Peeling Back The Mystery

You know why I love comic books? Scantily-clad heroines aside, I love comics because they offer interesting characters with unique backstories. Not every comic book character is a godlike alien raised on a farm and bred into the symbol of heroism. Some characters are just alcoholic apes with an insatiable urge to solve mysteries. The Panel Biter would like to proudly present the first Z-Lister of 2015, Detective Chimp.

Bobo T. Chimpanzee first appeared in 1952's "Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog". Bobo was taken from Africa by a man named Fred Thorpe. Fred put Bobo into a circus act where Bobo would be given signals and rewards by Fred to create the illusion that Bobo could detect the secrets of his audience. This circus act became a success and Bobo formed a bond with Thorpe in the process. The circus traveled to Florida and Bobo met Rex the Wonder Dog, a magically endowed super-animal. Rex brought Bobo to The Fountain of Youth (you know the one) and upon drinking it's water Bobo gained enhanced intelligence, immortality and the ability to speak with all living creatures. When Bobo returned to Fred's act, their show fell apart as Bobo was becoming too smart for the show. During one act, Bobo discovered an audience member was guilty of murder, he reported this to the police and the audience member was arrested. Bobo took the name of Detective Chimp after he and a local sheriff solved the mystery of Fred Thorpe's murder. Detective Chimp began working on his own and was making a living at it. However because he was an ape and not a person, Detective Chimp had no civil rights and he couldn't cash any bills he was given for solving mysteries. Detective Chimp started to fade out of the public light and turned to drinking and smoking to cope with failures. Because of his ties to The Fountain of Youth, Detective Chimp was given access an inter-dimensional pub called The Oblivion Bar, where he spent decades loathing. Detective Chimp's next big adventure would come when he drunkenly convinced the magical patrons of The Oblivion Bar into uniting against The Spectre, The Spirit of Vengeance. Detective Chimp and the rest of these magical characters formed the organization Shadowpact. Detective Chimp has wielded the Helmet of Fate, become a member of Mensa and has even helped Batman solve mysteries. World's Greatest Detective, huh? Also, despite being seen mimicking the attire of Sherlock Holmes, Detective Chimp does not have a British accent. He speaks with a Bostonian accent. Why? Because magic!

DC Comics has a real soft spot for ape characters, you know? Gorilla Grodd, Titano, The Ultra-Humanite, Monsieur Mallah, Congorilla, just to name a few. Beyond all these atrocious apes Detective Chimp remains my favorite as he is a testament to comic books in general. He's a character ridiculous in concept, but fascinating in execution. With a history littered with magical adventures and surreal downfalls, Detective Chimp remains one of the greatest Z-Listers of them all. Thanks for reading!