Legion of Super-Heroes #286

Legion of Super-Heroes #286

“Old Friends, New Relatives, and Other Corpses”

APRIL 1982

The Great Darkness Saga Part Three

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Pat Broderick

Inked by Bruce Patterson

Lettered by John Constanza

Colored by Gene D’Angelo

Edited by Anton Kawasaki

Cover by Pat Broderick and Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Blok, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Phantom Girl, R.J. Brande, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Timber Wolf, and Ultra Boy.

We’re back with the third installment of the Great Darkness Saga story arc, as it is presented and reprinted in the Great Darkness Saga TPB & HC. Just like the previous issue, Legion of Super-Heroes #286 featured two stories, a lead feature that ran 18 pages, as well as back-up story, that checks-in on Karate Kid and Princess Projectra on her homeworld of Orando.

Who's Who: Dark Circle

Dark Circle
by Russell & Siskoid

Members: Ontir, Golgoth, various unnamed

Super-Power(s): Vast humanoid and technological resources.
Planet of Origin: Various

Relationship to Legion: Villains turned organized religion.

Reboot: Legionnaires #21

Legionnaires #21 (January 1994)
title: "Enter the Workforce!"

writer: Tom Peyer

penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inker: W.C. Carani
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Jeffrey Moy and W.C. Carani
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Saturn Girl, Spark, Triad, XS

Guests: 
Evolvo, Inferno, Karate Kid, Live Wire, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Bur Rac, Leland McCauley, technology thieves (one of which is named Klorn)

Happy Birthday, Dan Jurgens!

Happy Birthday, Dan Jurgens! 

Today is the birthday of super-talented comic-book artist and writer and Legion fan extraorinary Dan Jurgens, born on this date in 1959.

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #22

Recap: The Legion is adapting to life as an adjunct of the United Planets and having Supergirl on the team. The Girl of Steel is certainly popular as many of the Legionnaires seem smitten or obsessed with her. But bubbling underneath this internal strife are external forces: the Dominators, a robot rebellion, and another super-powered teen team which seems to be evil. Hopefully the Legion will be ready to face these threats when they finally arrive!

Legion of Super-Heroes #285

Legion of Super-Heroes #285

"Night Never Falls at Nullport"

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Pat Broderick

Inked & Lettered by Bruce D. Patterson

Colored by Gene D’Angelo

Edited by Mike W. Barr

Cover by Pat Broderick & Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Princess Projectra, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Timber Wolf

We’re back with the second installment of the Great Darkness Saga, as collected in the Great Darkness Saga HC & TPB. This time out it’s Legion of Super-Heroes #285, which features a 19 page lead story starring a small squadron of Legionnaires and an 8 page back-up story featuring Dream Girl.

Who's Who: Cosmic King

Cosmic King
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Unknown

Super-Power(s): Transmutation.
Planet of Origin: Venus

Relationship to Legion: Villain; member of the original Legion of Super-Villains.

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #64

Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #64 (January 1995)
title: "Sibling Rivalry"

writers: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw

penciller: Lee Moder and Yancey Labat
inker: Ron Boyd
lettering: Bob Pinaha
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Lee Moder
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Invisible Kid, Leviathan, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Spark, Triad, XS

Guests: 
Evolvo, Inferno, Karate Kid, Kirth and Dalya Ranzz (flashback), President Jeanne Chu, R.J. Brande, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy, Winema Wazzo

Opponents: 
Leland McCauley, Mekt Ranzz (flashback), rough alien types in a dive bar

Simply Amazing!

The Amazing World of DC Comics was DC Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s. Running 17 issues, the fanzine featured articles about DC characters and their creators, and was exclusively available through mail order. The bulk of the issues were edited by Allan Asherman, replaced later by Paul Levitz and then Cary Burkett. Individual issues were edited by Bob Rozakis or long-time Legion fans Carl Gafford and Neal Pozner.

Primarily consisting of text pieces, with occasional strips and comics features, Amazing World (AWODCC, for short) was printed on high quality paper with heavy stock for the covers. Amazing World in its seventeen issues featured several articles on and about the Legion. For awhile it even featured an exclusive column about the group, named The Legion Outpost (the same name as the fanzine, but not directly related).

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #21

Recap: Things aren't getting any easier for the Legion. A Dominator-spawned robot rebellion is brewing. A covert team of super-powered youths is being formed. A group of giants from Big City seem to be in cahoots with them. Brainiac 5 is unhinged as he tries to resurrect/recreate Dream Girl. And add to that an immensely powerful Supergirl who doesn't believe she is actually in the 31st century, believing instead that she is in a dream fugue. What else could go wrong?

We are approaching the two year mark for the Threeboot Legion. And it was about this time that I felt like the book was really starting to feel like the Legion I was used to.

The personalities on the team were gelling, becoming recognizable.
There were a bunch of plots going on in the book, many of which were gripping.
There were mysteries to solve.
There was a mad Brainiac 5.
There was a cool Supergirl.

Things were really starting to click for me. And Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #21 was a very good issue to highlight all of this. We have a number of plots touched on here. We have plot progression. We have powerful character moments, particularly from Brainiac 5.

Storytellers Mark Waid and Barry Kitson were hitting their stride. And Adam DeKraker had been on art enough for me to begin accepting his art instead of bemoaning the lack of Kitson.

But it is the end scene in this book, hinted at on the cover, that made this one of the better issues in the run. What was going to happen to Dream Girl?