Crime Detective Comics v3 #1 (March–April 1952, Hillman) — F 6.0
Rare Post-War Hillman Crime — Briefer, Ely, Reinman on Grit-and-Gloom Duty
A shadow-drenched mid-century crime anthology from Hillman Periodicals — the oft-overlooked wild card of 1950s comics. Featuring a murderer's row of crime and horror talent, including Bill Ely, Dick Briefer, and Paul Reinman, this issue leans into moody linework, grim city corners, and eerie post-war moral reckoning.
📚 Contents
Cover: Uncredited — A torchlit alley confrontation in heavy chiaroscuro.
“The Nightwalker”
Art: Gerald McCann
A masked murderer stalks the streets of 1910s Paris; lush inker’s blacks and delirious character designs.
“Dugan’s Leather Joker”
Art: Bill Ely — Slick gangs, double-crosses, and a killer’s calling card made of cowhide.
“The Boiler Comes to Town”
Art: Dick Briefer — Briefer trades in Frankenstein’s monster for a full-blown mob inferno.
“Alvin Takes Over” (Text Story, 2 pages)
Crooks underestimate young Alvin — with comical results.
“The Stuffed Farmhouse”
Art: Paul Reinman — A heist gone rural... and grotesque.
📝 Maj. Picto’s Grading Notes
F (6.0) — Solid mid-grade copy. Moderate spine stress and edge wear, slight soiling at bottom edge. Colors still present well with no major creases. Small tear at top edge of back cover, interior pages cream/off-white and firmly attached.
Crime Detective Comics v3 #1 (March–April 1952, Hillman) — F 6.0
Rare Post-War Hillman Crime — Briefer, Ely, Reinman on Grit-and-Gloom Duty
A shadow-drenched mid-century crime anthology from Hillman Periodicals — the oft-overlooked wild card of 1950s comics. Featuring a murderer's row of crime and horror talent, including Bill Ely, Dick Briefer, and Paul Reinman, this issue leans into moody linework, grim city corners, and eerie post-war moral reckoning.
📚 Contents
Cover: Uncredited — A torchlit alley confrontation in heavy chiaroscuro.
“The Nightwalker”
Art: Gerald McCann
A masked murderer stalks the streets of 1910s Paris; lush inker’s blacks and delirious character designs.
“Dugan’s Leather Joker”
Art: Bill Ely — Slick gangs, double-crosses, and a killer’s calling card made of cowhide.
“The Boiler Comes to Town”
Art: Dick Briefer — Briefer trades in Frankenstein’s monster for a full-blown mob inferno.
“Alvin Takes Over” (Text Story, 2 pages)
Crooks underestimate young Alvin — with comical results.
“The Stuffed Farmhouse”
Art: Paul Reinman — A heist gone rural... and grotesque.
📝 Maj. Picto’s Grading Notes
F (6.0) — Solid mid-grade copy. Moderate spine stress and edge wear, slight soiling at bottom edge. Colors still present well with no major creases. Small tear at top edge of back cover, interior pages cream/off-white and firmly attached.
