Recently in Legion of Super-Heroes Category

In 1983, Keith Giffen took on a daunting poster for DC Comics.  One that featured nearly every character (heroes, villains, substitutes) that had appeared in the Legion's entire history.  The picture above is only one-third of the entire image, taken from the right-hand side!  I cropped it to this side to show my favorite Legionnaires: Dawnstar, Wildfire, Star Boy, Karate Kid, Mon-El, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Colossal Boy.

Here's the full poster, you can click on it to view the scan.  I remember buying this and pouring over the voluminous cast of characters.  It could have been blown up and used as wallpaper in order to see all the characters better.

Keith Giffen blew a gasket on this poster, as he said in an interview with Jon B. Cooke (for Jack Kirby Collector #29):  "What happened was I did this Legion poster, characters all over the place. And in drawing that Legion poster I totally burned myself out on the book. After the poster I just had to walk away."

Giffen's last regular Legion issue (as penciler) with co-creator Paul Levitz was in the Baxter Legion of Super-Heroes #2.  He would return to guide the Legion in their infamous "five year later" reboot.  Nuff said.

Here's a terrific Legion pinup by the Wildstorm crew on their Gelatometti blog.

This was a gift to departing publisher Paul Levitz.  The sign says "Welcome Home" as he is returning to writing the Legion in Adventure Comics.

This drawing brings back memories of the Levitz-Lightle Legion era, with Sensor Girl, Kismet, and Tellus featured prominently on top.  A great way to celebrate Levitz returning to these characters!  Nuff said.

If you're a Legion of Super-Heroes or George Perez fan, you've probably devoured Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #5 by now.

All in all, this mini-series was a super duper roller-coaster ride, a true gift for Legion fans who waited decades to see the classic versions of these characters return.  It had more resurrections than Resurrection Man, a good one (Kid Flash) and a clumsy one (Superboy).

You can understand why the last issue of this series was delayed.  It's packed with to wall to wall action and tons of characters.  The double page spread, shown above, of Legionnaires from alternate universes banding together to fight Time Trapper (an older version of Superboy Prime) was spectacular.  I can only name about 70% of the characters.  My favorite is Saturn Girl on the lower right, in her swinging 1970s swimsuit.

There were more endings in this final issue than in Peter Jackson's Return of the King.  Here are some of those and other great moments that I liked.  Spoilers after the break...

In the 1990s, Alan Davis did a series of covers for DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes series.  Davis captured the youth and high spirited nature of these characters in a way that perfectly fit them.  I thought I read in an interview that Davis did these covers in part because his inker, Mark Farmer, was a big Legion fan?

I saved a number of these Legion covers from various previews (was it DC Online at AOL?) sans any cover logos.

During this mid-1990s storyline, the Legion were divided.  One half was marooned on present day Earth, the other remained in the future.  The cover to issue #85 showed that the team was about to encounter Metropolis' most famous resident.  This version of Superman had little connection to the Legion--something that Geoff Johns has rectified lately.

The Metal Men guest starred in issue 95.  I love the look on Tin's face as Brainiac 5 gets ready for a closer look at his responsometer.

Deadman appeared in issue 87, to help rescue Phantom Girl from Limbo.

Looking back at these covers, I'm noticing how often Light Lass is featured prominently.  This issue resolved a love triangle between Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Light Lass.  Of course, they had to fight over a man,.  Never mess with Saturn Girl!

Ferro Lad in this incarnation of the Legion was quite cute.  Issue 94 was about his crush on another team member.  I think this issue was published in February, given all the hearts.

This wonderful double page spread to LSH #100 shows the separate Legion teams being re-united when the "back to the past" storyline came to a conclusion.

This cover shows the Legion flying off into the sunset, carrying the Legion flag.  The founding members Cosmic Boy, Lighting Lad, and Saturn Girl are show front and center.

You can see a few more Legion covers here on Flickr.  Nuff said.

I knew this was coming ever since the Lightning Saga ended.  C'mon, Geoff Johns wasn't going to let Bart Allen die!

Besides being back from the dead, notice that he's a youthful Kid Flash, once again.  Goodbye instant adulthood!

Thank you, Geoff Johns, for rectifying that awful mistake, which I blame totally on Dan Didio.  Nuff said.