Legion of Super Heroes Five Years Later Reviews

[kcekada]

It’s the first thing Bendis brought back, in the current series.

Yeah, I caught that! Again, though, this isn't my Legion. I'm still reading Bendis's version -- but I'm largely unimpressed.

[caj]

I decided that before I post the review of Giffen's last issue before leaving that I would cover the three Annuals during this time (although Giffen had little to do with these issues)

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Annual #1 - A re-telling of Legion history focusing on Ultra Boy's role in several storylines. This also reveals how Glorith, Valor, and Laurel Gand fit into the history of the new timeline.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-annual-1.html

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Annual #1 - A re-telling of Legion history focusing on Ultra Boy's role in several storylines. This also reveals how Glorith, Valor, and Laurel Gand fit into the history of the new timeline.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-annual-1.html

This was an interesting issue. I never got used to Valor replacing Superboy but that wasn't the writers' fault. Glorith wasn't as interesting as The Time Trapper IMO, but I loved the spotlight on Ultra Boy.

[SJNeal]

The issue that made me an Ultra Boy fan!

[caj]

The issue that made me an Ultra Boy fan!

I was already an Ultra Boy fan but that issue definitely re-enforced it.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Annual #2 - The Legend of Valor - going back a 1,000 years, showing how Valor (Lar Gand, Mon-El) fought against the Dominators.

Not a favorite of mine. Mon-El never seemed that interesting to me. I didn't hate him, but he was always pretty bland to me compared to other high-powered Legionnaires. And I hated the name 'Valor'.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-annual-2.html

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Annual #3 - Brin Londo (Timberwolf) and Aria travel back to the 90s in order to save his life after Darkseid's cruel transformation. A reunion of the adult Legion is held on Winath where a very shocking secret is revealed about Garth (Lightning Lad) and his long-ago resurrection from the grave. Plus, a roll in the hay for (gasp) Gim Allon (Colossal Boy) and Luornu Taine (Duo Damsel)???

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-annual-3.html

[kcekada]

I don't recall much about the Gim/Luornu pairing -- but I assume that was Yera -- and if so, yuck! This version of Timber Wolf was not as bad as Furball, but I wasn't a fan. Despite that, I collected his mini-series that followed.

[caj]

I had never heard the rumors that Lightning Lad was actually Proty 1 so this came as a complete shock to me. Since Lightning Lad is my favorite Legionnaire, I was not happy about it at all. And how could Saturn Girl, a telepath, not know???? It's not like they got married as soon as he 'resurrected'. It was years later. She should've definitely figured it out by then.

I didn't care for Timberwolf's new design or that he was sent back to the 20th century.

[Zero Hunter]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Annual #2 - The Legend of Valor - going back a 1,000 years, showing how Valor (Lar Gand, Mon-El) fought against the Dominators.

Not a favorite of mine. Mon-El never seemed that interesting to me. I didn't hate him, but he was always pretty bland to me compared to other high-powered Legionnaires. And I hated the name 'Valor'.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-annual-2.html

I loved this annual. They way it set up Valor as the seeder of worlds explaining why so many human like races existed in the future and became members of the UP was brilliant. It also explains why in the reboot he is seen as almost a Christ like figure to the worlds he helped found like Bismoll, Carggg, Lallor, Thar, and Winath which all went on to produce future members of the Legion.

[caj]

Back in the 90s, DC Comics released a Who's Who update known as 'the Loose Leaf' version. I thought I'd post the 5-Year Gap pages of that book:

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...f-edition.html

Here's the group shot drawn by Giffen

[caj]

Here's a few more Who's Who entries that weren't in the above link:

Laurel Gand
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TJQXRVqkL...LaurelGand.jpg

Kono
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hMnPdDbrB...oswho-kono.jpg

Kent Shakespeare
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXSHHmf7e...hakespeare.jpg

Spider Girl
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0R9jQ4tJ9...spidergirl.jpg

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of issue #38 - All great things must come to an end. Although the book would continue, this was Keith Giffen's last issue as plotter (his art work would show up in a few pages in another issue). But it's also the end - of Earth.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...heroes-38.html

[caj]

As the great Kasey Casem used to say at the end of each American Top 40 countdown: "And there you have it."

Thanks to everyone who kept up with this, especially those interested enough to comment. Everyone who ever read this book had strong opinions about it - either one way or another. The one thing that you have to say is that it was daring, different, and not what anyone expected in a Legion of Super Heroes book following the great run of Paul Levitz. Kudos to all the creators involved.

I've been considering doing a similar thread on the Levitz/Giffen 80s run. If anyone is interested, let me know. Thanks again.

[kcekada]

Sure. Always interested in discussing Legion.

Giffen's Legion certainly had its good points. Some of the elements introduced were forced by the editors in other officers throwing hissy fits, and it's a shame as publisher that Levitz didn't put on his big boy pants to squash those. Giffen turned the series into a sci-fi drama that forwent the super hero team aspect that was part of the draw to the Legion. He dismissed a lot of fan favorites and introduced many characters who went nowhere. I imagine this run appealed to some who had never read Legion, but regardless of the effort put into it -- Giffen's direction ultimately damaged the franchise.