But for now enjoy today’s atmospheric, landmark, Dr. 13 debut / origin, from the Nov '51 issue of Star Spangled Comics #122.
Want to see more Dr. Thirteen stories? Let me know!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
I Talked With the Dead!
Dr. Terry Thirteen, or Doctor Thirteen (aka Dr. 13), "The Ghost-Breaker" first appeared in DC’s Star Spangled Comics in 1951, and lasted for only nine Golden Age cover story appearances total. But he later returned in the Silver Age to help out his bud the Phantom Stranger in debunking the supernatural (where applicable), plus many other modern day resurrections as well, before finally getting killed off (for additional D13 info please click HERE.)
But for now enjoy today’s atmospheric, landmark, Dr. 13 debut / origin, from the Nov '51 issue of Star Spangled Comics #122.
But for now enjoy today’s atmospheric, landmark, Dr. 13 debut / origin, from the Nov '51 issue of Star Spangled Comics #122.
I love trench-coated "Dr." characters who solve mysteries!;Occult,13,Droom,all good.(yeah i want more!)My only gripe was how his dad knew what question he would ask in the future?maybe he asked Kriswell...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I find it just a little bit "occult" that that dad was able to fake an "interaction" with a record player. It seems to me that the whole thing was a publicity stunt by a down-and-out boyfriend-girlfriend detective company.
ReplyDeletegreatttttttttt
ReplyDeleteMe - I definitely would like to see more stories like this.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of sleuthing, did the Golden Age offer up any female investigators of the unknown?
ReplyDeleteAll the comics I've seen from that era suggest it was strictly a man's job.
Not as wild as many other pre-code stories ,but a well told and well drawn supernatural tale ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
I love the art. Not so much the story - I generally hate ghost-debunking tales. "Turn the light down, kiddies! Here's a really spooky ghost we're going to ruin with a rational explanation!"
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice, clean, DC story. I was not old enough to have read the horror pre-code stories. I came of age in the '60's and read Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. Its nice to see another DC publication. Not to say that I don't want to see more horror stories, but this was a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteDoomsbury Hall - I love it! And Dr. Thirteen - I bet he's never asked to any dinner parties. Loved this one and would like to see his other adventures.
ReplyDeleteOne question though - what sick puppy painted all the death scenes of his family?
I only know the character from his later adventures, and then he was always kind of unbelievable in the context of the DCU.
ReplyDeleteHow can you believe in a "ghost-breaker" if he rubs shoulders with The Demon or The Phantom Stranger. Or the very visible Spectre, which was mostly written as a superhero. The moment he says "I don´t believe in the occult" is the moment where he comes across as a guy with a major case of repression, down to outright stupidity.
This "origin" tale is of course interesting. DC really had it with overwhelming father figures, don´t you think so? Pa Kent, Batman´s parents, now Mr. Thirteen :-) These are the facts of life, my boy, he says, and they never ever doubt them.
GOOD WAY TO INTRODUCE PRE CODE DC. I ALWAYS KIND OF LIKED THE DR 13 CHARACTER IN PHANTOM STRANGER THOUGH HE COULD OF COURSE GET ANNOYING IN THAT HE NEVER BELIEVED IN ANYTHING THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY SUPERNATURAL LIKE ANDY SAID, BUT STILL DC WAS AS MUCH A PART OF THIS ERA AS MARVEL'S ATLAS SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THEM INCLUDED FINALLY.
ReplyDeleteAlways good to see Dr. 13! I loved his 'Odd Couple' team-ups with Phantom Stranger ...
ReplyDeleteDr. 13: You're a fraud!
Phantom Stranger: Shut up! I'm busy narrating the intro to this story!!
Cool. Seems like most of you dug this story... I have a few other Dr. 13 tales and I'll check 'em out to see if they're horrific enough to be worth posting.
ReplyDeleteFor more on fab artist Leonard Starr check out his official website here:
http://www.leonardstarr.com/
TOMORROW: A Strange Story From Another World! (sorta)
i love the comics their fun to read, its great to read the oldie kind
ReplyDeleteI love the old Dr. Thirteen stories! Yes, more please!
ReplyDeleteA triomph of style over content. Please share all you have got. I would love to know what else was in these issues, as they are so expensive to get and DC won't get around to reprinting them anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, more please, this was fun.
ReplyDelete"These paintings - they're horrible!"
Yeah, everybody's a critic.
There are plenty of non web building spider species, like wolf spiders and Huntsman spiders. And spiders have six to eight eyes. Just for Dr 13's information.
ReplyDeleteI like the 1150 AD Romans dressed like Romans in 150 AD. Very much indeed.
He was engaged to Marie when his father died and he's still engaged to her 5 years later. She needs to get the hint
ReplyDelete