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Adventure Comics #103 cover-dated April 1946 featured the start of long-running series for several now-legendary DC characters in the title. Superboy, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Johnny Quick all made their title debuts in this issue. The featured Superboy story was written by Don C. Cameron with art by Joe Shuster, and cover art by Shuster inked by Stan Kaye. Much of this combination of foundational DC Comics heroes would carry Adventure Comics through to the Silver Age and make it a cornerstone title for DC Comics for well beyond. There’s an Adventure Comics #103 (DC, 1946) Condition: VG up for auction at 2022 May 8-9 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122219 at Heritage Auctions.
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superboy made his first appearance in More Fun Comics #101 (January-February 1945). His headline run in Adventure Comics lead to other important moments for the publisher such as the first appearance of Krypto in Adventure Comics #210 and the debut of the Legion of Superheroes in Adventure Comics #247. The introduction and continuing adventures of Superboy and all of the important mythos he left in his wake was a key step towards DC Comics’ Silver Age and the resultant attempts to reconcile and unify continuity across their line.
Of course, Adventure Comics was also the home of Green Arrow and Aquaman from the Golden Age through to the Silver Age. These characters had previously been in the More Fun Comics title, but with the introduction of Funny Folks and Funny Stuff around this time, DC Comics seems to have determined that “Fun” meant humor and rebranded More Fun Comics accordingly. Adventure Comics had previously featured Sandman and Starman among others.
Along with Superboy’s adventures, the range of important DC Comics characters who had ongoing series in this title made it a key step towards the Silver Age and beyond, and that started in Adventure Comics #103. Superboy, Aquaman and Green Arrow, are all now-legendary characters, and their adventures in this title helped lay the groundwork for the Silver Age. That Shuster cover art might be a bit of a hat-tip to his Action Comics #1 Superman cover as well. An overlooked DC Comics key, there’s an Adventure Comics #103 (DC, 1946) Condition: VG up for auction at 2022 May 8-9 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122219 at Heritage Auctions.
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