Adventure Comics # 458, August, 1978

By this point, it looks so completely like the title of the mag is SUPERBOY that it's hard to believe it's about to be gone after this month's issue.

Geez. Aquaman again! He has just about as much legit claim to being the overall star of ADVENTURE as Superboy does! And they'll both be back yet again!

I still have all the issues of DC's DIRECT CURRENTS newsletter.

Ah, the fabled DC Explosion is here! Soon to be followed by the infamous DC IM-plosion! By switching to the Dollar Comic format, ADVENTURE pretty much missed all the mess involved.

Note that we finally get to see the DEADMAN series next issue, noted here as "the most requested series in ADVENTURE history."

Up next! This looked SO exciting to me at the time as I recall!

Adventure Comics # 457, June, 1978

A nice Milgrom cover with an almost Kubert-like feel in terms of both design and artwork. Don't get used to this phase of ADVENTURE, though, as already this issue lays out the upcoming plans that will change the title yet again in just a couple of issues.

It's April of 1978. By this point, STAR WARS, already nearly a year old but still playing in theaters, had taken over much of the world's pop culture.

This was a fun issue of the revived SHOWCASE, literally shoehorning in every single SHOWCASE character who had appeared in a lead role in the title. Hmmm...was 007 in there? I don't recall. My FB pals Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton did a terrific job on it! Thanks, guys! 

I've never gotten the fascination with Eclipso. Somebody must like the character, however, as he keeps getting revived. Why, here's a revival now.

Adventure Comics # 456, April, 1978

Note Al Milgrom's name on the one football player's back. Nice touch. The booklength story debuts the new team, though, and as much as I like every one of them--Michelinie, Staton and Abel--I have to say it doesn't quite gel for me. Part of the problem seems to be awkward inking making characters look rather odd at times. Perhaps this was during the time inker Abel was recovering from a stroke?

The rest of the issue is given up to self-promotion again. There was a lot going on in the DCU at that time including the mega-hit SUPERMAN VS MUHAMMAD ALI. Note the "dynamic new look" on SHAZAM. That would end up in ADVENTURE eventually.

 

Adventure Comics # 455, February, 1978

An interesting cover by Al Milgrom and Jack Abel but still the Ortiz/Colletta work inside. The Penguin gets his own, non-Batman, strip even if it IS for Hostess!

Posters were a big thing in 1978. REALLY big!

Told ya.

Aqualad's final solo outing already. My FB pal Paul Kupperberg, who seemed to be at every Con I attended back in the seventies, writes with good art from Carl Potts and Dick Giordano.

Worst Wonder Woman rendition ever?

Adventure Comics # 454, December, 1977

Well, that didn't last long. Still a good old-fashioned story by Rozakis but substandard art from the combination of one Juan Ortiz and Vince Colletta.