A Field Guide to Legion Cover Variants, 2019

The Field Guide to Legion Cover Variants, part 7: 2019

1958-2005, 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2012-2014, 2015-2018, 2019, 2020, 2021-2022

Unused covers, Second printings 

(Retcon note: this was the first part of the Field Guide I published, but it's actually part 7 chronologically.) 

Given all of the different covers (variant and otherwise) that have appeared for the newest Legion book, including the Superman and Supergirl issues that introduced them and the LSH: Millennium series, I thought it would be a good idea to put up a Field Guide to the Legion cover variants 2019. Let me know if I've forgotten any!

Superman v5 #14 - August 28, 2019
This issue and Supergirl #33 were originally to go on sale on 08/14/19, but less than a week prior to that date, DC asked retailers to destroy all copies of these issues and told them that replacement copies would be sent to go on sale later. This issue was delayed to 08/28/19, Supergirl #33 was delayed to 09/04/19. DC's stated reason was that the original issues had covers that featured a "Year of the Villain" logo, but these issues had no ties to that event so they would be re-issued with new covers. This reasoning was questioned, as there was another issue on sale the same week, Catwoman #14, that also had a "Year of the Villain" cover logo and a story that had no ties to the event, and that issue was not recalled. Subsequent speculation centered around the introduction of the new Legion of Super-Heroes in the Superman and Supergirl issues, and the depiction of Lightning Lad's ethnicity. In the published issue, Lightning Lad is portrayed as dark-skinned, in leaked images of the original printing, Lightning Lad was light-skinned. The second printing featured the standard cover by Reis and Prado with an orange background instead of blue, and went on sale 10/2/19.

Superman #14 Original standard cover (recalled) Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado	Superman #14 Replacement standard cover Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado
Superman #14 Variant cover (recalled) Art by Adam Hughes	Superman #14 Replacement variant cover (minus the Year of the Villain logo)
Superman #14 Second Printing (orange background) Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado

Supergirl #33 - September 4, 2019

Supergirl #33 Original standard cover (recalled) Art by Eduardo Panisca	Supergirl #33 Replacement standard cover Art by Kevin Maguire
Supergirl #33 Variant cover (recalled) Art by Derrick Chew	Supergirl #33 Replacement variant cover (minus the Year of the Villain logo)

Superman #15 - September 18, 2019

The first cover below was solicited in Previews, but when the decision was made to change Lightning Lad's skin color, DC opted to have a new, different cover created (both by Ivan Reis) and the second one was the published cover. The original cover with the light-skinned mohawk version of Lightning Lad was never published.

Superman #15 Original standard cover (never published) Art by Ivan Reis	Superman #15 Published standard cover Art by Ivan Reis
Superman #15 Variant cover Art by Adam Hughes

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1 - September 4, 2019
The variant cover by Bryan Hitch is part 1 of a 2-part connected cover featuring all of the characters seen over the two issues in the miniseries. The complete art (both halves) will be used later for variants of LSH: Millennium #2 and LSH v8 #1.

LSH: Millennium #1 Standard cover Art by Ryan Sook	LSH: Millennium #1 Variant cover Art by Bryan Hitch

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2 - October 2, 2019
LSH: Millennium #2 was also caught up in the effort to change Lightning Lad's ethnicity. In the original solicited version of the standard cover, featuring Saturn Girl holding up a flight ring through which we see Superboy, Bouncing Boy (to the left of Superboy) was dark-skinned and Lightning Lad (to the right of Superboy) was light-skinned. For the final version of the cover, the ethnicities were reversed. The original version was never printed. Here's a close-up comparison:

And looking at the cover, you can see Light Lass change ethnicity too, just above Ultra Boy's shoulder from his raised arm, below Shadow Lass, and above Element Lad. A version of the entire Hitch image - left half as seen on issue 1 and the right half on issue 2 - was sold at the 2019 New York Comic Con as a convention exclusive. This version is a wraparound cover printed on foil.

LSH: Millennium #2 Original standard cover (unpublished) Art by Ryan Sook	LSH: Millennium #2 Published standard cover Art by Ryan Sook
LSH: Millennium #2 Variant cover Art by Bryan Hitch	LSH: Millennium #2 New York Comic Con 2019 convention exclusive (foil) Art by Bryan Hitch