Adventure Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from New Adventure Comics), making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman. It was revived in 2009 by writer Geoff Johns with the Conner Kent incarnation of Superboy headlining the title's main feature, and the Legion of Super-Heroes in the back-up story. It returned to its original numbering with #516 (September 2010). The series finally ended with #529 (October 2011), prior to DC's The New 52 company reboot.
Publication history
Adventure Comics began its nearly 50-year run in December 1935 under the title New Comics, which was only the second comic book series published by National Allied Publications, now DC Comics. The series was retitled New Adventure Comics with its 12th issue in January 1937. Issue #32 (November 1938) saw the title changed again to Adventure Comics, which would remain the book's name for the duration of its existence.
Originally a humor series, it evolved into a serious adventure series. In issue #12 when the series was titled New Adventure Comics, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel introduced the first version of the character Jor-L as a science fiction detective in the far future; the character would eventually become the alien father of Superman, although the first Superman story, in Action Comics #1, would not appear until more than a year after Jor-L's first appearance. The series' focus gradually shifted to superhero stories starting with the debut of the Sandman in issue #40. Other superheroes who appeared in the early days of Adventure included Hourman (from #48 to #83); Starman created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley in issue #61 (April 1941) (#61-102); and Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Manhunter replacing a similarly named business-suited investigator beginning with #73 (April 1942) until #92.
A pivotal issue of the series was #103 (April 1946), when Superboy, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick and Aquaman moved from More Fun Comics which was being converted to a humor format to Adventure. Starman's and Sandman's series were canceled to make room for the new features, while one other, Genius Jones, moved to the comic the new arrivals had just vacated. Superboy became the star of the book, and would appear on each cover into 1969 (counting Superman on the covers of issues #354â€"355). Superboy's popularity in Adventure resulted in the character receiving his own title in 1949, when superhero titles in general were losing popularity. Krypto, the Superdog debuted in issue #210 (March 1955) in a story by Otto Binder and Curt Swan.
In issue #247 (April 1958), by Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Superboy met the Legion of Super-Heroes, a team of super-powered teens from the future. The group became popular, and would replace "Tales of the Bizarro World" as the Adventure backup feature with #300, and soon be promoted to its lead. Lighting Lad, one of the Legion's founding members, was killed in Adventure Comics #304 (January 1963) and revived in issue #312. In Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966), Jim Shooter, 14 years old at the time, wrote his first Legion story. Shooter wrote the story in which Ferro Lad died â€" the first "real" death of a Legionnaire (although Lightning Lad had been believed dead for a while before) â€" and introduced the Fatal Five. The Legion feature lasted until issue #380. With the next issue, Supergirl migrated from the backup slot in Action Comics to the starring feature in Adventure and ran until issue #424. The series reached its 400th issue in December 1970 and featured a Supergirl story written and drawn by Mike Sekowsky.
As of #425 (December 1972), the book's theme changed from superhero adventure to fantasy/supernatural adventure. That issue debuted one new feature along with three non-series stories, the pirate saga "Captain Fear". The next edition added a semi-anthology series, "The Adventurers' Club". Soon, editor Joe Orlando was trying out horror-tinged costumed heroes, first Black Orchid, then the Spectre. Before long, though, conventional superheroes returned to the book, beginning behind the Spectre, first a three-issue run of Aquaman (issues #435â€"437, an early assignment for Mike Grell) and then a newly drawn 1940s Seven Soldiers of Victory script (issues #438â€"443). Aquaman was promoted to lead (issues #441-452), and backing him up were three-part story arcs featuring the Creeper (#445â€"447), the Martian Manhunter (#449â€"451), bracketed by issue-length Aquaman leads. He was awarded his own title and Superboy (#453-458) took over Adventure with Aqualad (#453â€"455) and Eclipso (#457â€"458) backups. Following this was a run as a Dollar Comic format giant-sized book (issues #459-466), including such features as the resolution of the Return of the New Gods (cancelled in Julyâ€"August 1978), "Deadman", and "Justice Society of America".
The standard format returned (issues #467â€"478), split between a new Starman named Prince Gavyn and Plastic Man. With an increase in the story-and-art page count, the last four issues also included one more run of Aquaman. All three were dropped simultaneously to make way for a new version of an old feature, "Dial H for Hero" (issues #479-490). Issue #490 (February 1982) saw the comic's cancellation. "Dial 'H' for Hero" was moved to New Adventures of Superboy as of that series' issue #28. Adventure Comics was soon rescued. As of the September issue it was revived as a digest-sized comic. This format lasted from issues #491-503, with most stories during this period being reprints (featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, from the beginning and in chronological order, and others), and with new stories featuring the Marvel Family and the Challengers of the Unknown (a new five-issue retelling of their origin). The long-running title was discontinued with the September 1983 issue.
80-Page Giant
An Adventure Comics 80-Page Giant was released in 1998.
Justice Society Returns
DC published an Adventure Comics #1 as part of the company's Justice Society Returns event in 1999.
Adventure Comics Special featuring the Guardian
As part of the 2008 "Superman: New Krypton" story arc, a special issue of Adventure Comics was published, titled Adventure Comics Special featuring the Guardian #1 (cover dated January 2009). Jimmy Olsen continues to delve into the mystery surrounding the American government's safeguards against the new Kryptonian population.
Revival
The five-issue mini-series Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds led into an all-new volume of Adventure Comics, featuring the revived Conner Kent/Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. The main creative team of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul debuted in a backup story in Adventure Comics #0 (April 2009). A secondary feature starring the Legion of Super-Heroes was co-written with Mike Shoemaker and drawn by Clayton Henry. The first issue of the new run of Adventure Comics was released on August 12, 2009, and features watermarked numbering marking it as both #1 and #504, thus continuing the original numeration of the series concurrently with the volume 2 numeration. For the variant incentive cover editions, the original numeration was dominant on the cover while the vol. 2 numeration was the watermarked numbering marking. The indicia of the comic book also reflects this dual numbering. The title officially returned to its original vol. 1 numbering with #516 (cover dated September 2010), until #529 when it was finally ended prior to DC's The New 52 company reboot.
Main feature
Superboy: The Boy of Steel (former)
The revived ongoing title Adventure Comics features Conner as the headlining character for the first six issues in the story arc entitled, "Superboy: The Boy of Steel." It begins as Conner settles back into his life in Smallville, Kansas. Returning to live with Martha Kent, who is thrilled to take the young boy in after her husband's death, Conner returns to Smallville High School and begins keeping a journal of everything Superman has done as a costumed hero, going down a checklist titled, "What Did Superman Do?" He and the also recently returned Bart Allen supposedly rejoin the Teen Titans, and Conner symbolizes the team being "stacked" again by destroying his memorial statue outside of Titans Tower West.
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes
After the Johns and Manapul run, writer Paul Levitz took over the series. It was renumbered with its previous numbering and highlighted Clark Kent's years as Superboy as well as the Legion of Super-Heroes' past. Starting with issue #523, the Legion Academy, by Levitz and Phil Jimenez, became the major feature.
Second feature
Long Live the Legion (former)
The Legion of Super-Heroes appeared as the second feature in issues #504-514 before taking over as the lead feature in issue #515 (August 2010).
Atom
Following this was the one-shot Brightest Day: Atom, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Mahmud Asrar. The same team was to create a ten-part, ten-page "Atom" co-feature in Adventure Comics, but DC ended all their second features and reduced their titles to twenty pages of story. Issue #521 was the last issue to feature the Atom.
Collected editions
- Golden Age Sandman Archives Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #40-57, 224 pages, January 2005, ISBN 978-1401201555
- Golden Age Starman Archives
- Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #61-76, 224 pages, May 2000, ISBN 978-1563896224
- Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #77-102, 272 pages, July 2009, ISBN 978-1401222833
- Sandman by Kirby and Simon â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #72-102, 304 pages, August 2009, ISBN 978-1401222994
- The Adventures of Superboy â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #103-121, 224 pages, August 2010, ISBN 978-1401227838
- Legion of Super-Heroes Archives
- Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #247, 267, 282, 290, 293, 300-305, 255 pages, 1991, ISBN 978-1563890208
- Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #306-317, 224 pages, 1992, ISBN 978-1563890574
- Volume 3 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #318-328, 224 pages, 1993, ISBN 978-1563891021
- Volume 4 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #329-339, 224 pages, 1994, ISBN 978-1563891236
- Volume 5 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #340-349, 224 pages, 1994, ISBN 978-1563891540
- Volume 6 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #350-358, 224 pages, 1996, ISBN 978-1563892776
- Volume 7 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #359-367, 240 pages, May 1998, ISBN 978-1563893988
- Volume 8 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #368-376, 240 pages, February 1999, ISBN 978-1563894305
- Volume 9 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #377-380, 256 pages, November 1999, ISBN 978-1563895142
- Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes
- Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #247, 267, 282, 290, 293, 300-321, 552 pages, April 2007, ISBN 978-1401213824
- Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #322-348, 528 pages, April 2008, ISBN 978-1401217242
- Volume 3 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #349-368, 552 pages, April 2009, ISBN 978-1401221850
- Volume 4 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #369-380, 528 pages, October 2010, ISBN 978-1401229412
- Showcase Presents: Green Arrow Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #250-266, 528 pages, January 2006, ISBN 978-1401207854
- Showcase Presents: Aquaman Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #260-280, 282, 284, 544 pages, February 2007, ISBN 978-1401212230
- Superman: Tales of the Bizarro World â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #293-299, 192 pages, September 2000, ISBN 978-1563896248
- DC Comics Classics Library: Legion of Super-Heroes: The Life and Death of Ferro Lad â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #346-347, 352-355, 357, 128 pages, March 2009, ISBN 978-1401221935
- Black Canary Archives â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #399 and #418-419, 224 pages, December 2000, ISBN 978-1563897344
- Wrath of the Spectre â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #431-440, 200 pages, June 2005, ISBN 978-1401204747
- Showcase Presents: The Spectre â€" includes stories from Adventure Comics #431-440, 624 pages, May 2012, ISBN 978-1401234171
- Justice Society Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics #461-466, 224 pages, February 2007, ISBN 978-1401211943
- Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics â€" includes stories from Adventure Comics #461-466, 448 pages, September 2011, ISBN 978-1401233037
- The Steve Ditko Omnibus Volume 2 - includes Starman stories from Adventure Comics #467-478, 384 pages, January 2012, ISBN 978-1401232351
- DC Comics Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes #2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, issues #1-4, 100 pages, February 2012
- Superboy: The Boy of Steel â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, issues #0-3, 5, all of vol. 2, #6, 144 pages, May 2011, ISBN 978-1401227739
- Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, issues #4-5, 176 pages, August 2011, ISBN 978-1401228071
- Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns â€" includes story from Adventure Comics vol. 2, issue #7, 256 pages, August 2011, ISBN 978-1401228064
- Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton
- Volume 1 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, #8-9, 168 pages, November 2010, ISBN 978-1401229320
- Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, #10-11, 128 pages, January 2011, ISBN 978-1401230364
- Superman: Nightwing and Flamebird Volume 2 â€" collects stories from Adventure Comics vol. 2, #8-10, 208 pages, October 2011, ISBN 978-1401229405
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes: The Early Years collects Adventure Comics #516-520, Vol. 2 #12, 144 pages, May 2011, ISBN 978-1401231682
- Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2: Consequences collects Adventure Comics #521-522, 208 pages, September 2011, ISBN 978-1401232382
- Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 3: When Evil Calls collects Adventure Comics #523-529, 320 pages, April 2012, ISBN 978-1401233679
