In the Silver Age, it sometimes seemed like more people survived the destruction of Krypton than actually perished. But few of them were as unique as Kal-El’s very own Eddie Haskell, the knave called Dev-Em! Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Adventure Comics #287 awaits!

ADVENTURE COMICS #287

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Penciler: George Papp
Inker: George Papp
Colorist: Uncredited
Letterer: Uncredited
Editor: Mort Weisinger
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: 10 Cents
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $220.00
Release Date: June 29, 1961

Previously in Adventure Comics: Rocketed from the dead planet Krypton, Kal-El was saved from certain death in the void of space. Eventually, it was revealed that, in addition to her Last Son, the planet Krypton was also survived by his pet dog, his father’s experimental chimpanzee, his first cousin, most of the planet’s most dangerous criminals, TWO ENTIRE CITIES, his big brother, his OTHER big brother, Terence Stamp, his mom, and dad (see Superboy #158), and whatever the hell Doomsday is.

Oh, and also? The juvenile delinquent who lived next door to the El family in suburban Kryptonopolis.

Oh, man! It’s crazy that the mono-wheel car driven by Dev-Em, the wild youth who lives next door to Jor-El and Lara was swerving towards Kal-El in that first panel! Even more so, the fact that Dev-Em nearly killed a toddler and snickers that he got away with it marks him as more than just the “Knave from Krypton.” That’s the behavior of a sociopath. Of course, when he gets home to the Em household (Kryptonian families are apparently kept alphabetical, with the next house owned by the Bent-En, then Sandra-Oh), he completely confirms that armchair diagnosis by gaslighting his mother and father about his brilliance.

Two thoughts here: One, Nair already existed in 1961. Two, Ron-Em looks remarkably like later Legion of Super-Heroes villain, Ron-Karr. We get a couple of pages of Dev-Em being a delinquent with his friends Rath-Ef and Norg-Ar (proving that Jerry Sieg-El approves of my Kryptonian alphabetical theory) before he realizes that his “steal from the technologically brilliant” M.O. would be a great way to get one over on the Els.

The fact that it’d also save his own skin, just in case Jor-El is right about the planet exploding, is icing on the cake

On the art front, it’s hard to fault George Papp, especially when Silver Age Krypton is basically “the suburbs with rockets.” Jor-El’s dressing down galls young Dev-Em greatly, and while he’s not the genius that his parents believe him to be, he’s no slouch. Using the sketches stolen from Jor-El, a lot of elbow grease, and the will to steal whatever equipment he needs, Dev-Em builds his own escape shelter, big enough to preserve not only himself, but Mater and Pater Em as well. (If you’re thinking, “Big deal!” remember that the genius futurist Jor-El couldn’t even pull that one off.)

While Kal-El lands on Earth, is adopted by the Kent family, and builds a reputation as the greatest hero in the galaxy, Dev-Em and his parents drift in suspended animation, eventually coming to a safe and sound landing on Earth. (I don’t remember when the idea that a wormhole or cosmic something-or-other caused all the Kryptonian debris to flow straight to Earth arrived, but in retrospect, it’s a pretty ingenious way of explaining the obvious.)

Of course, when he arrives on Earth, Dev-Em reminds us that he’s still a twisted little juvenile delinquent when he sees what has become of baby Kal-El.

The most interesting thing about this story is that ignoring any possible complications that would keep Dev-Em from getting to Earth to vex the grown Superboy, Jerry Siegel accidentally shows us the most capable person on the whole planet. Adventure Comics #287 is just the first half of the story that introduces ol’ Dev, starting him on a career that goes from rebel-without-a-cape to superhero to intergalactic spy to renegade cult murderer with a ridiculous haircut, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall.

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