Cover: Fred Guardineer

Detective Comics #24

Feb 1939 · DC · 0.10 USD

📊 ~59,310 copies sold its debut month

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In "Tic-Tac-Toe," Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster deliver a wild, early adventure as Slam and Shorty bounce between bizarre futures and the present, facing strange threats in a world that's anything but ordinary. The story marks one of the earliest appearances of these characters in the DC Universe, with the duo’s chaotic journey landing them in a 1938 they’re eager to escape—just as Professor Kenton offers a ride into history. The cover by Fred Guardineer captures the moment with a striking, dynamic scene that perfectly sets the tone for the issue’s offbeat energy.

Contains 11 stories

Tic-Tac-Toe

0.75 pp · Humor

CleoClancy

In this playful 1939 slice of urban life from Detective Comics #24, two beat officers trade their usual patrols for a quiet moment of mischief, slipping behind a wooden fence to pass the time with a game of Tic Tac Toe—just a little rebellion in the rhythm of their routine.

The Persian Jewel Mystery

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

Fence Borden (villain, introduction)Nora Dobson (villain, introduction)Harry Karr (villain, introduction)Syade

In "The Persian Jewel Mystery," Jo Saunders takes on a high-stakes case when the Persian consul is accused of murder, forcing the detective to rely on his sharp scientific mind to untangle the truth. With only six pages to uncover the facts, every clue becomes a puzzle in a race against time.

Untitled Humor story

1 pp · Humor, Crime

Oscar

The Model Murder Mystery, Part 1

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

Maurice Du Val (villain, introduction)Maxine Beaumont (introduction, death)Lucille Beaumont (introduction, death)Yvonne Beaumont

The Ace Foundry Sabotage

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

Radsky (villain, introduction)GordonRadsky

Subterfuge at Sea

6 pp · Adventure, Spy

Jones (villain, introduction, death)crew of the WHIRLWIND (villains, introduction, death)

The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, Part 8

4 pp · Adventure, Crime

Dr. Fu ManchuSir Dennis Nayland SmithDr. Petrie

Tony Sparta and the River Gang

6 pp · Superhero

Tony Sparta (villain, introduction)the River Gang (villains, introduction)Sin Lu (introduction)

Back from the Dead [Part 1]

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

Gentleman Jeff Virdone (villain, introduction)Officer MearsOfficer GroganOfficer Garrett

Trail of Paper

6 pp · Western-Frontier

Gene Carley (villain, introduction)The SheriffMiss Dorothy

In Two Billion A.D., Part 2

13 pp · Adventure, Detective-Mystery, Science Fiction

Iron Fingers (villain, introduction)a tyrant (villain, introduction, death)the bird-man (villain, death)the plant-man (villain, death)the orange guy (villain, introduction)Prof. Kenton

In "In Two Billion A.D., Part 2," Slam and Shorty stumble through a bizarre future teeming with strange creatures and impossible dangers, their journey pushing them to the edge of survival. After enduring the alien wonders of 2,000,000,000 A.D., they finally return to 1938—only to flee when Professor Kenton suggests a trip further back into time.