The main communication device of the Legion of Super-Heroes
You may recall this Legion/X-Men mashup from a few years ago here, where artist Bob Layton re-created the Byrne/Austin cover of X-Men 141 ("Days of Future Past") with Legionnaires in the X-Men roles. Here's an all-new, all-different version by former Legion artist Mike Netzer (formerly Nasser):
This month's theme is "stuff I thought of while reading LSH v6 #1".
1. What were the names of the members of the original Wanderers, and what were their new names once they got their own series?
2. In the Silver Age, just about every member had a name that fit the pattern "Descriptor + Gender/Youth", like Karate Kid, Dream Girl, and Princess Projectra. Which Silver Age Legionnaire(s) did not fit this pattern? (That is, everyone who joined before Wildfire).
3. Which of the Legionnaires or their closely related characters has or had some sort of tie to the Green Lantern Corps?
4. Not counting Adventure 247, who was the first Legionnaire to get a permanent costume change that is outside the "artistic license" boundaries (I consider "how many points were on the sunburst symbol on Sun Boy's costume" to be an example of artistic license; Cosmic Boy changing from his pink costume to the bustier-type is a major change)?
5. Which other Legionnaire(s) were forced to join the Legion against their wishes or will?
6. Earth-Man is the latest Legionnaire to gain admittance to the Legion after his original tryout attempt. Who else failed at their first attempt, for whatever reason, and got in later?
7. Which other Legionnaire homeworlds have blown up?
So I picked a bad time to take a small break, huh? Three new Legion books (LSH v6 #1, Brave and Bold v3 #34, Adventure Comics v3 #12) in three weeks. Hot damn!
For those of you who were wondering, the Legion roster in Adventure Comics #12 places the story chronologically right after Superboy joined and before Ultra Boy. Supergirl (in original continuity) had just been inducted along with Brainiac 5 prior to Superboy's joining. The Outhousers point out some continuity errors (which are now called "chronicler's errors" by Levitz): Saturn Girl shouldn't be described as an orphan, and flight rings weren't used until Adventure 325. Also, Imra's not married to Garth at this point (her caption says "Ardeen-Ranzz"), and RJ Brande shouldn't be said to be from Durla, which was not known at this point in Legion history.
Also out this past week: X-Men Forever Giant Size #1. Huh? It's got Mike Grell, in a rare Marvel book, drawing the Dave Cockrum-era Imperial Guard.
Via Newsarama:Not sure what the "just one Legion book" thing is about, Levitz is writing two (or rather, one and a half, the Legion book and the lead in Adventure).
Is there a chance for a Legion ring promotion? Yes, we may get a Legion flight ring in the near future.
Are there any plans for more back up co-features? Yes, Two-Face will start in Streets of Gotham and The Atom in Adventure Comics.
Also they are trying to just keep it to one Legion book for right now.
Why couldn't we keep anything from World of New Krypton? Sattler replied that Mon-El was always going back. Nightwing and Flamebird on the other hand, we might have not have seen the last of. "Just because they're off camera doesn't mean they're gone."
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1, the debut issue of the new ongoing series from writer Paul Levitz and artist Yildaray Cinar, has sold out at DC comics and will return in a new, second printing. LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 Second Printing (APR108152) features a sketch version of the variant cover by Jim Lee. This issue is scheduled to arrive in stores on June 23 and has a Final Order Cutoff date of June 3.
More info here.
In this volume, the Legion battles Mordru the Merciless and The Fatal Five and meets The Tornado Twins. Collecting ADVENTURE COMICS #369-380, ACTION COMICS #378-387, 389-392 and SUPERBOY #172, 173, 176, 183, 184, 188, 190 and 191.
This week kicks off the beginning of new Legion series by Paul Levitz and Yildiray Cinar, so in that spirit I present this issue of Legion Trivia.
1. Who were the main villains in each of the other #1 issues of the "Legion of Super-Heroes" series?
2. With the Legion appearing in two series next month (Adventure Comics and Legion v6), how many times in the past has the Legion had two simultaneous ongoing series?I was amused at how many other issues you guys tried to fit in, from LSH v2 #259 to Legionnaires to The Legion to issue #0s. I was only interested in the #1 issues of "Legion of Super-Heroes" series.
- Legion v1 #1 reprinted Adventure #328, the Command Kid story.
- There was no issue #1 for v2.
- Legion v3 #1 had the Legion of Super-Villains
- Legion v4 #1 had the Dominators behind the scenes
- Legion v5 #1 had a giant robot.
By my count, four times:3. Between his first story in LSH v2 #284 and the end of LSH v3 (including Annuals but not including miniseries), how many people were given some sort of writing credit along with Paul Levitz? This includes credits for plotter, scripter, dialog, etc.
- Adventure Comics [Digest] & LSH v2 (1982-83)
- Tales of the LSH & LSH v3 (1984-1987)
- LSH v4 & Legionnaires (1993-2000)
- LSH v5 & LSH in 31st Century (2007-2008)
I counted Adventure because the Legion had a regular ongoing reprint series (even thought it only lasted 13 issues). The LSH v1 series, 4 reprint issues, wasn't an ongoing series, and the Legion only had an occasional backup in Superboy at the time. Guest appearances and miniseries don't count.
I had forgotten that Paul helped finish out the Reflecto storyline, starting in issue 281, before taking the book for himself (mostly).
- Roy Thomas: plot LSH v2 281-282
- Keith Giffen: co-plot and/or co-script LSH v2 293-313 plus Annuals 1-3; Tales of the LSH 313-317; LSH v3 1-5, 50-55, 57-58, 60-63
- Mindy Newell: dialogue, script, and/or co-plot Tales 314-317, 320-325
- Steve Lightle: co-plot LSH v3 23
Mike McKean got it right: "Since Adventure #503 was cover dated Sep 1983, if the series had been published monthly, the May 2010 issue (which would have come out in March) should have been numbered #823. I'm assuming Adventure would have published #0 and #1000000 in the same months as other DC titles, which balances out the two "extra" 1988 issues, Winter and Holiday." (I meant to ask which issue would Levitz be starting on, which Duke got: issue 826.)5. Who wrote "An Open Note of Suicide", and why? For that matter, why does that question fit this quiz?
As Anon wrote:
Saturn Girl's new costume design was submitted by K. Haven (Kim) Metzger. This outfit, later colored fuscia, would be adopted by the Bronze Age Saturn Girl. When nearly all the Legionnaires were eventually given new costumes in the Bronze Age, Kim wrote his famous "An Open Note of Suicide" letter/essay in the fanzine Legion Outpost No. 10 (Spring 1981) , saying:
"... since those new uniforms were introduced, it just doesn't seem like the Legion I knew. And I live with the knowledge that I am responsible. Whatever it is about the Legion that seems different now, that something had its birth with my Saturn Girl uniform. I cannot bear to watch anymore ... I ask no forgiveness; I deserve none. Rather, I deserve perhaps pity, perhaps contempt from my fellow Legion fans ... Let those who sneer at a super-hero's costume with dreams of changing it - recall my success and remember the wretchedness it brought me."
This question was inspired by Jim Lee's alternate cover to LSH v6 #1. Nobody answered that part of the question.
This had just been mentioned on my Twitter feed the day before, and it was still on the Twitter sidebar when this was posted. The answer is Shadow Lass.
From the 1976 DC Calendar (which has since been made canon), only Condo Arlik, aka Chemical King, was born in May.
May kicks off the beginning of new Legion series by Paul Levitz and Yildiray Cinar, so in that spirit I present this issue of Legion Trivia.
1. Who were the main villains in each of the other #1 issues of the "Legion of Super-Heroes" series?
2. With the Legion appearing in two series next month (Adventure Comics and Legion v6), how many times in the past has the Legion had two simultaneous ongoing series?
3. Between his first story in LSH v2 #284 and the end of LSH v3 (including Annuals but not including miniseries), how many people were given some sort of writing credit along with Paul Levitz? This includes credits for plotter, scripter, dialog, etc.
4. Assuming that Adventure Comics had continued its numbering as a monthly title and had not been cancelled with issue #503, with the issues coming out (in whatever format) regularly since then as a typical DC comic. What issue number would have been dated May 2010?
5. Who wrote "An Open Note of Suicide", and why? For that matter, why does that question fit this quiz?
6. Which Legionnaire was featured in Yildiray Cinar's Sketchbook, which was first sold recently at the C2E2 convention and also posted online?
7. Who is the only Legionnaire whose birthday is in May?
The DCU Source blog today released the first of Jim Lee's variant covers, to appear on LSH v6 #1:
Today's Earth Day. Earth-Man says take care of your favorite planet!
Look what's shown up on Amazon.com: Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga (Deluxe Edition), available for pre-order now and coming in November.
Via Collected Editions:
A hardcover Great Darkness isn't a great suprise, given that the original book is out of print, that Levitz is about to begin a new run on Legion, and that DC already announced a new Legion of Super-Heroes: Prologue to Darkness paperback that leads in to Great Darkness. What is a surprise is the deluxe format, which makes the hardcover a bit bigger and, in my opinion, adds some extra value for the reader even if they already own an old, dog-eared copy of Darkness.However, the Prologue book (previously announced in February) has been removed from Amazon:
... Maybe the deluxe edition contains the Prologue issues, too (at an announced 416 pages, the deluxe edition is about twice the size of the original Great Darkness trade paperback).The original, out of print trade paperback version of Great Darkness only runs 192 pages.
Some bonus news from the Flash/Green Lantern: Revelations panel at C2E2....
Via CBR:
The "Green Lantern Corps" title itself will be taken over by Tony Bedard, of whose work the panel spoke highly. Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler explained this new work will will affect "R.E.B.E.L.S." as well, a title he felt is "deserving of a wider audience."Via Newsarama:
An audience member asked after the status of the Tornado Twins and John Fox considering the first arc of "The Flash" deals in time travel to the 25th Century, and Johns promised, "Eventually, you will see them" though whether it happens in this first arc remains unknown.
Meanwhile, Tony Bedard is taking over Green Lantern Corps. With his background of R.E.B.E.L.S., he was the "perfect guy to jump in and join our Corps." Ganthet will remain a Green Lantern. Kyle Rayner and John Stewart, Boodikka and Soranik Natu will be dealing with a returned Cyborg Superman.
Q: With the 25th century angle, can you spoil whether we'll see Tornado Twins and John Fox? Johns: No. Eventually you will see them.
Q: More Rainbow Girl? Johns: That's a question more for Paul Levitz.
Didn't see anything out of the DC Nation panel on Friday at C2E2 in Chicago, but Paul Levitz was one of the speakers at the DC Editorial panel on Saturday:
Via CBR:
"I filled my brain with too many Legionnaires and home planets," Levitz joked, about his return to "Legion of Super Heroes." He said he enjoyed the power of god that a writer enjoys over his characters. "When you go to a high school reunion, you don't really get to decide who had a failed marriage."Via Newsarama's live blog:
...Will we see the traveling Legion or the Legion in the past in Levitz's "Legion?" Levitz said that his book will pick up a lot of the material established by Geoff Johns, but the specific points the fan mentioned were addressed by Robinson in "Adventure Comics."
Sattler introduces Paul Levitz, talking about the Legion of Superheroes. "I filled my brain with too many origin planets and issue numbers, which is why I cannot recognize human beings," Levitz cracked.
...Levitz compares it to a high school reunion, in the fact that there are people with bad marriages and poor choices and those you simply wish were dead.
...Q: What's up with the various Legion teams? Levitz: A lot of what I'm doing is picking up on recent arcs on Superboy as well as Legion of Three Worlds -- Earth Man is big in the first arc, Gates transports people around in the second arc, Shrinking Violet will vomit as a result.
Anyone going to the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (aka "C2E2") this weekend? It's run by the same people who do the New York Comic Con and is not related to the old Chicago Comic Con/Wizard World Chicago. Here's their lineup this weekend:
Friday:
4:30-5:30
Mark Waid Takes On The Trivia Fans
Trivia King Mark Waid single-handedly battles a panel of expert fans in a Silver Age trivia match for the ages! Pit your knowledge of Marvel and DC’s 1960's comics when these titans clash! Nothing will ever be the same again! Moderated by Craig Shutt, writer of the Ask Mr. Silver Age column for the Comics Buyer’s Guide.
If you're going to Chicago and not going to the DC Nation panel, go here. Watching Mark Waid in a trivia contest is a sight to behold. It's like a magic trick, you sit there and wonder how he does it.
4:45-5:45
DC Nation
The DC Nation finally returns to Chicago! We’re always looking for new recruits, so be sure to come on by as Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and some of the industry’s top talent lead the way to give you the inside scoop to all current and future Nation members!
Maybe someone can ask about the alleged Legion flight rings we heard rumors of.
Saturday:
3:15-4:15
DC Universe Editorial Presentation
Your guides to comics’ greatest Universe include Co-Publishers Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and the some of the industry’s best and brightest stars!
Special all-Mike Grell issue!
The one everyone knows is the All-New Collector's Edition C-55 (aka "That Damned Tabloid"). The other one is from the Meet "Iron Mike" Grell feature from Superboy 205.
Just one - Grell's first issue (Superboy 202) was Cockrum's last. Cockrum pencilled "Lost - A Million Miles From Home!" and Grell inked it.
Long story short: Cary Bates wrote a story in which a man seemed to turn against the Legion, for Grell to draw. Grell drew the man as black. Editor Murray Boltinoff said that they couldn't show a black man being the bad guy, even if he turns out good in the end. Plus, they were going to introduce a black Legionnaire soon. So they just colored him white. In Glen Cadigan's "The Legion Companion", Grell says: "It was about a young man who’s one of the Space Troopers who comes into a conflicting situation. He has to make a choice. Like a lot of us, he makes a couple of mistakes, but then he turns out all right. He does the right thing in the end. I saw that as a very positive thing." He's talking about Dvron (from Superboy 207), but in that interview he mis-remembers him as Soljer. See this Comic Book Legends Revealed episode for more quotes and pictures.
From the Legion Companion: "I got off the title because Warlord had just been made monthly, and I was also doing Green Lantern/Green Arrow at the time. Given the choice between one or the other, since Green Lantern/Green Arrow, at that particular moment, was my favorite title - Green Arrow was always my favorite comic book character - it was a really simple choice to make."
The alternate variant cover to Action Comics #861, one of the "Superman & The Legion" issues. (I own the original art to the preliminary pencil sketch to this one!)
From the Companion again: "I came up with the visuals for her, and the concept of her having wings and being an American Indian. That was about it. Paul [Levitz] came up with her superpower, and I'm pretty sure he came up with her name." She first appeared in Superboy 226.
Surprisingly (to me), the only costume that Grell redesigned was Cosmic Boy's. All of the other redesigns in this list came before. (Note that while a caption in the original story says that Colossal Boy got a new costume too, but he actually got that one in the original Wildfire story in Superboy 195). He started out blue and orange, then was red and blue (as seen above in the Cockrum/Grell panel), then he lost the blue arms and legs for bare skin.
Special all-Mike Grell issue! One of the most popular artists of the Bronze Age Legion, his Legion art is still highly sought-after. He's one of my favorite artists, and he drew my very first Legion story (Superboy 212). This is for "Iron Mike" Grell.
You may notice that I've stuck the Omnicom Twitter feed over there on the left. If you don't already follow me there, you can read the last few things I've posted. Some of it is the typical inane chatter you see on Twitter, but about half is re-announcing (or "retweeting") stuff other people say that I think you guys would be interested in. Also, I've got a feature that puts a link there for every post I do here.
For example:
Via Dan Veltre, a Legion fan and the owner/operator of Dewey’s Comic City in Madison, NJ (who, back in the day, was a member of INTERLAC and was a co-CM for a time):
It’s a bit early for this announcement but we couldn't wait to let everyone who reads this in on the news that PAUL LEVITZ, the former President and Publisher of DC COMICS, and the writer of the new LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES series will be here at Dewey’s signing copies of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 on Thursday, May 20th, from 5:30pm until 7:30pm. The relaunched Legion series, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 arrives the day before Paul’s appearance, on Wednesday, May 19th and we’ll have plenty of copies of that issue (and even a few copies of the variant cover) available for Paul to sign. Besides being the writer of the new LSH series, and running DC COMICS for many years, Paul is also the writer of some of the most classic and best remembered LEGION stories ever, notably the outstanding Great Darkness Saga, starring the LSH & Darkseid from 1982. This will be Paul’s first area creator appearance since returning to the creator side of comics. More information over the next few weeks.
Jim Lee spoke with CBR in conjunction with the DC Nation panel at WonderCon today (their story had to have been pre-written, as it appeared to go live with the conclusion of the panel on which Lee was speaking). Amidst news of his Dark Knight book with Frank Miller, he had this to say:
Just because he's shying away from some cover work doesn't mean Lee will step away from the drawing board as his new duties as Co-Publisher take effect. The artist told CBR, "There's an overt acknowledgement by the rest of the executive team that one of the ways I help DC Comics the most is by doing creative work. The same goes for Geoff Johns, so to that purpose, we are given the latitude to take on projects and fit them into our schedules. So putting this book back on a track is the biggest part of my creative efforts this year. That, and a ten-page story I am doing with Paul Levitz featuring the Legion of Superheroes from the late 1970's that will be a centerpiece of a new art of Jim Lee book called 'Icons,' coming out this July."You might recall this March 2008 post which had information on the Icons book that was due out in October 2008. Titan Books now has it listed as coming out in October 2010. (In a couple of DC Source blog posts last week, we saw the not-cover and the real cover to ICONS, which Robot6 and ComicVine say is supposed to come out in August. We'll see.)
Newsarama live-blogged the Geoff Johns and DC Nation panels at WonderCon today. Nothing Legion-related that I saw in the Johns panel (though the live-blogger may have missed something), but there was this from the DC Nation panel:
"The one big legacy group from the DCU that I can't find any substantial recaps for is the Legion—do I just have crappy retailers?" DiDio: "There are no crappy retailers." He continued, talking about Paul Levitz's return to the Legion of Super Heroes, saying that the writer (and former DC president)'s original run on the characters was one of the best received DC comics of all time.I'm not sure what the "substantial recaps" refers to here, but we should find out later.
If you find yourself in San Francisco this weekend, WonderCon is there too. Here's their programming lineup for upcoming new stuff and spotlights on creators with Legion credits:
Friday 4/2
3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Geoff Johns— One of comics' top writers just became DC Comics' chief creative officer. WonderCon special guest Geoff Johns talks about his new role at the comics company he calls home, plus those Blackest Nights, Brightest Days, rebirths, and secret origins he's become famous for! Room 103
3:30-4:30 Spotlight on Colleen Doran— WonderCon special guest Colleen Doran, the artist of many comics for Marvel and DC, including Sandman, Wonder Woman, Amazing Spider-Man, Legion of Superheroes, Tori Amos: Comic Book Tattoo (published by Image), and creator of A Distant Soil, talks to moderator Derek McCulloch, Eisner Award nominee for Stagger Lee. McCulloch and Doran will discuss their upcoming original Vertigo graphic novel, Gone to Amerikay, as well as other future works by Doran, including Stealth Tribes by Warren Ellis, and an upcoming graphic novel collaboration at Houghton Mifflin with novelist Barry Lyga. The panel will include a slide show with never before seen art. Room 236/238
4:00-5:00 DC Nation!— The DC Nation returns to San Francisco! Co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan Didio are joined by chief creative officer Geoff Johns in their first convention appearance together as DC's new management team! Join Jim, Dan, and Geoff as they begin the next era of greatness for DC Comics! Room 103
Saturday 4/3
12:00-1:30 DCU Editorial Presentation— Senior story editor Ian Sattler and countless DCU talent gather for a panel that's not to be missed. With the Brightest Day fast approaching, what does that mean for your favorite universe? Got a question for your favorite DCU creator? Come on by...this is the place to be! Room 103
Sunday 4/4
12:30-1:30 Spotlight on James Robinson— WonderCon special guest James Robinson is one of the hardest working writers in comics. He currently writes Superman and Justice League of America and is about to tackle the DC event, War of the Supermen. Robinson talks about what’s next for this fan-favorite writer with James Sime, owner of San Francisco’s Isotope Comics. Room 104
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