Detective Comics, #38

Published: April 1940

No Cover Image Available

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Issue Contents:
Robin - The Boy Wonder

Story Featuring Batman

"The sensational character-find of 1940..."

Credits
Robin the Boy Wonder

Story Featuring Batman

"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.

Credits
Story Notes

The splash page replicates the cover.

The Electrical Assassin

"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.

Dr. Hydkil

"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!

Credits
Phoney Jewel Robbery

"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.

Credits
No. 1 - Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
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.

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

"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.

Credits
At the Arctic Circle

"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!

The Case of the Vanishing Train
Credits
The Big Fire

Story Featuring Slam Bradley

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

Storyline

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

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.

Pick Your Prize
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines!
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.

Boys Earn Money and Big Prizes
Boys Build This Cape Cod Cottage

"Ahchoo!"

Amazing New Printing Press
Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy Air Rifle for Your Birthday
Phono-Post Stamps
Story Notes

Page includes many small ads from stamps dealers.

Ad Featuring Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog

Story Notes

Inside front cover.

Earn Big Money!
G-Boy Repeating Toy Cap Pistol

Ad Featuring G-Boy Repeating Cap Pistol

Story Notes

Sold by St. Louis Pistols & Caps, Inc.