The Legion were squatters. The title originally belonged to Superboy, with the first issue about "the adventures of Superman as a boy" being published in 1949.
But in the '70s, the Legion started appearing as a back-up feature in Superboy's comic. The team was so popular, it eventually earned co-starring rights, and the comic became Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. In 1980, the Legion bounced Superboy out of the title completely, and three years later, the comic celebrated this milestone.
And what a treat this issue was for long-time fans. The story by Paul Levitz has the team trying to help a mysterious figure who is somehow in touch with alternate realities. That provides a great excuse for a series of short stories that offer a look into a different version of the Legion - each one drawn by an artist with past connections to the adventures of the Legion.
And what a line-up! The framing sequence was by then-current artist Keith Giffen, and the features included Kurt Schaffenberger, Howard Bender, Frank Giacoia, Curt Swan, Dan Adkins, Dave Cockrum, James Sherman, Joe Staton and Dick Giordano (not to mention the army of artists who worked together on the cover).
As a long-time fan, it was wonderful to see those artists back on the Legion - it really made this issue special - and since we've sadly lost several of those artists, this may have been their last take on the team.
The story itself is just OK, but the art is the gold in this anniversary issue.
Grade: A-
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1 comment:
I still remember the day my subscription copy came in the mail, and the glorious afternoon I spent poring over every page.
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