Comic Title: Action Comics #48
Publisher: DC (Detective Comics, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May 1942
Approx. On Sale Date: March 18, 1942 Copyright Date March 14, 1942
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1942
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 64
Editor: Fredric Whitney Ellsworth

Title: "The Adventure of the Merchant of Murder"
Pages: 13

Feature(s):
Superman (of Earth-2)

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: John Sikela

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Action Comics Archives Vol. 3 HC (2001)
Superman Chronicles Vol. 9 TPB (2011)
Superman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 3 HC (2017)
Superman:The Golden Age Vol. 5 TPB (2020)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Superman #16; next appearance in Action Comics #49)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Superman #16; next appearance in Action Comics #49)
• Perry White (last appearance in Superman #16; next appearance in Action Comics #49)

Villain(s)

• The Top (Jefferson Smith; a racket boss; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Sid Speed (owner of Speed Motors; no further appearances)
• Various racketeers (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
After a series of accidents involving recently purchased used cars, Clark Kent investigates Speed Motors and discovers they are selling defective cars. The owner of Speed Motors and his boss the Top try to eliminate Kent and Lois Lane to stop them from printing articles in the newspaper. Clark, acting as Superman, prevents the murder attempts and cleans up the racket.