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!