Action Comics #417

Nick Cardy's cover for this October 1972 issue sets up a tense standoff with Superman standing helpless before a villainous group while Lois Lane, Batman, and Jimmy Olsen are displayed as captives in what the cover itself announces as a "Hall of Hate." The scene promises two complete stories inside — "The Conspiracy of the Crime-Lords!" and a Metamorpho tale — making this a solid double dose of DC adventure at a time when twenty cents bought a lot of comics. With interior art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson, this is a fine example of early-'70s DC craftsmanship at its most dependable.