Review: Adventure Comics #414

Last week, at the suggestion of Mart Gray, I reviewed Adventure #410 and the story in which Supergirl becomes a sort of foster mother to a super-powered alien tyke named Judy. By the end of that story, Jusy was revealed to be the vanguard of an alien invasion, was turned to the light by Supergirl's love, and then was stripped of her powers. Judy's stepfather, the invader, was killed by the good old American Air Force.

But what ultimately happened to Judy?

Well,flash forward 4 issues to Adventure #414 and the back up Supergirl story in that issue. Trust me, many of these Adventure Comics are bonkers and this issue gives us a heady double dose of insanity. The cover story, with Vortex, is bizarre.

But let's get back to our little angel Judy and her guardian angel Kara. Settle in, insanity happens!

"The Kidnapping" was written by John Albano with art by Bob Oksner, the same team that brought us the first Judy story. It is filled with the standard lush, and occasionally Good Girl, art that Oksner excels at.

But we are dropped right into the action.

As Linda Danvers, dressed in a mod outfit that Peggy Lipton would crave, heads for home, Judy is being kidnapped.

Now, you might ask yourself 'why would Linda leave an alien kindergarten-aged moppet home alone while she went shopping. But I don't think you'll come up with a good answer.

Also, it seems almost random. Why did the kidnappers hone in here?

Again, we can't dwell on the details. We have to just accept and move on.

Even worse, when the crooks ransacked the place, they discovered Kara's costume. He knows she is the Girl of Steel. And unless Kara does any number of crimes, Judy will be hurt.

She has to knock off a bank, grab some jewels, and bring a mink coat too.

Ahh ... the seventies.

The whole idea of the costume hanging in the closet revealing a secret identity is such a trope.

Now you would think that in this pre-Crisis universe, a time when Kryptonians can drop kick planets and conquer time, that Supergirl would simply scour the planet with her super-senses and find Judy.

Nope.

Instead, her play is to get into a form-fitting Catwoman-esque body suit and go through with the crimes!! Now that seems silly.

If that isn't enough, her boss from the TV station, bohunk Jeff, calls to tell Linda that a UFO has been reported in the area. Linda needs to be on call for some reporting should something come of it.

The details of the crimes were clear. Supergirl was to drop the loot off at a certain place and then check out a phone booth for more details.

Inside the booth is a picture of Judy proving the little girl is still healthy and safe.

Now you would think the easiest thing for Supergirl to do would be to watch the loot from the upper atmosphere and follow whoever picks it up to where Judy is hiding.

But this is the 1970's. So instead she is able to make out a phone number written on the inside of the matchbook in the picture. Then, super-speed scanning the phone book, she is able to find the address of whom the phone number belongs.

Wow. That reads so dated. Matchbooks? Landlines?

Seriously, the clue on the inside of a matchbook is a pretty dusty plot point, right out of bad films noir.

The number leads to the kidnapper's girlfriend's apartment. And there is Judy, tied to a chair.

But check out the girlfriend. Smoking! Halter top! Bellbottoms! So seventies chic!

Supergirl busts in and confronts the woman. Initially, the woman reacts with violence reaching for a gun. But then she pleads she is an innocent in this ploy. At least Supergirl isn't buying the 'babe in the woods' routine.

But look at a brief peek at a dark Kara in that first panel. She is *aching* for a chance to take this woman apart. Grim and gritty stuff.

Okay, so far this is reading like a standard somewhat convoluted 70's Supergirl story.

But then things get a little crazy ...

The kidnapper returns but is basically cut in half by a laser beam shot into the apartment through the window.

I mean, that is pretty graphic. And it came out of nowhere.

Oksner throws in a little of his good girl art in that last panel letting us see Supergirl's assets as she turns around to look for Judy.

But who shot the man?

Well, whoever they are, they also gun down the girlfriend, perforating her in the middle of the street.

That's straight brutal!

And then the bloodthirsty murderers turn out to be ... Judy's grandparents! They have been looking for her!

Look at how middle america, tray of cookies cooling, sweet they seem. And Judy runs right into their arms. She is ready to go home. (I like how Albano includes a line about their ship jamming radar. Remember, Judy's father got killed by Air Force fighters when he entered US airspace.)

As sweet as they look, the grandparents just bisected 2 people in cold blood. I find it strange that Kara so easily lets these two killers take Judy away so quickly. But this is the seventies and this short story and this Judy plot need to be wrapped up.

In fact, the next day, Linda is still thrilled that Judy is home. She is smiling to the point that Nasty Luthor wonders just what is going on.

Now, you can take a step back and say that in many ways, the beginning of Judy's story was like Kara's. A young girl, rocketed away from a doomed planet and sent to Earth. So maybe she is thrilled that Judy could go back to her family unlike Kara herself. But still, so fast ... and so bloody an ending.

I am glad I got to review this. I owe Martin an extra thanks for getting me to smile again about Supergirl in these weird times for her character and our world.

This is a low importance issue for a Supergirl collection. But as always, worth a buy if you find it cheap.

Overall grade: B

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