80-Page Thursdays: Superman Family #184!

Here's an 80-pager I was looking forward to from the cover, but sadly it doesn't deliver: Superman Family #184 from 1977, featuring stories from Martin Pasko, Jack C. Harris, Paul Kupperberg, and more; and art from Kurt Schaffenberger, Jose Delbo, Ken Landgraf, and more.

The cover story is the book's last feature: "The Mysterious Misdemeanors of the Prankster," wherein the "gap-toothed gagster" performs a number of crimes that are misdemeanors in name only; archiac crimes that are still on the books, like catching birds in an Idaho cemetery or putting pennies in his ears in Hawaii or swearing in Middleborough, Ma. Wait, that last one is real. Real stupid, but real. Supes (and this could be the Earth-2 one, or not) is really snippy, since he knows Prankster is up to something, but can't prove it...for about eight pages.

The opening Supergirl story is interesting, but has a lot going on: a recap of her origin, her adoptive parents in danger, mysterious teleporting "Visitors" with ray weapons. It's continued, so I'd have to see the next issue to see how that goes; but next is a Jimmy Olsen story, set in his "Mr. Action" days of globetrotting reporting. Jimmy does a pretty good job on his own, but still needs a little unseen assist from Superman, as he saves a movie studio from bankruptcy by rescuing a scientist from an Eastern bloc country by disguising himself as a pro tennis player.

There's also a Krypto story involving a brontosaurus bone, a Lois Lane story where she's brainwashed and sent to murder Clark Kent, and a Nightwing and Flamebird story. Supes thinks the bottle city of Kandor is peaceful and trouble-free, but in fact it's on the verge of civil war between forces that want to leave for some other planet, and others that don't necessarily want to be ditched somewhere. And the city's heroes don't seem to agree, either.

Not the best 80-pager we've had here, but not the worst either, I suppose.