Legion of Super Heroes - the Levitz/Giffen Era Reviews

[j9ac9k]

Sad news people: Steve Lightle, penciller of the Legion and regular cover artist of several eras passed away.

https://www.cbr.com/steve-lightle-le...tist-obituary/

RIP - a real Legion fan and a terrific artist.

[SJNeal]

I believe #259 was included as the last story in the S/LSH Hardcover #2 from last year.

Ah, thank you. I was probably referencing an out of date solicit.

We all know DC loves to surprise us with advertised vs. actual collections content...

[caj]

Sad news people: Steve Lightle, penciller of the Legion and regular cover artist of several eras passed away.

For those of you interested, here is an interview with Steve Lightle:

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...-with-lsb.html

[Robotman]

Such a sad day for Legion fans. RIP Mr. Lightle.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #289 - The mysterious villain continues to grow in power, the lost Legionnaires find ways to occupy their time, Element Lad & Brainiac 5 try to help the deranged Matter Eater Lad, and Light Lass sees something that devastates her.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-289.html

[kcekada]

That is the cover I referred to earlier in this thread -- definitely one of Giffen's best. It really shows all you need to know about this particular group's circumstances.

Again, I wouldn't read this story until many years later, but the ramifications of the Imra/Brin rendezvous would come to a close in the Great Darkness Saga finale. By the way, I liked this new Timber Wolf outfit. Don't know whey in his second or third year -- Giffen started introducing rather bland costumes -- replacing Brin's witn a dull grey/orange combo and replacing Gim's with another streamlined get up. I was never fond of Jan's magenta/black outfit.

[caj]

That is the cover I referred to earlier in this thread -- definitely one of Giffen's best. It really shows all you need to know about this particular group's circumstances.

Again, I wouldn't read this story until many years later, but the ramifications of the Imra/Brin rendezvous would come to a close in the Great Darkness Saga finale. By the way, I liked this new Timber Wolf outfit. Don't know whey in his second or third year -- Giffen started introducing rather bland costumes -- replacing Brin's witn a dull grey/orange combo and replacing Gim's with another streamlined get up. I was never fond of Jan's magenta/black outfit.

And don't forget that hideous purple and black uniform he gave Violet (or should I say Yera) Thankfully, it only lasted about five issues before Violet was found.

Yeah, Giffen was a great artist but his uniform designs left a lot to be desired.

[caj]

I never liked the way Levitz wrote Lightning Lad. He either didn't care for the character or just didn't want to write him heroically. In this issue, instead of leading a rescue team to find his wife and teammates, he wallows in self-pity and does nothing to help. This is after he throws a fit and resigns as Legion Leader.

It was just a head-scratcher because Levitz wrote so many other characters so well.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes Annual #1 - The Legion gets a new Science Police liaison (intro to Shvaughn Erin), a sick child becomes the new host for Computo, and the team gets a new member (intro to Jacques Foccart as Invisible Kid II)

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

[kcekada]

Another great cover! I think this one was hand-colored -- giving it a somewhat painted look. Very sharp minimalist design.

I do recall picking this up off the shelf at a newstand -- but wasn't quite yet ready to come back to the Legion. I would eventually purchase it from the back issue bin a year or so after I started collecting the title again. I believe this issue was inked entirely by Patterson -- and do feel that his style may have been to heavy for Giffen's sleek style at that time.

I think Cosmic Boy's and Timber Wolf's new duds may have been designed by George Perez -- because I first saw these in a special feature George drew for a Legion digest. Ah yes, here they are: http://dc1980s.blogspot.com/2014/03/...by-george.html.

I'm glad they didn't use the purple hues for Brin, but I do like the design. That Shadow Lass outfit would show up eventually, but Phantom Girl and Projectra's streamlined looks from that feature never made it into a story.

Regarding Darkseid -- I'm assuming Paul and Company just didn't think most readers would have picked up on who he was since he didn't have a very big profile in those days. I knew him mostly form Secret Society of Super-Villains -- a very obscure series. Most of the Fourth World stuff was gone before I read comics -- with Mr. Miracle being the lone survivor - but he never appealed to me. I know Darkseid did show up again in present day shortly before his appearances in Legion. He was in the JLA arc where Perez replaced the recently deceased Dick Dillin. Even though Kirby created those characters, Perez really made them shine.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #290 - The mysterious new villain sends his Servants of Darkness to attack Superboy and the Legion, Invisible Kid proves his worthiness as a Legionnaire, a Legionnaire will be tried for treason, and a surprising candidate throws their name in the ring for the next Legion Leader.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-290.html

[caj]

I remember seeing an ad with the cover of #290. I was fascinated by it and couldn't wait to buy it. Luckily, the inside story and art were even better than the cover.

Larry Mahlstedt begins inking Giffen's art in this issue and it definitely made it pop. The team of Levitz, Giffen, and Mahlstedt made for some amazing issues.

One thing that always amazed me with Levitz's writing was how he went about choosing a team of Legionnaires each issue. You'd see the dynamics in the personalities as well as each using their power in the battle with a villain.

And then he would move away from the action and focus on so many individual characters within the issue. The scene where Dream Girl puts her leg up on the table and let's everyone know she's in the running for leader was brilliant and funny as you see everyone's reaction to the news. And then you see Computo have a nightmare because of the Servant.

Just incredible writing.

[Sutekh]

And don't forget that hideous purple and black uniform he gave Violet (or should I say Yera) Thankfully, it only lasted about five issues before Violet was found.

It seemed like a strangely literalist desire to have her wear violet, since her name had Violet in it. (Much like the odd desire from time to time to turn Timber Wolf into a literal wolf. It's a name, people! Dawnstar isn't a literal star! Chemical King isn't actually a King!)

Much like his desire to have Polar Boy have ice on his head (despite always being depicted in a furry parka, and designed as someone from a planet that is so hot the natives need cold powers just to survive, meaning that, on Earth, *he's always cold* and wouldn't want a chunk of ice on his head!).

After he drew Polar Boy with ice on his head and Fire Boy with fire on his head, I wanted to take it to the next level and have Stone Boy turn his hair to stone, Color Kid rainbow-stripe his hair, Chlorophyll Kid wear a potted plant on his head and Night Girl wear a sparkly hairnet that made her bouffant look like a starfield, like Star Boy's costume. Just run the literalist metaphor right into the ground.

[Timber Wolf-By-Night]

And don't forget that hideous purple and black uniform he gave Violet (or should I say Yera) Thankfully, it only lasted about five issues before Violet was found.

Yeah, Giffen was a great artist but his uniform designs left a lot to be desired.

I rather liked it at the time. Finally, Shrinking Violet had a costume that had something resembling the color violet in it. And while I know 70's fans happily drooled all over Dave Cockrum's cleavage-revealing design, Giffen and Perez's redesigns had Vi/Yera (and Shadow Lass, Saturn Girl, Duo Damsel, and even Projectra with all her one-appearance-only outfits) wearing something that was more befitting a super-heroine than, say, "Amber" dancing on the main stage at your nearest strip club.

The weird thing about the "moment" between Brin and Imra on the ice asteroid, the one where they're "caught" by Ayla when Dawnstar and she arrive/find them, is how quickly Levitz moves to...well, not "absolve" Imra, but to minimize any consequences for her, so that the fallout is left squarely on Brin and his relationship with Ayla. (Which, to be fair, Levitz had been portraying in a negative light since his first issue back, when Ayla and Brin go to Medicus One to get his face restored to normal, only for Brin to immediately seem unsure of it after the fact and Ayla to storm off in frustration.) Other than Element Lad's jab at Brin about "at least I'm going after something Lightning Lad voluntarily gave up" in #290, not one other character even hints at Saturn Girl's involvement, ever. Having her dress up in that "grieving widow's nightgown" in #290, and never leaving Lightning Lad's side for the one and a half issues he suffered from his stress-induced short-circuiting of his brain by his own powers, was apparently just enough to keep her from wearing any metaphorical Scarlet A's.

More on the deteriorating Brin/Ayla relationship, and Levitz's nearly 3-years-long negative portrayal of Brin, as more issues are reviewed.

[caj]

Legion of Super Bloggers review of Legion of Super Heroes #291 - Shadow Lass discovers something familiar with one of the Servants, the Master steals power from Mordru and the Time Trapper, the White Witch makes an appearance, and the team gets a new leader.

http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspo...es-v2-291.html