Printing Press
Storyline
Ad by Peck Brothers.
"Ahchoo!"
Boys Build This Cape Cod Cottage
The Kidnaped Singer
"Speed enjoys a night at the Social Theater..."
Storyline
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.
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)
Credits
- Script: Gardner Fox
- Pencils: Fred Guardineer
- Inks: Fred Guardineer
- Letters: Fred Guardineer
Story 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 (1)
"Hello, Chief. Hear you're having trouble cleaning up the gambling and policy rackets."
Storyline
Steve makes the discovery that the city's criminal rackets are being financed by the Police Commissioner.
Characters
- Steve Malone
- Chief of Police Runyan
- Happy (Malone's secretary)
- Butch Smaltz (villain)
- un-named Police Commissioner (villain)
- Butch (villain)
At the Arctic Circle (1)
"Cliff Crosby and Dr. Broussard, famous explorers, are now at the Arctic Circle."
Storyline
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!
Characters
- Cliff Crosby
- Dr. Broussard
- Aga (Kingdom Chief)
- Sabu (villain, phony Kingdom Chief)
- Sengi (villain)
Credits
- Script: Chad Grothkopf
- Pencils: Chad Grothkopf
- Inks: Chad Grothkopf
- Letters: Chad Grothkopf
The Case of the Vanishing Train
Credits
- Script: Ayumu Satou
G-Boy Repeating Toy Cap Pistol
Story Notes
Sold by St. Louis Pistols & Caps, Inc.
Earn Big Money!
Boys Earn Money and Big Prizes
The Big Fire (1)
"Hurry up, Shorty, or we'll be late."
Storyline
Slam and Shorty help rescue people from a burning apartment building.
Characters
- Slam Bradley
- Shorty Morgan
- Tommy Crane (crippled boy)
- un-named apartment building janitor (villain)
Credits
- Script: Jerry Siegel
- Pencils: Dennis Neville
- Inks: Dennis Neville
Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines!
Characters
- Superman [Clark Kent]
- Sandman [Wesley Dodds]
- Batman [Bruce Wayne]
- Ultra-Man
- The Spectre
- The Flash [Jay Garrick]
Story Notes
Promo for the "Big Six" comic magazines: Action Comics featuring Superman, Detective Comics featuring The Batman, Adventure Comics featuring The Sandman, All-American Comics featuring Ultra-Man, More Fun Comics featuring The Spectre, and Flash Comics featuring The Flash.
Pick Your Prize
Story Notes
Inside back cover.
A Sensational Offer to Readers of Detective Comics
Story Notes
Ad for the Complete Works of Shakespeare and other volumes by other famous authors. Back cover.