This week thanks to DC releasing their DC Finest Legion of Super-Heroes Zap Goes The Legion collected trade, let’s take a look at everyone’s favorite super team from the future! And first off, we need to send a big round of thanks to editor Mort Weisinger for immediately realizing the potential of writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino’s idea for a team of super-heroes that could interact with Superboy. Their first appearance in Adventure Comics #247 (1958) made them an immediate hit with readers and Mort knew he had a winner on his hands. And so a follow up was set up for Adventure Comics #267 the following year. But some tweeking had to be done. Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad (changed from Lightning Boy) were given new (and frankly much better) costumes that they kept into the 1970’s. Weisinger included them where ever he could. Making sure they had appearances in both Action and Adventure Comics both of which he was the editor on.
As the stories continued, readers were introduced to exciting new members including Triplicate Girl, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, and so on and so on. When Adventure comics hit issue #300, they were given their own regular feature. And then in issue #346, a 14 year old fan named Jim Shooter wrote his first story and a legend was made. When Supergirl took over Adventure Comics in issue #381, the Legion began bouncing around between back up features in Action Comics and Superboy Comics. But it wasn’t long before Superboy was sharing the title with The Legion. And like all DC properties, the group has be revamped more times than I want to count. But one revamping does stand out. In the 1970’s, the Legionnaires started getting new uniforms. Uniforms that were way cooler and were a challenge to see how many areas of clothing could be removed before the comics code had to step in. And while Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, and Princess Projectra were perfect examples of this, the male members had a few as well (that Cosmic Boy chest revealing reverse T outfit was definitely out there!)
And that what this collection is all about. The Legion presented here is the group at the height of it’s original career. There have been no company wide reboots yet. Superboy was still an active member. And the ranks were still growing including Chemical King and the Legion of Super-Pets. Bouncing Boy marries Duo Damsel, we first meet the hero known as ERG-1 and we get to experiment with the Miracle Machine. This is a terrific reminder of the stories we grew up on and provides the new generation with a look into what they missed. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
SUPERBOY STARRING THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #211
Ironicaly, the collected volume does not include two of the most though provoking and most memorable stories from the times. Issue #211 gives us the back story of the life of Element Lad. Sporting an amazing Mike Grell cover, the destruction of Element Lad’s home planet of Trom by the Space Pirate Roxxos is a very dark tale told in great detail. The destruction of the cities to the gunning down of helpless civilians is right there on the page and Mike Grell’s art doesn’t hide the reader from it. Jim Shooter’s story also brings the usually quiet Element Lad’s personality into a complete 360. As the last of the Trommites kills the man who commited genocide, resigning from the Legion and giving into his anger. It also spotlights one of the more obscure Legionaires, Chemical King. And while, the twist ending shows that Elelment Lad didn’t kill the villain, it does end on the fact that the villain has gone insane and is left surrounded by the ghosts of the civilization he destroyed. To this day, this issue is one of my personal favorites. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
SUPERBOY STARRING THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #212
The very next issue, Jim Shooter knocks another one out of the park. With Mike Grell still on art duties, the readers got another dark story. When former Legion rejects with related powers to actual Legionnaires decide to replace them as they believe they are better. And so, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Shrinking Violet, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, and Matter-Eater Lad must prove their worth against ESPer Lass, Magno Lad, Micro Lad, Phantom Lad, Durlan Toog Lintens, and Calorie Queen. And the surprise twist ending has the “Last Fight for a Legionnaire” mentioned in the title being Matter-Eater Lad’s drafting into his home planet’s political structure. With the hero (soon to be diplomat) pointing out that Calorie Queen might make a good replacement for him. (She doesn’t.) But these stories show a darker side to the Legion that helped build characters and provided the reader something to think about. 10 out of 10 Grahams.