“Yesterday’s” Comic> Keen Detective Funnies v2 #9

At least Masked Marvel doesn’t have to worry about exchanging insurance information.

Keen Detective Funnies vol 2 #9

Centaur Publishing (September, 1939)

I decided to write this one after writing the review, because at this point I’m not sure what to say with these anthologies. There are numerous creators and they’re credited in each story, while this section is usually for listing the writers, art team, letterer, and editors. So in this issue, prepare for fake stamps, kidnapped soldiers, ventriloquism, new characters, a continued story, and no Speed Centaur except in an ad for the comic…and one of the other Centaur Publishing comics, so make up your mind. Too bad, I can think of a couple stories I would have replaced with him, silly as his concept is.

[Read along with me here]

The Masked Marvel by Ben Thompson

The Masked Marvel and his…I’m going to call them “Z-Men” investigate a rare stamp counterfeiting ring, which turns into two or three different crimes as the story goes on. Pick a lane, Ben. Also, the Masked Marvel is turning into quite the Gary Stu with his ability to just know everything right off the bat and it’s not very interesting to read. That’s when I can guess the panel order correctly. These tales are just not very good.

Spy Hunters by L. Field

Forsythe catches up with his old unit just as they’re slowly being kidnapped for ransom. It’s well paced, and Forsythe has to be clever rather than just being smart at everything. It was a good tale.

Dan Dennis: FBI by Gilman

I see we’re getting some new blood in Keen Detective Funnies. FBI inspector Dennis and his partner, Tick (full last name Tickner but we don’t get his first name) looking into the kidnapping of heirs, also for ransom. I like how Dennis using ventriloquism to play a joke on Tick not only gets payoff at the end but also is important to stopping the kidnappers. Good story.

Gabby Flynn by Ken Ernst

Another new series. Gabby also has a sidekick, Longfellow, and their on their way to visit his uncle in Arkansas, who is the publisher, editor, and copyboy of a newspaper. So he’s his own intern? You can tell it’s Arkansas because of the way too thick to put up with hillbilly accents, like when they call Gabby a “furriner”. So I guess he’s British? He agrees to stay and judge a contest between two rivals because he’s hot for one of them after both he and Longfellow first planned to skip out because the other side will surely shoot them for choosing the “wrong one”, who they also try to kidnap. The rivals, not our…yeah, I’m not sure “hero” is the right word despite mounting a successful rescue. This is not a good introduction to these characters in a book that has some pretty good heroes, even if one of them is a Gary Stu and the other is a centaur who fights crime that is sadly not in this issue.

Murder Prints part 2 by Frollo

It took me awhile to remember this one. I guess it wasn’t memorable. Anyway, we join the fingerprint detective I barely remember still trying to capture the criminals by himself, even tying up a fellow officer to do so. He also nearly gets himself killed and has to kill half the gang (it’s a small gang, luckily) to do it. I wouldn’t be so quick to praise this idiot who was only protecting his own reputation, so I don’t know how he won over the sergeant who didn’t like him much last time.

Dean Denton, Scientific Detective: “The Case Of The White Crusaders” by Harry Francis Campbell

Our favorite ventriloquist-turned-crimefighting scientist has to rescue his own secretary from the same cult that has taken over a good chunk of Hollywood. So early Scientology, as our “white master” (wow, that’s an unfortunate choice) uses illusions to make it look like he can show images of the past or the future. I guess Dean is just going to keep dealing with The Conqueror over and over, like when the Third Doctor kept running into The Master even when he could go back into time and space. You know, like some adaptations of Sherlock Holmes has Moriarty behind everything he investigates, even when the books had more variety. It’s actually an interesting story and a look into how 3D was done back then…if the science holds up, of course.

overall

I wouldn’t miss the Masked Marvel, Gabby Flynn, or our fingerprint expert. The former is just boring and the other wasn’t worth remembering. The rest were enjoyable tales, but Dean needs some more variety in his villains.