Giffen's other Hat Trick

No, not that Hat Trick, this is the other one.

Bumped up from the comments in another post, here's a blindingly obvious statement by Keith Giffen. Over at ComicMix, he's asked about "Countdown", which characters he liked and didn't like.

And everyone knows I hate Karate Kid. One of the reasons I stuck with Countdown was that I'd have a chance to hurt him again!

Giffen already succeeded at killing off Karate Kid twice, the Pre-Crisis version and the SW6 version.

Countdown's version appears to be the resurrected Pre-Crisis (Lightning Saga) guy - I'm a few weeks behind in my reading, so if there's some other explanation, please don't repeat it here - so leave it to Giffen to try to off him a third time. Three times for the same character - that's a hat trick.

I think the Karate Kid in the regular Legion series is safe for now, as he's being written by his original creator, Jim Shooter.

RIP: Jim Mooney

Mark Evanier has the sad news today that Jim Mooney has passed away.

Among the many books he's known for is his Supergirl work in the Silver Age, and that means he worked on many Legion stories as well. If we assume that the writer and artists co-created characters within their books, Mooney shares creator credits for:

• Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid, Colossal Boy (Action 267)
  
• Triplicate Girl, Phantom Girl, Brainiac 5, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, and Bouncing Boy (Action 276)
  
• Comet the Super-Horse and the teaming of the Legion of Super-Pets (Adventure 293)
  
• Whizzy the Super-Cat (Action 287)
  
• Command Kid (Adventure 328)
  
• The Legion of Stupor-Bizarros (Adventure 329)
  
• Dynamo Boy, Eyeful Ethel, and The Mess (Adventure 330)
  
• Golden Boy, Polecat, Animal Lad, Tusker, and the Adult LSV who appeared with the teen Legion (Adventure 331)
  
• the Dominators (Adventure 361)
  

Here's one of the most bizarre panels in Legion history (from ADV 330):

Icons: Jim Lee and Paul Levitz on the Legion

Via the UK SF Book News page comes this press release quote:

"Now Titan Books is bringing together a spectacular collection of his work in a deluxe hardcover volume, Icons: The DC Comics and WildStorm Art of Jim Lee, (USD $39.95 / CAN $45.00 / £24.99, ISBN: 978-1845765194), available worldwide from October 2008.

[snip]

"Lee's ascent through the ranks of comics stardom, both in art and in business, is charted in Icons: The DC Comics and WildStorm Art Of Jim Lee, as Titan Books lays out his rich, varied and astonishingly successful career through an array of beautiful work, bringing it right up to date with an all-new cover by Lee and an exclusive, all-new twelve-page comic strip, written by Paul Levitz (writer of Legion of Super-Heroes and President and Publisher of DC Comics)!

"Set to be one of the biggest titles of 2008, Titan will be launching Icons at San Diego Comic Con in July."

The Titans Books page goes further, promising an "an exclusive, all-new Legion of Superheroes twelve-page comic strip, written by Paul Levitz, with art by Lee!"

This is the story that Levitz mentioned at the end of this December 2007 interview. But the big question is where does it fit in, and which version of the Legion is it?

Was this New York Comic Con '06 panel the genesis of that Legion story?

Shooter, Livesay, Legion to be at NYCC

LSH inker Livesay posted a note over on the ComicBloc boards a couple days ago:

Hi everybody!
Jim Shooter and I will be doing a Legion of Super Heroes panel at the New York Comic con April 19th 10:30-11:00 am.
Come by and check it out!
Both of us will have tables in artists alley as well. So stop by, and say hi!
Thanks!!! Livesay

Mary the Wretched has some art samples by Livesay, his inks over Manapul's pencils for images from the current and upcoming issues.

The rest of the NYCC schedule isn't out yet.

Superboy lawsuit update (edit #3)

Via Jeff Trexler:

This is the big one. The judge has issued a ruling in the case regarding the Siegel family's rights in Superman. It doesn't resolve all the issues--for example, this does not address the Superboy issue, which is a separate case. However, it does award the heirs copyright in the Superman material in Action Comics number 1 (the judge uses the term "Vol. 1", but that's only a reference to the first issue.).

See Trexler's page for a copy of the 71-page ruling.

Technically nothing has been resolved yet in the Siegels vs DC/Time Warner case regarding copyrights to Superboy, but the judge ruled on the Superman case: exercising their rights granted to them (and all copyright holders and their heirs) by Congress in 1976, the Siegels recaptured a share of the copyright to the Superman material in "Action Comics" #1. The Superboy case is another case altogether, whether the character is derivative of Superman (in which case DC gets the copyrights) or whether he is a separate character created by Siegel and Shuster not created as work for hire (in which case the Siegels get the copyrights).

See this New York Times article for a fairly easy to read synopsis:

A federal judge here on Wednesday ruled that the heirs of Jerome Siegel — who 70 years ago sold the rights to the action hero he created with Joseph Shuster to Detective Comics for $130 — were entitled to claim a share of the United States copyright to the character. The ruling left intact Time Warner’s international rights to the character, which it has long owned through its DC Comics unit.

Time Warner lawyers declined to discuss the decision, a spokesman said. A similar ruling in 2006 allowed the Siegels to recapture their rights in the Superboy character, without determining whether Superboy was, in fact, the basis for Warner Brothers’s “Smallville” television series. The decision was later challenged in a case that has yet to be resolved, said Mr. Toberoff, who represented the family in that action.

Trexler points to a blog by William Patry, whose copyright treatise is referenced in the ruling, who now happens to be the Senior Copyright Counsel to Google, Inc.

I will say it is a brilliant opinion must have taken an extraordinary amount of time. It is very readable (and with great pictures!), which is very high praise given the extreme complexity of the facts and the legal issues at stake, If there was a Pulitzer Prize for judicial opinions, Judge Larson would win (with supporting awards for his hard-working clerks.).

Read the Times article and the two blog entries first, then read Blog@Newsarama's coverage. Save that one for last, so you can read the comments from those accusing the Siegels of being greedy.

This is far from the end of the line. Expect a lot of litigation on the Superman issue, and we haven't even gotten to the Superboy issue yet.

Update #1: Jeff Trexler has a FAQ up for those of you who, like me, can say "IANAL" (I am not a lawyer) but want to understand what's going on.

Additionally, see coverage at Journalista ("Sometimes, the good guys do in fact win"), the LA Times, Comics 212, Comic Book Resources, Wired, and soon to be lots more.

Update #2: Tom Bondurant of Newsarama (who is a lawyer) provides his opinion on what it all means. Most amusing are the hair-pulling, clothes-rending, plaintive cries of "woe is me, what will I do in a world without Superman?".

Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily gets to put her anti-studio spin on the ruling.

"LEGION isn’t a comic; it’s a lifestyle"

I am such a slacker. Here are some items that I would have posted in the last few weeks if I wasn't being lazy:

• The Legion Abstract has a sneak peek at some promotional art for the San Diego Comic Con's Legion panel, titled "We Are Legion".
  
  
• Tim Callahan has the cover (hmmm, that design looks kind of familiar....) to his upcoming book of essays entitled "Teenagers from the Future", published by Sequart. It'll be available at the New York Comic Con next month, and in stores in May.
  

  Here's Matt Fraction, from the Foreword: "LEGION isn’t a comic; it’s a lifestyle. Its fans are rabid, loyal, and exasperated by people like me who get fed up trying to parse its history and understand it. They rock non-ironic flight rings and remember where they were when Chemical King died.
  
  And it’s because of that dedication and love I find them, and the LEGION, fascinating; because of that, this book is really kind of a godsend. Or whatever pantheistic super-deity they may or may not worship in the 30th century. What’s that? 31st century? Great. Okay. See how much I need this book?"

  
  So where were you when Chemical King died (on-sale date March 21, 1977, as if I needed to remind anyone)? I was in 5th grade and had only been reading the Legion for a couple of years. I probably bought that issue from the 7-11 (which amazingly is still there) just north of Menlo Park Mall in Edison, NJ. Beyond that, though, I can't pin it down further.
  
  
• Larsworld has some custom action figures depicting the Legionnaires in their Grell-era costumes.
  
  
• Nobody told me that Major Spoilers was back. They've got a series of a couple dozen outstanding Hero Histories dating back to last summer. (via)
  
  
• Shayera at scans_daily catches everyone up on the Legion of Substitute Heroes from their original appearances to last month's Action issue.
  
  
• Christopher Bird continues his increasingly mis-numbered Top 30 Reasons why he should write the Legion. Here's reason #36 and #37. See here for more.
  
  
• The Comic Treadmill continues its retro-review of all the Legion stories, this time from the second quarter of 1965, featuring Adventure Comics 331-333.
  
  
• Here's a YouTube mashup of the Legion cartoon with a popular song. Check out the sidebar there for numerous others. Most of them feature Brainiac 5, with some saying he's gay for Superman and others denying it.
  
  
• WordBalloon had a podcast of a career-spanning interview with Mike Grell.
  
  
• I should have mentioned it at the time, but Legion Abstract had a great 50th anniversary tribute last month.
  

Déjà Vu 8: Karate Kid

Just found this one via scans_daily (thanks, Shayera!). Go there for a couple more pages from these sequences.

Top page is from Adventure Comics 368 (May 1968), bottom page is from Titans/LSH - Universe Ablaze 02 (April 2000).

"Dark Victory, part 1" preview

Here's what's coming up in part 1 of the Legion series finale this weekend. Part 2 airs next weekend.

"Legion of Super Heroes" splits its swan song over two weekends beginning with the premiere of the first half of the two-part series finale, entitled "Dark Victory, Part 1," on Saturday, March 29. The episode airs on Kids' WB! on The CW at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. The second half of the episode will air on Saturday, April 5.

The episode synopsis for "Dark Victory, Part 1": As Imperiex sets in motion one final assault designed to bring him control of the galaxy, Brainiac 5 must fight for control of himself as the ancient programming of Brainiac 1.0 emerges. Part 1 is written by J.M. DeMatteis & Michael Jelenic, and directed by Brandon Vietti.

J.M. DeMatteis? Oh noes, could it be the return of Dr. Mayavale?

Déjà Vu 7: What time is it?

Like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of our lives...

Paul Levitz, on Arthur C. Clarke

Wired has an article on the death of Arthur C. Clarke which quotes Paul Levitz:

Clarke's writing about geostationary orbits clearly led Denny O'Neil and Julie Schwartz to place the headquarters of the Justice League in an orbiting satellite. His subtler influences on the DC Universe are many, and mostly only known to the individual writers and artists who took inspiration from his work. One of my Legion of Super-Heroes tales drew its strength from a rereading of "The Star," for example, and [Clarke's] equation of advanced science appearing to be magic pervading our worlds. Directly and indirectly, he was one of the seminal writers for generations that followed in prose, comics, film and any media that permitted speculation.

The description of the story "The Star" (spoilers in the link above) sounds like it inspired the Legion story in this issue. Any other guesses?

Transuits, flight rings, world-wide polymer shields, telepathic ear plugs, time bubbles - "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Hmmm... were Mordru, the White Witch, and others from the Sorcerer's World really just using super-advanced technology?

[An aside: Because of those JLA stories, I learned that the JLA satellite was at 22,300 miles in a geostationary orbit (one in which the satellite appears to hover over a single spot on the earth) over Metropolis when I was still in elementary school. It wasn't until I got to college and started studying aerospace engineering that I learned not only how to figure out the derivation of that 22,300 mile altitude, but also that you can only have a geostationary orbit over the equator. Otherwise it's a geosynchronous orbit, which looks like a figure-8 centered at the equator. Clarke is credited with coming up with the idea of putting communications satellites in geostationary orbits in the mid-1940s, more than a decade before anyone had launched anything into orbit.

Thus ends the engineering semantics lesson of the day.]

Wrapping it up: final LSH episodes to air soon

Got the latest info email from Warner Bros. Animation tonight, which not only confirms what we already knew (the Legion show is not going to be renewed) but also says that the final episodes aren't being held for sweeps in May. Instead, the final three episodes are coming the next three weeks.

Kids' WB! on The CW presents the final stand-alone episode of "Legion of Super Heroes" on Saturday, March 22 with a chapter entitled "In Your Dreams." The episode airs at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT.

The episode synopsis for "In Your Dreams": With the power to see the future in her dreams, Dream Girl warns the Legion of attacks by the criminal organization The Dark Circle aimed to take down the United Planets. However, Lightning Lad wonders if Dream Girl or her visions can be trusted. "In Your Dreams" is written by Stan Berkowitz (screenwriter of "Justice League: The New Frontier") and directed by Brandon Vietti.

The series will conclude with a two-part episode, which is scheduled
to air on Kids' WB! on consecutive Saturdays -- March 29 and April 5.

Here are some images from "In Your Dreams":

Something to consider

Consider this storyline.

We pick up with the Legion after several years of their time has passed, in a continuity that directly follows the "original" Pre-Crisis version. We don't know exactly what has happened in the interim, but we get some hints. The Legion has been disbanded and its members scattered. The world and galaxy are much worse off, but the Legionnaires (on and off world) still offer hope even though nobody really believes them, as the people of the world are being fed lies. Over the course of the storyline we meet characters who have not been seen in ages, with references to Adventure-era people, places, and plotlines. Some Legionnaires have been physically maimed in the interim, some are captives, and most have new costumes.

OK, now what series am I talking about?

This generic description fits both the Giffen/Bierbaum "Five Years Later" story early in the v4 series, and the current Johns "Superman and the Legion" story in "Action Comics."

So why do I love the Johns run as much as I disliked the TMK run?

Wizard World LA '08 - day 2: The DnA Legion returns?

Day 2 of WWLA08 had the "Countdown to Crisis" panel. Hints of new trades and the possible return of the Post-Zero Hour Legion?

Via CBR:

"With the Legion of Super-Heroes in 'Action Comics' - are we going to see them more?" asked a fan. DiDio explained that the Legion will be celebrated in a lot of ways, as it's the 50th anniversary of the team.

More Levitz "Legion of Super-Heroes" trades? "Yes."

Via Newsarama:

A fan asked about the Legion, and DiDio reminded that it's the 50th anniversary of the characters, and they have significant plans for them. "I really liked the 'Legion Lost' era," commented the fan. "Come back and see me in a month," DiDio said.

The WizardWorld coverage doesn't have any of the above info.

Wizard World LA '08 - day 1: Superboy, the gateway drug

I forgot that Wizard World LA is this weekend. Here are the relevant newsy bits from the DC Nation panel (updated with new CBR and Wizard info, which appeared after I first posted this; thanks Paul!):

Via Newsarama:

• A fan asked about a rumor that Geoff Johns would be writing a Legion of Super-Heroes mini-series (perhaps with Van Sciver as artist), and DiDio again said he wouldn't comment on rumors but that he'd find out at the end of the month.
  
  
• DiDio asked the audience about Jim Shooter's current Legion of Super-Heroes - who was reading it and if they liked it. A fan that indicated he wasn't satisfied said that he liked what Mark Waid and Barry Kitson were doing, and was disappointed so far about the Shooter run. Another fan said it was "really flat."
  
  
• DiDio polled the audience again - this time about what their favorite incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes was: the Levitz/Giffen Legion, the Abnett/Lanning/Coipel Legion or the Waid/Kiston Legion. It was a fairly even split between the three.
  
  
• DiDio then asked fans if DC could publish a comic called "Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes," who would buy it. "You got the name back?" an audience member quipped. "I said if we could do it," DiDio responded. "I don't want any more rumors starting." The response to the question from the audience was lukewarm, with only a few hands being raised before DiDio moved on.
  
  
• When continuing to discuss team books, Van Sciver said he liked "the idea" of Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, since Superboy is a "gateway character" that everyone knows, that would allow readers to get to know the rest of the characters.
  

Here's CBR's coverage:

As to exactly which Legion of Super-Heroes Geoff Johns will be writing in the rumored miniseries mentioned in LYING IN THE GUTTERS, DiDio declined to comment, but Bob Wayne said, "Aren't there two or three versions in 'Action Comics'? I'd say he's writing all of them."

A fan asked what the response is like to Shooter's "Legion of Super-Heroes?" DiDio turned that question to the crowd, asking "Do you guys like Shooter's Legion?"

"No," said one fan. "It's so flat. There's no tone to it. All the characters seem to be replacable with each other. The storyline doesn't seem to be going anywhere."

DiDio then asked fans to raise their hands if they liked the Giffen/Levitz Legion, then the Legion Lost group, and then the Waid/Kitson version. Hands were raised for each group. "If we did a book called 'Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes,' would you buy that?"

"You got the Superboy name back?" asked a fan.

"I said if!" DiDio said. He then asked the LA crowd why they liked the idea of Superboy as part of the Legion, to which most fans answered, "Because he's a 'gateway' character," explaining that without Superboy as an anchor, many readers are lost in the formidable Legion roster.

Wizard's own page says that they have "All the news you need from the frontlines of conventionland as it happens!". Unfortunately there are only a couple of stories there from early in the day.
Wizard's story of the DC Nation panel has some new info:

A fan asked if any of the characters from Countdown will have their story followed once the weekly concludes. Didio joked “If they survive. Who survives?” Beechen continued the joke by saying “Well, not Karate Kid.”

Questions regarding which Legion of Super-Heroes Geoff Johns writes in his book were met with elusiveness. Van Sciver joked that Geoff writing the Legion is a “great idea.” Wayne chimed in saying, “But I thought there is three or four or five different version of the Legion. I think he’s writing all of them.” Didio said the answer would come by the end of the month.

Regarding whether or not the JSA Starman will be sticking around, Didio told to fan to “save that question for tomorrow.”

Near the end of the panel, discussion turned to the Legion of Super-Heroes. Didio asked the audience if they like Jim Shooter’s Legion of Super-Heroes, which garnered various responses. When asked why they didn’t like it, one fan that enjoyed the Mark Waid/Barry Kitson Legion and thought the new direction was too much of a drastic change. Another fan said it was “very flat” and that “there’s no tone to it.”

Didio polled the audience as to which Legion is the most popular: the original Pre-Crisis Legion, the Legion Lost team or the current incarnation. The results were rather evenly split, with a slight leaning toward the pre-Crisis team.

Van Sciver asked if any Legion character would be able to hold their own title. Responses varied, but included Timber Wolf and Cosmic Boy.

When Didio asked if DC could publish a book called “Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes” would anyone purchase it. The general response was positive, but a fan asked if that means DC got the rights back to the name. Didio quickly responded “I said if we could. Don’t you be starting any rumors with that.” He asked the audience why they would read that title, a fan responded that Superboy served as a gateway character that allowed people who didn’t know the Legion to pick up the book. Van Sciver added that “I like the idea of ‘Superboy and the Legion’ because like he said, Superboy is a gateway character. We all know Superboy, so through Superboy we can get to know all of the 20,000 characters.”

Geoff Johns, on Green Lanterns in the 31st century

Geoff Johns did an interview with Newsarama last week where he discussed his current "Green Lantern" storyline. The interviewer brought up a question that resulted in an interesting answer that has got people in a tizzy:

NRAMA: [laughs] OK, but despite the fact that this interview is concentrating just on Green Lantern and not your other DC titles, it's hard to talk about the emotional spectrum and not mention that we saw a character in Action Comics last week who seemed to tap into this emotional spectrum for her powers.

GJ: Yeah. [laughs] Rainbow Girl. But not very well. She's managed to tap into a couple of colors. But she doesn't understand them. To her, it's just more for fun.

NRAMA: So we know the emotional spectrum has power even into the future.

GJ: Yeah. Where there is no Green Lantern Corps.

NRAMA: There isn't any Green Lantern Corps in the future?

GJ: Not in the 31st century.

NRAMA: So... there's nobody left from the Green Lantern Corps?

GJ: Uh... in the 31st century, you have two Green Lanterns. That's it.

NRAMA: Who are they?

GJ: One's Rond Vidar. And there's another one.

NRAMA: Uh huh.

GJ: ...

NRAMA: And are you going to tell us the other one?

GJ: No. [laughs]

NRAMA: [laughs] So I guess we're going to find out who the other one is in some upcoming story?

GJ: Yes, we will.

NRAMA: Is that something you’re writing?

GJ: Uh... maybe.

So let's see...

• Pre-Crisis, the Green Lanterns were forbidden to be on Earth. Universo (as Argus Oranx) was the first known GL in the sector in the 30th century, followed by Xenofobe when Universo was booted. But last we saw, there was a Green Lantern Corps in the 30th century. (I wrote about the issue with Xenofobe here).
  
• Post-Crisis: The revelation that Rond Vidar was a secret GL didn't come until the Conspiracy storyline, which was post-Crisis.
  
• In the Glorithverse, Celeste Rockfish had some connection to the GL Corps, but we never found out exactly what it was.
  
• Post-Zero Hour, Cary Wren was the last GL, a descendant of Kyle Rayner.
  
• We haven't seen the Post-Infinite Crisis GL Corps yet, but it sounds like Rainbow Girl may have tapped into the power in the Lightning Saga future.
  
• In the animated Legion-verse, via the comic, we saw a full GL Corps with Earth's representative Jordana Gardner.
  

For a GL history in the various continuities, see this article in the Legion Wiki.

Here's some more Newsarama forum discussion on the GL/Rond Vidar aspect.

George Perez, righter of wrongs

Two years ago, George Perez said this:

I've never drawn an issue of Legion of Superheroes. I'd say that's a wrong that has to be righted.

As mentioned last month at Wonder Con, it looks like he'll get his chance to right that wrong - with Geoff Johns writing it.

How about this dropped in the middle of Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters" this week? (Emphasis on the last sentence is mine.)

I’m told Grant Morrison turned in the [Final Crisis] issue one script back in November. However, it was not exactly what has been previously discussed and didn’t bounce off from the end of “Countdown" as intended. It also goes off on what can only be described as Morrisonian tangents. You know, what readers call “the good bits."

So Dan DiDio flew to Scotland after Thanksgiving to discuss possibilities further. I understand the script is unchanged, but it was from those discussions that the 50 cent “DC Universe" #0, shipping the week after Free Comic Book Day, emerged. Co-written with Geoff Johns, it will keep any "Countdown" continuity issues out of the “Final Crisis" series and prepare the way... very much the John The Baptist of comic books.

Geoff Johns is also writing a Final Crisis-spinoff "Legion" mini series drawn by George Perez that will slot into all of this very nicely.

Legion cartoon: no news is bad news

In which I act like a real journalist by asking questions... the question being, is the animated Legion show coming back? In the past two years, this time of year the cast and crew were deep into recording and animation. This year? Silence. So I asked around.

• Michael Cornacchia, voice of Bouncing Boy, via email: "I haven't heard anything."
  
  
• A top production person, who asked not to be named publicly, also via email: "As for a third Legion season, I haven't heard of one yet (but I'm not always in the loop on these decisions)."
  
  
• A Warner Bros. Animation [WBA] person who also asked not to be named publicly, also via email: "Don't hold your breath. Unofficially, what you're watching are the last of the Legion episodes. There's a new Batman series in the works, but other than that the only DC Universe stuff they're working on is for movies."
  
  
• Steve Hulett of The Animation Guild: "I think you can forget WBA doing shows for KWB [KidsWB!]. Time-Warner isn't happy with the margins and so sloughed it off. Word I get is that the animation division, for the moment, will be focusing on direct-to-video features."
  
  
• Mark Keefer, post-production sound guy: "All I know is that it hasn't been picked up at this point. We could get an order for 13 more, but usually the last people to know about such things are the ones that actually work on the show."
  

I wonder if it'll ever be cancelled, or just not picked up. I guess we'll know when they release the fall schedule at the upfronts next month. Remember, WB outsourced their Saturday morning block to 4Kids, so it's likely that the other KidsWB shows like Tom & Jerry and Scooby Doo are toast as well.

Trivia #21 answers

This month's theme was the Name Game. As usual, it only took you a couple of days to get all the answers.

1. Who were Liggt and Theg?

As revealed in LSH v4 #8: In reproduction, Durlans simultaneously impregnate each other, which results in twin births. One twin must then prove its worthiness to survive... by killing the other. When Reep Daggle was forced to kill his brother Liggt, he vowed to never again take part in such barbarity, and as soon as he was able to find a way, he left Durla for United Planets space. Like most, he came to Earth (via Cosmic Teams).

Theg was the Durlan guy who took the nameless Durlan who would become R.J. Brande back to Durla. The future Brande mated with Theg's sister, and Reep and Liggt were the children. When Theg and Brande were both struck by the disease that made them stuck in one form, they went to Earth and passed as humans. Theg became Brande's "cousin" Doyle Brande, though they weren't actually related (via Cosmic Teams). Doyle was later revealed as the one responsible for the assassination attempt that led to the formation of the Legion.

2. When Paul Levitz wrote the "Starman" series featuring Prince Gavyn, he used a name for a character that was identical to a Legion character. What is the name?

exnihil got it right. Jedediah "Jed" Rikane was the purple/gray-skinned Power Boy from the Legion Academy, while Jediah "Jed" Rikane was originally one of Starman (Prince Gavyn)'s allies.

3. Which Legionnaire's theme song could be the 1963 song "Da Doo Ron Ron"?

The first line of the song goes "I met him on a Monday and my heart stood still..." Of course, that would refer to Mon-el (even though his name wasn't Bill). The group was The Crystals, but the song wasn't a reference to Crystal Kid.

4. Besides the Legion of Super-Heroes, which other "Legion of" teams have been shown in the 30th/31st century?

You guys came up with Substitute Heroes, Super Villains, Super Pets, Super Monsters, Super Rejects, and Stupor Bizarros (I had forgotten about the Bizarros).

5. What was the real name of the Space Circus of Death?

It was the Bacard Barley Circus.

6. When Ultra Boy was amnesiac and wandering around with space pirates (yarrrr!), what was his name?

"While [Captain] Frake called him "Driftwood" a few times, he chose the name Seeker, since he was seeking his identity."

7. Which Legionnaire’s parent shares a name with...?
a) a Hawaiian beach
b) a cartoon dog
c) the word “Look” in another language
d) a political cartoonist
e) a Las Vegas casino

Wow, I thought this would be next to impossible, since you couldn't really google them. But exnihil got them all:
a. Ewa Beach, on the island of Oahu - Ewa Krinn (Cosmic Boy's mom)
b. Ren (of Ren & Stimpy) - Ren Daggle (Chameleon Boy's dad)
c. Mira ("look" in Spanish) - Mira Kallor (Star Boy's mom)
d. Ted Rall - Rall Kem (Matter-Eater Lad's dad)
e. Wynn Casino - Wynn Allon (Colossal Boy's dad)

Bonus round: in honor of last week's publishing anniversary of Adventure 247, how many times has the Legion story from that issue been reprinted over the years?

As can be seen here at the Legion Wiki:
Superman Annual 6
DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 1
Adventure Comics 491
Legion Archives 1
Silver Age Classics reprint
Millennium Edition reprint
World's Best Comics Silver Age Sampler
Showcase Presents: LSH 1
and coming soon, 1050 Years of the Future.

Trivia Quiz #21

This month's theme: The Name Game! Here's how we play it:
Say The Name twice. Say "Bo" & say The Name again, but replace the first letter with "B" (as long as it's a consonant, otherwise just add "B"). Then say "Banana Fanna Fo" and say The Name again, but replace the first letter with "F". Say "Fee Fi Mo" and say The Name again, but this time replace the first letter with "M", then say The Name again. However, if The Name begins with "B," "F" or "M," then just leave that letter off at the appropriate step. For example, "Legion Legion Bo Begion, Banana Fana Fo Fegion, Fee Fi Mo Megion, Legion." Or "Mon-el Mon-el Bo Bon-el, Banana Fana Fo Fon-el, Fee Fi Mo On-el, Mon-el." (Note: don't use "Chuck".)

1. Who were Liggt and Theg?

2. When Paul Levitz wrote the "Starman" series featuring Prince Gavyn, he used a name for a character that was identical to a Legion character. What is the name?

3. Which Legionnaire's theme song could be the 1963 song "Da Doo Ron Ron"?

4. Besides the Legion of Super-Heroes, which other "Legion of" teams have been shown in the 30th/31st century?

5. What was the real name of the Space Circus of Death?

6. When Ultra Boy was amnesiac and wandering around with space pirates (yarrrr!), what was his name?

7. Which Legionnaire’s parent shares a name with...?
a) a Hawaiian beach
b) a cartoon dog
c) the word “Look” in another language
d) a political cartoonist
e) a Las Vegas casino

Bonus round: in honor of last week's publishing anniversary of Adventure 247, how many times has the Legion story from that issue been reprinted over the years?

"In the Beginning" preview

From the official WB release, here's the update on next week's new episode:

"Legion of Super Heroes" returns in a new timeslot ­ 9:30 a.m. ET/PT ­ with an all-new episode that examines the formation of the future corps of heroes. The "In the Beginning" synopsis: While on a mission to rescue the Legion's benefactor, R.J. Brande, our heroes find themselves reminiscing about how the Legion was first created by Brande and its founding members: Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl. The episode is written by Steven Melching and directed by James Tucker.

Here are some preview pictures:

Legion TV schedule March 2008

Via SFTV comes the next two (so far) episodes of the Legion. This week is a rerun, but the week after is a new one, "In the Beginning", which is the animated Legion's origin story. NOTE that the new episode airs early:

Kids WB March 8th - The debut of The Spectacular Spider-Man will also see new episodes of Legion of Superheroes and The Batman. LoSH will air much earlier than normal at 9:30 am ET/PT, followed by the first two episodes of Spider-Man at 10:00 am ET/PT, with two part season finale of The Batman at 11:00 am ET/PT.

Mar. 01 - episode 2.03 "Cry Wolf" (4th airing) - last aired 01/19/08
Mar. 08 - episode 2.09 "In the Beginning" NEW
Mar. 15 - episode 2.10 "Trials" NEW
Mar. 22 - episode 2.11 "In Your Dreams" NEW
Mar. 29 - episode 2.12 "Dark Victory pt. 1" NEW
Apr. 05 - episode 2.13 "Dark Victory pt. 2" NEW (series finale)

Previously: all the other schedules

Episode reviews:
1.01 "Man of Tomorrow" (4 airings, last 07/07/07)
1.02 "Timber Wolf" (8 airings, last 09/08/07)
1.03 "Legacy" (3 airings, last 06/09/07)
1.04 "Fear Factory" (4 airings, last 06/16/07)
1.05 "Champions" (4 airings, last 06/23/07)
1.06 "Phantoms" (4 airings, last 07/14/07)
1.07 "Child's Play" (4 airings, last 06/30/07)
1.08 "Lightning Storm" (4 airings, last 07/28/07)
1.09 "Brain Drain" (5 airings, last 09/01/07)
1.10 "The Substitutes" (4 airings, last 08/18/07)
1.11 "Chain of Command" (4 airings, last 08/25/07)
1.12 "Sundown, part 1" (3 airings, last 09/15/07)
1.13 "Sundown, part 2" (3 airings, last 09/15/07)
2.01 "Man from the Edge of Tomorrow part 1" (2 airings, last 12/15/07)
2.02 "Man from the Edge of Tomorrow part 2" (3 airings, last 12/22/07)
2.03 "Cry Wolf" (3 airings, last 01/19/08)
2.04 "Chained Lightning" (3 airings, last 01/26/08)
2.05 "The Karate Kid" (3 airings, last 02/02/08)
2.06 "Who Am I?" (3 airings, last 02/09/08)
2.07 "Unnatural Alliances" (3 airings, last 02/16/08)
2.08 "Message in a Bottle" (3 airings, last 02/23/08)