Volume: 1
Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1937-02-10
Editing: Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (credited) (editor, publisher); Vin Sullivan (credited as Vincent A. Sullivan) (associate editor); Whitney Ellsworth (credited as F. Whitney Ellsworth) (associate editor)
Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #1 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents)

Bruce Nelson / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
Characters:
Sen Yoi
Reprints (4)

Indexer Notes

The art credits were verified by Vin Sullivan himself.

Issue Data

  • Indicia / Colophon Publisher: Detective Comics Inc.
  • Indicia Frequency: monthly
  • Printer: [none printed]

Indexer Notes

The on-sale date is the publication date reported to the U. S. Copyright Office.

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

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 2)

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

The River Patrol
(Table of Contents: 3)

Speed Saunders / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:
Mr. Moran (introduction); Hen Velsor (a bayman); Joe Plum (Velsor's partner); Lu; Jake; Cap'n Scum (villain, introduction); Luke (villain)
Synopsis:
Speed investigates the murder of several Chinamen along the wharf area and uncovers a human smuggling operation.
Reprints (3)

Indexer Notes

Previously credited to E.C. Stoner, based on information Jerry Bails received from Stoner's widow. Ken Quattro in his book Invisible Men, (IDW 2020) however cites earlier interviews with Stoner himself wherein he states that his first comics work was for the Chesler shop in 1939. Quattro credits this story to Creig Flessel, reversing his previous opinion from Alter Ego #118 (July 2013).

Correct story title, some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich.

[The Rhangwa Pearls]
(Table of Contents: 4)

Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Sven Elven (credited as Sven Elvén) (illustrated by)
Inks:
Sven Elven (credited as Sven Elvén) (illustrated by)
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:detective-mystery; adventure
Characters:
Captain Burke (introduction); Gregory Dillingwater (introduction); Buckley (Dillingwater's butler); unnamed Inspector; Taro [also as unnamed Policeman and butler Buckley] (villain, introduction)
Synopsis:
A millionaire that has just bought the fabulously valuable Rhangwa Pearls receives a letter from someone threatening to steal them.
Reprints (2)

Indexer Notes

Millennium Edition: Detective Comics 1 (DC, 2001 series) #[nn] credits script to Sven Elven. Bails does not list Elven as scripting anything. Writing style matches Wheeler-Nicholson. Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[The Peruvian Mine Murders, Part 1]
(Table of Contents: 5)

Bret Lawton / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:
Tim Morgan (introduction, mine owner); Jan (hotel manager); Fred Collins (Chief Engineer of Morgan's mines); Spider Malone (villain, introduction); unnamed Incan priest (villain)
Synopsis:
Confronted by a series of murders, Bret forages into the Peruvian jungles to ascertain why a hole appears in each victim's throat, but they were not shot!
Reprints (4)

Indexer Notes

Story printed in black and white.

The Claws of the Red Dragon [Part 1]
(Table of Contents: 6)

Bruce Nelson / comic story / 13 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Tom Hickey (credited, signed)
Inks:
Tom Hickey (credited, signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery; adventure
Characters:
Erick von Holtzendorff (introduction); Sigrid von Holtzendorf (introduction); Sen Yoi (introduction, villain); unnamed Chinese (villains, introduction for all)
Synopsis:
Venturing into downtown San Francisco, Bruce finds it odd to see a Chinese restaurant among the buildings, and no one to wait upon him when he enters desiring a meal. Stranger still, another couple enters and is served anything they desire. When he decides to stick around and see what develops, he and the couple are suddenly grabbed and blindfolded!
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Based on Wheeler-Nicholson's story "In the House of Fang Gow" (Street and Smith's Top-Notch, February 1933). Story continued next issue.

[The Gotlotz Jewels]
(Table of Contents: 7)

Gumshoe Gus / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
Bill Patrick (credited, signed)
Pencils:
Bill Patrick (credited, signed)
Inks:
Bill Patrick (credited, signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:humor; detective-mystery
Characters:
unnamed Police Commissioner; Mrs. Gotlotz; Reeves (butler)
Synopsis:
Gus is sent to a rich woman's home to watch over her pearls during a party and nabs a man he sees pocketing them. Unfortunately for Gus, it is the Chief!
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[The Balinoff Case, Part 1]
(Table of Contents: 8)

Spy / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery; spy
Characters:
unnamed Federal Government Chief (introduction); Olga Balinoff (villain, introduction)
Synopsis:
Bart is called on to volunteer for a secret spy case, but in doing so, he must forgo his own personal agenda, including his marriage to fiance Sally.
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Continued in the next issue.

[The Gotrox Pearls]
(Table of Contents: 9)

Eagle-Eyed Jake / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
Russell Cole (credited as Alger)
Pencils:
Russell Cole (credited as Alger)
Inks:
Russell Cole (credited as Alger)
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:adventure
Characters:
Eagle-Eyed Jake (introduction); Mrs. Gotrox (introduction); Hammock Jones (detective); Hortense
Synopsis:
Jake is called in to solve the theft of some pearls, and promptly discovers that there were no pearls in the first place!
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

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

Silly Sleuths / cartoon / 1 page

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Just 'cause he's got big feet an' a derby hat, Gus is taking a correspondence course in detecting!!
Characters:
Gus; Inspector Schmaltz; Reilly
Synopsis:
Series of four 1 panel detective-related gag cartoons.
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[The Bar S Rustlers]
(Table of Contents: 11)

Buck Marshall / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Homer Fleming (credited)
Pencils:
Homer Fleming (credited)
Inks:
Homer Fleming (credited)
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery; adventure; western-frontier
Characters:
unnamed Sheriff; Volk; Jackson; Rawhide; Slick; Sanders (villain, introduction, owner of the Bar 8 Ranch)
Synopsis:
Buck is called in to discover the truth behind some rustling charges between two cattle ranchers that have had hard feelings for each other since a land deal went bad.
Reprints (2)

Indexer Notes

Story printed in black and white. The Bar 8 Ranch is interchangeably called the Bar S Ranch throughout the story.

[The Streets of Chinatown]
(Table of Contents: 12)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 13 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:
Sergeant Kelly; Captain Frawley; Rita Carlisle (introduction, daughter of the Carlisle chain-store owner); Mimi (Rita's dog); Fui Onyui (villain, introduction); unnamed antique store owner (villain, death)
Synopsis:
The daughter of a chain-store magnate wants to hire Slam to guard her valuable poodle, and when he turns it down, Shorty volunteers.
Reprints (4)

Next Month: A Big Second Helping!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 13)

Detective Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 14)

credits, title page / 0.33 page

Script:
?
Letters:
typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

Factory to You
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 15)

Remington Typewriters / advertisement / 1 page

my.comics.org
Tracked in 25 collections.
Issue at www.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. [no title indexed]
    Bruce Nelson
  2. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
  3. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
  4. The River Patrol
    Speed Saunders
  5. [The Rhangwa Pearls]
    Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
  6. [The Peruvian Mine Murders, Part 1]
    Bret Lawton
  7. The Claws of the Red Dragon [Part 1]
    Bruce Nelson
  8. [The Gotlotz Jewels]
    Gumshoe Gus
  9. [The Balinoff Case, Part 1]
    Spy
  10. [The Gotrox Pearls]
    Eagle-Eyed Jake
  11. ["Just 'cause he's got big feet an' a derby hat, Gus is taking a correspondence course in detecting!!"]
    Silly Sleuths
  12. [The Bar S Rustlers]
    Buck Marshall
  13. [The Streets of Chinatown]
    Slam Bradley
  14. Next Month: A Big Second Helping!
    Detective Comics
  15. [no title indexed]
  16. Factory to You
    Remington Typewriters
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Craig Delich
  • Merlin Haas
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Matthias Hofmann
  • Bob Hughes
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • R. S. Martin
  • Matthew Peets
  • Antonio Pontes Junior
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Allen Ross
  • Per Sandell
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Andrew Shor
  • Jim Van Dore
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