Adventure Comics #0

For $1.00 (or that's 90 pence to us Brits) you can't go wrong, especially not when you're getting a piece of past and present combined for your money.

First up in this issue is a reprint of a 1958 story from Adventure Comics #247. Silver Age comics may be something of an acquired taste, but once you understand the spirit in which they should be read, they're very enjoyable. This story is a classic example of everything I love about Silver Age comics. It has the clean, simple artwork, improbable plot lines that fly unashamedly in the face of logic, and somewhat stilted dialogue. Perhaps my favourite thing of all though, is the cool heroic calm with which even the strangest events are taken. The $1.00 is worth the 30th Century teacher's reaction to Superboy turning up in his classroom alone.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like anything except the gritty seriousness of modern comics, but the story in this is a fun break from all the modern angst. Also, from an historical perspective, it's an interesting look at how far comics have evolved and changed.

However, for anyone who is starting to feel a little woozy from all the wholesome good fun, there is a good healthy dose of Lex Luthor in the second half that shows up as a part of Origins and Omens. Lex is his usual conniving, genius, Superman-hating self and is certainly the perfect antidote to the last panel of the 1958 story. The Lex story is said to be continued in Adventure Comics #1 which comes out in June. I've got mixed feelings about what this might mean... Personally, I would like to see Adventure Comics continuing to reprint old stories, but if the Lex story is to be continued then this doesn't seem very likely. However, only time will tell and I'll be awaiting June with interest.