5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes #57

Recap: The Legion which reformed 5 years later is on the run, branded as traitors working with the Khunds. Hiding out on Rimbor, with new codenames and some aged/de-aged from a battle with Glorith, the team tries to stay one step ahead from everyone. But they also know they still need to do good. So despite being labeled outlaws, the team still is trying to uncover who has been lying about them as well as stop more Khundish expansion.

Legion of Super-Heroes #57, plotted by Stuart Immonen and Tom McCraw, written by McCraw, with art by Christopher Michael Taylor, is an incredibly fast-paced, action filled issue. McCraw has been shaking up the book since he took over writing it and we haven't had much of a chance to catch our breath. If people complained about the long form plotting of the early 5YL issues, they must have loved this run. Things happen fast and furious. And every issue seems to be punctuated by a brawl.

Superboy & The Legion #239

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #239 (May, 1978)
title: "Murder Most Foul"

plot/layouts: Jim Starlin

dialogue/plot assist: Paul Levitz

finished art: Josef Rubinstein

letterer: Ben Oda

colorist: Cory Adams
editor: Al Milgrom
cover: Mike Grell & Josef Rubinstein (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Ultra Boy, Superboy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Wildfire, Colossal Boy, Mon-El, Dawnstar, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy

Guests: 
Legion advisor Marla

Opponents: 
unnamed murderer and plotter

Duo Damsel & Bouncing Boy's Anniversary

According to Superboy/Legion #200, Duo Damsel married (will marry?) Bouncing Boy on October 28, 2973.

Who's Who: Stone Boy

Stone Boy
by Siskoid

Real Name: Dag Wentim

Super-Power(s): Turn to immovable stone
Planet of Origin: Zwen

Legion Seniority: Stone Boy was the twelfth recruit to join the Legion in the mostly-unchronicled era known as the Five-Year Gap.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #39

The Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #39 (Oct, 1987)
title: "The One That Got Away"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Greg LaRocque and Curt Swan
inkers: Mike DeCarlo and Romeo Tanghal
ink assist: Arne Starr
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Steve Lightle
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Colossal Boy, Chameleon Boy; cameos by Sun Boy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl

Guests: 
Gigi Cusimano, Marte and Wynn Allon

Opponents: 
unnamed escaped convict

Role Call

by Bits Boy

Role-playing games are not everyone’s cup of Kono juice, this author included. But in the mid-80s, Mayfair Games released its critically well-received DC Heroes tabletop game line, which, because it encompassed the whole DC universe, and therefore the Legion, ensnared the non-gaming fans who just had to have the Legion-related items for their collection. And there was much to keep them occupied: the three editions of the game came with an abundance of manuals, game books, figurines and sourcebooks.

There were four Legion of Super-Heroes game modules: Pawns of Time (#223), Knight to Planet 3 (#224), Mad Rook’s Gambit (#225) and King For All Time (#226). As the titles suggest, the theme revolved around a chess game, with the Legion confronting the Time Trapper. The gameplay for module #223 is particularly interesting as it revives former Legionnaires such as Chemical King, Nemesis Kid and Ferro Lad. Covers for the books were illustrated by the likes of Dan Jurgens, Ed Hannigan and Curt Swan, while the interiors were adorned with re-purposed artwork and a smattering of original sketches by ambiguously-named “DC staff”.

Karate Kid: Hot or Not?

A group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge - but considerable kung fu film knowledge - tell us if each Legionnaire is hot or not.

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art Girl - Buys everything with Tekken dollars.
DJ Nath - Learned everything she knows from Disney's Mulan. Co-star of Mind Linked, on You-Tube, with her sister Lip-Bomb.
Havana Nights - A black belt in yoga.
Lip-Bomb - Has attempted the one-inch punch. Got half an inch before giving up.
Science Girl - Is there such a thing as rooster style? Because she insists there is.
Shotgun - All about Gun Fu, not Kung Fu.
Moderator: Siskoid - Hosted a weekly kung fu film night for five years.

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes #56

Recap: The Legion has suffered a bit in the wake of a battle with Glorith. Some have been aged. Some have been de-aged. To add to personal issues, the United Planets have been duped by Universo into thinking the Legion are traitors. Branded as outlaws, the Legion members take on new looks and new code names and head to Rimbor to hide out. Before getting too settled, they get sucked into a gang war on the planet, with one gang, The Dragons, being led by Jo Nah.

Legion of Super-Heroes #56 continues a radical new direction for the book, a title already known for its radical directions. Writer Tom McCraw took over 6 issues ago and had truly changed this book.

Superboy and The Legion #238

Superboy and The Legion #238 (April, 1978) was a reprint. For the first time since the Legion had "returned" to cover-billing, 40 issues before, there was no new Legion story this month. Instead, Paul Levitz apologized for the deadline crunch as DC re-presented the classic Universo vs Legion story-line from Adventure Comics 359-360. 

Happy Birthday, Paul Levitz!

Happy Birthday, Paul Levitz! 

Today is the birthday of extraordinary Legion writer Paul Levitz, born on this date in 1956.

Paul's first Legion story was in Superboy/Legion #225 (March 1977). It was noteworthy for being the issue after Jim Shooter and Mike Grell had both left the title. It was not an auspicious beginning, as many fans were against new artist Jim Sherman and many also preferred the established writing style of Jim Shooter....Levitz had Mon-El *slap* Superboy in this story, for crying out loud!

Point/Counter-Point: The Death of Superboy

 


To wrap up our Superboy Memorial Week, today we present our very first Point-Counterpoint post. The Irredeemable Shag and Bilingual Boy tackle the question: Did the death of Superboy affect the Legion? 

Why *I* Need Superboy's Legion

Why The World…Or At The Very Least Why I Need The Legion

By Michael Bailey

There’s a theory that the first thing you are exposed to in a particular fandom will ultimately be your favorite.  This is not a hard and fast rule but for the most part it’s true. For example, the first Doctor you experience when you start watching Doctor Who is more than likely going to become “your” Doctor.  The Star Trek series you watch and fall in love with first with is “your” Star Trek.  The first heroes and villains you are exposed to become “your” heroes.

Going with that theory and sticking to it the Legion, by all rights, should be among my favorite characters ever. 

They weren’t.

In fact it took me a long time to learn to love the Legion.

I’m not making any sense.  Let me back this up a bit.

Whatever Happened To The Boy of Yesterday?

A Eulogy by Kyle Benning
To fully understand The Death of Superboy story, one has to keep in mind the paradox that the Legion was wallowing in following Crisis.

Superboy Dies!

The Death of Superboy - What Did It All Mean?

I will be putting my review of 5YL on pause this week to discuss the topic of the week.

This week the Legion of Super-Bloggers are looking back at Legion of Super-Heroes #38: The Greatest Hero of Them All. This issue marked the death of Superboy.

The Death of Superboy = The Death of the Legion

by Myk-El
In the real world, death is the point of no return. In comics, death is more like a revolving door. Heroes die, only to be reborn. Yet, Superboy’s death in Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) # 38 was something else altogether.

For me, the death of Superboy was also the death of the Legion.

I Miss The Real Superboy....

by Glenn Walker
This week some of the folks here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers are talking about the death of Superboy. It really is a tragic and pivotal moment in Legion history.

But it didn't really have the effect on me that it should have, because by the time the character actually died in the comics, Superboy was already dead to me. Yeah, I know it sounds brutal, but it's true.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #38

Legion of Super-Heroes #38 (September, 1987)
title: "The Greatest Hero Of Them All"

writer: Paul Levitz

penciller: Greg LaRocque
inker: Mike DeCarlo
ink assist: Arne Starr
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Carl Gafford 

editor: Karen Berger 

cover: Bill Sienkiewicz
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Blok, Invisible Kid, Ultra Boy, Mon-El, Wildfire, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Polar Boy; cameos by the entire Legion

Guests: 
Cosmic Boy, Night Girl, Pete Ross, Lana Lang, Ma & Pa Kent

Opponents: 
The Time Trapper

The Lightning Saga (chapter 2): JSA (v3) # 5

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA (v3) # 5

TITLE: “The Lightning Saga, Part Two: Dreams and Fire

WRITER: Geoff Johns

ARTIST: Fernando Pasarin

COLORIST: Jeremy Cox

LETTERER: Rob Leigh

EDITOR: Eddie Berganza

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Adam Schlagman

Hi, my name is Myk-El, and starting this month, I'll be looking at the return of the classic, Pre-Crisis Legion, often referred to as the Geoff Johns "Retro-boot."

Now, we all have our favorite version of the Legion. For me, it was the 80s Levitz-Giffen era. So, you can imagine how excited I was to hear that the characters I fell in love with all those years ago were making a comeback.

The first stop on that road was a guest starring role in a five-part crossover called "The Lightning Saga." In Part One, the Justice League discovers that seven Legionnaires have come back from the future on a mission so secret even they don't know what it is. NOTE: The review of that issue can be found here. Onward!

Ferro Lad: Hot or Not?

A group of candid women with no real Legion knowledge tell us if each Legionnaire is hot or not, hard or soft, handsome or ugly...

Participants
Our honorary Legion members are...
Art Girl - If she were metal, she'd be Nth metal. (She is not going to get this joke.)
DJ Nath - She's drippy, drippy mercury.
Lip-Bomb - Hair the color and tensile strength of copper. Co-star of Mind Linked, on You-Tube, with her sister DJ Nath.
Science Girl - Cold as steel.
Shotgun - The silver bullet.
Moderator: Siskoid - Dull as lead.

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes #55

Recap: The Legion is on the run, branded as allies with the Khunds and traitors to the UP. The team, now in a state of flux after a tumultuous battle with Glorith, decides that the easiest and best place to hole up would be Rimbor where they can take advantage of Jo's Silverale smuggling ring resources. In new costumes and sporting new code names, the team is suddenly faced with a new mystery. Spider Girl, missing for days, returns to the headquarters and says that Jo is in trouble.

When the 5YL book first came out, it had its nay-sayers. It was complex. It was in a 9 panel grid. The art was different. It was dark. This was about as different a Legion book as there could be.

Superboy and The Legion #237

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #237 (March, 1978)
title: "No Price Too High"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Walt Simonson

inker: Jack Abel

letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Adrienne Roy
editor: Al Milgrom

cover: Mike Grell (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Phantom Girl, Superboy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Brainiac 5, Shrinking Violet, Ultra Boy, Mon-El, Dream Girl, Timber Wolf, Light Lass, Sun Boy, Star Boy, Shadow Lass, Chameleon Boy, Princess Projectra, Wildfire

Guests: 
Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad, RJ Brande

Opponents: 
Arma Getten

Who's Who: Porcupine Pete

Porcupine Pete
by Siskoid

Real Name: Peter Dursin

Super-Power(s): Project sharp quills
Planet of Origin: Earth

Legion Seniority: Porcupine Pete was the eleventh recruit to join the Legion in the mostly-unchronicled era known as the Five-Year Gap.

Action Comics #591

Action Comics #591 (August, 1987)
title: "Past Imperfect"

writer: John Byrne

art: John Byrne
background inker: Keith Williams
lettering: John Costanza
colorist: Tom Ziuko 

editor: Michael Carlin & Andy Helfer 

cover: John Byrne
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superman, Superboy; cameos by Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Blok, Sun Boy

Guests: 
Krypto, Pete Ross, Ma & Pa Kent

Opponents: 
The Time Trapper

Legion of Super Heroes S01 E01: Man of Tomorrow

"Man of Tomorrow" was written by Amy Wolfram and directed by Ben Jones, original airdate: September 23, 2006.

Mission Monitor Board: Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, young Superman

Opponents: The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Tharok, Mano, the Persuader, Validus)

We open, only momentarily mind you, on the Legion being battered by unseen foes. We see them long enough for Lightning Lad - brash, lightning bolt scar through his right eye, and wearing a variation of his Dave Cockrum costume, in this animated version - to ask, "Where's Superman when you need him?"

Who Drew It Better? LSH 37 vs Superman 8

Often, on Hollywood (and other) Award Shows, some women show up wearing the same dress design, or men show up in the same type of tuxedo. When that happens, gossip reporters often dissect the fashion event by asking, "Who Wore It Better?"

Well, in the four-part Legion adventure "Past Imperfect," the Post-Crisis Superman came up against the Silver & Bronze Age Superboy and Legion. In the first issue crossed-over from the Legion title itself, the pertinent information from Legion (v3) #37 is repeated in Superman (v2) #8. So the Legion of Super-Bloggers is proud to present,

  Who Drew It Better?! 

5YL: Legion of Super-Heroes #54

Recap: The Legion has gone through significant changes since the end of the Mordru war. Members have left. New members have joined. And after a battle, many of the team members were effected by Glorith's time magic. But things aren't about the get easier, the UP thinks the team are in cahoots with the Khunds. And Glorith has disappeared, apparently killed by someone who knew an awful lot about the Time Trapper...

Legion of Super-Heroes #54 continues the current transformation of this title into something completely new. The Giffen/Bierbaums era of this title ended about a year and half earlier. The Bierbaum solo era of this title last about a year. And now we are fully enmeshed in the Tom McCraw era as writer on this title. As if the topsy-turvy new universe of the 5YL wasn't enough of a change, McCraw, in just a couple of issues, grabbed the book and wrung it into the shape he wanted it to be in. Between the fallout of the Mordru war, the Glorith battle, and the revelations of this issue, we are starting a brand new direction. And DC took advantage of this fresh feeling, giving the book a 90's special cover (silver inked, and cut out window showing the underlying cover), as well as branding it 'The 1st Issue of a Brand New Era!'

The Wedding of Saturn Girl & Lightning Lad

How many Legionnaires can YOU find!?

According to the 2995: Legion of Super-Heroes Sourcebook, founding Legion members Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad married on June 17, 2982.

In continuity, the wedding occurred between Superboy & The Legion #s 236 and #237. Because we just reviewed SLSH #236 last week, we chose to highlight the event *this* week.