Friday, May 29, 2009

The Ultimate Legion

This account of an unfinished article for Wizard got me thinking it'd be a good post here, something for you to think about over the weekend.

...While the main feature was proving a bit difficult to pull together, Andy and I came up with a killer sidebar we were having a lot of fun with: we'd pick the best members from all the various Legion incarnations and put together our own Ultimate Legion. We had a blast talking that out and would schedule meetings "officially" to talk about the news section or whatever and then have hour-long closed door sessions on who was the best Ultra Boy--awesome.

...Andy and I realized we wanted to include so many characters that our team was going to be huge even by Legion standards. We did not have much trouble mixing it up as far as having a diverse selection of creative eras represented as, while I can't recall our full team, but I believe we had Element Lad and Saturn Girl from the early days, Dawnstar and Wildfire from the Levitz/Giffen run, Gates and Live Wire from the reboot/Legion Lost era, and the Brainiac 5 and Triplicate Girl of Waid and Kitson's team; heck, I think we even threw "Five Years Later" Cosmic Boy/Rokk Krinn and Inferno from Legionnaires in for good measure.

So just for fun, who would be on your Ultimate Legion team? You can have anyone from any era or even any issue, with no restrictions at all on who you get, including multiple versions of a character through various timelines, reboots, alternate Earths, Elseworlds, animated, etc. You can justify your reasons or not.

Well, only one restriction: for tax purposes, you can't have more than 25 members.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

New action figures are here!

Nice delivery times for Mattel. I ordered the new Legion 4-pack from the mattycollector.com web site on the afternoon of May 15th, and it was waiting for me on my front porch when I got home on the 20th.

So here's what you get for your $38 and change: four action figures based on the Superman: The Animated Series ("New Kids in Town") and Justice League Unlimited ("Far From Home") episodes. Click to embiggen.






For grins, I put one up against one of each of the other series of figures to see how they stacked up in size. From left to right: the Super-Hero Clubhouse PVC figures, the DC Direct Lightning Lad, the Super Powers Tyr, the new JLU Lightning Lad, the Mon-El/Lightning Lad Pocket Super-Heroes, and in front, the Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, and Live Wire Heroclix and the Wildfire pewter figure from Mayfair. (Size-wise, the PVC figures fall between Tyr and JLU Lightning Lad).


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Coming Distractions: August 2009

Things to watch out for in August:

SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009 #1
Written by Sterling Gates, Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Greg Rucka
Art by Pete Woods, Jamal Igle, Renato Guedes, Julián López and various
Cover by Aaron Lopresti
There’s never been a better (or busier) time to be a Superman fan! With so many new characters and locations to keep track of, DC brings readers the definitive guide to the ever-expanding world of Superman. Here you will get profiles of characters like Nightwing and Flamebird, General Zod, Supergirl, Mon-El and more, plus maps of locations such as New Krypton’s Kandor and Metropolis.
Also included is a bittersweet story about the friendship of Supergirl and Flamebird, and a story revealing the dark legacy of Pete Ross’ brief time as President of the United States. Plus, a week in the life of Science Cops Billi Harper and Jonathan (Mon-El) Kent. This SECRET FILES issue serves as an excellent primer to this month’s “Codename: Patriot” crossover in the Superman titles, so don’t miss out!
On sale August 5 • 64 pg, FC, $4.99 US



ADVENTURE COMICS #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul, co-feature art by Clayton Henry
Covers by Francis Manapul
It's the return of one of DC Comics' longest running books and one of its greatest modern-day heroes – Conner Kent! In our first heroic issue, Superboy can't wait to jump back into his life – but which life will it be? With a clarity he's never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth...Smallville?
Plus, in the wake of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, Starman heads off on an all-new mission in the present. And it's one that will not only impact Superboy, but the future of the DC Universe itself. Fortunately, the off-kilter Legionnaire won't be dong it alone! And in the upcoming months of ADVENTURE COMICS look for Lex Luthor! Brainiac! Lightning Lad! Superboy's pal Simple Simon! Sun Boy and Polar Boy! Ultra, the Multi Alien! Wonder Girl! Black Lantern Alexander Luthor! And many, many more new and familiar faces!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul and renamed ADVENTURE COMICS #504). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale August 12 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

(note: this is the Standard Edition cover)


R.E.B.E.L.S. #7
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Andy Clarke
Cover by Kalman Andrasofzsky
As Vril Dox tries to rally resistance to the overpowering forces of Starro, Dox learns that allies are difficult to come by and that one planet holds the key to Starro’s further conquest. Unfortunately, that world suffers the consequences in brutal fashion!
On sale August 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



SUPERMAN ANNUAL #14
Written by James Robinson
Art by Javier Pina
Cover by Renato Guedes
Since Superman freed him from the Phantom Zone, Mon-El has spent all his time learning about Earth and its diverse cultures. But how much does he really know about Daxam, the homeworld he fled years ago? A gift from the Legionnaire Tellus allows Mon-El to explore the ancient history of Daxam – from its founding as a Kryptonian colony to its connection to the Mayans of Earth to its bloody civil war. Join Mon-El as he discovers that the planet he always believed to be peaceful and dull is actually anything but.
On sale August 19 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US



SUPERMAN #691
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson Magalhães
Cover by Fernando Dagnino & Raúl Fernandez
It’s a slam-bang, knockdown epic fight in the sewers of Metropolis in this fourth and final chapter of “Codename: Patriot”! What are the stakes, and who are the players? Everything and everyone, Superfans! Except one key player is missing – Superman! He has to stop the shooter from taking yet another course of action that would cause the situation between Earth and New Krypton to grow exponentially worse. Which, of course, is just what General Lane wants…
On sale August 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN SPECIAL #2
Written by James Robinson
Art by Bernard Chang
Cover by Pere Pérez
Jimmy Olsen has put all the pieces together regarding the mysterious Project 7734, and it’s worse than he imagined. With The Man of Steel temporarily out of the picture, though, it’s all up to Superman’s Pal to take action. Thankfully he has the help of Mon-El and Steel’s niece Natasha Irons – but will they be enough to defeat Codename: Assassin?
On sale August 26 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US



FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS HC
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by George Pérez & Scott Koblish
Cover by George Pérez
Superstar writer Geoff Johns and legendary artist George Pérez deliver the Crisis of the 31st century as the Legion of Super-Heroes reaches out for help against a powerful foe they can’t beat alone. From the moment Superman landed on Earth until the end of time, the Time Trapper has sought to erase Superman's impact on the universe. But the Legion of Super-Heroes have always been there to stop the relentless villain. Now, one Legion isn’t enough as the Time Trapper taps a twisted mirror image of The Boy of Steel from a parallel Earth long dead: Superboy-Prime! Who will answer the Legion's call for help?
With ties to INFINITE CRISIS, FINAL CRISIS and the history of the DCU, this tremendous hardcover collects the entire 5-issue miniseries and is not to be missed!
Advance-solicited; on sale October 21 • 168 pg, FC, $19.99 US

Bits of Legionnaire Business

Odds and ends...


  • Hero spotlights:

    Green Lantern Spotlight looks at XS as part of Flash Month.

    Kandou Eric looks at a number of Legionnaires, including Starman, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Dream Girl, Dawnstar, Wildfire, Mon-El, Invisible Kid(s), Brainiac 5, and XS.

    Blog@Newsarama looks at the history of Connor "Superboy" Kent and his return in L3W #4.

    Living Between Wednesdays introduces a new series called Super-human Delinquents of the Thirtieth Century, featuring all of the future’s most strange and incompetent bad guys. First up: Vibrex, Master of Vibration!

  • Other looks at L3W #4 from SpeedForce.org, IGN, Every Day Is Like Wednesday (which also includes a harsh but truthful discussion about DC Editorial), Reilly2040, Comic Book Bin, Major Spoilers, Newsarama, CBR,

    Two very long and thorough reviews at Rokk's Comic Book Revolution and Legion Abstract ("The Trapper is turtles all the way down"). They write better than I do.

  • Get-a-Life Boy interprets L3W #4 and how it relates to the multiverse, especially the one that Geoff Johns is working on.

  • Colossal Boy is listed as one of the top 10 Jewish super-heroes by io9, and links to a 2005 article with an interview with Paul Levitz as to how Gim Allon came to be portrayed as Jewish.

  • "Smallville" Magazine #32 features an 8-page interview with the actors who portray the Legionnaires in the "Legion" episode. Smallville Buzz has a long excerpt.

  • And speaking of Smallville - I totally missed posting a warning that Cosmic Boy was going to be on the season finale. I'm still a few episodes back, how did you guys like it? Television Without Pity gave it a D+. "It starts with Clark being visited by a rocket-boot-flying Rokk from the Legion of Superheroes (circa 1,000 years from now). He warns Clark that getting rid of Brainiac set off a chain of events with Chloe that leads to Doomsday killing Clark..." Also: recap at Newsarama.

  • At Again With the Comics, here are several fake Silver Age splash pages, including the infamous scene where the Legion rejects Young Darkseid. Also discussion on Metafilter.

  • Though it was cancelled at the end of the second season in spring 2008, it was still nominated for a 2008-2009 Daytime Emmy Award, for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Live Action & Animation.

  • As you've heard elsewhere, the new Adventure Comics #1 will have a variant cover labeled #504 (which is an homage to the original Adventure Comics #300). Check out Francis Manapul's page for a look at both.

  • Daily Scans reminds us of the Legion's Blackest Night (aka Legion Zombies) from when the v4 group fought Mordru. Braaaaaiiinnsss!

  • Ben Morse writes at the Cool Kids Table of a Legion article for Wizard that never saw the light of day but which will make an interesting post here soon. Don't write your answers down yet, but start thinking about who you'd like on your Ultimate Legion team.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Adventure Comics news from Bristol

News from the Bristol Comics Expo in the UK this weekend:

From CBR:

The return of “Adventure Comics” to the DCU looks like an exciting prospect, with Vice President of Sales Bob Wayne explaining that each issue will have a variant cover numbers -- as if the original series had never ceased publication, so readers could choose to start with number #1 or continue with #504. The man who never sleeps, Geoff Johns, is on board with artist Francis Manapul on art duties in a book which will feature Connor Kent as Superboy in the main feature, with the Legion of Super-Heroes as the back-up. The Legion stories will act to reintroduce the futuristic super-team following the events of “Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds” (which DiDio promised would finish sometime!), focussing on individual key characters (starting with Starman) and then the team as a whole. If successful, there exists the possibility that the Legion will be spun-off into their own main series again at some point in the future.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Trivia Answers #35

I keep forgetting to post the answers to the trivia quiz in a timely manner, so here are the results of the May quiz.

Theme: In the news... these questions are based on things happening recently in the real world or in the latest issue of L3W.

1. With the H1N1 swine flu in the news, can you name five 30th/31st century diseases?

The ones I thought of off the top of my head were Grandian Gender Reversal Virus, Validus Plague, Yorggian Fever, Crimson Plague, lead poisoning, and stress-induced "space madness". There are plenty more, including the ones you guys came up with like influenza, Pain Plague, the disease on the planet Kol, Shrinking Plague, common cold, Proactian lava-pimples, Rimborian Rhinovirus and Tiburian Ptomaine. It would probably take a whole page just to list out what Infectious Lass has been shown to have given out.


2. May 1st (aka May Day, aka International Workers' Day) will be Gates' favorite holiday. Name three other 30th/31st century holidays or celebrations that we've seen.
Klordny, of course, as well as Christmas, Chanukkah, and Sun Boy's birthday. Add Election Day, Founder's Day, Parents Day, Apollo Day, and Halloween.


3. On May 15, Mattel will release four new action figures. Prior to this line, what is the combined number of times these four Legionnaires have been made into some sort of 3-D figure (traditional "action figures", statues, game pieces, etc.)?
The answer I was looking for was "20x". Peter got it right:
  • Saturn Girl (5x): Legion of Super-Heroes PVC, DC Direct, Pocket Super-Heroes, Heroclix Cosmic Justice, Heroclix LSH Starter
  • Brainiac 5 (4x): Legion of Super-Heroes PVC, DC Direct, Heroclix Unleashed, Happy Meal
  • Lightning Lad (6x): Legion of Super-Heroes PVC, DC Direct, Pocket Super-Heroes, Heroclix Cosmic Justice, Heroclix LSH Starter, Happy Meal
  • Cosmic Boy (5x): Legion of Super-Heroes PVC, DC Direct, Pocket Super-Heroes, Heroclix Cosmic Justice, Heroclix LSH Starter


  • 4. Superboy-Prime is an example of a villain who was created outside of the Legion universe, who became significantly associated with the Legion. Name at least three other characters (hero or villain) who have also been associated with the Legion (not including any of the Superboys or Supergirls).
    Another one I guess wasn't worded well enough. I was looking for people like Mon-El and Dev-Em, who were created outside of the Legion books (in "Superboy", in both cases) and then later joined Legion continuity, and whose appearances are most often associated with the Legion. Basically, when you think of this character, does the Legion come to mind?

    The following people you mentioned, while they have met or interacted with the Legion, do not fit this criteria: Ra's al Ghul, J'Onn J'Onzz, Bart Allen, Lobo, Green Lantern (not counting Rond Vidar), Brainiac, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro, Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Prof. Ivo, Xotar the Weapons Master, Ambush Bug, Scavenger, Chronos, and Amethyst.

    The ones I was thinking of were Dev-Em, Mon-El, Darkseid and Thunder, along with Jimmy's and Lana's identities as Elastic Lad and Insect Queen (but not their civilian ID's). The H-Dial is debatable, as it was (part of) a major character for a while, but I think it's still more associated with Silver Age "House of Mystery" and 1980s "Adventure Comics" than the Legion. I suppose Time Trapper would go here since he was introduced in a Wonder Woman comic (even before the Legion's first appearance) though it was only a 1970s retcon that said as much.

    These people started out in Legion continuity and moved to the "mainstream" DCU (which wasn't my question, but would have made a good one): Persuader, Mordru, Emerald Eye, Controllers, Durlans, and Daxamites.


    5. In "Legion of 3 Worlds" so far, we've lost L3 Sun Boy, L3 Element Lad, L2 Kinetix, L1 Rond Vidar, and L1 Karate Kid II. When was the last time three or more Legionnaires died in the course of a single storyline (not counting Elseworlds or alternate realities)?
    I was thinking of the deaths of the SW6 Princess Projectra, Karate Kid, and Chameleon Boy, but a good argument could be made for Monstress, Element Lad, and Live Wire at the end of "Legion Lost".


    6. The recent Easter holiday brings to mind Easter Eggs, such as Spider-Man and Garfield being hidden in the group shot of LSH v2 #300. Name three other Easter Eggs in Legion publishing (not counting Tuckerizations).
    There are tons of them. Various X-Men; Martian Manhunter and Tars Tarkas (from Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" series) at the wedding of Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel; Grell and Levitz in the wedding party of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl; Spock in S/LSH #197; Deanna Troi in Legionnaires #35; Garfield's owner Jon Arbuckle, Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues)and Lando Calrissian during Universo Project; various famous robots including Twiki, Cybermen, and a Dalek appeared when Xotar attacked the robot Museum; and many more. My favorites are Eccentrica Gallumbits (from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), who showed up on a sign on Rimbor, I believe, during the later v4 issues; and the USS Enterprise and Jupiter II in the spaceship graveyard when the Substitute Legion got the old Legion clubhouse for their own.


    7. Here's a multi-parter about the Ric Estrada-drawn issues of "Karate Kid". Who was Karate Kid's sorta-girlfriend in the 20th century, where did they meet, what villain did she turn into, which 20th-century hero helped fight her, and how was she cured?
    One of the anonymous commenters got it all: Iris Jacobs, a teacher, Met KK at her apartment building. Jealous of Val's love for Jeckie, she volunteered for a S.T.A.R. Labs experiment and became Diamondeth. KK was helped out by the original Robin, Dick Grayson, to help subdue her. After a sidetrip to Kamandi's reality, KK returned to the 30th Century during Earthwar. Iris was shortly cured by a group of doctors on Mercury, and Val returned her to her home time.

    Friday, May 15, 2009

    New action figures available today

    Don't forget that you can order the new JLU Legion action figures starting today at the Mattel website. With shipping, it comes to $38.70, which is actually cheaper than the DC Direct figures (typically $15 each).


    This is a great story from Augiewan:
    From what I’ve been able to tell from listening to the “comic geeks” at the local comic shop, you either really like the Legion of Super Heroes, or you couldn’t care less. Crazy super-powered kids from the future saving the galaxy and messing with Superman’s time line. My 13 year old daughter happens to be in the “really likes” category, in fact she’s obsessed with them. She’s been gobbling up every back-issue she can get her mitts on and can talk Legion history with the older guys (the majority of Legion fans would be men in the 40’s and 50’s).

    She’s known about the 4 exclusive JLU-style Legion figures (Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Braniac 5) coming out on MattyCollector.com for some time now and has been reminding me often that I’ll need to be online on May 15th to order them as soon as they go on sale.

    What cracked me up this morning (May 15th) is that I woke up to a house filled with reminder notes that she has placed about before heading off to school. On my night stand, on the refrigerator, by the coffee pot, on my computer desk… Pretty much anywhere she knew I’d be today.

    Go here to read more.

    Wednesday, May 13, 2009

    Retweeting Geoff Johns

    Geoff Johns (@GeoffJohns0), on Twitter:

    With @JamesdRobinson at a Mexican Bar plotting Legion stuff. No food, just drink and Tellus.
    7:55 PM May 12th from Twitterrific

    Tuesday, May 12, 2009

    Animated cel for sale

    The Van Eaton Gallery in California deals in animation. I got an email from them today which includes this cel and description:



    Excellent Production Cel featuring Clark Kent, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl from the "New Kids In Town" episode of the "New Batman/Superman Adventures". The untrimmed Animation Cel measures 9" X 10.5" and has been placed on a color photographic background.

    Total image size is 5.25" X 6.5"...$600


    If you're interested, here's the contact info, and please let me know so I can tell Wanda I have her the referral:

    Wanda Carnes
    818-788-2357
    800-599-3693
    Van Eaton Galleries
    13613 Ventura Blvd.
    Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
    http://www.vegalleries.com/

    More with Geoff Johns and Adventure Comics

    Thought I'd post this one while it's still timely. Geoff Johns spoke to Newsarama about Legion of 3 Worlds and Adventure Comics. An excerpt:

    NRAMA: Are you writing the co-features in Adventure Comics?

    GJ: Yeah, I'll be writing or co-writing. The Starman one I'm doing myself, but the next one focuses on Lightning Lad, which I’ve co-written with a “new” writer named Mike Shoemaker, who worked on Saturday Night Live and works on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. He’s a massive Legion of Super-Heroes fan and there’s really a focus on character here with the shorter format, rather than spectacle. You’ll also see stories focused on Sun Boy and Polar Boy, Wildfire and Dawnstar and plenty more that have been in the spotlight in Legion of 3 Worlds.

    NRAMA: Brainiac also brought back Bart Allen in this comic, and you're using him in Flash: Rebirth. What role does Bart Allen play in the DCU now that he's back as Kid Flash?

    GJ: Well, you'll see that in Flash: Rebirth and beyond that. Kid Flash and Superboy both play pretty big roles in the DCU coming up. They're both in Blackest Night. They're going to be front and center in the DCU over the next year. As will the Legion.

    NRAMA: Beyond Adventure Comics?

    GJ: There are plans for the Legion beyond Adventure Comics too. You should be reading James Robinson’s Superman.

    Well, on the one hand, it's new Legion, but on the other, we're now back to the early 70's with the Legion as a backup strip (within Action Comics or Superboy). Everything in cycles...

    Monday, May 04, 2009

    Trivia Quiz #35

    Theme: In the news... these questions are based on things happening recently in the real world or in the latest issue of L3W.

    1. With the H1N1 swine flu in the news, can you name five 30th/31st century diseases?

    2. May 1st (aka May Day, aka International Workers' Day) will be Gates' favorite holiday. Name three other 30th/31st century holidays or celebrations that we've seen.

    3. On May 15, Mattel will release four new action figures. Prior to this line, what is the combined number of times these four Legionnaires have been made into some sort of 3-D figure (traditional "action figures", statues, game pieces, etc.)?

    4. Superboy-Prime is an example of a villain who was created outside of the Legion universe, who became significantly associated with the Legion. Name at least three other characters (hero or villain) who have also been associated with the Legion (not including any of the Superboys or Supergirls).

    5. In "Legion of 3 Worlds" so far, we've lost L3 Sun Boy, L3 Element Lad, L2 Kinetix, L1 Rond Vidar, and L1 Karate Kid II. When was the last time three or more Legionnaires died in the course of a single storyline (not counting Elseworlds or alternate realities)?

    6. The recent Easter holiday brings to mind Easter Eggs, such as Spider-Man and Garfield being hidden in the group shot of LSH v2 #300. Name three other Easter Eggs in Legion publishing (not counting Tuckerizations).

    7. Here's a multi-parter about the Ric Estrada-drawn issues of "Karate Kid". Who was Karate Kid's sorta-girlfriend in the 20th century, where did they meet, what villain did she turn into, which 20th-century hero helped fight her, and how was she cured?

    Saturday, May 02, 2009

    RIP: Ric Estrada

    Mark Evanier is reporting the death on Friday of artist Ric Estrada.

    Longtime readers will remember that Estrada was the artist on the first 11 issues (out of 15) of Karate Kid, in addition to drawing several Legion comics - Superboy and the Legion #232 (Klordny/Immune), #234 (Bounty and the Composite Legionnaire), and Legion v2 #261 (Space Circus of Death).

    Here's the Estrada-pencilled splash page from S/LSH 232, one of my favorite pieces ever and one that I'd love to eventually add to my meager original art collection.