Superboy #169

This October 1970 DC issue presents one of the more delightfully mind-bending cover scenarios of the era: Superboy kneels in anguish before an open coffin bearing the name "Clark Kent," while two grieving figures stand behind him, one declaring responsibility for Clark Kent's death and lamenting that his career as Superboy is finished. The cover's bold tagline — "How can this be when Superboy and Clark Kent are the SAME?" — perfectly captures the impossible dramatic tension that writer Frank Robbins sets up. Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson deliver their signature clean, expressive linework, making this a thoroughly engaging entry in the long-running series chronicling Superman's teenage adventures in Smallville.