World's Finest # 246, September, 1977

Not only another colorful Neal Adams cover but also a kind of fun story this time as well, reminiscent of Mort Weisinger's more outrageous Silver Age sagas. One of the things that makes it work so well is the smooth art combination of Kurt Schaffenberger  and Murphy Anderson!

Lots of JLA guest stars but it's Hawkman who looks best under Anderson's inks, the artist having been the second best (after Kubert) Hawkman artist of them all. Here's the whole story but I warn you....it's continued NEXT ish!

STAR TREK'S peak merchandising years were oddly during the period when neither movies nor TV series were being produced!

Morrow is still on VIGILANTE but this is not his best. The story is also quite violent for its day. 

The WONDER WOMAN series here was actually better than the stories in her own title in this period.

My friend Marc Tyler Nobleman actually tracked down and interviewed the water skiers from the superhero shows at Sea World. Go here to read his 10 part series (and lots of other neat stuff)!

http://noblemania.blogspot.com

World's Finest # 245, July, 1977

Yet another brilliantly crafted Neal Adams cover. It had been a while at this point since Neal had done any real stories for DC but he had once again become a cover artist and his various disciples were often seen inside the books.

We start with Bob Haney mucking about with Martian Manhunter continuity again but at least this time we get, of all things, the legendary SwAnderson art team!

The letters page welcomes back Gray Morrow on VIGILANTE, a  point I was lamenting last issue, as well as back to comics in general. It also seems to credit Delbo and Colletta again for WONDER WOMAN when, in fact, this issue is by Jim Sherman and the great Bob Wiacek, arguably one of the best inkers of the period.

Speaking of great inkers, Terry Austin continues to work with Michael Netzer, this time on both GREEN ARROW and BLACK CANARY.

This sequence from the BLACK CANARY story is STILL being talked about today! I was 18 when this came out. Imagine how a typical 13 year old comics reader would have greeted this! Or his MOTHER!

And here's Gray Morrow's VIGILANTE in toto--lousy logo but some great storytelling!

World's Finest # 244, May, 1977

Okay, here we go! Check out that awesome Neal Adams cover! Joe Orlando is now listed as Managing Editor with Denny as Story Editor. Apparently Bob Haney had blackmail material on both so he's still the lead writer...sadly.

It just wouldn't seem like WORLD'S FINEST without Aquaman...even if only in the Hostess ad. 

A return to the contents page.

A fairly incomprehensible story but some nifty art by one of the great Superman artists, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, mixed with one of the great Superman inkers, Murphy Anderson!

After a brief ADVENTURE revival a few years earlier, Black Canary finally gets her own series with stylish art from Michael Netzer (then Nasser) and Terry Austin.

And since Black Canary had, as a character, long been romantically tied to Green Arrow, there's a cross-over with his series, returning to its longtime home here in WF.

Another veteran of a brief ADVENTURE series returns, minus Gray Morrow sadly but...

And finally, Wonder Woman in all-new WWII-era adventures, well-drawn by Jose Delbo but weakly inked by Vince Colletta.