Publishers / DC / Detective Comics (1937) / #42
42August 1940
$0.10

Detective Comics #42

DC · August 1940 · on sale 1940-07-03

First appearance: Earl of Huntingdon
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
Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series)
Issue
#42
Publication date
August 1940
Key date
1940-08-00
On-sale date
1940-07-03
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 Earl of Huntingdon - 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: Bob Kane; inks: Bob Kane, Jerry RobinsonBatman, Earl of Huntingdon First, Bruce Wayne
1Action Comics; Adventure Comics; All-American Comics; All-Star Comics; Batman; Detective Comics; Flash Comics; More Fun Comics; Supermanpromo (ad from the publisher)1
2The Case of the Prophetic Pictures!comic story13script: Bill Finger; pencils: Bob Kane; inks: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson; letters: Jerry RobinsonBatman, Commissioner James Gordon, Dick Grayson, Robin, Bruce Wayne
3Up! Up! Up!promo (ad from the publisher)1pencils: Bob Kane; inks: Jerry Robinson
4Mighty Atomscartoon0.75pencils: Sheldon Moldoff; inks: Sheldon MoldoffBitsy Grant; Tommy Bridges; Greg Rice
6The Missing Gas Maskcomic story6script: Jerry Siegel; pencils: Maurice Kashuba; inks: Maurice KashubaBart Regan
7The Jewelry Robberiescomic story6pencils: Win; inks: WinRed Logan
8Eagle Eyetext story1.45script: R. Emmet Pace; pencils: Jack Lehti; inks: Jack Lehti
10The Sandman in every issue of Adventure Comics!promo (ad from the publisher)0.05letters: typeset
13The Girl in Redcomic story6script: Jack Lehti; pencils: Jack Lehti; inks: Jack LehtiThe Crimson Avenger, Wing How, Lee Travis, Wing
14The Pyromaniaccomic story6script: Gardner Fox; pencils: Fred Guardineer; inks: Fred Guardineer; letters: Fred GuardineerSpeed Saunders
15Murder in the Seashore Inncomic story6pencils: Don Lynch; inks: Don LynchSteve Malone
16-comic story1script: Alger; pencils: Alger; inks: Alger; letters: AlgerGoofo
19An Ear in the Mailcomic story6script: Chad Grothkopf; pencils: Chad Grothkopf; inks: Chad Grothkopf; letters: Chad GrothkopfCliff Crosby
20The Gem Jewelry Companycomic story8script: Jerry Siegel; pencils: Howard Sherman; inks: Howard Sherman; letters: Howard ShermanSlam Bradley, Shorty Morgan
21-promo (ad from the publisher)0.5pencils: Sheldon Mayer; inks: Sheldon Mayer

Plus 4.25 pages of advertisements and other matter across 9 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

CollectionYear
Detective Comics #4411974On eBay ›
Batman Archives #1
ISBN 0-930289-60-9
1990On eBay ›
The Batman Chronicles #2
ISBN 1-4012-0790-1
2006On eBay ›
Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1
ISBN 978-1-4012-6009-5
2016On eBay ›
Batman: The Golden Age #1
ISBN 978-1-4012-6333-1
2016On 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