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Post by rberman on May 16, 2019 7:07:07 GMT -5
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #36 “Epilogue” (January 2008) Creative Team: Tony Bedard writing. Dennis Calero art The Story: The battle against Evolvo Lad continues. He’s standing atop a time portal, and Supergirl’s super-vision gives her an inadvertent view of the World War III event raging in other DC titles at this time. Evolvo Lad explains that Supergirl must use the portal to return to her own time so that she can be an inspiration that causes the Legion to form in the first place.  But what about the quest for Cosmic Boy? He wasn’t in any of the three locations to which Braniac 5 sent Legion teams. Brainy confesses this was all just a ruse to deal with various problems that needed attention, including the thread of Mekt Ranzz taking over the Legion. Brainy already knew from Dream Girl that Cosmic Boy was just fine, wherever/whenever he is.  My Two Cents: Aww, Supergirl had to go home! Brainy even erased her memory of the whole adventure, which I guess is OK when anyone but Zatanna does it. Next issue, the book drops her name from the masthead as well but continues with its numbering. But first, we'll look at a multi-issue Legion crossover with Superman that had begun a month earlier in Action Comics. 
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Post by rberman on May 16, 2019 19:05:52 GMT -5
Action Comics #858 “Chapter 1: Alien World” (December 2007) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: The first six pages replay the Superman origin story, except it’s in the 31st century and comes to a shockingly xenophobic conclusion.  The next five pages are a Kent/Olsen/Perry White scene in the spirit of the Christopher Reeve films. But wait! Kent hears and sees a marauding giant robot. Braniac? This looks like a job for Superman!  Yes, the robot is shaped like Braniac, but no, it’s not Braniac, not exactly. It’s an attention-seeking ploy by Braniac 5, who zaps Superman with a ray that causes him to recall an encounter in his teen years with three super-teens from the future. They gave him a Legion Flight Ring, and he convinced them to let him visit the future and be a part of their club for a while.  The giant robot contains a Legion Flight Ring and a Time Bubble which together transport Superman to the Bronze Age version of the 31st century. Wildfire, Dawnstar, and Colossal Boy help Superman escape capture by the Science Police. He needs help because Earth now has a red sun, so Superman has no powers. Why did Braniac 5 (now missing) even bring him here? We’ll find out!  My Two Cents: As you can see, classic LSH and Superman tropes are being simultaneously homage and upended. That’s the best way to tell new stories built on ones from decades past, rather than making knowledge of the old stories integral to the plot of the new. The Legionnaires make reference to the “Lightning Saga” from then-recent issues of JLA and JSA, which apparently happened in the recent past for both Superman and the Legion. I wonder what kind of negotiations were needed around the DC offices to have these stories feature Levitz’s Legion rather than Waid’s Threeboot Legion. Seems like an implicit denigration of his work.  Gray Frank still draws cool figures and weird faces, just as in Supreme Power. The coloring looks heavy-handed and dark. It might prove difficult to say exactly what Bronze Age issues this version of the Legion is drawn from; I detect some degree of mixing and matching, and some inconsistencies with what Geoff Johns did recently in “The Lightning Saga.” In that story, Dawnstar was wearing her original one-piece dress with all the fringe and exposed thighs, and the star was part of her forehead. Now the star is part of a headband, and she’s (barely) wearing a vest. Her portrayal has always been largely about sex appeal.  The idea of Earth’s sun turning red had been used a few times in the years prior to this story. It was an element of Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son story in 2003 and in Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman in 2006. I’m sure it has happened other times as well. Most versions cause Superman to lose his power even if he’s indoors when the sun goes red. That seems to have happened here for instance.
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2019 2:39:54 GMT -5
"Earth's now has a red sun"?? The scientific literacy of the writers knows no end. Or start, for that matter. OK, excuses given for comic book physics, but come on - a yellow sun doesn't just turn into a red giant, and if it did Earth would have been consumed. Laziness like this in writing drives me crazy
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Post by rberman on May 17, 2019 4:14:44 GMT -5
"Earth's now has a red sun"?? The scientific literacy of the writers knows no end. Or start, for that matter. OK, excuses given for comic book physics, but come on - a yellow sun doesn't just turn into a red giant, and if it did Earth would have been consumed. Laziness like this in writing drives me crazy Love it or hate it, it's a classic Superman trope. The "how" will be explained in an upcoming issue.  |
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Post by zaku on May 18, 2019 3:06:55 GMT -5
My Two Cents: As you can see, classic LSH and Superman tropes are being simultaneously homage and upended. That’s the best way to tell new stories built on ones from decades past, rather than making knowledge of the old stories integral to the plot of the new. The Legionnaires make reference to the “Lightning Saga” from then-recent issues of JLA and JSA, which apparently happened in the recent past for both Superman and the Legion. I wonder what kind of negotiations were needed around the DC offices to have these stories feature Levitz’s Legion rather than Waid’s Threeboot Legion. Seems like an implicit denigration of his work. I don't think so. I mean {Spoiler: Click to show}
they made clear from the beginning that the new Legion isn't in the same universe of the main DC Universe. They showed them reading comics that couldn't exists in the same universe of Superman or Supergirl. |
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Post by rberman on May 19, 2019 22:35:40 GMT -5
Action Comics #859 “Chapter 2: Illegal Aliens” (January 2008) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: Original Legion trio Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad make their way into the buried Batcave looking for evidence of Superman's extraterrestrial origin; this will help them against someone called “Earth-Man.” They are attacked by the “Justice League” of Earth-Man and his comrades (Tusker, Radiation Roy, Spider-Girl, Storm Boy, and Golden Boy), who are all from Earth. (Also all Silver Age LSH rejects.) A big fight breaks out!  In hiding, Superman gets exposition from three Legionnaires about how he’s too inspirational a figure to risk his life in the current conflict, especially without his powers. But he won’t go home, and anyway they have no way to send him, so reluctantly they take him along on their mission to the Legion headquarters, now a prison:  Schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to believe that Superman was an Earthling who fought aliens. Earth-Man was once a Legion reject named Absorbency Boy.  Earth Man has taken the original Legion trio captive. He uses his absorbency ability to steal their powers for himself, as he’s already done with half a dozen other Legionnaires depicted below.  My Two Cents: This issue is mostly exposition and world-building. There’s an underlying political message against nativism, obviously. Earth-Man is a blast from the past. He did indeed appear as Absorbency Boy (misspelled “Absorbancy Boy”), Legion reject-turned-villain, in Superboy #218 (1976, by Cary Bates).  Spider-Girl’s real name is Sussa Paka, an obvious reference to Peter Parker. Note once again the classic Legion scream “Aaaieee!” below.  She had been denied Legion membership, and dismissed rather cruelly, back in Adventure Comics #323 (1964, Jerry Siegel). She showed up again in #372 (1968, Jim Shooter), along with Radiation Roy, as a member of the Legion of Super-Villains.   She predates Medusa, who first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 (1965). 
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Post by rberman on May 20, 2019 11:19:54 GMT -5
Action Comics #860 “Chapter 3: Lightning and Shadows” (February 2008) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: Legionnaires break into the prison tower and free some of the inmates, who are dubious that they have really been rescued by Superman.  Fleeing to a hidden base, they meet up with a few other Legionnaires –Polar Boy, Night Girl, and Light Lass – and plot their next move. Polar Boy has lost an arm thanks to Tusker of Earth-Man’s new “Justice League.”  When Earth-Man and the Justice League attack the hidden base, Superman, Dawnstar, Polar Boy, Colossal Boy, and Wildfire are sent through a warp gate, following Braniac 5’s trail to his home plant of Colu, another xenophobic society which will not take their presence kindly.  My Two Cents: It’s a middling middle chapter, doing its job to advance the plot. Polar Boy now has spiky hair and a spunky attitude, nothing like the sad sack he was in the Silver Age Substitute Legion.  Gary Frank’s doll-like grins are really starting to get to me. The extra lines make everybody look like Botoxed sexagenarians rather than just an adult Legion. Night Girl’s costume has gained boob holes so that her cleavage looks like a bird’s beak. 
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Post by rberman on May 21, 2019 6:30:36 GMT -5
Action Comics #861 “Chapter 4: Chameleons” (March 2008) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: Braniac 5 is pretending to be an enemy of the Legion and the Earth in order to retain a measure of influence on his homeworld of Colu. As soon as he gets his captured Legionnaires alone, he tells them the real story. The Coluans discover his ruse, and everybody is forced to flee in a spaceship.  Much of this issue is given over to details about Earth-Man’s Justice League. It appears that these humans have paid various terrible prices to acquire super-powers. For instance, Storm Boy’s body is filled with machines to grant his powers; I’m reminded of the U-Men from Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men, humans with body dysmorphia that made them feel like they weren’t themselves unless they disfigured their bodies with mutant add-ons.  Colossal Boy’s Durlan wife Yera sneaks into the Justice League headquarters disguised as a young student. She finds Sun Boy imprisoned in a giant generator, which is how all the suns in the United Planets are being turned red. (Somehow; just go with it.) Earth-Man catches her before she can free him.  My Two Cents: Geoff Johns continues to resurrect forgotten Legion characters of yore. The teacher indoctrinating Earth children with jingoism is revealed to be Eyeful Ethel, Legion reject from Adventure Comics #330 (1965). Can “The Mess” be far behind? He looks like Alfred E. Neumann’s head sitting atop the body of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.   Check out this alternate cover by Mike Grell! 
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Post by beccabear67 on May 21, 2019 17:06:26 GMT -5
Nice Mike Grell cover!
I got the Legion cartoon series DVDs 1 & 2 today but only watched the short documentary so far. It's mostly the writers of the animated series but Paul Levitz is also interviewed and old and then current (2007) Legion comic book covers shown! The only thing I don't quite acceopt is that this obviously Superboy but they all refer to Superman, even on the back of the DVD... I guess maybe they un-existed the old Superboy when Byrne reset things? I have seen the punkier new Superboy with the short hair cut and jacket but never thought he might not turn into Superman. It's a bit confusing for me anyway, and now here in these Action Comics being reviewed it is also Superman & the Legion.
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Post by rberman on May 21, 2019 17:41:29 GMT -5
Nice Mike Grell cover! I got the Legion cartoon series DVDs 1 & 2 today but only watched the short documentary so far. It's mostly the writers of the animated series but Paul Levitz is also interviewed and old and then current (2007) Legion comic book covers shown! The only thing I don't quite accept is that this obviously Superboy but they all refer to Superman, even on the back of the DVD... I guess maybe they un-existed the old Superboy when Byrne reset things? I have seen the punkier new Superboy with the short hair cut and jacket but never thought he might not turn into Superman. It's a bit confusing for me anyway, and now here in these Action Comics being reviewed it is also Superman & the Legion. Superboy-Prime will be a major character upcoming in this thread. As you'll see, the cartoon's Superman is a very young man. |
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Post by rberman on May 22, 2019 6:21:22 GMT -5
Action Comics #862 “Chapter 5: Revenge of the Rejects” (April 2008) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: Running low on allies, Superman and the Legions send in the Substitute Legion to attack Earth-Man, creating a diversion. Stone Boy uses his power to just lie inert atop Radiation Roy.  Meanwbhile, the remainder of the regular Legion breaks into the Justice League headquarters to free their captured comrades from stasis tubes. They also stumble across Sun Boy, still causing the suns to be red. Before they get too far into the rescue, Earth-Man gets into a fight with Superman, who is still depowered. That’s basically all that happens in this issue.  My Two Cents: It’s always fun to see the plucky losers of the Substitute Legion get a day in the sun. Want to see another weird Gary Frank smile? Here you go!  Here’s Radiation Roy’s first appearance in Adventure Comics #320 (1964, Siegel and Binder). Later his face became progressively deformed from exposure to his own radiation, necessitating an encounter suit to protect others, like that radiation guy in Squadron Supreme. Also, he has trouble getting dates and has apparently become sexually fixated in the meantime. 
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2019 6:53:50 GMT -5
Nice Mike Grell cover! I got the Legion cartoon series DVDs 1 & 2 today but only watched the short documentary so far. It's mostly the writers of the animated series but Paul Levitz is also interviewed and old and then current (2007) Legion comic book covers shown! The only thing I don't quite acceopt is that this obviously Superboy but they all refer to Superman, even on the back of the DVD... I guess maybe they un-existed the old Superboy when Byrne reset things? I have seen the punkier new Superboy with the short hair cut and jacket but never thought he might not turn into Superman. It's a bit confusing for me anyway, and now here in these Action Comics being reviewed it is also Superman & the Legion. It was around the time that the Siegel estate was pursuing legal action against DC for the rights to the Superboy name. So DC and WB were not using the Superboy name. Superboy Prime became Superman Prime and at that time Kon-El (the Superboy with short hair and jacket) was "dead". |
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2019 5:54:11 GMT -5
It is ashamed that Spider-Girl did not become a member and I would had loved her to be a member of that group and would add a lot to it.  She would had been a wonderful Legionnaire. |
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Post by rberman on May 23, 2019 6:04:18 GMT -5
Action Comics #863 “Chapter 6: “Sun Rise” (May 2008) Creative Team: Geoff Johns writing. Gary Frank pencils. Jon Sibal ink. The Story: While powerless Superman gets pummeled in space by Earth-Man, the Legion have freed all their friends, and the expected big fight ensues. They need Star Boy awake so he can turn Earth’s sun back from red to yellow, restoring Superman’s powers. Should we use Saturn Girl’s telepathy to wake him up? Nah, let’s see if a kiss from a pretty girl works. No female Legionnaires are handy, so Yera gets reluctantly tapped for the job.  With the sun returned to yellow, Superman gains the power to have an inconclusive fight with Earth-Man for several pages until the rest of the Legion arrives to back him up. They win! Then Superman convinces the Coluan fleet it’s not worth their time to attack Earth.  My Two Cents: A rock ‘em, sock ‘em ending to the story, but not very many surprises along the way. It could easily have been a two part story, or three at the most. The Legionnaires seem confident that the defeat of Earth-Man will mean that all Earth citizens will immediately mend their xenophobic ways, which is utterly ridiculous. More likely, the defeat of Earth-Man and his Justice League by a bunch of non-humans would harden the resolve of regular folks.  This issue also contained an intriguing advertisement for an unnamed series that would be coming soon to reunite Superman and the Levitz Legion: 
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Post by rberman on May 24, 2019 5:34:29 GMT -5
Legion of Super-Heroes #37 “Evil Adventus Part One: Conflict” (February 2008) Creative Team: Jim Shooter writing. Francis Manapul pencils. John Livesay inks. The Story: Phantom Girl arrives in time for medic duty after Karate Kid and Triplicate Girl defeat a monster threatening some asteroid miners. Karate Kid stalks to Lightning Lad to complain about inadequate forces sent on his mission. He collapses on the floor, which for some reason leads to a gratiuitous shot of Phantom Girl in her undies with a broken back. Shooter doesn't lean into the "Legionnaires love old DC comic books" as much as Waid did, but there's still a single comic book on the floor here.  Remember back in issue #6 when Princess Projectra’s planet of Orando was destroyed? We haven’t seen much of her since then. Catching up, she’s just now applying for some sort of new legal status on Earth and is displeased with being treated as a commoner.  A Legion team on Triton includes Invisible Kid, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf, and Star Boy. Invisible Kid is fascinated with an female alien snowboarder with super-adrenaline powers that let her perform amazing sporting feats but leave her drained afterward. He rescues her from a crowd of bullies (or maybe rapists?) who attack her for reasons unclear.  The Tritonian ski lodge gets attacked by more of the alien monsters that Karate Kid had been fighting. This earns a good “Aaaieee!” from one of the victims. The Legion’s finances are drained, so Lightning Lad can’t pay to open a warp gate to send reinforcements. The away team is getting its butt kicked.  My Two Cents: Jim Shooter is stepping back into a role he vacated a lifetime or two ago, several lifetimes in terms of the creative and economic trends in comic books. To his credit, he hits the ground with lots of ideas. There’s a multipronged invasion of alien monsters, financial troubles for the Legion, a bit of internal conflict, and some progression in the stories of Invisible Kid and Princess Projectra, two characters with whom Mark Waid started to do interesting things and then dropped. I prefer the art of Barry Kitson or Dennis Calero to Francis Manapul. Did falling sales necessitate tasking a lower tier artist to this final phase of the series? Manapul makes Karate kid too bulky. The cover also depicts the Legion in their Bronze Age costumes, but the interior does not.  The Legion Flight Rings communicate to each other with a Zeezeezee signal straight from old Superman comics. “Zeezee” is actually used as a verb to describe sending a distress signal.
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