Groove's Faves: "The Starry-Eyed Siren of Space!" by Bates, Swan, and Anderson

Ol' Groove doesn't know why, but for some reason when I was a kid I was always enamored of Superman stories which featured the Man of Steel in some sort of impossible romantic entanglement. Toss together the menace of a skeletal dinosaur, the opportunity to rid the earth of ills like poverty and pollution, yet another Superman double (hadn't Supes just defeated the sandy-duplicate?), and a hot alien chick, top it off with stunning, stunning art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson, and yeah, you've got yourself another Groove's Faves offering. Nice work, writer Cary Bates! From Superman #243 (August 1971), get ready to meet..."The Starry-Eyed Siren of Space!"

Cover art by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano

Random Reads: "My Son...Is He Man or Beast?" by Dorfman, Swan, and Anderson

What it is, Groove-ophiles! To celebrate the 400th ish of Action Comics (March 1971), editor Murray Boltinoff gave us one of those bittersweet tales his tenure as Superman editor is so well known for. "My Son...Is He Man or Beast?" is a  tale filled with action (of course!) and pathos, solemnity and silliness, spooned out in equal doses by veteran writer Leo Dorfman. Perfect for kids like Young Groove, but the older guys, peeking over their copies of Incredible Hulk, scoffed at us for digging it. I didn't understand it at the time, but I soon would. Today, though, I long for the simple (and yes sometimes simplistic) tales of yore...and amazing art like that provided by true masters like Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

Cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano

Random Reads: "The Nightmare Maker!" by Maggin, Swan, and Anderson

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! While Superman has had his ups and downs over his 70-plus year career, having his adventures illustrated by the dyn-o-mite duo of Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (aka "Swanderson" to those fans in-the-know) was definitely one of the "ups". While Swan was the unchallenged Superman artist of the 1970s, the times he was paired with inker Anderson are universally considered the very best of the best. While the quality of the stories could vary wildly from writer to writer, Swan kept things consistent and Anderson's inks could elevate even the most mundane to something special. Not saying writer Elliott S! Maggin's story is "mundane"--I mean, we've got "ghost stars", mad scientists and the Abominable Snowman fer crine out loud! Nah, you definitely got your double-dime's worth when you peeled back the action-packed Nick Cardy cover of Superman #266 (May 1973) to read..."The Nightmare Maker!"