Publishers / DC / Action Comics (1938) / #13
13June 1939
$0.10

Action Comics #13

DC · June 1939 · on sale 1939-04-24

First appearance: The Ultra-Humanite
How to read this file
  • Every claim on this page traces to a public bibliographic record; the sources are listed at the bottom of the file.
  • A first-appearance badge means this is the earliest non-flashback appearance on record in this database.
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Identification plate

Series
Action Comics (DC, 1938 series)
Issue
#13
Publication date
June 1939
Key date
1939-06-00
On-sale date
1939-04-24
Indicia publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Price
$0.10
Pages
68

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of The Ultra-Humanite - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Contents

SeqStoryTypePagesCreditsCharacters
0-cover1pencils: Wayne Boring; inks: Wayne BoringClark Kent, Superman
2Superman vs. the Cab Protective Leaguecomic story12.87script: Jerry Siegel; pencils: Joe Shuster; inks: Joe ShusterClark Kent, Superman, The Ultra-Humanite First
3-promo (ad from the publisher)0.13
4The Ibor Jewel Cursecomic story6pencils: Will Ely; inks: Will ElyRusty James, Scoop Scanlon
5The Journey Home, Part 1comic story6script: Gardner Fox; pencils: Gene Baxter; inks: Gene BaxterPep Morgan
6Test Flighttext story1.8pencils: Fred Guardineer; inks: Fred GuardineerBarry Smith; Brick Denton; Johnson
10Episode 13comic story4pencils: Sven Elvén; inks: Sven Elvén; letters: Sven ElvenMarco Polo
11-promo (ad from the publisher)1pencils: Joe Shuster, Leo O'Mealia; inks: Joe Shuster, Leo O'MealiaSuperman
12The Ace of Spadescomic story10script: Ken Fitch; pencils: Bernard Baily; inks: Bernard Baily; letters: Bernard BailyBob Daley, Tex Thomson
13On a Malay Tiger Hunt; The Old Man of the Jungle; Stamp Odditiestext article1.6
15The 4-G Gang, Part 13comic story6pencils: Homer Fleming; inks: Homer FlemingChuck Dawson
16The Swamp of Satancomic story12script: Gardner Fox; pencils: Fred Guardineer; inks: Fred GuardineerTong, Zatara
17Detective Comicspromo (ad from the publisher)0.05colors: ? (red & black letters); letters: typeset
18Everett Horton, Sam Hindscomic story0.7pencils: Gill Fox; inks: Gill FoxEdward Everett Horton; Sam Hinds
20All-American Comics; Movie Comicspromo (ad from the publisher)1letters: typeset

Plus 2.85 pages of advertisements and other matter across 7 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

CollectionYear
Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn]
ISBN 0517551004
1983On eBay ›
Superman: The Action Comics Archives #1
ISBN 1-56389-335-5
1998On eBay ›
The Superman Chronicles #1
ISBN 1-4012-0764-2
2006On eBay ›
Superman: Cover to Cover #[nn]
ISBN 1-4012-0770-7; 978-1-4012-0770-0
2006On eBay ›
Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1
ISBN 978-1-4012-4189-6
2013On eBay ›
Superman in Action Comics #1
ISBN 1-55859-595-3
1993On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

  • Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
  • Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
  • Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

Sources

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com