Adventure Comics #157

This October 1950 issue of Adventure Comics delivers 52 big pages of small-town trouble, with the cover by Al Plastino setting the scene perfectly: Superboy swoops through the Smallville sky while below him a mischievous boy fires what appears to be a water pistol, sending a stream splashing toward a bowl, as two amused women look on. The cover tagline — "It's Mischief by the Minute When Superboy Meets 'The Worst Boy in Smallville!'" — promises exactly the kind of lighthearted yet spirited storytelling that made this era of DC Comics so charming. With interior art by George Papp and writing by Paul Talbot, this is a warm, fun slice of early-fifties superhero adventure.