The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 introduced Detective Chimp (Bobo T. Chimpanzee) to the DC universe — a character whose longevity defied every expectation for a 1952 backup feature. What began as a seven-and-a-half-page tryout strip in a bimonthly animal-adventure anthology proved durable enough to run as a regular backup in all 40 remaining issues of the series, then resurface across decades in stories ranging from Green Lantern to the 2005 Day of Vengeance event, Shadowpact, and Justice League Dark. The issue also illustrates DC's early-1950s creative vitality: it paired two of the publisher's most capable Silver Age architects — writer John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino — on a self-contained mystery that quietly established the procedural, Florida-set template Detective Chimp would follow for seven years. For collectors and historians alike, it is a clear example of a routine anthology issue concealing a genuinely consequential debut.
In "The Battle of Suicide Forest!", Rex the Wonder Dog recounts a harrowing WWII flashback where he and Lt. Dennis fought through a perilous mission that earned them the silver star. With Gil Kane’s dynamic art and Frank Giacoia’s sharp inks bringing the action to life, the story captures the tension and courage of a dog who served with honor—his loyalty tested in the heat of battle. Cover by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia.
In a wartime flashback, Rex the Wonder Dog recalls the harrowing battle of Suicide Forest, where he and Lt. Dennis fought side by side through chaos and danger. As the memory unfolds, Rex’s loyalty is tested when he confronts a moment of heartbreaking recognition—his old comrade’s eyes, once full of life, now seem hollow and distant.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 18 grades ▾
More listings for this title
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue went on sale May 21, 1952, with a cover date of July–August 1952, under the National Comics Publications (DC) imprint. The credited editor was Whitney Ellsworth, though Julius Schwartz served as the actual hands-on editor for the title — a common split-credit arrangement of the era. The lead Rex story ('The Battle of Suicide Forest!') was scripted by Robert Kanigher with art by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia, while Broome and Infantino (inked by Sy Barry) handled the Detective Chimp backup. The cover was drawn by Gil Kane with Giacoia inks. Schwartz apparently had no certainty the new chimp feature would stick: issue #5 tested a different animal backup ('The Saga of Leapin' Lena'), and only from issue #6 onward did Detective Chimp become the series' permanent second feature.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Detective Chimp (Bobo T. Chimpanzee), created by writer John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino, inked by Sy Barry.
- The debut story, titled 'Meet Detective Chimp!', is a seven-and-a-half-page backup in which Bobo — a trained circus chimp owned by the murdered Fred Thorpe — helps Sheriff Chase of Oscaloosa County, Florida, identify a corrupt deputy as the killer.
- The issue contains four stories in total: lead Rex story 'The Battle of Suicide Forest!' (Robert Kanigher/Gil Kane/Frank Giacoia), 'Meet Detective Chimp!', 'Terror Island!' (a second Rex story by John Broome/Gil Kane/Sy Barry), and a one-page inside-front-cover Buzzy Brown strip.
- The Buzzy Brown strip — written by Jack Schiff, penciled and inked by Win Mortimer — features Buzzy, Margie, Tommy, and Suzie dealing with the social stigma of a family member's mental illness; it is a one-page public-interest piece, not a full narrative story.
- Buzzy Brown was DC's flagship teen-humor character, first introduced in All Funny Comics #1 (1943) and the star of his own series from 1944 to 1958 — considered DC's first dedicated teen-humor title, created by cartoonist George Storm.
- The cover of issue #4 was drawn by Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giacoia.
- The 'Meet Detective Chimp!' backup was reprinted in DC's Tarzan #230 (April–May 1974), and an earlier French reprint appeared in Big Boy (Arédit-Artima) #22 (July 1958).
- Detective Chimp appeared in backup stories in all 40 remaining issues of Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog (through the series' end in 1959), then returned in DC Comics Presents #35 (1981), made a cameo in Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (1986), and was revived prominently in the 2005 Day of Vengeance miniseries before joining Shadowpact and, later, Justice League Dark.
Cast · 1 character
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Big Boy #22 (1958), Tarzan #230 (1974)
Key issues in The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.