Adventure Comics # 258, March, 1959

This was the issue on the stands the month and year I was born. Team-ups weren't easy with the Boy of Steel because of his supposed place in Superman's timeline. They must have been popular, though, so here we have him meeting the young Oliver Queen. Never mind trying to reconcile any of this with the GA origin we had just a couple of issues back,

Meanwhile. Elias has already developed more of a feel for the Green Arrow series. Looking good.

The initial letter here shows the confusion the editor (or his assistants) must have had since they refer to ADVENTURE as "our companion magazine" when, obviously, this actually was ADVENTURE. Also, we have another letter from a Bob Oechsner. Sounds very similar to DC artist Bob OKSNER. Over the years, DC (and Marvel, too) would sometimes fake letters in order to get info and plugs in when no one was giving them an opening. Was that the case here or was this guy legit? Finally, there's a letter questioning Aquaman's powers that's very similar to one from two issues back.

Yikes! That army grenade suuuuuure looks real. As far as the celebs of the day, we see Ricky Nelson bigger than Elvis, then also Pat Boone and Debbie Reynolds. Not sure who the other guy is. Hmmmm...Odd to see aging veteran Ward Bond on that list, too--obviously due to his latter-day WAGON TRAIN success. He only had about 2 years to live at this point. 

Adventure Comics # 257, February, 1959

Superman/Boy would meet Hercules several times over the years, usually looking much like he looks here but rarely remembering having met the Man (or Boy) of Steel before.

Look who just got his own comic. The Silver Age starts to move pretty fast from this point.

And like that, Kirby's gone and we get Lee Elias a Caniff-school DC veteran who will come to be known as the second great GREEN ARROW artist after Papp. 

Adventure Comics # 256, January, 1959

Here we have the January, 1959 issue. I was born in January of 1959! But remember, this was on the stands in November as evidenced by a Christmas Daisy ad. Note the major use of the word "dragnet" for SUPERBOY, undoubtedly to bring to mind the popular long-running radio and by then TV series with Jack Webb.

Titano wasn't really one of the great Superman antagonists but he was and is definitely fondly remembered despite being a blatant King Kong rip-off with Kryptonite vision.

Here's Kirby's oft-reprinted origin for the Green Arrow, aided and abetted by wife Roz on some of the inking and backgrounds.

Adventure Comics # 255, December, 1958

The dinosaur ad on the inside front cover is yet another sign of the popularity of giant monsters in movies. The popularity of Daisy guns as we head up to Christmas of '58 is seen in not one but two separate ads for them at the back of the book.

Once one of the most popular comic books of all, BLACKHAWK's moment had probably passed by the time DC picked up the title from the now defunct Quality Comics. It limped along for another few years before the company tried a modernization. In the end, DC's version survived until the end of the sixties and has been revived about once every decade since in one form or another. 

Letter writers suggest that Aquaman needs a young sidekick. Hmmm...

Adventure Comics # 254, November, 1958

This issue offers up the first ADVENTURE letters pag. Although a few DC editors would hold out as late as the mid-sixties, most of the company's titles were publishing fan letters by the end of this decade. 

THE big hit of the sci-fi era at DC was the latecomer, ADAM STRANGE. The fan-favorite would never actually get his own title in the Silver Age but would appear steadily for the first half and in reprints and guest appearances at the end of the following decade.

Kirby! Don't ask. Just read it!