Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1940-03-06
Editing: Whitney Ellsworth (uncredited)
Cover Thumbnail for Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #38 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

Robin - The Boy Wonder
(Table of Contents)

Batman and Robin / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:The sensational character-find of 1940...
Characters:
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
Reprints (26)

Issue Data

Indexer Notes

The on-sale date is the publication date reported in the U. S. Copyright Office filing found at the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, New Series, Volume 35, 1940, Number 2. Class B periodical. Copyright number B 449539.

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

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

[Robin the Boy Wonder]
(Table of Contents: 2)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 12 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:The Batman. That amazing, weird figure of night, at last takes under his protecting mantle an ally in his relentless fight against crime...
  • Keywords:Gotham City; Haly Circus; slingshot; Wayne Manor
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)
Synopsis:
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.
Reprints (26)

Indexer Notes

The splash page replicates the cover.

[Phono-Post Stamps]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 3)

Detective Stamp Page / advertisement / 1 page

[The Electrical Assassin]
(Table of Contents: 4)

Spy / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure; spy; detective-mystery
  • Feature Logo:Spy [P overlapping Y]
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Early evening... great tentacles of electricity splotch the sky above Washington, D.C. to the accompaniment of ominous rumbles of thunder...
  • Keywords:Capitol; Washington
Characters:
Bart Regan; Chick Cavanaugh (Secret Service agent, death); Nell Johnson (villain, death); Carter (villain, a scientist, death)
Synopsis:
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.
Reprints (2)

[Dr. Hydkil]
(Table of Contents: 5)

Red Logan / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:adventure
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Red Logan, ace reporter of the Times Courier, and his friend Ivan take an evening stroll through one of London's side streets.
Characters:
Red Logan; Ivan; Inspector Enright; Simpson (Policeman); Mitchell (Policeman); Archie (Times Courier employee); Dr. Hydkil (villain); Gluko (villain, Hydkil's assistant)
Synopsis:
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!
Reprints (2)

[Phoney Jewel Robbery]
(Table of Contents: 6)

The Crimson Avenger / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Jack Lehti (signed)
Pencils:
Jack Lehti (signed)
Inks:
Jack Lehti (signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:It is the opening night of the opera, all society is present, including the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Duprey...
Characters:
The Crimson Avenger [Lee Travis]; Wing; Mrs. Duprey; Mac (Globe-Leader reporter); Mike (Policeman); Mr. Duprey (villain); "Gimpy" Malone (villain); Joe Scalponi (villain)
Synopsis:
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.
Reprints (2)

No. 1 - Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 7)

Detective Comics Monthly Book Review / in-house column / 0.75 page

Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy Air Rifle for Your Birthday
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 8)

Daisy Air Rifles / Daisy B-B Guns / advertisement / 0.25 page

Amazing New Printing Press
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 9)

Little Man Printing Press / advertisement / 0.5 page

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

Uncle Otto / comic story / 0.17 page

Script:
?
Pencils:
?
Inks:
?
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:humor
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Ahchoo!
Reprints (1)

Boys Build This Cape Cod Cottage
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 11)

Miniature Homes / advertisement / 0.33 page

The Kidnaped Singer
(Table of Contents: 12)

Speed Saunders / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:detective-mystery
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)
Synopsis:
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.
Reprints (2)

Indexer 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]
(Table of Contents: 13)

Steve Malone / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Don Lynch (signed)
Inks:
Don Lynch (signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Hello, Chief. Hear you're having trouble cleaning up the gambling and policy rackets.
Characters:
Steve Malone; Chief of Police Runyan; Happy (Malone's secretary); Butch Smaltz (villain); un-named Police Commissioner (villain); Butch (villain)
Synopsis:
Steve makes the discovery that the city's criminal rackets are being financed by the Police Commissioner.
Reprints (2)

[At the Arctic Circle]
(Table of Contents: 14)

Cliff Crosby / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
  • Genre:adventure
  • Feature Logo:Cliff Crosby
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Cliff Crosby and Dr. Broussard, famous explorers, are now at the Arctic Circle.
Characters:
Cliff Crosby; Dr. Broussard; Aga (Kingdom Chief); Sabu (villain, phony Kingdom Chief); Sengi (villain)
Synopsis:
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!
Reprints (2)

The Case of the Vanishing Train
(Table of Contents: 15)

text story / 1.34 pages

Script:
Richard Martin (credited)
Letters:
typeset
  • Genre:detective-mystery
Reprints (1)

G-Boy Repeating Toy Cap Pistol
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 16)

G-Boy Repeating Cap Pistol / advertisement / 0.08 page

Earn Big Money!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 17)

Wehman Laugh League / advertisement / 0.08 page

Boys Earn Money and Big Prizes
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 18)

Crowell / Crowell-Collier Publishing Company Magazines / advertisement / 0.5 page

[The Big Fire]
(Table of Contents: 19)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 10 pages

Script:
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
  • Genre:detective-mystery
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Hurry up, Shorty, or we'll be late.
Characters:
Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Tommy Crane (crippled boy); un-named apartment building janitor (villain)
Synopsis:
Slam and Shorty help rescue people from a burning apartment building.
Reprints (2)

Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 20)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page

Pick Your Prize
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 21)

Lancaster County Seeds / advertisement / 1 page

A Sensational Offer to Readers of Detective Comics
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 22)

Book Coupon Exchange Giant Library / advertisement / 1 page

my.comics.org
Tracked in 34 collections.
Issue at www.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. Robin - The Boy Wonder
    Batman and Robin
  2. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
  3. [Robin the Boy Wonder]
    Batman and Robin
  4. [Phono-Post Stamps]
    Detective Stamp Page
  5. [The Electrical Assassin]
    Spy
  6. [Dr. Hydkil]
    Red Logan
  7. [Phoney Jewel Robbery]
    The Crimson Avenger
  8. No. 1 - Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
    Detective Comics Monthly Book Review
  9. Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy Air Rifle for Your Birthday
    Daisy Air Rifles / Daisy B-B Guns
  10. Amazing New Printing Press
    Little Man Printing Press
  11. ["Ahchoo!"]
    Uncle Otto
  12. Boys Build This Cape Cod Cottage
    Miniature Homes
  13. The Kidnaped Singer
    Speed Saunders
  14. [The Gambler's Protector]
    Steve Malone
  15. [At the Arctic Circle]
    Cliff Crosby
  16. The Case of the Vanishing Train
  17. G-Boy Repeating Toy Cap Pistol
    G-Boy Repeating Cap Pistol
  18. Earn Big Money!
    Wehman Laugh League
  19. Boys Earn Money and Big Prizes
    Crowell / Crowell-Collier Publishing Company Magazines
  20. [The Big Fire]
    Slam Bradley
  21. Six Big Headline Features for the "Big Six" Comic Magazines!
  22. Pick Your Prize
    Lancaster County Seeds
  23. A Sensational Offer to Readers of Detective Comics
    Book Coupon Exchange Giant Library
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • mcomics
  • David Banuelos
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Craig Delich
  • Lionel English
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • R. S. Martin
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • John Monagle
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Matthew Peets
  • Antonio Pontes Junior
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Van Dore
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