My Oldest Comic Book: Adventure Comics #97

Adventure Comics #97 (April/May 1945) is the oldest comic book in my collection. The copy I have was bought about twenty years ago at a local thrift store for $5.00. The store owner wrote a note saying that it was a 1944 issue. This DC Comic from the Golden Age features the Sandman in "No Curtains For Cupid!", the Shining Knight in "Barbs of Chivalry!", Genius Jones in "The Club That Wasn't There!", Starman in "Stolen Glory!", a half page comic strip titled "Gags Giggles 'N Groans" and Mike Gibbs Guerrilla in "The Life of Riley!".

Ads include Private Jones on the back of a captured Japanese soldier promoting Eveready Batteries, Adventures of "R.C." and Quickie in "Circus Terror!" to promote Royal Crown Cola (there is a drawing of Duncan Renaldo at the end of the ad from the movie, The Cisco Kid Returns), a Wheaties New Library of Sports centerfold ad, a half ad for a real U.S. Army plastic helmet and Volto From Mars promoting GrapeNuts Flakes (the bottom has "Tune in Hop Harrigan Blue Network Mon. thru Fri.").

A text story titled "Mad Money" by Eddie Bell can be found after the Starman feature and is continued on the back cover, which I don't have.



Here is the cover of Adventure Comics #97:


Here is my coverless copy of Adventure Comics #97 (there is a tear at the top):