Legion of Super Heroes - the Levitz/Giffen Era Reviews

[caj]

This issue never showed up in the local comics racks (yes, comics racks at the grocery store and Wal-Mart were still a thing) of my hometown. I finally found a copy of it in the back issue boxes of a comic shop in the nearest college town about an hour's drive away, several years later. Taking a good look at the cover art, I can only guess that the half-burnt body in Sun Boy's arm might have been deemed too graphic or disturbing.

It never occurred to me that newsstands would have a problem with that cover but back in the early 80s, that's very possible.

I may be wrong but I think this was the first issue where Sun Boy became a player. Not sure if he had shown this side before.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #297 - Cosmic Boy is out for revenge to the fireballers who hurt his family, a healed Matter Eater Lad returns to his home planet, and a powerless Chameleon Boy returns to Earth.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-297.html

[Nomads1]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #297 - Cosmic Boy is out for revenge to the fireballers who hurt his family, a healed Matter Eater Lad returns to his home planet, and a powerless Chameleon Boy returns to Earth.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-297.html

I loved this issue. Cos was never one of my favorites before this issue. After it, he bacame an integral part of the team in my mind. I can't imagine a Legion without him. Great stuff.

Peace

[caj]

I loved this issue. Cos was never one of my favorites before this issue. After it, he bacame an integral part of the team in my mind. I can't imagine a Legion without him. Great stuff.

Peace

For some reason, writers during the 70s and early 80s weren't too interested in writing for Cosmic Boy. Which is odd since he is a founding member and has a great power. Levitz made an effort to make Cos interesting and pertinent again.

[SJNeal]

For some reason, writers during the 70s and early 80s weren't too interested in writing for Cosmic Boy. Which is odd since he is a founding member and has a great power. Levitz made an effort to make Cos interesting and pertinent again.

They were probably afraid of Grell's sexy costume...

[Sutekh]

It surprised me how little mileage DC got out of signature powers like magnetic control and telepathy, only to see them really shine over at Marvel, in the hands of characters like Magneto and Jean Grey.

That said, it also annoyed me when Legion characters started getting conflated with more popular Marvel characters. Phantom Girl suddenly disrupting electronics when she phased through stuff in the 2010s Adventure series, decades after it was one of Kitty Pryde's signature moves, for instance. Timber Wolf growing claws and regenerating. Ugh.

Still, Rokk went with that one storyline from 'the kind of boring, dependable one' to a bit more of a wild card. That was neat, and was presented as a kind of organic character development rather than 'X character suddenly has a breakdown from the stress of a job he's had, like, three times before! Space Fatigue! Lotus Fruit!'

[caj]

I think one of the most interesting thing about the Legion is the members' vow to never kill. Several members were confronting with that temptation, as Cosmic Boy was here. At least one that I can remember actually gave in to her urge and murdered her husband's killer.

This was an amazing issue. Loved the spotlight on Cos.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #298 - Wildfire leads a team (all the new kids on the block) on a call from a UP Consul who turns up dead, a powerless Chameleon Boy decides to go back to his home planet Durla, and Duplicate Boy confronts new lovers Colossal Boy and Shrinking Violet.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-298.html

[caj]

Again, Levitz's strength is putting these characters together for missions and watching the personalities clash. Wildfire's team fed off each other quite well and was very entertaining. Levitz did a great job of writing for the White Witch and using her powers in interesting ways.

I never understood Element Lad's anger at Dream Girl. All she did was decide to run for leader, which is the right of any full time member. He should've been angry with all the members that voted for her since he had been Deputy for so many terms.

This issue begins the mystery of what's going on with Shrinking Violet. Element Lad and Shvaughn make a cute couple from the beginning.

And of course, this issue will always be remembered for this amazing image:

[Nomads1]

And of course, this issue will always be remembered for this amazing image:

Ultraboy singlehandedly taking out so easily someone as powerful as Duplicate Boy was amazing, and it showed why he is one of my favorites.

Peace

[Sutekh]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #298 - Wildfire leads a team (all the new kids on the block) on a call from a UP Consul who turns up dead, a powerless Chameleon Boy decides to go back to his home planet Durla, and Duplicate Boy confronts new lovers Colossal Boy and Shrinking Violet.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-298.html

Ooh, if this was the one where White Witch got her showdown with Kharlak (or whoever), I love that scene, her in her gunslinger pose, coolly facing down a Khund combat-cyborg who had just taken down Wildfire!

[Timber Wolf-By-Night]

Ooh, if this was the one where White Witch got her showdown with Kharlak (or whoever), I love that scene, her in her gunslinger pose, coolly facing down a Khund combat-cyborg who had just taken down Wildfire!

Exactly. Mysa Nal was more than capable of a steely resolve. She could be a badass when she needed to be. Which is why I was so annoyed by what 5 Years Later did to her -- turned her into a cliched beaten woman who "fell in love" with Mordru. WTAF?

[caj]

Exactly. Mysa Nal was more than capable of a steely resolve. She could be a badass when she needed to be. Which is why I was so annoyed by what 5 Years Later did to her -- turned her into a cliched beaten woman who "fell in love" with Mordru. WTAF?

That showdown is actually in the following issue (#299). I'll post it in a day or two.

[Zero Hunter]

I think one of the most interesting thing about the Legion is the members' vow to never kill. Several members were confronting with that temptation, as Cosmic Boy was here. At least one that I can remember actually gave in to her urge and murdered her husband's killer.

This was an amazing issue. Loved the spotlight on Cos.

The one I remember the most is in the original Legion Lost series when Garth was going to have to kill someone and quit the team right before he did it as to not tarnish the team he respected so much.

[Nomads1]

The one I remember the most is in the original Legion Lost series when Garth was going to have to kill someone and quit the team right before he did it as to not tarnish the team he respected so much.

That was definitely a cool moment.

Peace