Back Issue Review: Adventure Comics #418

Last week on Supergirl Episode 406, 'Call to Arms', we saw Supergirl fight a dragon.

It was one of the best sequences I have seen on the show in a long time. I flat out loved it.

As a result, and thanks to a nudge from someone who left a comment here, I decided that I should take a look back at other times Supergirl fought a dragon.

These are all in the fluxing time period of the early 70s. Comics were starting to get more serious. But there was still a bit of Silver Age lunacy that could mix in. As a result, the two dragon stories that I am going to review are pretty wonky. So settle in.

Believe it or not, the earlier of the two stories is the less insane one.

Adventure Comics #418 came out in 1972 and the Supergirl run as the headliner in the title was just a few issues away. This was a time when the Supergirl stories were trying to be a bit more mature. Mike Sekowsky started the 'new adventures' way back in Adventure Comics #400. But Sekowsky had left leaving a handful of other creators to pinch hit.

And so we have 'The Face of the Dragon', a story which might be trying to cash in on the Kung Fu craze happening in America at the time. It also is trying to mesh the odd mix of film noir with the four color escapades of a super-powered Maid of Might. Basically, your mileage may vary.

All that said, please pick this book up if you see it in the cheap bins. The Black Canary back-up has a story with ridiculously gorgeous Alex Toth art. That alone is worth the price.

But onto the Supergirl story!

Review: Scooby Doo Team-Up #37

Scooby Doo Team-Up #37 came out this week, guest starring Supergirl and Streaky. It is a near perfect book to give a Supergirl fan, both new and old. It is practically a primer for her Silver Age adventures with just a splash of Bronze Age thrown in for good measure. As such, for an old timer like me, I was absolutely tickled pink.

Not that I should be surprised by this. Sholly Fisch is writer here and Mr. Fisch has always been able to put together a good yarn. Whether it is all ages like this or the backup stories in the Grant Morrison Action Comics, he seems to grasp the core of characters and put things together in a nice package.

In particular, he must be a Supergirl fan given all he was able to stuff into this issue. Even with the presence of the Scooby Gang and their mandatory shenanigans, we still get major parts of Supergirl's classic history here. I mean it ... I was floored.

Dario Brizuela is on art and brings a nice consistent feel to the proceedings. His Supergirl is young and powerful. I would love a cartoon appearance with this look.

But honestly, if you have a Supergirl fan of any age and you want to show them what the Silver Age for Supergirl was like, buy them this book.

'Nasty' Luthor in All-Star Superman

I have a been a big fan of Grant Morrison's work in the DCU. I think his work on Doom Patrol, Animal Man, and JLA were all great, thought-provoking, and pushed the boundaries of the medium.

No big surprise that I have also enjoyed his and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman title. It has a great Silver Age feel to it, but with a 21st century comics sensibility.

But as a Supergirl fan, my favorite little Silver Age touch in the title, albeit in a very small part, has been the inclusion of Nasthalthia 'Nasty' Luthor, Lex Luthor's evil niece.

'Nasty' was introduced in Adventure Comics #397 and remained a foil for Kara throughout the rest of her run in that title. In the first story, 'Nasty' enrolls at Stanhope University as a student. Working with her Uncle Lex, she hopes to lure Supergirl out into the open where Lex will kill Kara with a kryptonite bullet. 'Nasty' then begins a campaign of bullying students to force Supergirl into action. In the end, the plot is foiled and Lex is captured.

'Nasty' remains on campus to thwart Supergirl and in issue #406 graduates with Linda Danvers. During the ceremony, 'Nasty' feels she has discovered that Linda *is* Supergirl. To prove it, she follows Linda to San Francisco, where both begin work as junior reporters for K-SFTV.

When the Supergirl run in Adventure Comics ended with issue #424, 'Nasty' faded into comic limbo.

That is until All-Star Superman #5! Luthor is giving Clark Kent an interview from his prison cell and has Nasthalthia escort him out of the prison on a sub-prison boat. When the issue came out, I was thrilled but figured that would be that. She would be in a couple of pages as a bone for the Silver Age buffs.

Ahhh, but last week All-Star Superman #11 came out and we were treated to more 'Nasty'. Here we see a bit of the old 'Nasty' as she talks about her evil plans to conquer the world and her absolute thrill in getting her hands on Uncel Lex's arsenal.

I know that only Supergirl nerds would get such a little thrill of seeing a minor character from 27 issues from the early 70's brought back. But heck, isn't that what this title is all about? Isn't All-Star Superman all about bringing back that Silver Age magic?

I, for one, hope that 'Nasty' shows up again in issue 12.