Remembering Steve Lightle

 A year ago, January 8, 2021 we lost another legendary Legion artist. Mr. Steve Lightle left us at only 61 years young. 

Today the Legion of Super-Bloggers would like to commemorate this fine gentleman with a couple of his most noteworthy pieces....

I Wouldn't Play D&D with the Legion

by Siskoid

 I won't deny it was fun to see Sun Boy and Star Boy (are they paired because they essentially have the same name?) playing Dungeons & Dragons whenever they had some downtime in the '80s Legion books. However, I just can't get into the way the role-playing game hobby morphed between then and the 29th Century. You might think it's cool that there's an impressive holographic display, but it's got more in common with the chess set aboard the Millennium Falcon than it does table top role-playing.

Click Read More (below) to read my specific complaints. 

Who's Who in the Legion #2 EXTRAS

by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Continuing the series where we spotlight the features that appeared at the beginning of each issue of the mini-series Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes (1988). This time out we continue with the history of the Legion, which had begun in the first issue. 

Who's Who in the Legion #1 EXTRAS

by Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Although we have already featured all of the characters that actually appeared in the mini-series Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes (1988), we here at Legion of Super-Bloggers realized that we never got around to featuring the extra-special features from each issue, such as the history of the Legion from issues 1 & 2, the Legion planet featurette from issue 3, the Legion HQ tour from issue 4, etcetera! So here we are in seven part min-series to rectify this mistake!  

We'll start off with the first part of "The History of the Legion" from Who's Who in the Legion #1. 

Who Drew It Better? Tales vs Baxter #25-29

By Siskoid and Russell

Completing our comparison of the covers of the Baxter version of The Legion (volume 3) and their reprints one year later in Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. This time we wrap up this series, as the reprints ended with Tales #29. 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?

Who Drew It Better? Tales vs Baxter #20-24

By Siskoid and Russell
Continuing our comparison of the covers of the Baxter version of The Legion (volume 3) and their reprints 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?

Reboot: The Legion #34

The Legion #34 (August 2004)
title: "Childhood's End"

writer: Keith Champagne

artist: Steve Lightle
lettering: Bill Oakley
colorist: Sno-Cone

editor: Stephen Wacker

cover: Steve Lightle

reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Shikari, Wildfire

Opponents: 
Lord Thalon, Thunderers of Qward, Weaponers of Qward, Vox

Synopsis: 
31st-Century Qward at the heart of the Anti-Matter Universe. A young man called Vox is in awe of his father, Lord Thalon, from whom he was cloned. This Savior of Qward is fated to bring the warring Weaponers and Thunderers together in a new age of glory, his designs set on the Multiverse itself. He has the power to do it and has recently brought the dying world back to life. They herald him a god. But old hatreds die hard and the two peoples of Qward are far from getting along. Thalon is generally disappointed with his son and thinks of getting rid of him and growing a new one, but when a Thunderer is ordered to do so and fails, he's the one at the wrong end of Thalon's energies. Except they misfire. He visits the battery that powers the planet to recharge, and we see a familiar helmet - Wildfire's - on a stand, suggesting his "god-like" powers are not really his own.

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?

Reboot: The Legion #24

The Legion #24 (November 2003)
title: "After Dark"

writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

artist: Steve Lightle
lettering: Comicraft
colorist: Jason Wright
seps: Digital Chameleon

editor: Stephen Wacker

cover: Steve Lightle
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Kid Quantum II, Umbra

Guests: 
Kwai guide, Science Police, Shadow Maven

Opponents: 
Grev Mallor/The Shadow

Recap: 
While lost in another galaxy, Umbra mysteriously lost her powers. When the Legion returned, she left for her homeworld of Talok VIII to deal with the issue...

Who Drew It Better: Tales vs Baxter #11-15

By Siskoid and Russell
Continuing our series comparing the covers of the Baxter version of The Legion of Super-Heroes (volume 3) and their reprints approximately one year later in Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The stories inside were exactly the same, but each issue had a unique cover.

So we bring up the age-old question: Who drew the better cover?

Who Drew It Better? Tales vs. Baxter #6-10

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?

Who Drew It Better? Tales vs. Baxter #1-5

By Siskoid and Russell
With the Baxter series, the Legion started telling stories for the direct market only. On the newsstand, the book changed its title to Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and for about a year, continued to tell new stories. But after a year, the newsstand kids would no longer be denied and Tales would begin reprinting the Baxter series. And aside from the first of these issues (above), the reprint would feature a new cover. And so the question before us is... Who drew the better cover?

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #16

This is the end ...

The New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #16 is the end of Paul Levitz writing the team. And it had been a very good run, several decades worth of excellent stories. It is a shame that Levitz's lend with the team came with a whimper and not a bang. And I wonder how Levitz would look back at this time. Clearly the run from Great Darkness through the Sensor Girl mystery was about as good a run as any. But then came the later Baxter run and then this retroboot.  I doubt he would hold the New 52 stuff as being his best material.

And in rereading this run, I have seen glimpses of the old excellence. But I don't know if what I like is what new fans are interested in. Take this issue for example. We have a Legion election. We have some interesting character moments, in particular Dreamy and Star Boy. But you have more hints about Glorith being something more than she is (which I think never bears fruit) and we have a clunky Validus scene. Perhaps worst of all, you get the hope of Phantom Girl having won the leader election. I say this is the worst because I know how she is treated moving forward.

Anyways, this was a good Legion issue and the character bits reinforced what I think is Levitz's best strength and therefore is an interesting end of his overall run. Scott Kolins is on art and he has a smoother look here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #15

It is hard for me to believe but this set of Legion reviews will be ending in about 2 months. This title is reaching a turning point in the creative team and then will enter a decaying orbit into it's ultimate cancellation. Incredibly, there hasn't been a monthly Legion title since this one ended in 2013. Insanity.

But that said, in re-reviewing this series, I am not surprised.  This book was filled with ups and downs. And Legion of Super-Heroes #15 is a great example of that. This is basically a done-in-one adventure with the new Legionnaire Glorith. I thought Glorith would eventually become ... well.. Glorith the super-villain. Or maybe a new Time Trapper. It never happened. But, as I have said in prior reviews, this book just doesn't have the traction to be doing rest issues or side adventures every 3-4 months. I needed this book to be a Legion book in the classic sense. We just don't get there.

Writer Paul Levitz just seems to be treading water here. And that is a shame. There are the usual glimmers of brilliance and some good characterization. But there just hasn't been the sort of engaging storylines in this series to keep me invested.

This issue also is the last issue for artist Francis Portela and that is also a blow for the book. Portela's art has been brilliant. 

We'll have one more issue with Levitz and then it is onto Keith Giffen's insane ending run. And then ... well ... we're still waiting.

Onto this book and my old review.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #14

The last review I wrote about New 52 talked about how I felt the book had taken a turn for the worse. It seems like the 2012 Anj hit that point with Legion of Super-Heroes #14. As I read this issue now, I couldn’t help but question the need for this arc. With a Fatal Fuve brawl about to happen, this side story of Braalian pirates seemed a bit useless. And the only new story bit which came from this was the possibility of Cos losing his powers.

It is a shame because the pages not involving the main story are interesting. Levitz has an understanding of a broad universe. The Comet Queen reveal, the scene with Tinya (a scene I understand more now in these days), even the Brainy stuff builds up the universe. But the Element Lad plot? Kind of a snooze.

The art is by Scott Kolins. An artist whose work I like much more now. But if only Francis Portela was still on the book.

My grade of C- stands. Hopefully, I like the upcoming issues a bit more.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #13

Legion of Super-Heroes #13 could be the sort of tipping point in my reviews of this title. 

During this reread I have been a bit more forgiving of the book. That might be that I have given it more of a chance. Or it could be that I am hungry for a Legion book again. 

But this issue felt like something of a tipping point. And it is funny how quickly my feelings changed. Because it seems like some of the things that irked me with this issue are things I have pointed out before. Could it be that I have lost my patience?

I also have to point out that Scott Kolins is on art. I like Kolins art, especially on Flash and JLA 3000. But for the shiny future of the Legion? It doesn't work for me. And it is very different feel to the Francis Portela art we have seen here. Could the art change be it?

There are good points, of course. I like Mon-El acting like a leader. And I like the Dreamy/Duplicate Lass scene. But the rest ...

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #0

It was 2012 and we were one year into the New 52. And DC decided to 'celebrate' the victory of the New 52 with a zero month. In theory, it was a 'jumping on point' for readers, a time to maybe head to a book you hadn't thought of reading. It was supposed to be an 'origin issue', time to learn about the new history .And each issue had a character-centric cover, a striking image to grab you.

Legion of Super-Heroes #0 was a flashback issue concentrating on the Brainiac Five origin story. It is a look at Colu and its culture. And it builds on, of all things, Legion Secret Origin, a book I just happened to recently review here. 

My points about this issue stand. I like Phantom Girl here, flirting with Ultra Boy but also still harboring a crush on Brainiac Five. I like Brainy, trying to move past his family's troubled past. And I like a new origin for Tharok, even if it feels a little coincidental. 

But I don't know if I like a semi-Saiyan Cos. I also remain confused about Brainiac and Collector of Worlds and Action Comics and the new origins.

Anyways, while the Legion remained relatively unscathed from the New 52 reboot, this is definitely a new wrinkle to Brainiac Five. And I suppose having this title get a little facelift was worth it.

Scott Kolins is on art and brings his usual grit to the proceedings.

On to the old review!

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #12

Paul Levitz, Francis Portela, and Steve Lightle do the creative heavy lifting in Legion of Super-Heroes #12 and with a lineup of talent like that you'd think this issue would be a huge win. On top of that, the issue ends the ongoing 'Dominator super-clone army' plot which has been rather intriguing to me. I was ready for this to be a big win on my reread.

Unfortunately, the plot points that were bothersome to me on first read are just a bit more grating now. This storyline is end far too quickly. A lot of dominos need to fall just the right way for the Legion to win. And even then, it is only a win because the Dominators pull the plug. And that just weakens the earlier chapters. I can't help but wonder about that #12 in the corner. Was Levitz told to wrap things up in 6 issues to fit a trade treatment? Because one more issue to flesh things out I think would have helped this a ton.

As usual Francis Portela does a great job on art here. His pages sizzle. All-pro pinch hitter Tom Derenick fills in on some pages. Derenick is fine if ordinary. And his pages just can't compare to Portela's giving this an unfinished feel as well.

On to the old review as well as some notes afterwards.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #11

I didn't like the New 52. I didn't like the Legion in the New 52. I haven't reread this series since its inception.

And that is why this review reread has been something of a revelation. For one, reading my old reviews, it is clear that I liked the series more than my memory tells me I did. Second, I am actually enjoying it this time around and my 'overall grades' have pretty much mirrored what I thought back then.

This time, I agree with my old self that this is a fun and thoroughly entertaining issue. I like the rogue team idea. I like Brainy and Dreamy interacting. I like Mon-El knowing about the stealth team. And I love the art, especially the Portela stuff (no surprise there). Outside of a little wonky Brainy stuff, this was a great chapter of a big story. 

Perhaps best of all, I don't remember the conclusion! Why does the team member who betrays the team do it?? You'll find out when I do! 

On to the old review!

Legion of Super-Heroes #11 came out last week and continued a sort of resurgence of the title. The current Dominator storyline has been tighter and more dramatic than the earliest issues of the book. And writer Paul Levitz has concentrated the number of characters being used right now, minimizing scenes 'checking in' on the big cast of the book. This really 'feels' like the Legion right now.

The art on the book is split between regular artist Francis Portela and Andres Guinaldo. Portela simply shines on the book making him one of my favorite current DC artists. I keep hearing his time on the book might be coming to a close. If true, I hope he finds himself on another ongoing title quickly. Guinaldo's work is fine if dark and a bit more raw.

This arc reminds me of a couple of other older arcs. One is the Universo Project where Brainy and Dreamy are kidnapped. The other was the cabal of Legionnaires (including Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel) going against Legion rules and going after the Time Trapper.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #10

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate. But let's skip the chit chat and talk turkey. New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #10 continued to move the mega-plot of the Dominators plot to overrun the UP nicely. We have seen the Dominators using gene technology to engineer super-powered troops. We know they are close to realizing their goals. Now we see the UP side of things.

And writer Paul Levitz does a good job here showing us the factions of the team. We see some Legionnaires trying to take matters sneakily into their own hands. We see others quit the team so they don't have to listen to the UP at all. And we see a lot of interplay between Brainy and Dreamy, the couple I never knew I wanted to see together! But the best thing about this is we have an explanation why the UP isn't engaging the Dominion already. This has been a plot hole that has been bugging me and at least it is answered.

The art for the most part is by Francis Portela and I must admit it continues to dazzle. I want to read a Brainy/Dreamy mini-series drawn by him. Andres Guinaldo does some pages which have a less polished look and therefor stick out a bit. 

What amazes me is that I find myself actually getting caught up in the story more on these rereads than I did when it was happening. I honestly have no recollection of how this whole thing ends so it is brand new to me. Knowing that I don't remember it makes me think I will again be disappointed. But we'll see!

On to the old review!