Detective Comics #29

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The table includes 4 guide observations and 1 catalog references. These are reference values, not guaranteed sale proceeds.

Graded population

CGC records 91 graded copies for Detective Comics #29 (1939). Population is the number recorded by this grading source, not the total print run or all surviving copies.

The Batman Meets Doctor Death

In his study, Doctor Death) announces to his servant Jabah) that he has completed his laboratory experiments. His method of death by pollen extract will be used to hold hostage the world's wealthy until they pay tribute to him. Doctor Death knows that this crime will attract attention from the Batman). He decides to kill the Batman preemptively. Nobody knows the Batmann's secret identity, so they place a personal ad in the newspaper. Bruce Wayne reads this ad, which tells him to pick up a letter from the post office under the name John Jones. The letter announces the time and location of a murder Doctor Death plans to commit that night.

Returning home, Bruce Wayne gathers the equipment he needs to become the Batman. He puts glass pellets of choking gas into his belt compartment. He also carries suction gloves and knee pads to help him climb the building. The Batman drives to the crime scene in his automobile and scales the side of the building with his rope and suction cups. When he enters through the window, two thugs ambush him with guns. They underestimate his agility and he knocks a statue over on top of them. Then while they're both on the ground, he punches them a whole bunch of times... in the face! They refuse to give up their employer, and the Batman threatens to murder them if they don't talk. Jabah enters with a gun and shoots the Batman in the chest. Despite this wound, the Batman is able to escape by throwing a pellet of choking gas and leaping out the window.

Bruce Wayne places an ad in the newspaper, announcing that the Batman accepts Doctor Death's challenge. He visits the family doctor, who is surprised to see him with a bullet wound. Bruce laughs off the doctor's questions and does not explain how he got it.

Doctor Death is furious that his underlings have failed him. He sends Jabah to kill a man named John P. Van Smith who refuses to pay his tribute. Bruce Wayne coincidentally sees Jabah while driving down the street, and follows him. Jabah blows poison at Smith and escapes, but Bruce Wayne saves the man's life. Bruce follows Jabah back to Doctor Death's hideout, and returns as the Batman.

The Batman breaks through Doctor Death's window with a glass cutter. He instantly takes down Jabah by choking him with his lasso. Doctor Death escapes through a trap door in the ground, but the Batman follows him through it. Doctor Death runs back upstairs, and realizes that he is cornered. Returning to his laboratory, Doctor Death grabs his chemicals, to throw at the Batman, but Batman grabs a fire extinguisher and throws it at Doctor Death, which makes his chemicals fall on the floor, where they ignite a terrible blaze, and the entire laboratory goes up in flames. Doctor Death stands in the fire and laughs at the Batman for being a fool. The Batman remarks that Doctor Death is the poor fool, having gone completely mad. Doctor Death dies in the fire, or so it seems. | Appearing1 = **Featured Characters:** * The Batman) **Antagonists:** * Doctor Death) ** Jabah) **Other Characters:** * John P. Van Smith **Locations:** * New York City ** Wayne Manor **Items:** * Batrope * Batsuit * Utility Belt **Vehicles:** * Bruce Wayne's Red Sedan

| Writer2_1 = Will Ely | Penciler2_1 = Will Ely | Inker2_1 = Will Ely | Colorist2_1 = | Letterer2_1 = | Editor2_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle2 = Larry Steele, Private Detective: "The Murder of Ace Mullins" | Synopsis2 = | Appearing2 = **Featured Characters:** * Larry Steele) **Antagonists:** * Jake * crook **Other Characters:** * Ace Mullins

| Writer3_1 = Jerry Siegel | Penciler3_1 = Mart Bailey | Inker3_1 = Mart Bailey | Colorist3_1 = | Letterer3_1 = | Editor3_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle3 = Bart Regan, Spy: "Colonel Walsh and the Coastal Defense Plans" | Synopsis3 = | Appearing3 = **Featured Characters:** * Bart Regan) **Supporting Characters:** * Jack Steele **Antagonists:** * Chief * Rita Mason **Other Characters:** * Colonel Francis Walsh * Major General Criley

| Writer4_1 = Jim Chambers | Penciler4_1 = Jim Chambers | Inker4_1 = Jim Chambers | Colorist4_1 = | Letterer4_1 = | Editor4_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle4 = The Crimson Avenger: "The McNeal Kidnappers" | Synopsis4 = At night, a car dropped of a man named Joe who was carrying money at a house, where his associate Lou was waiting for him. Lou and Joe also held a man named McNeal in the house and considered executing him, but decided not to as federal agents were already monitoring them. Hank, an employee at the Globe-Leader informed Lee Travis) that McNeal was returned to his home unharmed. Later, McNeal went to the office to be interviewed by the Globe-Leader. A police officer asked Lee not to print McNeal's testimony until he gave his approval. Lee and Wing) decided to go to the country to hunt kidnappers under the guise that they were going on vacation. Lee drove to a farm in an old truck, disguised as a peddler and offered to sell Jed, the owner, and his wife new curtains. Lee entered the house to take the old curtains and found a man hiding behind them. Meanwhile, Lou and Joe emerged and restrained Lee, then lit a fire. When Wing saw the burning house, he rushed to it, saved Lee, and gave him his Crimson Avenger disguise. The Crimson Avenger emerged and got into his car with Wing to chase down the criminals. Crimson eventually caught up to the criminals and sprayed their car full of gas, causing them to drive off of a cliff. Crimson followed the car, apprehended Joe and Lou, and anonymously informed the police over phone. | Appearing4 = **Featured Characters:** * Crimson Avenger) **Supporting Characters:** * Wing) **Antagonists:** * Lou * Joe * Hymie * 2 unnamed bandits **Other Characters:** * Jed * Jed's wife * McNeal * Ed * Hank * New York City Police Department **Locations:** * New York City ** Globe Leader, newspaper office

| Writer5_1 = | Penciler5_1 = Fred Guardineer | Inker5_1 = Fred Guardineer | Colorist5_1 = | Letterer5_1 = | Editor5_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle5 = Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator: "The Perfect Crime" | Synopsis5 = | Appearing5 = **Featured Characters:** * Speed Saunders) **Antagonists:** * Oldbourne **Other Characters:** * John Brent **Locations:** * New York City **Items:** * dictophone

| Writer6_1 = Tom Hickey | Penciler6_1 = Tom Hickey | Inker6_1 = Tom Hickey | Colorist6_1 = | Letterer6_1 = | Editor6_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle6 = Bruce Nelson: "The New Orleans Mardi Gras Murder, Part 3" | Synopsis6 = Bruce Nelson continues to investigate Lili Gravet's murder. The butler did it. | Appearing6 = **Featured Characters:** * Bruce Nelson) **Supporting Characters:** * Ed Lane **Antagonists:** * Anthony **Other Characters:** * Don Hernandez Covina * Maria Tonelli * Lili Gravet **Locations:** * New Orleans, Louisiana

| Writer7_1 = Sven Elven | Penciler7_1 = Sven Elven | Inker7_1 = Sven Elven | Colorist7_1 = | Letterer7_1 = | Editor7_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle7 = Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise: "The Avenger" | Synopsis7 = The insane Professor Salvini adopts a mystery identity as "the Avenger" and uses a disintegrator ray to destroy a church, killing thousands of people. He soon destroys a battleship, and an important dam, before Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise, tracks him down. In their clash, a freak accident causes the ray to destroy itself, and its inventor along with it. | Appearing7 = **Featured Characters:** * Cosmo), the Phantom of Disguise **Antagonists:** * Professor Salvini, aka The Avenger **Other Characters:** * Dean Hollyday * Inspector Grey **Items:** * Salvini's Disintegrator Ray

| Writer8_1 = Jerry Siegel | Penciler8_1 = Joe Shuster | Inker8_1 = Joe Shuster | Colorist8_1 = | Letterer8_1 = | Editor8_1 = Vincent Sullivan | StoryTitle8 = Slam Bradley versus "Chang and Hiaroto" | Synopsis8 = | Appearing8 = **Featured Characters:** * Slam Bradley) **Supporting Characters:** * Shorty Morgan) **Antagonists:** * Chang * Hiaroto **Other Characters:** * Betty Clark * Charles Clark * Hawaiian chief **Locations:** * Hawaii * Cleveland

| Notes = * Published monthly by Detective Comics, Inc. * **Bart Regan, Spy:** ** Sally Norris) does not appear in this issue's story. ** Starting this issue, Joe Shuster is replaced by Mart Bailey. * **Batman:** ** "The Batman Meets Doctor Death" is reprinted in Batman Archives, Volume 1), Batman Chronicles Vol 1 (Collected) and Batman: From the 30's to the 70's (Collected). ** The hero's name begins to be spelled "Batman" this issue. ** This is Doctor Karl Helfern, a.k.a. Doctor Death's, first appearance. He appears next in Detective Comics Vol 1 30. ** The locale presented in "The Batman Meets Doctor Death" is not yet identified as Gotham City, while subsequent appearances (Detective Comics Vol 1 33, et. al.) call it New York City. This continues until Batman Vol 1 4 (Dec 1940). ** Batman gets his first bullet wound, in the arm. ** Batman strangles Jabah to death. * **Buck Marshall** by Homer Fleming is absent this issue, but returns next issue. * In this issue's **Cosmo** story, the Avenger inflicts thousands of civilian casualties, and destroys an important dam. Afterward this is never mentioned again. * The **Crimson Avenger** drops out after this issue, until Detective Comics Vol 1 37 When it returns, Jack Lehti replaces Jim Chambers on the art. * **Larry Steele:** ** The *Larry Steele* feature returns, after a two-issue absence. The feature was last seen in Detective Comics Vol 1 26. ** "The Murder of Ace Mullins" is presented in black, white and red. * Also appearing in this issue of *Detective Comics* was: ** "A Game for Two* (text story) by Paul Dean | Trivia = * In **Slam Bradley**)'s story Shorty) mentions The Funnies comics, and DC Comics hero Superman). ** The city where this story begins is not identified; it could be either Cleveland, as in earlier issues, or New York, as in later issues. | Recommended = | Links =

Creative credits

Writers: Gardner Fox, Will Ely, Jerry Siegel, Jim Chambers, Tom Hickey, Sven Elven, Jerry Siegel

Interior art: Bob Kane, Will Ely, Mart Bailey, Jim Chambers, Fred Guardineer, Tom Hickey, Sven Elven, Joe Shuster

Source records & attribution

Panel Profits keeps each source identity attached to its edition record.

COMICBASE: comicbase:342903

GCD: 476

PANEL PROFITS: 2317278