Decent Comics: "Fight With Fire Drake" by Bridwell, Saaf, and Giordano

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! "New Look Supergirl" writer/artist/editor Mike Sekowsky's tenure ended so abruptly (according to Back Issue #84 publisher Carmine Infantino fired him and replaced him with editor Joe Orlando) that assistant editor E. Nelson Bridwell was pressed into service to write a second story to fill out the ish (Sekowsky's finale only ran 14 pages). Romance artist Art Saaf was brought in to draw the story (and he'd draw a lot more!) and Dick Giordano inked it. Bridwell immediately started making changes by getting rid of Sekowsky's exo-skeleton (used to replace the now-you-see-me-now-you-don't  powers Sekowsky had saddled the Maid of Might with) with a Kandorian bracelet and her Legion flight ring. The highlight for Young Groove was the new costume (designed by fan Margret Berg), baby! Hot pants, a bathing suit top, and go-go boots! Still looks kinda cool, dunnit? Ahem, anyway, here's "Fight With Fire Drake" from Adventure Comics #409 (June 1971)!

A couple more notes: this is the first 52 page/25 cent ish of Adventure aaaaand the (Giordano) cover spotlights the above Supergirl story, but the title on the cover goes to Sekowsky's lead-tale. Weird, huh?

Groove's Faves: "The Walking Bombs!" by Albano, Saaf, and Oksner

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! During the early 1970s when Supergirl was headlining Adventure Comics, one of the strip's main attractions was a pre-Vanna White "What's She Wearing This Time?" angle. Supergirl's costume changed pretty often, sometimes a couple times an issue. Some designs were pretty good, some were pretty awful, so ya paid yer money and ya took yer chances. The costume Supergirl wore in Adventure Comics #413 (October 1971; the costume had debuted in ish 412) was Young Groove's fave--and I still dig it quite a bit. The story is one of those kinda corny, very implausible melodramas that would actually play on a kid's emotions, so it's a sentimental fave I s'pose. One of the things I dig (besides Supergirl's threads) is the way writer John Albano used Kara's now-you-have-'em-now-you-don't powers to force the Maid of Might to use her brain to get out of some sticky situations. And isn't the art by Art Saaf and Bob Oksner just downright pretty? Look out for..."The Walking Bombs!"

Cover art by Bob Oksner

Random Reads: "Treachery!" by Bridwell, Skeates, Sekowsky, and Oksner

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! If someone asked you when the last time Mike Sekowsky drew the Justice League was, what would you say? If you'd say "Their guest-appearance in the Supergirl story in Adventure Comics #423 (July 1972)"--you'd be correct-amundo*! Oh, "Treachery!" (plotted by E. Nelson Bridwell, scripted by Steve Skeates, and inked by Bob Oksner) was Sekowsky's last turn drawing the Supergirl feature, as well. Supergirl. JLA. Aliens. What are we waiting for? Let's get on widdit!

Cover art by Bob Oksner

*Actually, we'd both be wrong, 'cause a couple Groove-ophiles have corrected Ol' Groove's blunder-ous blurb--'cause Sekowsky actually drew the JLA one more time in JLA (vol. 1) #240 (April 1985). I should'a checked Wikipedia...