Bits of Legionnaire Business

Haven't done one of these in a little while, so here's a linkdump of Legion-related stuff from the past week or so. "Smallville" news at the bottom.

• First of all, anyone who thinks that DC is really going to "let the characters rest for a little bit and see where we go from there" following the cancellation of LSH v5, and who thinks that DC doesn't know what to do with the characters, should read this summary over at io9.com. They know exactly what they're doing, and "Legion of Three Worlds" will end with a new status quo for the team(s), and all signs point to Geoff Johns being involved.
  
  
• Tim Callahan had a long interview with Barry Lyga at CBR.
  

  One of the biggest Legion fans I know is author Barry Lyga, of "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl" fame. His new novel, "Hero Type," landed in bookstores a few weeks ago, and I wanted to talk to him about how the Legion shaped his notion of storytelling and what we both thought about the past, present, and future of the 31st century's greatest super-team...

  
  
• Foremer Legion editor KC Carlson reviews the DC Vault (Amazon link), a book with lots of fanboy collectibles (or reproductions) tucked inside. Among them is a reprinted version "of the poster that was included in Graphitti Design’s deluxe version of the History of the DC Universe — a mind-blowing group shot of over 50 DC characters as drawn (and signed) by over 50 legendary artists." That poster, which was never released commercially and is difficult to find on the secondary market, contains the White Witch as one of the characters in the jam poster (drawn by P. Craig Russell). Click to enlarge the picture. (Full disclosure: this is one book that I'm going to order with the 6% I get back from Amazon when you click on one of my links and buy something!)
  
  
  
• Revealing a "secret" which was all but apparent during the Post-Zero Hour Legion run, that very same KC Carlson commented on Tim Callahan's review of L3W #2 that R.J. Brande was indeed supposed to be the long-lived Martian Manhunter. (original comment here, more discussion here.)
  
  
• Matthew at the Legion Abstract shows off his son's costume. He might be eligible for the Legion in a few years.
  
  
• The Legion of Substitute Podcasters produced episode 2, featuring ADV 267 and ACT 267 plus some recent stuff, and episode 3, featuring SBOY 86 and ACT 276.
  
  
• Francis Manapul offers the original pencils to the wraparound cover to LSH v5 #50 on his home site, and answers some reader questions.
  
  
• The "Supergirl on a comet" cover by Adam Hughes is offered as a computer background screen.
  
  
• The Fortress Keeper at the Fortress of Fortitude has a unique, um, "prediction" for a spinoff of "Smallville" starring Supergirl and the Legion. Don't hold your breath for this one, but then again, given The CW, who knows.
  
  
• Superman Homepage notes that the current issue of Smallville Magazine, issue #29, has an article "which explores Superman's relationship with the Legion of Super Heroes" in for those readers who don't know much about the Legion.
  
  
• KryptonSite has the latest Smallville SPOILERS, so read at your own risk.
  

  UPDATED 10/29/08: Don't expect the Legion to be wearing full-on costumes. However, they will be wearing clothing that is evocative of their comic book counterparts, much like Clark has his blue shirt and red jacket.
  
  UPDATED 10/28/08: Alexz Johnson [IMDB, Myspace, fan site, fan site] who starred in The N's Instant Star, is said to be filming a role on Smallville this week. Could that role be that of Imra Ardeen, a.k.a. Saturn Girl of the Legion? Visit Rumorville for more details...
  - The villain Geoff Johns mentioned using is not Darkseid, Mordru, or the Time Trapper; however, there is an additional threat - it's not just Brainiac .
  
  UPDATED 10/14/08: Three Legionnaires from the future will appear - and if you're guessing it's the same roster that appeared in their first appearance way back when, you guessed correctly... the three Legionnaires will be Garth, Imra, and Rokk, who have powers of electricity, telepathy, and magnetism, respectively.

  
  

The infamous "Giffen Legion Poster"

Over at Urban Legends Revealed last week on CBR, during a discussion of whether Paul Levitz actually used index cards to keep track of his running plotlines (no, just a scorecard), the question came up as to whether or not Keith Giffen actually quit the Legion because of his work on that huge poster. The answer, of course, is yes. Here’s what Giffen said about the poster in an issue of The Jack Kirby Collector #29 (August 2000):

What happened was I did this Legion poster, characters all over the place. And in drawing that Legion poster I totally burned myself out on the book. After the poster I just had to walk away.

Today, at Comics Should Be Good, they posted a picture of the poster (courtesy of Legion World), but it's the one from the Great Darkness Saga TPB, which has been trimmed a bit around the edges, making some characters hard to see. Here's the full poster (click to enlarge):



The poster was reprinted in the Great Darkness Saga TPB with the following introduction:


I'll note for the record that over a summer reading my entire Legion collection (mostly originals, with some reprints at the time), I identified all 275 characters. I got about 200 from memory, and reading the stories filled out the rest.

Coming in March 2007

Some surprises in this month's solicitations. One new issue, two new trade reprints, a poster reprint, one obscure reference, and one that might feature a timeline-lost Legionnaire. Click the picture to enlarge.

Very interesting....

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #28
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Barry Kitson & Mick Gray
Cover by Kitson
The Legion and the Wanderers have joined forces to take the Dominator War away from Earth and to an unfamiliar realm where life is cheap and victory is dear. And at long last, the Dominators' link to the events of 52 is revealed!
On sale March 28 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



The next volume in the trade paperback. Too bad we don't get a new cover, though.

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL. 4: ADULT EDUCATION TP
Written by Mark Waid and Tony Bedard
Art by Barry Kitson, Mick Gray and various Cover by Kitson
A new volume collecting SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #20-25! In this volume, Brainiac wants to bring the deceased Dream Girl back from the dead, and only the mind of a deadly enemy can help.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 25 o 192 pg, FC, $14.99 US



Yay! The first Showcase volume!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL. 1 TP
Written by Jerry Siegel, Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton and various
Art by Curt Swan, George Papp, John Forte and various
Cover by Swan & Stan Kaye
A massive black-and-white volume collecting classic tales of the Legionnaires, from ADVENTURE COMICS #247, 267, 282, 290, 293, and 300-328, ACTION COMICS #267, 276, 287 and 289, SUPERBOY #86, 89, 98 and 117, SUPERMAN 147, SUPERMAN ANNUAL #4, and SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN#72 and 76!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 4 o 552 pg, B&W, $16.99 US



I thought that Adam Hughes cover would look great as a poster!

DC DIRECT POSTERS
Don't miss four stunning new posters featuring the lovely ladies of the DCU illustrated by the incomparable Adam Hughes!

SUPERGIRL
From the cover of Supergirl and Legion of Super-Heroes #23
Art by Adam Hughes
Advance-solicited; on sale August 22, 2007 o Poster o $7.99 US



Back to the gambler's planet of Ventura, with an unbelievable cover by Perez:

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Pérez & Bob Wiacek
Covers by Pérez
Green Lantern and Supergirl are off to Ventura on the trail of the bizarre case that began in issue #1! Ventura is a planetwide casino, which would be wild enough, but it has also become a backdrop for the Rann-Thanagar War! Guest-starring Batman and Blue Beetle!
On sale March 21 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US



Starman probably appears here. Is he really the Legion's Thom Kallor?

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #4
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Dale Eaglesham & Ruy Jose
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant cover by Eaglesham
The saga of the world's first and greatest super-hero team continues in Part 4 of "The Next Age," by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham & Art Thibert! The families of legacy heroes have been targeted by an evil force set out to end their bloodlines. Now our members find out how close to home tragedy is as their leader stands revealed. And the new mystery member set to join the Justice Society will surprise everyone - especially the members of the team!
Retailers: This issue will feature two covers that may be ordered separately. The Standard Edition cover is by Alex Ross; one copy of the Variant Edition, with a cover by Dale Eaglesham, may be ordered for every 10 copies of the Standard Edition ordered. Please see the Previews Order Form for further details.
On sale March 7 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US