Reboot: The Legion #25

The Legion #25 (December 2003)
title: "Foundations"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

pencillers: Chris Batista, Eric Wight, Tony Harris, Dave Cockrum, Al Milgrom, Paul Rivoche
inkers: Robin Riggs, Chip Wallace, Doug Hazelwood
lettering: Comicraft
colorists: Jason Wright, Eric Wight, Tom Feister, Paul Rivoche
seps: Digital Chameleon

editor: Stephen Wacker

cover: Tony Harris and Tom Feister

reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon (flashback), Cosmic Boy, Element Lad (memorial), Gear, Kid Quantum II, Live Wire, M'Onel (cover only), Monstress (flashback), Saturn Girl, Sensor (cover only), Shikari, Spark, Star Boy (cover only), Triad, Violet (flashback), Wildfire, XS

Guests: 
Chuck Taine, Clark Kent, Lana Lang, Legion Cadets (21, most unnamed except for Amp Girl, Babbage, and Retro; also recognizable are Kent Shakespeare and Comet Queen, possibly Stone Boy and Color Kid), Mekt Ranzz, Mekt's prison psychologist (flashback), Pete Ross, Wimena Wazzo; Presidential yacht's crew, Science Police

Opponents: 
Convict in the cell next to Mekt's (flashback), Lightning Beasts (flashback), Servants of Darkness, Warp Phantoms

Review: Adventure Comics #523

Adventure Comics #523 is a turning point in the Adventure Comics Legion relaunch. After months of New Krypton crossovers then months of flashbacks and then months of adjunct storytelling to the main book, the title morphs into a Legion Academy book. 

The Academy had always been, for me, an untapped Legion aspect. We occasionally would get an issue looking at the school (Legion of Super-Heroes #304 one of my favorite issues ever). But what happens on a day to day basis there? What classes do they take? Do they have down time? So having Adventure really scrutinize the Academy and the students thrilled me.

It also helps that writer Paul Levitz gets Phil Jimenez to come on board as a co-creator on the book. Jimenez is a well-known Legion fan so my guess is this was something of a dream project. I especially like that Jimenez got to play with some of the older Legion characters again, Night Girl, Duo Damsel, and Bouncing Boy.

But the draw here are the Academy students. These are, for the most part, new characters. Additions to the expansive Legion continuity is always welcomed!

On to the book.

TOS: Adventure Comics #372

!

Adventure Comics #372 (Sept 1968)
title: "The School For Super-Villains"
writer and layouts: Jim Shooter
penciller: Curt Swan
inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Milt Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Neal Adams
reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Jason "Anachronistic Kid" Knol

Mission Monitor Board: 
Colossal Boy, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy; Timber Wolf and Chemical King; cameos by Cosmic Boy, Star Boy, Duo Damsel, and Phantom Girl

Opponents:
Tarik the Mute and his School For Super-Villains including such students as Nemesis Kid, Spider Girl, Radiation Roy, Lightning Lord, Ronn Kar

TOS: Adventure Comics #371

Adventure Comics #371 (August 1968)
title: "The Colossal Failure!"
writer and layouts: Jim Shooter
penciller: Curt Swan
inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Ben Oda
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Neal Adams
reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board: 
Colossal Boy, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy; debut appearance of Condo Arlik, future Legionnaire Chemical King

Opponents:
Extortionists who turn Colossal Boy's parents into glass statues

Review: Legion of Super-Heroes #304

As I was finishing my take on Legion Secret Origin, I was wondering what would be the next Legion time period that I would review. Russell recommended the last year of issues in Legion of Super-Heroes Vol 2, covering Legion #300-313.

I didn't know how to respond.
I didn't know if I could do the job.

This book and this time period is revered by me. It is the high water mark for this incarnation of the team. It is Levitz and Giffen and Mahlstadt knocking it out of the park each issue. It is dripping with early  teen nostalgia. Could I do a good job of critiquing books that I inherently will love unabashedly?

Then I thought about Legion of Super-Heroes #304. It is one of my favorite issues in this run, embodying the complexity and depth that Levitz and Giffen were known for. This is an issue almost exclusively focused on the Legion Academy students, little known and seldom used characters that the creators somehow breathe life into. Their interactions with the bigger team and the universe around them shows how vast the Legion mythos is. And, as usual, they reference Legion history, showing how far that reaches. An Legion issue that is about their farm league is one of my favorites of the run! That is heavy praise.

But you be the judge.

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #283

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #283 (Jan 1982)
title: "The Startling Secret of Wildfire"

writer: Roy Thomas

penciller: Howard Bender
inker: Bruce Patterson

letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Gene D'Angelo

editor: Mike W. Barr
cover: Jim Aparo

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Wildfire, Lightning Lad; cameo appearances by Superboy, Phantom Girl, Chemical King, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Timber Wolf, Shadow Lass, Matter-Eater Lad

Guests: 
Lamprey, Nightwind, Crystal Kid

Opponents: 
ego, pride, ignorance

How the Legion Ruined Superboy's Love Life

Poor Lana Lang. By the time I started reading Superboy comics, and by that time they were synonymous with Legion comics, Lana was a thing of the past, appearing more in reprints of old comics than new stories. Some Superboy readers might even have said, "Who's Lana Lang?" And it could be the Legion's fault. Come with me now and learn how the Legion ruined Superboy's love life.

Who's Who: Legion Academy

The Legion Academy
by Russell & Siskoid

The Legion Academy is the training and testing facility of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Originally shown to be part of the Legion headquarters, it eventually became a separate facility in a completely different location. 

Superboy & The Legion #240

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #240 (June, 1978)
title: "The Man Who Manacled The Legion"

plot:Paul Levitz
dialogue: Jack C. Harris

penciller: Howard Chaykin

inker: Bob Wiacek
letterer: Shelly Leferman
colorist: Cory Adams

editor: Al Milgrom
cover: Mike Grell & Joe Rubinstein (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Cosmic Boy

Opponents: 
Grimbor

Synopsis: 
Somewhere on Earth, Grimbor contemplates chaining up Superboy and the rest of the Legion. He reads that Superboy is currently in the 30th Century, so he decides to strike.