Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1938-07-06
Editing: Vin Sullivan (credited as Vincent A. Sullivan) (editor)
Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #18 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents)

Fu Manchu / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:adventure
Characters:
Dr. Fu Manchu
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Art previously credited to Leo O'Mealia. Changed per Scott Bonagofsky (April 19, 2007) based on his conversations with Creig Flessel.

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 in the U. S. Copyright Office filing.

Socko!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 1)

New Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics; Action Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page

The Hilton Diamond
(Table of Contents: 2)

Speed Saunders / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Inks:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:
John Hilton (introduction, dies); Jim Hilton; Donald Brent (villain, introduction)

Indexer Notes

Donald Brent is also called Elias Brent, as if the writer couldn't remember his name from one page to the next.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 3)

Oscar the Gumshoe / comic story / 1 page

Script:
Bob Kane (credited, signed)
Pencils:
Bob Kane (credited, signed)
Inks:
Bob Kane (credited, signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Hmm! They're reported to be hiding around this locality!
Characters:
Oscar
Synopsis:
Oscar mistakes a group of men in prison stripes for escaped convicts. In fact, they are heading for the Good Fellows Club Masquerade Ball

[Murder in Texas]
(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
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Cosmo, feeling the need of a vacation...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Jem Hawkins; Sheriff Harvey
Synopsis:
Cosmo takes a vacation out west and gets involved in a case when his friend Sheriff Harvey is accused of murder.

[The Maine Castle Mystery, Part 2]
(Table of Contents: 5)

Larry Steele / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)
Pencils:
Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)
Inks:
Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery; crime
Characters:
Bill Graham; Vera Sanders; The Boss (villain); his gang (villains)

Indexer Notes

story in black and white

[The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 2]
(Table of Contents: 6)

Fu Manchu / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
Leo O'Mealia (signed as L)
Sax Rohmer (credited) (original author)
Pencils:
Leo O'Mealia (signed as L)
Inks:
Leo O'Mealia (signed as L)
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
  • Feature Logo:Doctor Fu Manchu!
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Put that back, old man...
Characters:
Nayland Smith; Fu Manchu; Dr. Petrie
Reprints (0)
  • from Dr. Fu Manchu daily (Bell Syndicate)

Indexer Notes

Adaptation of The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer.

The daily strip ran in newspapers in 1930 and 1931.

Death's Ruby
(Table of Contents: 7)

Spy / comic story / 8 pages

Script:
Jerry Siegel (credited as Siegel)
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited as Shuster)
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited as Shuster)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery; spy
Characters:
Captain Grimm (flashback); Akmet and two enemy spies (villains, one dies; introduction for all); Maharaja Kahoon (introduction)
Synopsis:
Bart proposes to Sally.

The Golden Key
(Table of Contents: 8)

text story / 2 pages

Script:
Vin Sullivan (credited as Paul Dean)
Pencils:
Fred Guardineer (illustrations)
Inks:
Fred Guardineer (illustrations)
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:The phone at Tom Lawton's elbow rang loudly and...
Characters:
Detective Tom Lawton; Henry Burroughs; Arnold Lansing (villain)
Synopsis:
Detective Lawton investigates the theft of a valuable painting.

Indexer Notes

Text story with two illustrations.

The Coolie Smugglers, Part II
(Table of Contents: 9)

Bruce Nelson / comic story / 12 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Tom Hickey (credited) (signed as TH)
Inks:
Tom Hickey (credited) (signed as TH)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Nelson brought the plane to a stop out on the open veldt.
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Ungi, the big Zulu; Captain Carstairs (villain)

[The Lavalle Case]
(Table of Contents: 10)

Steve Malone / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:
Gini Desalle (villain, introduction); Therese Lavalle; Officer Dugan

Indexer Notes

Story in black and white.

In an interview in Alter Ego #20 (June 2003), Fox states this was his first comic story, sold in March 1938.

Compare the art with the signed Steve Malone story in Adventure Comics #38 (May 1939).

[In the Stratosphere]
(Table of Contents: 11)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 13 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Slam and Shorty are taking a spin...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Sgt. Gage; Prof. Barton (introduction); Prof. James; Miss James; Knife Morley (villain, introduction)
Synopsis:
Slam and Shorty encounter a strange rocket shaped plane being flown by a girl. It turns out to be an invention that two scientists are fighting over.

Indexer Notes

story title from next issue blurb in previous issue

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 12)

Detective Puzzles / activity / 1 page

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Dick Sharp the clever G-Boy was able to...

Indexer Notes

inside back cover

Broadcast thru Your Radio Talk - Sing - Play
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 13)

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

my.comics.org
Tracked in 20 collections.
Issue at www.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. [no title indexed]
    Fu Manchu
  2. Socko!
    New Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics; Action Comics
  3. The Hilton Diamond
    Speed Saunders
  4. ["Hmm! They're reported to be hiding around this locality!"]
    Oscar the Gumshoe
  5. [Murder in Texas]
    Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
  6. [The Maine Castle Mystery, Part 2]
    Larry Steele
  7. [The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 2]
    Fu Manchu
  8. Death's Ruby
    Spy
  9. The Golden Key
  10. The Coolie Smugglers, Part II
    Bruce Nelson
  11. [The Lavalle Case]
    Steve Malone
  12. [In the Stratosphere]
    Slam Bradley
  13. ["Dick Sharp the clever G-Boy was able to..."]
    Detective Puzzles
  14. Broadcast thru Your Radio Talk - Sing - Play
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • David Banuelos
  • Keith Chandler
  • Bill Devine
  • Merlin Haas
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Bob Hughes
  • Hunter Johnson
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • R. S. Martin
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Lindsey Naumann
  • Matthew Peets
  • Hyju Rocket
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Van Dore
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