Adventure Comics # 403, April, 1971

Yes, I know we just had the February issue and believe it or not, NEXT issue is the March issue. This issue, however, is numerically next in line. Why it's here at all is anyone's guess. When Supergirl switched to ADVENTURE from ACTION, her Giant reprint editions switched as well. The Legion was, at this point, appearing (if barely) in ACTION so why wasn't this an issue of ACTION. As it is, it serves as yet another impediment to the New Supergirl building her audience. 

This is the reprinting of the Lightning Lad death saga that I erroneously reported before. Added in, however are all-new pages of costume changes for our heroes  (by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito) as well as a nifty schematic of their then-current mega headquarters.

Woodstock the event had happened a year and a half earlier by this point but Woodstock, the movie of the event, had been the previous summer so everyone was still cashing in on the good vibes.

The Legion f Super-Heroes would return yet again to the pages of ADVENTURE but not for a while after this.

Adventure Comics # 402, February, 1971

A rather violent cover for a Code-approved comic book. And again the splash comes several pages into the story.

Does the appearance of the "old" Supergirl on the calendar indicate a lack of acceptance of the "new" version on the part of DC's powers that be?

 An interesting combination--Mike Sekowsky inked by Tony DeZuniga, then still a newcomer to DC.

Adventure Comics # 401, January, 1971

Another throwaway lead story (with unsuitable inking from Abel) and starting this issue--briefly--the back-up isn't even a Supergirl story! Seriously, with all the positive innovations DC was instituting in their other titles here at the end of 1970. the mind boggles as to what they were doing letting Sekowsky just screw around withADVENTURE and Supergirl. 

Julius Schwartz's major changes in the Superman mythos would have little effect on Supergirl as Editor Sekowsky chose to pretty much ignore them.

Here we meet Tracey Thompson. No idea exactly who she is and she isn't around long enough to tell really but Frank Giacoia's more appropriate reactions to Mike's pencils make this back-up the highlight of the issue.

Interesting to note the reactions, both pro and con, to the new Supergirl.

Adventure Comics # 400, December, 1970

Well, here's the 400th issue of ADVENTURE! To celebrate, let's get a pretty bad Supergirl story. The splash below is actually page 3 in which we meet Supergirl's arch-enemy--a previously minor villain from about 7 years earlier in ACTION--, here teamed up with The Inventor, a leprechaun named L. Finn and a Toyman clone named ToyMASTER.

When the Maid of Might defeats this motley crew, Supergirl tows their spaceship to The Phantom Zone. Ummm...What th...??!! The Phantom Zone is everywhere, accessible only by a projector that sends convicted criminals into that alternate dimension. Were these criminals convicted? When? And where exactly is she towing them? A good editor should have caught this....OH, WAIT! Artist/writer Sekowsky is also the Editor. This explains why, in the previous issue, Supergirl is shown vibrating through walls, a power she never had before. Did no one brief Big Mike on the Superman Mythos?

The Great One arrives and while his impact would be slow, eventually the DCU would pretty much revolve around Kirby Kreations.

DC was doing quite well that year!

Adventure Comics # 399, November, 1970

Forgot to mention the new logo last issue emphasizing Supergirl. I guess because we still had the old Supergirl there on the cover. This issue gets us the first real new Supergirl over and logo together. 

I think I still have one of these.

Black Canary makes her first appearance on ADVENTURE with this previously unpublished Kanigher/ Infantino/Sachs Golden Age story. She'll be back soon enough.  

Adventure Comics # 398, October, 1970

Oddly enough, this cover touting the "New" Supergirl features the "Old" Supergirl, spotlighting as it does this issue's lead story which, for some reason, is a reprint by Jim Mooney from seven years earlier. 

  

 I had the glow-in-the-dark werewolf kit. Little did I know that the stuntman who played the werewolf on DARK SHADOWS would later be the original, uncredited director on LET'S GO FOR BROKE, the sole feature film starring murdered actress Christa Helm. (See http://christahelm.blogspot.com )

Okay, at least the "New" Supergirl shows up mid-book. Cover artist Dick Giordano's inks loo quite good over Sekowsky and his increasingly odd layouts.

How does one forget to draw the "S" shield?

Always loved this panel!