Volume: 2
Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1938-12-05
Editing: Vin Sullivan (credited as Vincent A. Sullivan) (editor)
Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #23 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

[The Ski Murder]
(Table of Contents)

Speed Saunders / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Characters:

Issue Data

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

Indexer Notes

On sale date from the publication date and volume number found at the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, New Series, Volume 34, 1939, Number 1. Second class permit. Copyright number 495350.

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

Fun Comics; Action Comics; Adventure Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.7 page

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

credits, title page / 0.3 page

Script:
?
Letters:
typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

The Ski Murder
(Table of Contents: 3)

Speed Saunders / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Inks:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
Characters:
Margot Lee (introduction); Joe French (dies)
Synopsis:
While on vacation Saunders meets a girl who used to run with a gang. And there's a dead body.
Reprints (1)

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 4)

Crime Never Pays / cartoon / 0.67 page

Script:
?
Pencils:
?
Inks:
?
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:non-fiction; crime
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Criminals Fear the Microscope!
Characters:
Allan Pinkerton
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Four unrelated fact panels.

Here's A Knockout Gift For Christmas!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 5)

Model Airplane News / advertisement / 0.33 page

[The Corpse in the Car Trunk]
(Table of Contents: 6)

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)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery; crime
Characters:
Baron Pakloff (introduction, villain); Lord and Lady Ashley (introductions)
Synopsis:
Larry is mistakenly accused of murdering one of Lord Ashley's servants.
Reprints (1)

Nuggets of Lead
(Table of Contents: 7)

Buck Marshall / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
? (red tones)
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; western-frontier
Characters:
The Sheriff; Ned Forbes (dead body); Spencer (villain, introduction)
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

story in black, white, and red

[The Zombie Killers]
(Table of Contents: 8)

The Crimson Avenger / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Jim Chambers (credited)
Inks:
Jim Chambers (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:In the offices of the Union Leader...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
"The Boss" (villain, introduction); his zombies (introduction); Red Nelson; Little Joe; Linda Perry
Synopsis:
The Boss uses zombies to try to wipe out his underworld rivals.
Reprints (1)

Gamblers Waterloo
(Table of Contents: 9)

Bruce Nelson / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Tom Hickey (credited)
Inks:
Tom Hickey (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery; adventure
Characters:
The XYZ Gang (introduction, villains); Big Pete Rines (introduction); Pop Barris; Prof. Grigson
Synopsis:
At the homecoming game Bruce Nelson uncovers a gambling ring.
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

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

Railroad Riddle
(Table of Contents: 10)

text story / 1.62 pages

Script:
Gardner Fox (credited as Paul Dean)
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
Characters:
Harvey Gray (railroad president)
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Text story with illustrations.

Be Popular With Your Friends!!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 11)

H. May / advertisement / 0.05 page

Special Christmas Offer
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 12)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page

[The Celebrity Deaths]
(Table of Contents: 13)

Spy / comic story / 8 pages

Script:
Jerry Siegel (credited)
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; spy; detective-mystery
Characters:
Dr. LaForge (introduction, villain); Rutsky
Synopsis:
A murderer is disguising his work as heart attacks.
Reprints (1)

[The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 7]
(Table of Contents: 14)

Fu Manchu / comic story / 2 pages

Script:
Sax Rohmer (credited) (original author)
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:adventure; crime
Characters:
Dr. Fu Manchu; Sir Dennis Nayland Smith; Dr. Petrie; Inspector Ryman
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Adapted from The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer.

The strip appeared in newspapers in 1930 and 1931.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 15)

Kops and Robbers / cartoon / 0.67 page

Script:
Bob Kane (signed)
Pencils:
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks:
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Could I interest you in a lifetime subscription?
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Four unrelated gag panels.

The balance of this page is taken up by the Statement of Ownership.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 16)

statement of ownership / 0.33 page

Script:
Letters:
typeset

[Wilson Stamp Sales; A Great Lady]
(Table of Contents: 17)

Stamp Collectors' Corner / Stamp Detective / Detective Stamp Page / text article / 0.7 page

Script:
?
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:non-fiction

Indexer Notes

Page includes several small ads from stamps dealers.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 18)

Brownie Stamps; Capital Stamps; Daub Stamps; Midwood Stamps; Mortimer Ellis Stamps; Roberts Stamps / advertisement / 0.3 page

[The Many Murder Attempts of McQuade]
(Table of Contents: 19)

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:
? (red tones)
Letters:
  • Genre:adventure; crime; detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:A lone figure walks down a quiet street at night...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
McQuade (introduction, villain); Leroy
Synopsis:
A man rings Cosmo's door in the middle of the night and claims someone wants to murder him. So Cosmo takes his place.
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

story in red, white, and black

[In Two Billion A.D., Part 1]
(Table of Contents: 20)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 13 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:In the course of one of their routine cases...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Prof. Kenton (introduction); bird-man; plant-man; flower-man
Synopsis:
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.
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

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

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 21)

Detective Puzzles / activity / 0.67 page

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
Reprints (1)

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 22)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 23)

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

my.comics.org
Tracked in 21 collections.
Issue at www.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. [The Ski Murder]
    Speed Saunders
  2. ["Chee I hit th' jack-pot this time!"]
    Fun Comics; Action Comics; Adventure Comics
  3. [no title indexed]
  4. The Ski Murder
    Speed Saunders
  5. ["Criminals Fear the Microscope!"]
    Crime Never Pays
  6. Here's A Knockout Gift For Christmas!
    Model Airplane News
  7. [The Corpse in the Car Trunk]
    Larry Steele
  8. Nuggets of Lead
    Buck Marshall
  9. [The Zombie Killers]
    The Crimson Avenger
  10. Gamblers Waterloo
    Bruce Nelson
  11. Railroad Riddle
  12. Be Popular With Your Friends!!
    H. May
  13. Special Christmas Offer
  14. [The Celebrity Deaths]
    Spy
  15. [The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 7]
    Fu Manchu
  16. ["Could I interest you in a lifetime subscription?"]
    Kops and Robbers
  17. [no title indexed]
  18. [Wilson Stamp Sales; A Great Lady]
    Stamp Collectors' Corner / Stamp Detective / Detective Stamp Page
  19. [no title indexed]
    Brownie Stamps; Capital Stamps; Daub Stamps; Midwood Stamps; Mortimer Ellis Stamps; Roberts Stamps
  20. [The Many Murder Attempts of McQuade]
    Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise
  21. [In Two Billion A.D., Part 1]
    Slam Bradley
  22. [no title indexed]
    Detective Puzzles
  23. ["The following are the names of the winners..."]
  24. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • David Banuelos
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Keith Chandler
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Bob Hughes
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • Matthew Peets
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Van Dore
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