I've come to the conclusion that my overall favorite DC comic of the Groovy Age is Adventure Comics. The Legion of Super-Heroes. Supergirl. Black Orchid. The Spectre. Captain Fear. Seven Soldiers of Victory. Aquaman. Superboy. The Dollar Comic era(with features like Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the New Gods, JSA, and Deadman). Starman. Plastic Man. Dial "H" for Hero. The digest-sized era (Shazam! and Challengers of the Unknown). For experimentation and originality, Adventure was the DC mag, baby!For a couple issues, editor Joe Orlando got REALLY experimental, turning Adventure into a really mixed bag with savage pirate tales featuring Captain Fear, urban cowboy crime-fighting with Vigilante, and the truly "weird adventures" of the Adventurer's Club.
The Adventurer's Club was a pretty cool feature that lasted for only two issues (Adventure Comics 426-427, November, 1972-January, 1973). Written by John (Jonah Hex) Albano and drawn by Jim (Brave and Bold, Spectre) Aparo, the Adventurer's Club, featuring narrator and "chairman of the board" Nelson Strong, was actually a framing device for weird/supernatural adventure stories that might otherwise have seen print in Orlando's other mystery mags like House of Mystery or House of Secrets. The series didn't catch on (obviously) but the two stories showed great promise with their twisted plots and fabulous art. I ain't jivin', Groove-ophile! Just check 'em out for yourself!
