Who's Who: Size Lad

Size Lad
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Aarl

Super-Power(s): Ability to make any object larger or smaller; the power is temporary
Planet of Origin: Murra

Relationship to Legion: Villain; temporary Legionnaire

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89! An Introduction

Welcome boys and girls to the newest series here at the Legion of Super Bloggers!  Yes, as you can see, I will be covering L.E.G.I.O.N., also known as the Licensed Extra-Governmental Interstellar Operatives Network, also known as an intergalactic police force led by the manipulative Vril Dox.

This will be a bit of a departure for the blog in that up until now, virtually every comic we have covered featured one or more official members of the classic Legion of Super-Heroes. But it is not a leap to see why L.E.G.I.O.N. warrants discussion here, and there are connections beyond just the obvious that we will explore as we go along.

On a bit of a personal note before we go further, there is something I wanted to mention about my own comic collecting history. I am probably unique among the Super Bloggers in that I started reading the L.E.G.I.O.N. long before I became a fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I started collecting Marvel comics around 1984, and did not begin reading DC for a couple years after that. By that time I had become aware of the LOSH, but I found them to be a bit intimidating. They had so many members and their history seemed so complicated, particularly with Superboy having been removed from their continuity. Of course, I eventually learned the error of my ways. But long before then, I became a fan of L.E.G.I.O.N. What did I love about the book? Well, lets take a step back and see where it all began...

Home-Made Time Bubble

Editors' Note: Today we here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers would like to present another "How To" lesson from Ultra Fan Emsley Wyatt. You may remember that he created a home-made Legion of Super-Heroes Club-House two years ago. This time, he's created a Legion Time Bubble! 

My Legion Time Bubble

by Emsley Wyatt

A while back I did an article on my scratch-built Legion clubhouse diorama.  You can find that post here. 

Well, I looked at the Club-House and Legionnaires recently and decided that it could use an additional touch: a Time Bubble! 

Review: Adventure Comics #12

Like many old school Legion fans, I was very excited to hear that Paul Levitz was coming back to the title after being away for so long. But I have to say that there was a tinge of trepidation mixed in as well. Any time a beloved creator comes back to a title that they starred on, I always fear that the outcome will be a pale shadow of the initial run. Throw out whatever platitude you want ... maybe 'you can't go home again'? But as excited I was to see Levitz writing these characters again, I wondered what sort of Legion we would see from him in 2010.

I have to say I had mixed emotions about Legion of Super-heroes #1, a comic I meant to review here but never got up to doing. That issue just felt heavy to me, heavy on drama, heavy on dialogue, heavy on angst. It seemed like so much time was spent on Earth-Man that I didn't get enough of the Legion. My reaction to that issue was 'meh'.

I had the exact opposite response to Adventure Comics #12 where Levitz goes way back in time to one of the first interactions between Superboy and the Legion. Yes it was nostalgic and hearkened back to a simpler time ... but at least it was the Legion. Much like the new Legion comic picked up from Johns' Legion story in Action Comics, this book picks up after Johns' Legion issue of Superman Secret Origin. Frankly, for a cranky old fan like me, it was great to see the Legionnaires in their classic early outfits acting like heroes and generally being happy. I know that a comic like this could never last long term in the current comic market, but for one month, it was like a breath of fresh air.

The cover by Scott Clark shows a nice group shot with the Legionnaires striking heroic poses that nicely highlight their personality. Cos with the classic hands on hips. Garth with his arms cockily crossed. Invisible Boy small and in the background. That said, Phantom Girl looks way too skinny, especially her legs. But I love that outfit with the big P.

Reboot: Legion Lost #7

Legion Lost #7 (November 2000)
title: "Singularity"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

penciller: Olivier Coipel
inker: Andy Lanning
lettering: Comicraft
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Mike McAvennie

cover: Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Live Wire, Ultra Boy, Umbra; and apparently, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Spark, Violet

Guests: 
Lorcans (likely illusion)

Opponents: 
Shadow beast, Singularity

Who's Who: Silver Sword

Silver Sword
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Trebia Rijleigh

Super-Power(s): Armed with mystical sword that grants her strength and endurance
Planet of Origin: Buenapar

Relationship to Legion: Ally

The Action Comics Back-Ups

Before we close the Time Bubble door on the Silver Age Legion of Super-Heroes series, we here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers wanted to pause one last time to look back at the fourteen Action Comics stories. In this particular series there is a lot of foundation for where the series ended up going.

Karate Kid #11

Karate Kid #11
"Disasters of Yesteryear!"
story by Jack C. Harris
additional material by David Michelinie writing as Barry Jameson
art by Ric Estrada
edited by Denny O'Neil
cover by Al Milgrom (penciller) and Jack Abel (inker)
cover date: Dec/March 1977
review by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage
dedicated affectionately to Glenn "Continuity Kid" Walker

This cover seems to be light-years away from the Mike Grell and Grell-inspired covers that used to wrap around this series. Has DC decided that the Legion fandom isn't going for this book, so there is no need to maintain Mike Grell's covers? (He was still doing the Legion covers at the time.) Or did DC think that Legion fans would buy this even without Mike Grell's covers? Either way, this cover seems like the Hero should be a bit more of the center of attention, don't you think?

Review: Adventure Comics #11

This Adventure Comics run I have been reviewing recently has been a sort of landing place for the peripheral plot threads from the (at that time) events of  Last Stand of New Krypton and the War of the Supermen. Adventure Comics #11 continues that trend. Starring the Legion and Mon-El, this issue effectively wraps up any non-War plotlines left hanging from Last Stand.

In some ways I feel a bit for James Robinson. After starring in Superman for about a year, Mon-El's conclusion is relegated to the back pages of Adventure Comics. I understand how it is all in the timing. You couldn't put this story out until Last Stand ended. Once War of the Supermen is over, DC is going to want to really jump-start the super-titles with new directions and new creative teams. With no super-titles coming out this month, Mon-El's story had to land somewhere else. Adventure Comics was an easy home. Still, it would have been nice if Mon-El and Robinson could have ended their run in the title they have starred on.

I also think that the Legion story is crunched into too few pages ... maybe because Mon-El's pages warrant so much space. I want more story than I am seeing. I guess that's a good thing. It means the writers have grabbed me.

Reboot: Legion Lost #6

Legion Lost #6 (October 2000)
title: "Burnout"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

penciller: Pascal Alixe
inker: Andy Lanning
lettering: Comicraft
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Mike McAvennie

cover: Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Kid Quantum II, Live Wire, Monstress, Saturn Girl, Shikari, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Wildfire

Guests: 
Singularity (unnamed), Umbra's ancestors

Opponents: 
The Progenitor, Progeny, shadow beast

Who's Who: Shadow Kid

Shadow Kid
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Grev Mallor

Super-Power(s): Shadow casting
Planet of Origin: Talok VIII

Relationship to Legion: Brother or Cousin of Shadow Lass; Legion Academy member

TOS: Action Comics #392

Action Comics #392 (Sept 1970)
title: "The Legionnaires Who Never Were!"
writer: Cary Bates
penciller: Win Mortimer
inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Ben Oda
editor: Mort Weisinger
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: 
Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl; Karate Kid, Cosmic Boy, Matter-Eater Lad, Shrinking Violet, Brainiac 5; cameos by Shadow Lass, Chameleon Boy, Sun Boy, Mon-El, Element Lad, and Ultra Boy

Opponents:
Pozr-Du, mistaken identities, over-enthusiastic trust in technology

Twenty Rare Legion Collectibles

If you're a die-hard Legion of Super-Heroes fan, you'll probably try and get your hands on any comic, magazine, publication or general paraphernalia related to your favorite group.
    While many collect only officially authorized stuff, others delve into esoterica like original art, bootlegged products, unlicensed material, or commissioned sketches.
    As a dedicated Legion follower, I have amassed a pretty complete collection of licensed product. I often get queries from followers of my Facebook page about the availability of some of the merchandise, which has provided the inspiration for me to compile a list of my top 20 hardest-to-find Legion-related items. 
    Note there is a difference between collectibles that are difficult to find, and those which are not rare and may simply be too expensive for the average collector. For example, copies of ADVENTURE COMICS #247 are easy enough to acquire if you have the funds. Likewise, the highly sought-after Mattel 12-pack of Legion figures, or copies of the ridiculously over-priced SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION #23 with the Adam Hughes cover, are not scarce, but will cost you quite a handful of Huopian energy money and Dracksler mirror coins to purchase.
    So let the drums roll. Here's my top 20, in ascending order of rarity. Every item pictured is from my collection. Some items were produced in limited quantities and distributed to only selected recipients, while others enjoyed greater circulation but are still difficult to acquire.  As with many lists of this nature, note that it's all subjective.

Review: Adventure Comics #10

Adventure Comics #10 continues to flesh out the entertaining Last Stand of New Krypton storyline. As with the last two issues, this issue pushes the main storyline forward while adding some depth to the ancillary characters.

As an amateur comic historian, I have really loved how Adventure Comics has felt during this run, how it has been rolled into the super-family of books. The last two issues have starred Superboy, the Legion, and Supergirl. These issues have had multiple stories.

And the original Adventure Comics? Well there were long and storied runs for Superboy, the Legion, and Supergirl. The original Adventure was often an anthology series with multiple stories in every issue. So the current make-up of the book is a nice (even if unintentional) homage.

Top off this issue with another great cover by Joe Quinones and you have another satisfying issue.

As with the prior reviews, you are being dropped into this company wide crossover, so buckle up!

Reboot: Legion Lost #5

Legion Lost #5 (September 2000)
title: "Omniphagos"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

penciller: Olivier Coipel
inker: Andy Lanning
lettering: Comicraft
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Mike McAvennie

cover: Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Shikari, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Wildfire

Guests: 
None

Opponents: 
Omniphagos, Progeny soldier

Recap: 
A team of Legionnaires is lost in uncharted space. Not long ago, the xenophobic Progeny boarded a pyramid floating in space, and freed... something.

Who's Who: Servants of Darkness

Servants of Darkness
by Russell & Siskoid

Members: Guardian, Kalibak, Lydea Mallor, Orion, Superman (clones)

Relationship to Legion: Villains

TOS: Action Comics #391

Action Comics #391 (August 1970)
title: "The Ordeal of Element Lad!"
writer: E. Nelson Bridwell
penciller: Win Mortimer
inker: Jack Abel
editor: Mort Weisinger
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: 
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf

Opponent:
President Peralla and his chemical humanoids, Diol Masrin and his Dark Circle providers

LEGION TOYS: Chameleon Boy (DC Direct 2003)

 

The son of Legion financier, R. J. Brande!  His detective skills are the best in the 31st Century!  His shape-shifting powers make him the ideal member of the Legion Espionage Squad! He is Reep Daggle, a.k.a. Chameleon Boy!

Review: Adventure Comics #9

Adventure Comics #9 came out way back in 2010 and represented the next chapter in the Last Stand of New Krypton.

This issue continues the three shorter stories started last month, touching on different aspects of the bigger story. With Adventure in flux, with no clear 'star' on this book with Superboy moving on, this is the perfect place for these stories. And Last Stand has enough moving parts that looking at the periphery can be as much fun as looking at the main story.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fine Joe Quinones' cover which showcases Supergirl nicely. I like her expression as she sees the massive clawed hand reaching over her shoulder.

As with last week, we dive right into a major event. Hang on!

Reboot: Legion Lost #4

Legion Lost #4 (August 2000)
title: "Makeshift"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

penciller: Pascal Alixe
inker: Andy Lanning
lettering: Comicraft
colorist: Tom McCraw

editor: Mike McAvennie

cover: Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Kid Quantum II, Live Wire, Monstress, Saturn Girl, Shikari, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Wildfire

Guests: 
None

Opponents: 
The Blight (flashback), Quantum parasites

Who's Who: Sensei

Sensei
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Toshiaki White Crane (Shiratsuru)

Super-Power(s): None; an expert in martial arts
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Mentor; father figure to Val Armorr (Karate Kid)

TOS: Action Comics #390

Action Comics #390 (July 1970)
title: "The Tyrant and the Traitor!"
writer: E. Nelson Bridwell
penciller: Win Mortimer
inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Joe Letterese
editor: Mort Weisinger
reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board: 
Chameleon Boy, Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf

Guest-Star: 
Proty II

Opponent:
President Peralla, Diol Masrin, the Dark Circle, Chemical Humanoid troops

LSB: 5YL!?!

Five. Years. Later.

For Legion of Super-Heroes fans, these three words mean a very specific thing; namely, the series (volume 4) that ran for 125 issues from 1989~2000. Some readers love it, some readers hate it, but all serious Legion fans know of it.

However, for fans of this blog, The Legion of Super-Bloggers, "Five Years Later" as of today means something more. As of today, we have been posting as an official blog five years exactly!

So Happy Birthday to us! Let's channel our internal Elastic Lads and Triplicate Girls and pat ourselves on our collective backs!