Ten Things Your Legion Collection Truly Needs
A couple of weeks ago we saw some interesting posts in the comicsblogohedron about things that you should have in your collection, from The Comics Reporter's "list of the 50 things they felt that every comics collection truly needs" to New York Magazine's Ten Oddball Things Your Comics Collection Truly Needs.
Here's my take on Ten Things Your Legion Collection Truly Needs.
In no particular order:
1. A copy of the Legion story from "Adventure Comics" #247. It doesn't matter if you own an original or one of the many reprints (nine times, at last count). This is where it all started.
2. That Damned Tabloid, the All-New Collector's Edition C-55 with the wedding of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. It's not the best story ever, but that's not the point. It's that it's just so big, and hard to store, and hard to find, and hard to keep in good condition. Plus, it features an in-continuity major event. And you have to get it signed by Mike Grell and Paul Levitz when you go to a convention, that's a rite of passage.
3. A Legion action figure. I use the term loosely here: you can go for the DC Direct action figures, the plastic statues that came in the rocketship-shaped box, any of the Heroclix, custom figures, the metal figurines that came out from Mayfair, the Happy Meal toys, or anything else like that.
4. The Great Darkness Saga, in the original comics or the trade paperback. Arguably the best Legion story ever.
5. The Ferro Lad saga, soon to be released as a trade paperback, or the original Adventure Comics issues. Jim Shooter, no older than 15, wrote this. Arguably the best Silver-Age Legion story.
6. Something merchandised: a Flight Ring, a set of stickers, a t-shirt, a poster, trading cards, etc. Just so you can bask in the coolness of having it.
7. Some original art. Doesn't matter if it's a convention sketch, a page of art from a published comic, something a fan drew that you bought on eBay, or just something you made up. Something that you own that nobody else has.
8. Adventure-era stories, preferably some of the early ones. There's just something wonderfully goofy and silly about DC Silver Age stories, especially the Superman-family of titles edited by Mort Weisinger. Super-Pets that travel 1000 years into their future? The Planetary Chance Machine? Queen Azura of Femnaz and the Revolt of the Girl Legionnaires? Computerized kissing games? Comics gold.
9. Some of the Jack C. Harris edited stories in the early 1980s (often written by Gerry Conway). Once you read those (Space Circus of Death, Dr. Mayavale, Lord Romdur) you'll have a better appreciation for everything else.
10. Holes in your collection. It's not just a hobby, it's an addiction. There will always be something you need to buy, whether it's a reading copy of an issue that came out 20 years before you were born or next month's new issue.
Some of these suggestions were real, some tongue-in-cheek. What stuff did I leave out that you think should be here?
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9 comments:
Mike, what a great list!
The only things I can think to add are:
1) A poster (unless it's counted under "something merchandised.)
2) A comic that you bought just because it shows one Legionnaire (any Legionnaire) in only one panel in the whole story. Best if it's a title that you don't ordinarily buy or read.
Great post! I guess I count since I have 9 out of ten (or 11 out of 12 if I include Don's pair). All I need is some original art.
A possible addition: at least one issue of any fanzine or other "amateur" publication dedicated to the Legion.
What is so funny to me about Number 9 is that, for all the comics I read as a kid, for most of which I only remember the vaguest of details, I can remember the TIME AND PLACE that I read "Space Circus of Death" and the Dr. Mayavale stories. And I believe I immediately re-read them with a feeling of "What the hell was THAT?"
Don't have the original art...If the TwoMorrows collection of Legion Out post counts, then I have everything else.
Can't think of anything else...OOH, wait! What about a pile of "bluetack", or whatever its called, shaped to look like Proty?
1. Yup!
2. Astoundingly, yes, though not in the best of shape, and certainly unsigned.
3. Some Heroclix and a couple of the Happy Meal toys.
4. I have the issues, though I'd like to get a copy of the trade again sometime.
5. Part of it, since I have Showcase Presents the LSH Vol. 2
6. I might still have some of the old DC Cosmic Teams cards somewhere. Do those count?
7. A few sketches - animated Vi and Bouncy, Kinetix and XS, and a Wildfire and another Kinetix on the way (theoretically).
8. Thanks to the first few Archives and the Showcases, yes!
9. Hmmm... I'd need to check.
10. Oh yeah. Definitely!
1. Got a repro.
2. Got it. Need a better one.
3. Only if Superman from the LSH/ 31st Century counts.
4. Got the original.
5. Got the Adventure version and Adventure Digest.
6. Sadly, no. Christmas time's a comin' though.
7. Does a Joe Staton autographed copy of S/LSH 250 count?
8. Lots of 'em, but not nearly enough.
9. All of 'em, unfortunately.
10. Yep, not enough money to spend.
Good List!
A great list Michael, although I'd venture that any true list would be entitled, "The 247 things your Legion collection must include."
=)
For the list as presented, I'll second the calls for a Legion fan mag/APA and any A/R book, i.e. somthing you would never have purchased but for a brief Legion cameo.
All also add as vital to any Legion collection:
Any comic book featuring the Legion of Substitute-Heroes.
Any animated or live-action appearance of the team, or associated villains (and you Mordru fans know what I'm talking about)
A Legion costume- because real fans play dress-up!
An working Invisible Kid action figure. I've got mine, try and prove I don't! ;)
Any Adventure Comics digest - again, becasue they are so hard to find affordably in decent condition, having one proves your fan-worthiness. Sadly, I have none.
A multi-dimensional, trans-timeline membership roster, either created on your own or printed from the web for ready refrence.
A flight ring. More specific than "something merchandised," any real Legion collection must have a flight ring, in addition to other merchandise, IMHO.
The 1964 Saturn Girl foldee. Just becasue the list should have something only about three fans will ever see, much less own. =0
Any comic book featuring Tyroc.
Just as an aside, the blogspot word verification for this post was "revolo" which striks me as a decentish Legion character codename. The last time I posted the word was Brall, which was close enough to Braal that it caught my attention.
Oh, I have that stuff on your list, no problem.
I'd also add having that Alex Ross lithograph. I mean, you have to be hard core to shell out that sort of dough for a glorified poster:p
God knows, I did. What's worse, I followed that up with Ross's Good Versus Evil because it had Legion characters in it. *sob*
And for the Matter-Eater Lad fan:
- a copy of "Last fight for a Legionnaire", "Tenzil Kem Takes a Bite out of Crime" and the Substitute Heroes Special
-A M-E Lad costume
... okay, I scored low on the original list and want some cred.
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