Adult Education and Other Trades

This Is Pop Culture, among other places, has the list of what will be released in trade paperbacks early next year. Among them:

SUPERMAN/BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Edmond Hamilton, Jeph Loeb, John Byrne, Karl Kesel, Greg Rucka, Cary Bates and Len Wein
Artists: Curt Swan, Ed McGuinness, John Byrne, Dick Giordano, Peter Doherty, George Klein, Tim Sale, Dick Dillin, Neal Adams, Joe Giella, Dan Davis and others
Cover artist: Alex Ross
Price: $19.99 US/$23.99 CAN
Page count: 200 pages
Collects: SUPERMAN #76, MAN OF STEEL #3, WORLD'S FINEST #88, 142, 159, 176 and 207, DETECTIVE COMICS #756, BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #7, SUPERMAN/BATMAN SECRET FILES 2003 and more

World's Finest #142 is the first Composite Superman story.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN VOL. 3 TP
Writers: Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger, Jerry Coleman, Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton, Robert Bernstein and Leo Dorfman
Artists: Curt Swan, Al Plastino, Stan Kaye, Sheldon Moldoff, George Klein, Jim Mooney, George Papp, Kurt Schaffenberger and Wayne Boring
Price: $16.99 US/$20.99 CAN
Page count: 560 pages
Collects: Stories from ACTION COMICS #276-292 and SUPERMAN #146-156

This should mean reprints of Superman/Supergirl and the Legion stories from Action 276, 284, 285, 287, 289, and 290; and Superman 147, 149, and 156. Some of these are key issues (Action 276), others are Imaginary Story cameos (Superman 156).

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL. 4: ADULT EDUCATION TP
Writers: Mark Waid and Tony Bedard
Artists: Barry Kitson, Adam DeKraker and Rob Stull
Price: $14.99 US/$17.99 CAN
Page count: 192 pages
Collects: SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #20-27

If nothing else, this suggests some sort of resolution by issue 27.

Supergirl for Halloween

I have no idea who this adorable kid is, but that's the kind of daughter I wish I might have some day. That is how you do Supergirl right.

(Hey, Supergirl's a Legionnaire, so she's not really off-topic!)

An earlier post showed that she used the Helen Slater movie Supergirl as an inspiration. Read this one for how she came to be wearing Supergirl's costume, and her history of dressing up as super-heroines.

For the record, the site appeared on one of my search lists for keyword "Legion".

Legion Halloween

How do they celebrate Halloween in the DC Universe? The Planetary Chance Machine wants to show you something really scary. But what else do they do?

They put on masks and stage pranks


They put on fat suit costumes and gorilla costumes (in the DCU? Of course!)


They dress up as infants


They put on outdated clothes


They even try on fetish wear


They go to costume parties where lots of others are also dressed as heroes


They dress up as pirates, yarrrr!


They dress up as zombies. Mmmmm, brains!


They dress in drag



I hope they do something interesting for Thanksgiving.

Sales charts through SLSH #22

Here's the updated sales charts for the Supergirl/Legion books through issue #22, the Nov. cover-dated books. The top one is the current series only, the bottom one is ten years worth of sales figures, from Nov. 1996 to Nov. 2006 (mostly courtesy LegionWorld and LegionClubhouse, as seen in my April 2006 analysis; recent data via Marc-Oliver Frisch at The BEAT). Click each image to enlarge.

Yes, sales on the current book are sliding, but so are most series. And it's still higher sales than any other series in the last 10 years.

Previously here: sales through April 2006, along with commentary and analysis; sales through June 2006.

Issue 23 review roundup

Update 10/30 Added two more at the bottom.
Update 10/31 Added one more.

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Here's a roundup of reactions to this week's new Supergirl and the Legion #23, at least those of you who got the issue. As always, in no particular order. I've only found a few reviews so far, maybe because of the delay. Well, I'll add more as I find them (or as others point out to me).

• Matthew at the Legion Abstract:
  

  In this title we've had no major story since Sun Boy punched out Lemnos, and only a bunch of subplots bleeding from issue to issue with no obvious end. And, again, all the ingredients were good, but they inevitably added up to less than the sum of their parts. If we're now into a good butt-kicking Mon-El and LSV story, then that's great, but I want to go on record as saying that I don't want to read comics that are only killing time until other comics come along.
  
  I was pretty pleased by this issue, but it also pointed out to me how frustrating the preceding six-or-seven issues had been. It's possible I've been too generous in my evaluations up to now.

  
  
• Queer Legion (QL) at The Planetary Chance Machine had to buy the Hughes cover because the regular one was delayed:
  

  Overall: Another solid issue from WnK. The story should please both the "not enough action" crowd and "let's wrap-up the Supergirl arc" folks. I can't wait for the next issue!

  
  
• Harvey Jerkwater at the Filing Cabinet of the Damned is a new reader:
  

  After decades of avoiding them, I've started reading The Legion of Super-Heroes. A reboot, plus Mark Waid, got my attention. So I bought the first two trade paperback collections.
  
  Danged if I don't like it. Waid plays into the zeitgeist very well. He is a clever, clever bastard.

  
  
• Jeff Lester, one of the Savage Critic(s):
  

  I wax and wane in my appreciation of this title. There's so much to like (clever dialogue, lovely art), why does the stuff I don't dig turn me off so much? I'm inclined to think the good stuff makes the bad stuff stick out that much more (a character thinking she's just in a weird dream for, like, months, is the main craw currently stuck in my throat) but I really don't know. Any ideas? OK because it's too accomplished for Eh even though my real feelings about it are indeed Eh.

  
  
• The Original Losing Loser at seebelow LJ community:
  

  Boy, I keep wanting to like this more than I do, and it lets me down. Waid seems to be getting as bored writing it as I am reading it. On the upside, they finally seem to be getting shed of the tedious Supergirl-memory-loss stuff, but it comes after too much dickig around, and the big cliffhanger (the return of Mon-El! Sort of!) comes after pages of snores. I wanna give it another chance, but the Mon-El stuff better be dynamite. The Verdict: Zzzzz.

  
  New 10/30
  
  
• Jeffrey Bridges at Superman Homepage:
  

  I have but two problems with this book right now. One, I think there are just too many concurrent sub-stories that haven't been touched on in forever. Sun Boy. The giant criminals. It just feels like there's a little TOO much and it's reaching a critical mass. I sincerely hope Waid is able to tie all the pieces together well enough to pull it off.
  
  The other problem isn't as much of a real "problem", but what I loved the most about this book when I read the first few issues was the sense of fun and adventure, excitement and camaraderie between Legion members. For the past several months that lighthearted fun that I so loved has been missing, and it's missing still.
  
  I'm still enjoying it, but not as much as I once did. Perhaps it's because it's so difficult to follow the plethora of stories running at the same time with dozens of different characters, or perhaps it's just not as light-hearted anymore, I don't know.

  
  
• Graeme McMillan, another of the Savage Critic(s):
  

  Fill-in creators Tony Bedard and Adam DeKraker disappear after a couple of months, and suddenly the book regains some of the momentum that it’s lost over… hmm… the past couple of months. Coincidence, or something more sinister? ... I’m certainly hopeful that the focused storytelling that’s on show here sticks around, and a refocused-and-hopefully-less-under-the-52-deadline-gun Mark Waid continues to remember that, as nice as subplots are, it’s always nice to have an A plot, as well.

  
  Update 10/31
  
  
• Rokk Krinn at Rokk's Comic Book Revolution:
  

  Overall: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #23 was more of the same boring pointless writing however, the last three pages give me hope. I think that this title may actually be turning the corner. For the first time in a while, I’m actually excited for the next issue of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes. I just hope Waid can deliver.

  
  
  

Season 2 rumors and "Phantoms" preview

A couple of days ago, writer Matt Wayne said

"...while Legion hasn't been greenlit for a second season, Warner is getting a group of writers together to talk about it just in case. Including me."

Today's Comics Continuum contains this:

...a source indicated to The Continuum that a second season for the series is "a good possibility." If a second season happens, Darkseid might be a major villain.

LegionWorld wonders if that happens, what will it mean to the proposed "Great Darkness Saga" DVD adaptation?

The Continuum also has some preview images from next week's new episode, "Phantoms". Unexpectedly (by me, at least), it's not Mon-el (or even Dev-em). LegionWorld has a copy of the promo commercial, and apparently the guy's name is Drax.




Remember, next week is the start of three new episodes.

Stuff on eBay

The first of an occasional series of posts about interesting things for sale on eBay.

• Fred Hembeck's recreation of the cover of Adventure Comics #290, Sun Boy's introduction.
  
  
  
• The actual printing plates used for the covers to Legionnaires 3 #3 (as published) and Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #278 (as published).
  
  

  

  
  
  
• The original art to the splash page of Superboy and the Legion #256 by Joe Staton and Dave Hunt.
  
  
  
• The original art to the cover of Superboy #225 by Mike Grell.
  
  
  
• The original art to the cover of Supergirl and the Legion #23 (the variant cover to the current issue) by Adam Hughes.
  
  

Sun Girl speculation

Chameleon1609 at the DC Comics message board has an interesting theory that I hadn't heard about or considered yet:

Hi guys, thought i would post a thread about the Villaness in Titans East,if its been done , sorry. Her name is Deborah Morgna, a decendant of Dirk perhaps, my original thought was that she was Inferno, but her name was Sandy Anderson so....

If Sun Girl of Titans East really is the character most recently known as Inferno, it could explain her "Morgna" name (though Inferno was known as Sandy Anderson) and Sun Boy/Sun Girl/Inferno costume similarities, and as far as we know she's still in the 21st century. I don't recall what her last appearance was, but it's also not inconceivable that this is the post-Infinite Crisis rebooted version of the post-Zero Hour reboot character Inferno.

Legion TV schedule Nov. 2006

Via ToonZone, here are the airdates and episodes for the Legion show for November. All episodes are supposed to air at 10:00 a.m. local time on The CW Network.

Nov. 04 - episode 6 new, "Phantoms"
Nov. 11 - episode 5 new, "Champions"
Nov. 18 - episode 4 new, "Fear Factory"
Nov. 25 - episode 2, "Timber Wolf" (4th airing)

Episode 6: "PHANTOMS"
When Superman accidentally opens a gateway to a phantom dimension, a young man with powers identical to his is freed in the process. Now Superman must not only stop this destructive visitor, but also rescue the Legionnaires when they become trapped in the vistor's dimension.

Make way for Mon-el, stuck in the Phantom Zone?

Episode 5: "CHAMPIONS"
While supporting Lighting Lad as he competes in the challenging Galactic Games, Superman and Phantom Girl uncover a sinister plot by the Fatal Five! Lightning Lad has troubles of his own when he finds his biggest competition from someone close to him.

Back in June, we learned that "Mekt Ranzz, Lightning Lad's brother, will appear in an episode." This sounds like it, unless it's Ayla here.

Episode 4: "FEAR FACTORY"
During a cosmic storm, the team takes refuge in a creepy, derelict space station. On board, one-by-one, each Legionnaire faces his or her deepest fear -- and then disappears.


Previously: schedule for Sept./Oct. 2006

Rob Hoegee, Matt Wayne, and the happy monkey dance

Somehow I missed posting this one. Legion story editor (which is pretty high up in the chain of command) Rob Hoegee was interviewed last week at CBR, as a companion piece to their earlier James Tucker interview. Highlights of Rob's chat, which can be seen in its entirety here:

What era was the biggest inspiration for the show?

"I've probably drawn the majority of my inspiration from the Silver Age run - mostly in terms of the sense of fun and adventure it had," Hoegee told CBR News. "One of the great aspects of writing for Legion is how each new creator brought his or her own interpretation to the world and characters. I'd like to think we're doing the same thing here."

What about the fan reaction?

Critics and fans seem to agree on their love for "Legion Of Super Heroes," a reaction that puts a smile on Hoegee's face. "I'm sure that for long-time Legion fans, seeing some of their favorite characters in their very own show for the first time must have been special," he said. "Legion fans are notoriously vocal. The sentiment of 'don't screw it up' is something I've been very mindful of."

What about the epic storylines?

"The trend these days is for more contained 'stand alone' episodes, but James Tucker and I are interested in finding ways to have some continuing threads in the future. Character arcs are another matter though. We do have quite a bit of emotional continuity between episodes. Another trick is to make each episode feel 'epic' on its own."

What do you do as a story editor for the show?

"Writing an episode usually takes about 6-8 weeks start to finish. On Legion, most of our stories are generated internally - meaning I'll come up with an idea (or James Tucker will, or we will together) and then a writer is hired. After a premise is approved by DC and the network, I'll sit down with the writer and flesh out the entire episode beat for beat. Once everything is figured out - and this usually takes a few hours - I'll bring James into the room and pitch him what we've got. He'll add his ideas and then the writer goes off to write an outline. Then the fun begins."

What's coming up?

"Lots of new characters, that's for sure," he said of what to expect. "We've got a two-part season finale that promises to be a real knockout. We actually get a bit epic in the last three episodes, with writing duties split between Amy Wolfram, David Slack and myself. As far as hints, I've noticed in the fan feedback to our 'Timber Wolf' episode many were wondering why we set the story on the planet Raal instead of Zoon. This wasn't an oversight. You'll find our why in episode 9."

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Meanwhile, ToonZone caught up with writer Matt Wayne for a chat on his new Hellboy show, but he dropped a few items about his work on the Legion:

TZN: What are you currently working on and when can we expect to see it?

I just found out that between Legion of Super-Heroes and Tom and Jerry, I have a credit airing every Saturday morning in November. ... And my favorite Legion credit is "Champions," which airs that month. I'm developing something for Cartoon Network that could be greenlit in by the end of the year, and while Legion hasn't been greenlit for a second season, Warner is getting a group of writers together to talk about it just in case. Including me. My first comic book in a while, Legends of the Dark Knight #213, is on sale December 20th.

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It's been a month since the premiere and people are still writing about how cool it is, how happy they are to see the show, and what? There's a Legion show? No way, dude! Here's Chort Psychoshaie's reaction, and I think it pretty much says it all.

They did it, they really did it.

I've wanted this series to be a carton since I escaped the amish and found technology such as your tv.

*does happy monkey dance.*

Movie night

While we're waiting for new episodes of the animated TV series, may I suggest a movie? Over at the latest Googleplex Theatres is One Shot Hero. Produced by Dave Miller, based on the story by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum. You can see the source material at Ye Olde Comick Book Blogge as I mentioned the other day.

ERG-1 has all the powers of the Legionnaires - yet he's rejected due to a quirk in the rules that requires a unique power, by none other than a man who turns that quirk to his advantage. Was Mon-el jealous of ERG-1? His own powers were not unique when compared to Superboy, yet he bans ERG-1 for the very same thing.

Of course, you can't get to the theater late, you have to see the trailers first. Coming soon from Studio Sanning and 20th Century Dox are the trailers to The Ghost of Ferro Lad (based on Adventure 352-3) and Escape of the Fatal Five (based on Adventure 365-6). Note that the trailers only work in Internet Explorer, not Firefox, even the new version.

The animation styles for each are very different - the ERG story is completely hand-drawn and animated in Flash, while the two trailers were done in the style of the old 1960s Marvel cartoons, where the animation consisted of moving static images from panels taken directly from the comics from one side of the screen to the other. Each have cool sound effects and animation, and each is true to the source material.

P.S. Sorry, Dave, I meant to write this up over the summer when you sent me the link in the first place.

Legion #23 delayed

In much of the country, due to some last minute snafus, two books will not ship this week: Seven Soldiers #1 and Supergirl and the Legion #23. Instead, they'll ship one week late. This only applies if your retailer gets their books via the Memphis TN distribution center and not the NYC or LA centers.

This week will see a variant cover by Adam Hughes, in a 10:1 ratio with the "standard" cover. The standard book is the one that's delayed, while the variant book (with its subsequent higher price) will be available.

What a character!

A roundup of various character-related posts on these here internets lately....

• New blogger Queer Legion (QL) at The Planetary Chance Machine has been showcasing various Legionnaires as part of Beefcake/Cheesecake Appreciation Week. As mentioned earlier here (Saturn Girl and Shrinking Violet Got Back!), here's Dream Girl (v3 era), followed by new images of Colossal Boy (current version), v3-era Princess Projectra and Mon-el, and Phantom Lad and Cosmic Boy. Other Legion-related entries include v4-era Dream Girl at the Fish-Flavored Baseball Bat.
  
  
• Queer Legion (QL) is currently following that up with some of his favorite Legion "character" moments: Brainy and Dream Girl during the Universo Project, and Ultra Boy and Light Lass with a light moment rebuilding after Omega.
  
  
• Over at the Legion Abstract, Matthew has been writing a series of wonderfully analytical essays on various Legionnaires, which I have been sadly neglecting. Here's his take on Invisible Kid:
  

  Now, I speculated [earlier] that Invisible Kid's power of disappearing made him perceived as inherently untrustworthy by the other Legionnaires. And the idea still appeals to me. But I now think that another possibility is that his power matches the desire of an abused child to hide, to disappear, to not be there anymore. I'm not comfortable putting too much weight on that idea, but you can have it if you want it.
  
  The point is that he can get some support in the Legion. Probably he needs more therapy than they can give him, but at least they'll cut him the slack that his parents never did. He'll get comfortable, he'll let down his guard a bit, he'll grow up a little. He’s a superhero and a Legionnaire; he’ll be fine.

  
  That was followed by QL's response at The Planetary Chance Machine.
  

  Lyle’s reactions follow a classic passive-aggressive pattern. Some of the panels you feature support this: Lyle faces people and situations in which he’s relatively powerless. He “provokes” [sic] in many instances not overtly and in a way that elicits a strong negative response. This behavioral pattern allows Lyle the luxury of trying to assert himself, while maintaining his self-perception of being an under-appreciated victim. Furthermore, you may be correct in your assessment that “his power matches the desire of an abused child to hide, to disappear, to not be there anymore” [sic], but I view Lyle’s power as more a metaphor of his own feelings of social impotence and lack of recognition by those around him. Lyle feels “invisible”, especially to those from whom he craves recognition the most.

  
  Go read both for some interesting analysis.
  
  
• Scott at Polite Dissent remembers Tenzil Kem's v4-era "All-Star Benefit Concert to Rebuild the Earth". Why do we remember who Shagrek is?
  
  
• Puppyboy Sukk has a celebrity crush on the new Sun Boy.
  
  
• The Fortress Keeper at the Fortress of Fortitude notes that it's good to be Chuck Taine, can't wait for Waid to reintroduce him in the current Legion, recognizes his fighting prowess on the Justice League and LSH cartoons, and thinks Bouncing Boy is cool. Commenter John Freer notes that
  

  Bouncing Boy was the Legion’s own Ringo Starr. Not a key player by talent or position but nonetheless posessed by a high social intelligence and an ineffable charisma.
  Guys like that always land in the sack with twins.

  
  The same, however, can't be said for Silver Age Matter-Eater Lad, who was always eating vaguely phallic items and talking with his mouth full of stun-beam.
  
  
• For some reason, Brian Hughes at Again With the Comics is proud of the fact that he is apparently the #1 Google hit for Dr. Mayavale. That story, from LSH v2 #268, ranks down there with the worst Legion stories ever written and/or drawn. At least the issue had a nice cover by George Perez.
  
  
• Ye Olde Comick Booke Blogge takes a snarky look back at Superboy #195, featuring the first appearance of Wildfire.
  

  Going back to my original point, while my knowledge of the Legion's adventures is limited, I'm struck by the fact most of them seem to be treated as epic, life changing events by the Legionnaires. ... I get the impression if the Legion went to Safeway and found the bakery section was understocked on bagels, tears would be spilled and a statue would be built to commemorate the date.

  
  Wait, who's that guy in the green? Is that actually Chemical King, in a real mission? (OK, the mission is to fight "a giant, mob controlled dustbuster that's destroying all the crops on an agriculture planet as part of a scheme to shake down the Federation for money", but still - a real mission!)
  
  

Animated roundup

Boy, you stop blogging for a few days and those internets just keep on rolling. Here are some things you might have missed related to the animated show (and while you're reading, remember that I'm trying to give away a genuine copy of Adventure Comics #247):

• Denimdamsel is excited not about the show itself but what logically follows these days:
  

  This means there are going to be little LSH fans running about playgrounds all over the nation! This means that I will most likely be able to buy a Brainiac 5 lunch-box, and all the over-priced action figures an obsessed fan-girl could ever dream of! Oh joy of joys! Saturday mornings just won me back. Sleep? Sprock sleep, I say; there is Legion to be had once again! Let the world rejoice and be glad in it! Forsooth!...um. Yeah I think that's enough.

  
  No word yet on those action figures and lunchboxes, but I've been keeping an eye on things looking for it all. I'll report in when there's something to report.
  
  
• Antonio Sugizo chimes in after seeing the first three episodes:
  

  ...As much as I wanted to hate the stuff, I have to admit it's perfectly okay in terms of cartoons produced for the 6 to 11 crowd. Still hate that ugly character design they came with for Brin and Brainy, though (Ugh.. that Transformers thing in the first episode was just awful...).

  
  
• Comics Continuum's Rob Alstetter reviews the show in his Detroit News blog. There's really nothing new there, it's a compilation of quotes from his earlier interviews (see here, here, here, here, here, and here), but it's a good summary aimed at those who aren't familiar with the show like we are.
  
  
• Ty's Toy Box, a site for licensing industry news and information, calls the show "retro cool".
  

  Anyway, if I had talked about Legion, it most likely would’ve gone something like this: Wah wah wah, I am sad about Teen Titans being cancelled, but there is a small chance that Legion of Super Heroes will fill this hole in my heart.
  
  (I’d like to tell you it would’ve made more sense than that, but I’m afraid that’s pretty much what I would’ve said.)
  
  I don’t know if they’ve truly filled the hole, but they are just the kind of entertainment that someone who, say, grew up on Super Friends and later enjoyed Teen Titans might really get into. Its roots are in “old school” comics, while still bringing in plenty of what makes a modern kids’ show appealing.

  
  
• Louise has a few dozen screen captures of the pilot episode, "Man of Tomorrow".
  
  
• Mike, Die Führer von Piggies has an overall opinion on the series so far.
  

  Updated thoughts on the Legion of Superheroes cartoon: 6 - 6.5 /10.
  
  I've had time to reflect on it, and that's what I think of it. At first I said "a solid 7" but now I think 6.0~6.5 is about right. I don't know why, but it's not a show that I really get eager to see another episode of. More like "Legion's on... but I can just download it and watch it later" as opposed to "Justice League is on. Shoot the neighbors, drown the kids, and unplug the phone. Gonna 'geek out!'"
  
  It's pretty good for a KidsWB cartoon that has to appeal to mindless children. Hell, it's fantastic in that aspect. But it doesn't seem GREAT to me just yet. Only three episodes so far. Maybe a show like this has a learning curve to it, and I hope so. I see some potential in it, but some things should probably be toned down...

  
  

More later on other subjects...

Baby Got Back!

This is my 300th post to the Omnicom. Thanks to all the people who keep coming back for more each day! Don't forget I've got a free copy of Adventure 247 to give away, check out this one for the details.

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So what better way to celebrate 300 posts than with some cheesecake? It is Beefcake/Cheesecake week, after all.

I was 11 years old when this one came out in summer of 1977. I have never thought of Ric Estrada and Jack Abel as cheesecake artists before (or since) but they really did a job on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #232.

Here's a good shot of Saturn Girl in her 1970s hot pink bikini costume. Contrary to popular belief, Mike Grell did not design this one (a fan named K. Haven Metzger - Kim? - did in 1970), but she used it from 1970-1982.



The plot involved people being shrunk, which gave the artists a chance to do some worm's-eye-view of the festivities...





... and a bird's eye view of the little people. That's Shrinking Violet over to the right.



Here's Shrinking Violet wearing Saturn Girl's costume. Notice how she fills it out differently from Imra (2nd picture above).




The Planetary Chance Machine weighs in with a classic shot of the appropriately-named Dream Girl.

Sun Girl

Apparently I haven't been reading the right things, because in the upcoming Titans East storyline (beginning in Teen Titans #42), there's a new character named Sun Girl. She's related somehow - her name's Deborah Morgna. Sun Girl was mentioned by Dan DiDio back in August in one of the DC Nation columns.

Here's her Wikipedia page, with a little more about Titans East.

From Wizard #180 is this description of Sun Girl, as written by Slade "Deathstroke" Wilson:

SUN GIRL: My most dangerous weapon and my greatest concern, Deborah Morgna harnesses the power of the sun, but her real talent - and true love - is manipulating others. Disturbingly, she reminds me a great deal of Terra. Even more disturbingly, she reminds me of Rose. Hopefully neither of those assessments indicates things to come.

Art by Tony Daniels, from Wizard:


I like the upturned collar, reminiscent of the costume that her descendant(?) Dirk wore.

Finally, the cover to Teen Titans #43, just announced and appearing in January. That's her at the 2:00 position.

Coming in January

In addition to Action Comics Annual #10 preview the other day, here's what else is coming up in January:

Here's Action Annual 10 (the standard edition, not the limited cover edition) with the cover copy, and boy does it make a difference. The caption "Clark Kent's Big Brother" is a reference to Mon-el's original appearance in Superboy #89, where he was called "Superboy's Big Brother".



Next up is Justice Society of America #2, cover by Alex Ross, featuring Starman. Of course, that's the Kingdom Come version of Starman's costume, which is an extension of the v3 Thom Kallor, though the last time we saw someone in this particular costume, it was the reboot version of Thom Kallor. Wonder if this is the hat trick, the current version of Thom Kallor?



Finally, Supergirl and the Legion #26.

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #26
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Barry Kitson & Mick Gray
Cover by Kitson
The Dominators' plan to destroy Earth reaches fruition as the Robot Rebellion sweeps the planet! And with key Legionnaires having defected to the "Adult Legion," Cosmic Boy knows this is a war the team can't win!
On sale January 24 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Is it just me or does that big robot look like Blok?

Trivia 4 answers

Good job to the Legion of Super Trivia Guessers for finally getting the last answer to this quiz.


1. At various points, some Legionnaires used "secret identities" other than their real name or super-hero code name. Who used the following secret identities for any length of time?

• a - Ultra Boy was known as Gary Crane when he went back to 20th century Smallville in his first appearance. (Superboy 98)
  
• b, c, f - When Mon-el, Shadow Lass, and Duo Damsel went back to Smallville to escape Mordru, they took the names Bob Cobb, Betsy Norcross, and Marie Elkins, respectively. (ADV 369)
  
• d, e - When Mon-el joined up, he took a couple different code names so that nobody would know it was him, including Legionnaire Lemon (an anagram of Mon-el) and Marvel Lad. (ADV 305)
  
• g, i - Star Boy and Dream Girl were known as Sir Prize and Miss Terious when they tried to rejoin the Legion. (ADV 350)
  
• h - Element Lad was known as Mystery Lad while he hid his powers from Roxxas.(ADV 307)
  
• j - Supergirl was known as Unknown Boy once when she was under the influence of Red Kryptonite (see article here). (ADV 334)

2. Which member of a super-villain team got a statue in the Hall of Dead Heroes?

Mentalla, who had joined the Fatal Five so she could try to bring it down from within, unbeknownst to the Legion. When she died in battle, they gave her a statue. (Legion v3 #26)

3. Who had Yorggian Fever, and what effects did it have on them?

The Durlan who later became R. J. Brande caught it. It had the effect of freezing a Durlan's next transformation, so he became Brande. (As revealed in the "Secrets of the Legion" miniseries)

4. Across all continuities, how many unique members have the Fatal Five had? (count all versions of an individual character as one person - i.e., pre-Crisis Sarya the Emerald Empress, the post-reboot Empress, and both cartoon Emerald Empresses are considered the same for this question.)

I counted nine: Tharok, Validus, Persuader, Emerald Empress, and Mano (the original five); Mentalla, Caress, and Flare (replacements when the Empress led the team with Persuader by her side); and Mordecai (Validus's replacement vs the SW6 Legionnaires).

5. What warning appeared on the box for the Legion Flight Rings offered by DC Direct?

Warning: This ring does not enable the wearer to fly! (see here for a picture)

6. The Miracle Machine - when was its first chronological appearance, whose invasion of Earth was repelled by using it, who tried to steal it, and what finally happened to it?

The first chronological appearance was in "DC Comics Presents" #50, when it inadvertantly split apart Superman and Clark Kent in the 20th century. It was used to repel the invasion of Earth by the Dark Circle (Adventure 367), Ben Pares tried to steal it (Superboy 214), and Brainiac 5 used it to create Omega, after which Matter-Eater Lad ate it (S/LSH 250-251).

Free copy of Adventure Comics 247!

No, not a dream, a hoax, or an imaginary story. I have an extra copy of the original Adventure Comics 247 from 1958 that I want to get rid of but can't figure out how.

Lemme explain.

At the San Diego con in 1995, I stumbled across a reasonably-priced copy of this issue. As a Legion fan, it was my "holy grail" of comics. Here's how I recounted it a couple years later:

I got mine at the 1995 San Diego con, just beating out Jim Drew for the right to buy it. A dealer (Mike Carbonaro) had bought a large collection to sell at SDCC and pulled out the top books to display. They didn't really get a chance to look at everything closely, the guy said. Jim and I passed by the booth and I noticed it in a display case, the first time I had ever seen a copy. It was way more than I wanted to spend for the convention, but I rationalized it as a Congressional "off-the-budget" purchase. I was still wavering, and Jim told me that if I didn't buy it, he would. So I had to buy it. :) Of course, I didn't look at it closely enough until I got home, only to find out that (a) it had been restored (rice paper strengthening the cover, new staples, minor color touchups) and (b) the centerfold was missing. I wound up contacting him and getting a rebate the next year (which I wound up spending on Adventure 267 and Action 267 from him anyway).

(If anyone here was reading Usenet or the LSH-L mailing list in 1995, this is the infamous "milkshake copy".)

So for 11 years I had my copy of Adventure Comics 247, missing a centerfold. Someone sent me scans of what I was missing (a Little Pete gag page, a two-page ad, and the first page of the Green Arrow story), but I was always on the lookout for a spare centerfold from the issue. Of course, those never show up, so I eventually started looking for crappy beat-up copies with the centerfold intact, thinking I'd cannibalize the issue. And whaddaya know, this summer I finally found the right candidate. For the grand sum of $35, I bought a copy that was missing the cover and the first wraparound (which is the first two pages of the Legion story, and two ads) and had a detached centerfold. Score! (The seller threw in a copy of the Silver Age Classics issue too.)

But what do I do with rest of the issue? The pages (that are left) are in decent condition, considering it's nearly 50 years old. If I were to put it up on eBay, the selling price would barely cover my listing fees - per Overstreet rules, it's probably worth about ten bucks.

I figured that since November 8th is my one-year blogiversary here at the Omnicom, I'll just give it away as a celebration gimmick. But how and who? That's where you guys come in - I'll let my readers (about 150-200 per day) figure it out. It's not a beg-a-thon and I'm not asking for anything in return. How should I get rid of this issue and who should I give it to? If you want it, tell me why you should get it. Bribery is an option but not a guarantee.

For the winner, I'll also throw in that Silver Age Classics reprint and a CD with scans of the missing pages. Absolutely free, I'll even pay for postage.

To Freedom, Friendship, and Frunt!

Mon-el in January

Thanks to ajohns2012 on the Comicbloc boards for the tip. Look who's on the cover of Action Comics Annual #10, on sale in January. So now we have 21st and 31st century appearances of Mon-el. How many times does this guy have to get put into the Phantom Zone, anyway?

Newsarama's got the details on some of the books. In 52, it sounds like we see who Supernova really is in January. On the cover to Action Annual 10, we see what looks like Supernova and Mon-el. Any relation?

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #10
Written by Geoff Johns & Richard Donner
Art by Art Adams, Joe Kubert,
Pete Woods, Rags Morales, Kevin Maguire, Eric Wight and Tony Daniel
Cover by Adam Kubert & Joe Kubert
Variant cover by Gary Frank
What do Art Adams, Joe Kubert, Pete Woods, Rags Morales, Kevin Maguire and Eric Wight have in common? No, they’re not the latest rogues in Superman’s gallery!
Rather, they’re just some of the talents DC has assembled to deliver ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #10, the place to catch up on all that’s new to Superman’s world — and to catch a glimpse of things to come in future issues of ACTION!
Retailers: This issue will feature 2 covers that may be ordered separately. The Standard Edition cover is by Adam Kubert & Joe Kubert; one copy of the Variant Edition, with a cover by Gary Frank, may be ordered for every 10 copies of the Standard Edition ordered. Please see the Previews Order Form for further details.
On sale January 31 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

(Click picture to enlarge)