Adventure Comics v3
Because we're Legion fans, we're accustomed to changes in title while keeping the numbering (such as Superboy -> Superboy & the LSH -> LSH v2 -> Tales of the LSH). Continuing with the tradition of rebooting a series back to #1, it wouldn't be right without a little-noticed title (like LSH v1) in the volume-number mix.
This upcoming series will be Adventure Comics v3, not v2. There was an Adventure Comics one-shot back in 1999 as part of the "Silver Age" "Return of the JSA" storyline, which is v2.
The original title started in 1935 as New Comics, running 11 issues (1935-36) as one of the very first comic books ever; the title showed that it had new material as opposed to reprints (an innovation at the time). Then it became New Adventure Comics from #12 to #31 (1937-38), at which point it became Adventure Comics from #32 to #503.
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does that one shot really count as an actual "volume"?
anyway, i don't understand why DC decided to restart adventure comics from issue 1.
i mean, i understand #1s' attractiveness. but i believe the point in bringing back such a title should be to resurrect "one of the very first comic books ever", as you said. wouldn't an adventure comics v3 #1 be now as meaningless as the new brave and the bold series, who already fell into oblivion (meaning the nobody cares about it anymore after just a bunch of issues)?
i think putting out an issue #0 would have been enough to lure new readers in, instead of restarting with a whole new issue #1.
anyway, i'm happy the legion will have his own book again! i just hope the new AC will feature the action comics legion and not that awful threeboot...
Yes, the one-shot counts. It was the second series (even as a one-shot) to have the name "Adventure Comics", thus it's v2.
Then aren't we actually up to Adventure v4? The recent Guardian special was also titled Adventure Comics (and even had one Legionnaire and one honorary Legionnaire in it) wasn't it?
No, that issue was called "ADVENTURE COMICS SPECIAL FEATURING THE GUARDIAN" as its official title, not "Adventure Comics".
Splitting hairs much? ;-)
Still, I am enough a geek to weigh in myself. If it were up to me, a one-shot wouldn't constitute its own volume. Did DC say that this was so?
This sort of thing is why it's always good to include the cover date of a comic as well as volume information.
On another topic, notice how we still don't have a clue which version of the Legion will be starring in Adventure Comics? I wonder how long DC will try to keep it secret? Probably until L3W finishes....
If I remember correctly, that nitpicking on the title and volumes is a publicsing industry artifact based on mailing licenses.
The mail licenses affected comics because they were hugely expensive. Characters would start in a generically named book. They would "graduate" to their own title only if they were successful enough that the market value of a title with their name on it justified that new mail license.
I think each "volume" had to get its own license, back in the day. So, if a title was cancelled and the license expired, you'd have to get a new, distinct one if you wanted to relaunch. Again, the perceived value of the "brand" came into play.
I think there's a circulation auditing thing in there, too. While the mailing issue is moot now (that system is gone, I think), You still need the unique numbering for the auditors.
The rules for a lot of these comics were suppose to have been relaxed in recent years to allow more variable comics onto the market. Its now easier to get a comic onto the market (in theory) then it was a decade ago.
The Adventure in 1999 was part of the JSA returns story, not the Silver Age.
Wasn't there an 80-page giant sometime early this decade, as well? (I've been trying to figure out how many Adventure issues have shown since #503; I think it's 3 new and 2 reprints of #274)
I fixed the JSA/Silver Age thing, thanks.
There were also a new Adventure Comics 80-Page Giant in 1998, a reprint DC Silver Age Classics Adventure Comics 247 in 1992, a reprint Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics No. 247 in 2000, plus the new Guardian one.
Wow, the 80-pager was much earlier than I thought. Otherwise, those were the issues I was thinking of. Thanks for verifying.
The 80-page giant had a really nicely designed logo reminiscent of the original while still making its own flair.
I have a feeling/hope that the "new" Adventure will have the old cursive logo, or perhaps the variation used on the Special. Either way, I'm glad it's coming back, just wish it was #504!
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