Steven Howell Wilson's Blog, page 19

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Five Legion Orphans” (Adventure Comics #356, May, 1967)

So, looking at the cover of this issue, you get that feeling you’ve been here before—not that long ago, either. Several Legionnaires were turned into babies by the Time Trapper back in Adventure #338. That wasn’t really an experience worth repeating, either, but Nelson Bridwell, filling in for Jim Shooter for the third time seven issues, obviously saw un-mined potential in the idea. It’s a different group of Legionnaires getting babified this, with just Element Lad taking a return trip to Toy...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Six-Legged Legionnaire” (Adventure Comics #355, April, 1967)

Rounding out an issue left short by an abrupt end to the Adult Legion saga, Otto Binder contributes his last Legion story, bringing one of his favorite characters, Lana Lang, to the clubhouse to apply for membership.

In 20th-Century Smallville, Lana catches Superboy changing clothes in a phone booth, but resists the urge to learn his secret identity, giving him his privacy instead. She knows that, if his identity were revealed, he’d have to give it up, and that would be sad. It seemingly does...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read -“War of the Legions” (Adventure Comics #355, April, 1967)

This 12-page adventure is not so much a continuation of “The Adult Legion” as a sequel. It is teased at the end of the previous issue’s full-length story, with the reveal that Ferro Man was under the control of the Legion of Super-Villains, but it feels fairly disconnected otherwise. Superman leaves right at the beginning, to return to the 20th Century, and Timber Wolf has just vanished between issues.

The reduction in force was necessary to match the LSH and LSV person for person, so that th...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read: “The Adult Legion!” (Adventure Comics #354, March, 1967)

This is one of my all-time favorite Legion adventures, despite the fact that it tells the tale of a much-depleted membership, and, apparently, that it was forced on young Jim Shooter by his crusty old editor, Mort Weisinger. Shooter nonetheless did the idea proud, taking the Legion credibly forward, and, along the way, creating two new permanent Legionnaires (never mind that they were doomed to die someday), as well as the Wanderers and a mystery named Reflecto.

It’s a gripping cover, isn’t i...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Doomed Legionnaire!” (Adventure Comics #353, )

SPOILERS!

Yeah, Ferro Lad’s been dead almost as long as I’ve been alive, so I don’t think I’m blowing any secrets here. The last time a Legionnaire died, there was no fanfare, no announcement on the cover, and almost no emotion shown. Of course, Lightning Lad came back not long after his “death.” But Ferro Lad stayed dead. (Yes, he returned as a ghost, as his twin brother, as a clone (twice!) and as a character in a reboot Legion. But this Andrew Nolan died in Adventure 353, and is still dead...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Fatal Five!” (Adventure Comics #352, January, 1967)

This is Jim Shooter’s most famous Legion story—well, the first part of it anyway. It introduces the greatest threat the team ever faced, and also, arguably, a team of their most memorable villains. While I’m actually a big fan of the Legion of Super-Villains, let’s face it, they’re five copycats and a bunch of Legion rejects. Lightning Lord and Nemesis Kid are their only real contenders, and that’s because of their ties back to the Legion itself.

The Fatal Five, on the other hand, are their o...

The Colonel’s Plan – The Blue Bathroom – Part 7

September 26, 2017

Dear Daddy–

The shower stall is now almost completely tiled. Shopping for waterproofing compound, I found this amazing product called SimpleMat. It’s basically a giant roll of double-sided tape. You stick it on the surface to be tiled, peel off the backing paper, and press the tile into it. No mixing adhesive, no glue all over your fingers, shoes, floor and tile, no cleanup, and no waiting for the mortar to cure before you grout.

Of course, with my work-time largely cut up...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Forgotten Legion!” (Adventure Comics #351, December, 1966)

BASTARD PEOPLE ALERT! This issue contains possibly the worst bastard people moment in Legion history. I’m talking about this panel, wherein Invisible Kid socks Ultra Boy in the jaw (knowing he’s not currently invulnerable) for disobeying an order. And, seriously, there’s no excuse for this. I know it was the 1960s, and punching each other in the face was just something boys did. Kids. Sheesh. But no, this is not okay in any time or context. The Legion is not the British Navy. It’s a futurist...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Outcast Super-Heroes!” (Adventure Comics #350, November, 1966)

This may be the first issue of Legion’s Adventure run that I ever bought. And no, I did not buy it new, being only a year old when it was published. I bought it sometime around 1976/77 at the Antique Underground in Prince George’s Plaza. I was amazed to get it as cheaply as I did—probably for either a quarter or fifty cents. It was a well-read, clearly loved issue.

Nelson Bridwell, now about two years into his career writing DC super-hero comics, tackles his first Legion story, which is quite...

Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Read – “The Rogue Legionnaire” (Adventure Comics #349, October, 1966)

Still drawing his own layouts, finished by Curt Swan and George Klein this time, Jim Shooter created an enduring Legion villain, Universo, and an important supporting character, Rond Vidar. (Although, surprisingly, Rond is not named in this story. He’s just, “The kid who invented the time cube.”)

Like the Dr. Regulus story last issue, this story opens more traditionally than Shooter’s “One of Us Is a Traitor,” with the Legionnaires visiting a science fair. It then uses the same device used la...