I bought this beat up copy for $4.00

Nothing against Cary Bates, who... wrote some decent stuff for DC Comics in his long career there (sold a few stories at the age of 13, wrote regular beginning in 1970 at age 17, and stayed until 1986). But this is all about the creativity of Dave Cockrum.

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes was monthly, except for March, May, August and December. Not sure if those were holiday months for various staff or what. This one starts off with a great Nick Cardy cover. Right away we see that Timber Wolf has a new costume!

#195 had really ramped up the new look LSH and this issue was following in that trend. It was the first issue it shared title billing on the cover!

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with cover art by Nick Cardy)

The Legion story leads off this issue, and if I had been a little older and a more regular reader, it might have made me wonder (in a good way) what the heck was going on here. Legend is that the response to Cockrum's look for the LSH (and I suppose Cary's stories) was overwhelmingly positive and so DC started featuring them more and more. 

This is a great splash page, probably more fitting in a Marvel Comic, but that was what Dave brought to DC, in his short time there... he also inks his own work here on this story.

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with art by Dave Cockrum)

Here's a situation that probably wouldn't be well received today. Clark Kent gets a signal from the future that the LSH needs him, so he decides to use his heat vision to drop and apple from the tree and KNOCK HER OUT COLD. 

That's pretty harsh Clark. No one complains about THIS though. As Superman (in the movie) he kills a homicidal maniac who plans on destroying the earth at all cost - everyone loses their mind - give your girlfriend a concussion so you can sneak off to the future - perfectly acceptable!

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with art by Dave Cockrum)

Timber Wolf's new costume is pretty cool and whereas you can see they may have used the Wolverine concept as a bit of a jumping off point, slightly changing the color, Marvel would pay back the homage by giving Wolvie a costume similar to this a few years later. 

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with art by Dave Cockrum)

Cockrum was a Star Trek fan and he brought that futuristic aesthetic to the LSH!

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with art by Dave Cockrum)

Probably influenced by Gil Kane, but man, did I like this a whole lot better. Cockrum should've been an early superstar in the business.

In this issue, Lightning Lad also gets a costume change and I think it's one of the best costumes ever designed for one of the team! He's been a team captain and leader (and one of the charter members since the beginning), so it's only fitting he has a sort of military, officer kind of look.  

(SUPERBOY and the LEGION of SUPER-HEROES #197 - cover dated September 1973, on newsstands June 19th, 1973 with art by Dave Cockrum)

For some reason, the first appearance of Saturn Girl's more... revealing costume isn't something fans necessarily look for, so in case you're wondering - this issue ISN'T it. It actually changed back in Action Comics #392 from July of 1970 (3 years earlier). The costume design was actually sent in by a fan (K. Haven Metzger).