Why is the Great Darkness Saga Considered So Great?

[Timothy Hunter]

Hey it's Tim here. I have a few questions about the Legion of Superheroes, the Great Darkness Saga arc in particular.

The Legion of Superheroes, despite it's large fanbase, hasn't been a comic book franchise that I am really knowledgeable of. Factors for this may be that the history of the Legion being perceived as continuity heavy and convoluted, lack of information on jumping on points, and my relative disinterest in the science fiction genre as a whole. (outside of 2000 AD, Kurt Vonnegut novels, and a few other outliers.)

From my understanding "The Great Darkness Saga" seems to be the most critically acclaimed and well respected storyline in Legion history. It even was in the top ten of the top 100 comic book storylines of all time posted by CBR a long ways back.

I have checked out and subsequently read the first few issues of "the Great Darkness Saga", and quite frankly I'm not that impressed. To be fair, it's definitely exceptional for it's time. The charictarization is good. Some action sequences are more proficiently handled than typical. There definitely is an early Claremont Uncanny X Men / Wolfman Titans vibe to the whole thing. In spite of all this, it's inaccessabillity overwhelms it's strengths. There definitely is a feeling that this was a story arc meant solely for those who have followed the title for a long time.

Despite my greviences, I will not give up just yet. So I have some questions that if answered might prepare me for the "Great Darkness Saga".

1. What do you think of this story? Is it as good as it is considered to be?

2. Is this the best Legion jumping on point for new readers?

3. If this storyline is not a good jumping on point, tell me what is. I am really only interested in the pre - Zero Hour stories. I am apathetic towards the post Zero Hour and Post Infinite Crisis run

[caj]

I re-read it about once or twice a year. I usually begin a few issues back - usually at #286. It is IMO as great as people say it is. I love the slow build-up and the way it unfolds. Levitz took his time revealing so many clues. The Levitz/Giffen combination has never been matched.

What you need to remember is:

- Readers didn't know who the master of darkness was. It was a mystery. For most of us, we were expecting someone the Legion had already fought before.

- Darkseid wasn't as big of a deal at that point. This story sort of propelled him to greatness and made him bigger than life. Not only had he survived a 1,000 years, but he was able to manhandle the Legion's greatest enemies like the Time Trapper and Mordru.

- Giffen's art was brilliant. No artist had made the 30th century so advanced and futuristic. This was written in 1982. While the computer graphics and technical art seems archaic now, it was cutting edge back then. I spent so much time matching up all those symbols with each Legionnaire. Some were obvious, like Saturn Girl or Ultra Boy. But others were a challenge.

- It's probably known as being the Legion's biggest moment. The mystery kept readers glued for months. Levitz was the master of juggling the large cast and building mysteries.

- Levitz seemed to know what to do with each character. Some members had never been fleshed out very well. Characters like Dream Girl and Blok had no direction until Levitz got ahold of them.

- For the first time in their lives, you got the feeling that the Legionnaires weren't sure they could defeat the Master. It was an epic moment IMO.

[byrd156]

Because it's really awesome and epic.

[caj]

I guess some of the 'magic' of that event could be that it came after several years of very mediocre writing and art on the book. But I still think the story itself is a superior work and holds up well even today.

[Spiderboy12]

I re-read it about once or twice a year. I usually begin a few issues back - usually at #186. It is IMO as great as people say it is. I love the slow build-up and the way it unfolds. Levitz took his time revealing so many clues. The Levitz/Giffen combination has never been matched.

I think you mean #286. Anyway, I agree about the Great Darkness Saga. Perhaps my all-time favorite Legion story, and high on the list of favorite comic book stories still.

[caj]

I think you mean #286.

Yes, I did and it's been fixed. Thanks.

[Jim Kelly]

It's Great because the Great Darkness spreads all over the United Planets--thus a great darkness rather than a lesser darkness.

One might as well start with LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 284, when the Levitz run gets underway (although he co-wrote a couple issues with Roy Thomas before that) and which has Pat Broderick joining him as artist--Keith Giffen comes on board the following issue (in a back-up story). I remember the Broderick art made me sit up and take notice, moreso than Levitz writing.

[CaptCleghorn]

It was big without being artificially epic. Darkseid was used better than than in at least 95% of his appearances since then. I still think about Darkseid making a planet of Daxamites carve the planet into a likeness of his face showing the power of the Daxamites and of Darkseid.

[DrNewGod]

I re-read it about once or twice a year. I usually begin a few issues back - usually at #286. It is IMO as great as people say it is. I love the slow build-up and the way it unfolds. Levitz took his time revealing so many clues. The Levitz/Giffen combination has never been matched.

What you need to remember is:

- Readers didn't know who the master of darkness was. It was a mystery. For most of us, we were expecting someone the Legion had already fought before.

- Darkseid wasn't as big of a deal at that point. This story sort of propelled him to greatness and made him bigger than life. Not only had he survived a 1,000 years, but he was able to manhandle the Legion's greatest enemies like the Time Trapper and Mordru.

- Giffen's art was brilliant. No artist had made the 30th century so advanced and futuristic. This was written in 1982. While the computer graphics and technical art seems archaic now, it was cutting edge back then. I spent so much time matching up all those symbols with each Legionnaire. Some were obvious, like Saturn Girl or Ultra Boy. But others were a challenge.

- It's probably known as being the Legion's biggest moment. The mystery kept readers glued for months. Levitz was the master of juggling the large cast and building mysteries.

- Levitz seemed to know what to do with each character. Some members had never been fleshed out very well. Characters like Dream Girl and Blok had no direction until Levitz got ahold of them.

- For the first time in their lives, you got the feeling that the Legionnaires weren't sure they could defeat the Master. It was an epic moment IMO.

caj really captures it. A lot of readers today also forget that the 1980s were a time of growing sophistication for DC, which (IMO) had remained mired in the idea that comics were only kids' entertainment much longer than did Marvel. A lot of the power in some of the landmark stories from that era (i.e. "The Great Darkness", The Dark Knight Returns, The New Teen Titans' "Judas Contract"...) was bound up in a certain sense of "Holy %&*^! Is this DC?!?"

That's not to say that everybody who was a teen 35 years ago loves those stories, that they're not good stories, or that later generations can't appreciate them. But, I can see why the mileage of those that didn't share the nostalgic experience might vary.

[caj]

caj really captures it.

Thanks, DrNewGod. I appreciate that. I liked your post as well.

[caj]

Another thing I loved about TGDS is that ***SPOILER***






...nobody died. It proved that you could have an epic 5-part storyline without killing off a beloved character.

[silly]

What issues was TGS? So it syarts at LSH 286?