Read Legion Comics In Public Day 8/28/14

August 28 is Jack Kirby's birthday. He would be 97 years old. We were never lucky enough to get any Jack Kirby work on The Legion of Super-Heroes...how cool would that have been? The closest we ever got was him illustrating Legion Reserve member Jimmy Olsen, along with Superman, of course, in the pages of Jimmy Olsen (#s 133-148).

Oh, and his greatest DC creation ever rocked the Legion world in The Great Darkness Saga.
So there is that.

If you have never read this awesome story, here's the gist of it: Darkseid wakes from a millenium-long slumber and gathers his strength to take over the entire universe. If you think Darkseid is a major problem in current continuity, just imagine a Darkseid without any Highfather or New Gods to keep him in check...and then imagine he has an army of super-powered slaves at his command. Sound exciting? Oh, yeah.

Read Comics In Public Day was started in 2010 to help honor Jack Kirby's birthday. This is supposed to be the one day when all comic book fans could take what is basically a private act between you and your book, and showcase it in public. The hope was that we would slowly lay waste to the notion that comics are for kids or for anti-social "nerds;" the notion that comics are bought and then kept in plastic, but never read. In its place, we want to support the notion that comics can actually be enjoyed by (relatively) ordinary people.

So to help celebrate Jack Kirby's birthday AND Read Comics In Public Day, how about stopping by a brick and mortar store on your way home tonight and picking up a Legion collection? Even if you have not ready many Legion stories, may I respectfully suggest The Great Darkness Saga? The story is available in both Trade Paperback and Deluxe Hardcover editions. The story is by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen, doing arguably their greatest Legion work.

If The Great Darkness Saga is not available at your bookstore or comic-book store, how about trying another of the numerous Legion of Super-Heroes collections? At a recent visit to my local Barnes & Noble I found copies of Legion/Star Trek, An Eye For An Eye, and The Choice. Give one a try! Buy one, and then don't be an Invisible Kid or an Invisible Woman...show your habit proudly!

If we can't tempt you to read an actual Legion comic on August 28, how about one of the numerous books out there *about* the Legion? The Best of The Legion Outpost, The Legion Companion, and Teenagers From The Future are all fun books teeming with facts about the Legion of Super-Heroes and the people who love them.

This banner will link us to reviews of books and collected editions. We want to spotlight these accessible works, to introduce you to many entertaining stories and characters in the future.

So grab a Legion of Super-Heroes book and read it in public, thank Jack Kirby in spirit for being awesome, and Long Live the Legion!