Legion of Super-Heroes (V2) #288

Legion of Super-Heroes #288

“The Legionnaire’s Made for Burning”

JUNE 1982

The Great Darkness Saga Part Five

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Keith Giffen

Inked by Bruce Patterson

Colored by Carl Gafford

Laurie Sutton, Editor

Cover by Keith Giffen & Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Blok, Brainiac 5, Chameleon  Boy, Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Star Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, and Yera.

This time out, in the fifth installment of the Great Darkness Saga, we drop the two stories per issue format that we've had in the last 3 installments and get a full length 25 page epic from Levitz, Giffen, and Co.!

Who's Who: Dr. Regulus

Doctor Regulus
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Dr. Zaxton Regulus

Super-Power(s): Heat and light generation
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Villain

Reboot: Legionnaires #22

Legionnaires #22 (February, 1995)
title: "Hard Time!"

writers: Tom Peyer

penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inker: Tom Simmons
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Mike McAvennie
editor: KC Carlson (credited as Warden)

cover: Jeffrey Moy and John Dell
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, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Brain Globes of Rambat, Bur Rac, Planet Hell convicts and their would-be rescuers

Tempo Books Legion of Super-Heroes

In 1978 DC Comics partnered with Tempo Books, a subsidiary of Grosset & Dunlop, to produce six reprint paper-backs and six "activity" books. Of these twelve paperbacks, one was dedicated to Superboy and The Legion of Super-Heroes. 

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #23

Recap: The Earth has had a robot rebellion on its hands, the result of a techno-bomb sent by the Dominators. Sun Boy has put together his own team of super-powered teens made up of Terror Firma and some recruits to investigate. But they have been captured. Brainiac Five's attempts to resurrect Dream Girl seemed to fail, although unknown to everyone else he sees her. But all of that has been pushed into the background as the team deals with the elephant in the headquarters ... a Supergirl who believes that she is dreaming the reality.

My recent reviews of the Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes have praised Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's approach to the second year of the book. We have had multiple plot lines all percolating along. We have had character moments. We have had mysteries. And we had Supergirl.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #23 is a perfect example of this approach. The bulk of the issue deals with Supergirl's current mental state of believing she is in a deep dream state. The Legion have all been tip-toeing around Kara, worried about her Pollyanna views and her lack of concerns thinking that 'all will be well' because nothing bad can happen in a dream. The time has come for an intevention.

But we have the rest of the plots as well. Legionnaires are investigating the robot uprising. The unknown super-team lurking continues to entwine our heroes. A possible Legion romance might be brewing. And on top of all that, Waid throws in another subplot/character moment when we see Shadow Lass on her home world.

For me, the best thing in the book is the inclusion of Rokyn, the enlarged city of Kandor first seen in Superman #338 reviewed here. It is a perfect callback to old school DC continuity. That is the magic of Waid.

It is great to see Barry Kitson on art again as he brings this perfect polished look to the future. Everyone looks gorgeous. And the page layouts are slick.

On to the book ...

Legion of Super-Heroes #287

Legion of Super-Heroes #287

“Save the Suicide Squad”

MAY 1982

The Great Darkness Saga Part Four

Written by Paul Levitz

Pencilled by Keith Giffen

Inked by Bruce D. Patterson

Lettered by John Constanza

Colored by Gene D’Angelo

Cover by Keith Giffen and Romeo Tanghal

Roll Call:

Blok, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, and Yera (her first appearance).

This time out we dive into part four of our coverage of the Great Darkness Saga story arc, which is collected in the Great Darkness Saga HC & TPB. Once again we have two stories, a lead feature running 18 pages with Keith Giffen taking over as the artist, and an 8 page back-up story following Shadow Lass and Mon-El drawn by Pat Broderick.

Who's Who: Darkseid

Darkseid
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Darkseid

Super-Power(s): Super-strength, invulnerability, Omega beams; in the 30th Century, force blasts, force fields, levitation, teleportation, and mind control.
Planet of Origin: Apokolips

Relationship to Legion: Villain

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #65

Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #65 (February 1995)
title: "Breakout"

writers: Mark Waid and Tom McCraw

penciller: Lee Moder
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, Spider Girl, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Banderkat, Brain Globes of Rambat, Bur Rac, Caress, Leland McCauley, Titanor, Planet Hell convicts and their would-be rescuers

DC Salutes the Bicentennial!

Today marks the 240^th birthday of the United States of America, and thus the 40^th Anniversary of America’s 200^th Birthday, the Bicentennial, which was celebrated with great enthusiasm in 1976. In fact, DC Comics even got in on the celebration of the good ol’ US of A’s 200^th Birthday, with unifying “DC Comics Salutes the Bicentennial” trade dress on all issues cover dated July 1976, which included Superboy  (starring the Legion of Super-Heroes) #218. (for a full recap of this issue check out here: Superboy #218)

All told, DC released a total of 34 different comics with a July 1976 cover date, with 33 of them sporting the “DC Comics Salutes the Bicentennial” trade dress. The only holdout was DC Super Giant #27 (a 48 page reprint book and the last of the Super Giant series) which reprinted “flying saucers adventures” from Silver Age issues of Strange Adventures. 

Threeboot: Supergirl and the Legion #23 Variant Cover

I'm taking a week off from reviews as I enjoy a brief family vacation.

Had I not be on vacation, this would be the week I would review Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #23.

That issue had a superb variant cover by Adam Hughes showing Supergirl riding a meteor.

It is just a gorgeous cover, one of my favorite Supergirl covers of this time period. I am not a fan of the belly shirt costume but this is beautiful. But there is more to the story.