Groovy Age Gold: "Invasion!" by Bill Everett

What it is, Groove-ophiles! During the early 1970s, DC made a habit of reprinting their Golden Age classics as regular back-ups or in mags of their own. Marvel mostly focused their reprints on their early 1960s Marvel Age material, but occasionally some Golden Age strips would sneak through, especially those that featured the Sub-Mariner (editor-in-chief Roy Thomas' fave G.A. strip). "Invasion!" (originally published in Sub-Mariner #35 (August 1954) turned up in--of all places--Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #15 (August 1973). Kinda crazy, but who cares? It's a cool comic with creator/writer/artist Bill Everett in top form. Dig it!

Masters of Adventure Week! The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Groovy Age Adventure

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! We're gonna finish off the week (man, I should'a made this a month--barely scratched the proverbial surface!) with a whole mess of Ol' Groove's fave Adventure Comics covers from the Groovy Age. I may have used one or four of these masterpieces in other posts, but what the hey--I love 'em! Hope you do, too!

(Thanx to the GCD for the always far-out cover scans!)

Masters of Adventure Week! Shades of Gray: "The Cop Killer!" by Wolfman, Skeates, and Morrow

Short and Sweet Department: Today let's check out a superior Vigilante strip plotted by Marv Wolfman, scripted by Steve Skeates, and illustrated by Gray Morrow. With a pedigree like that, you just know "The Cop Killer!" from Adventure Comics #417 (January 1972) has gotta be pretty far-out!

Masters of Adventure Week! Black and White Wednesday: "Requiem for a Deadman!" by Wein, Conway, and Aparo

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Betcha were wonderin' how Ol' Groove was gonna pull off a Black and White Wednesday version of Masters of Adventure Week, weren't ya? Well you know how sneaky Yers Trooly can be...are ya ready for this? Today we're gonna dig on "Requiem for a Deadman!" by Len Wein, Gerry Conway, and Jim Aparo. Deadman had been apearing in the Dollar Comics version of Adventure Comics and had apparently done well enough to warrant a full-length try-out in DC's short-lived Showcase revival. Regular Adventure writer/artist team Wein and Aparo were joined by author Gerry Conway and they concocted a 25 page extravaganza that even helped tie up such loose ends as Deadman's appearances in Jack Kirby's Forever People back in 1972. The boys meant for this tale to be special. A real doozy! Aparo worked up an awesome cover, and "Requiem..." was scheduled for Showcase #105.

Problem was, Showcase #104 would turn out to be that title's grand finale. T'was the Summer of the DC Implosion (duhn, duhn, DUHN!). At that time, though, the stars were being kind to the Ghost of Boston Brand, and the powers that were decided to use "Requiem..." in Deadman's regular Adventure Comics berth (albeit not without cutting Deadman's rescue of the boy on the roof on pages 4-6). Now, since it's Black and White Wednesday, Ol' Groove ain't runnin' the color/condensed version of "Requium..." from Adventure #464 (April 1979). Nope, you're getting the full-length black and white version from Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2 (Fall 1978). Got all'a that? Good! (Oh, the lengths Ol' Groove goes to to follow his own goofy rules!) Now, enjoy!!