Who Drew It Better? Tales vs. Baxter #16-19

By Siskoid and Russell
Continuing our comparison of the covers to the Baxter version of The Legion (volume 3) and their reprints approximately one year later in Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The stories were exactly the same, but each issue had a brand new cover. So we go back to the age-old question: Who drew the better cover?

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (v2) #1
(by Keith Giffen and Karl Kesel)
vs.

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #4
(by Steve Lightle)

Russell: Wow, right off the bat we have a hard choice! The first Baxter version of The Legion Annual from 1985 is a moody film noir type cover, screaming "Who Shot Laurel Kent?!?!"  by Keith Giffen and Karl Kesel. I like the coloring, and the four main Legionnaires around the giant question mark is quite effective. On the other hand, artist Steve Lightle chooses to embody the darkness in an actual shadow, with the Legionnaires moving through him/it. Although I do give him points for squeezing Magnetic Lad in there, I think I have to go with Giffen-Kesel.
Siskoid: I looked at Giffen's cover and I thought it was clever, the way the spotlight was a question mark, and Laurel's body in the same position, with the kryptonite in the dot, but surely, Lightle could do better? Well, he's the slicker artist, but I hate the blank purple background, and the focus on the killer (who here seems to be one of the Anti-Monitor's shadow-demons, as we're in that basic time frame) isn't as iconic as "Who Shot Laurel Kent?", which has since passed in the vernacular as one of the stories we call by name along with "The Great Darkness". Giffen for the win.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #16
(by Steve Lightle)
vs.

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #341

(by Steve Lightle & Larry Mahlstedt)

Siskoid: Two Lightles for the price of, well, two. The original takes us right into the comic's opener as Brainiac 5 reacts to the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. If I don't love it, it's because of the coloring. Entirely too much pink, and Brainy's white tears look like someone threw milk in his face. Still, it's highly dramatic. The second attempt is more in line with what the story is about: a first mission for our new Legionnaires. A lot of detail in this one, including Interlac graffiti that says "Long Live the Legion"... but why do they look like they're fighting the Science Police? I'm going to give it to the second cover, but can someone ask Lightle to do a third one that's about Garth and Imra baptizing their baby?
Russell: I'm right there with you, not a big fan of either of these illustrations. I think for sheer drama I will give it to Lightle v.1, because the major complaints we have with it are with the pinks and whites more than with the actual composition. As for the second cover, it just seems simultaneously too busy while not being dynamic enough.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #17
(by Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstedt)
vs.

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #342

(by Steve Lightle)

Russell: Here's another really great competition, Greg LaRoque and Larry Mahlstedt brought their "A"game for the Uncle Sam pastiche of LSH #17. The colors leap off the page, and for optimistic future vision, you really can't go wrong with this cover. On the other hand, Steve Lightle has the win with his cover for Tales #342, hands down. He took the time and made the effort to make every Legionnaire on this cover doing SOMETHING. Just take a look at it! Every time I look at this cover I see something new...for example, I *just* now noticed Brainiac 5! (He's nearly hidden behind Blok.)
Siskoid: I have to agree these are both a lot of fun, but the wealth of detail in Lightle's team portrait wins the day. My favorite bit is Blok standing on Timber Wolf's foot, but runner-ups include Chameleon Boy puncturing Bouncing Boy with a pin, the fighting Duo Damsels, and Cosmic Boy reacting to Sun Boy putting the moves on Night Girl. Or perhaps what I like most of all is how Polar Boy is trying to take a serious picture. It's his big chance, guys, can't you let him have his moment?

Note: For some reason, DC did not reprint Legion of Super-Heroes #18. This was a classic issue that featured the return of the Infinite Man. My guess is that because it was tied to the Crisis, maybe it was judged to be "out-dated" by the time its spot rolled around in Tales? Now not only was it not being reprinted a bit of an odd decision, but in order to maintain the 12-issue delay that DC had established between issues, they chose to reprint something else in this spot instead of going directly to LSH #18. So here we are, ladies and gentlemen...the two-fer debut of Wildfire from Superboy #195 paired with the return of Wildfire from Superboy #201!

by Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstedt

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #201
(by Nick Cardy)
vs.

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #343
(by Dave Cockrum)

Russell: As much as I love Dave Cockrum and his creation, Wildfire, I have to give my vote to classic Nick Cardy. This is ironic, because Dave Cockrum was the artist of both of the reprinted stories, but was not allowed to draw either of the Superboy covers because Nick Cardy was the official DC Cover Artist at the time! Still, there's a reason why Cardy got the job; I mean, come on, look at the composition of that cover for Superboy #201! (By the way, the cover to Superboy #195 did not feature the Legion; they were still "just" the back-up feature at the time.) And yeah, Cockrum is the more "flashy" of the two artists, but his cover here is not really a good representation of his skills. Wildfire is off-center, his lighting is odd, and the two representations of scenes from the stories inside are not clear. Cockrum should have given us the cover to Superboy #201 that he hadn't been able to give us back in 1974! 
Siskoid: Let's be clear, the Crisis-related cover is the coolest and it's a great shame DC didn't reprint the story (I had to find the back issue later, bastards... New Titans reprinted the Crisis stuff!), even if I love love love the two Wildfire stories, especially the first part which introduces Porcupine Pete and Infectious Lass - but I'm getting side-tracked. If I can't give it to LaRocque, then yeah, Cardy gives us an actual mise en scène, while Cockrum does a just okay event montage.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #19
(by Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstedt)
vs.

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #344

(by Kevin Nowlan)

Siskoid: LaRocque has a Controller wave his hand menacingly at a group shot, and it's pretty cool, but whoa, Kevin Nowlan on the Legion?! Can I resist?! The original has the better composition, but it's a little generic, honestly. I love the quirkiness of Nowlan's action scene, with Chameleon Boy asa  big bee, Tyr bearing down on one of the Legion's most famous couples on what looks like a bomb (shades of Dr. Strangelove), laser beams all over the place. Turns out I CAN'T resist giving it to Nowlan.
Russell: Full disclosure, I'm not a fan of either of these illustrations. As Siskoid points out, Greg LaRocque's composition is pretty nice,and the alien hand waving at the group is pretty dramatic, especially if you are familiar with the earlier story this illustration harks back to. On the other hand, LaRoque's anatomy and postures for these Legionnaires are way too wonky. Ultra Boy's left arm just looks wrong everytime I look at it. So while I'm not that big a fan of Kevin Nowlan's version because it reminds me of a "first draft" sketch, I'll give it to him.


Conclusion
So that's our fourth installment of Who Drew It Better: The Baxter Series. What did YOU think? Do you agree with us, or do you think we're totally off? Let us know in the comments!