Adventure Comics # 197, February, 1954

THis was the issue that was on the stands for Christmas of 1953, as witness the BINKY PSA and the now-legendary ("You'll put your eye out, kid.") Daisy ad on the back cover.

Adventure Comics # 196, January, 1954

Although published in late '53, this is now the January, 1954 issue. Comics in the real world were in big trouble in 1954 from parents, psychiatrists and even Congress! and The Comics Code was just around the corner. By this point, however, DC had homogenized its stories and art so much that little or no changes would be necessary when the Code arrived. 

For a company known for its gorilla stories, the one in this Superboy tale is probably the worst-drawn one I've seen from DC.

Green Arrow and Johnny Quick had their one-off sci-fi turns so now its Aquaman's turn.

Adventure Comics # 195, December, 1953

A very modern looking cover by Win Mortimer with its stylized backgrounds but looking vaguely like the work of Wayne Boring and even Neal Adams, still more than half a decade before his first comics work. 

Adventure Comics # 194, November, 1953

Below the first few splashes here is an ad for REX THE WONDER DOG. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Rex, at least for a while, was selling as many copies as ADVENTURE COMICS.

A fun GA story with a sci-fi theme of the type our heroes would be involved with more often when Kirby took over the strip a few years in the future.

Adventure Comics # 193, October, 1953

A clever and unique cover for a particularly fun Superboy tale in which various non-super folks try out the Boy of Steel's costume.