Scan barcode
mschlat's review
3.0
Just did a re-read to see if Mon-El was a Daxamite from the beginning (blame the Supergirl TV show for that...).
Given how continuity focused Legion fans can be, it's fun to see how haphazard the stories are in the very beginning, even to the point of messing up which century the Legion exists in. On the other hand, it's fascinating to see the regular appearance of let's-humiliate-Superboy-and-Supergirl stories (they're always redeemed in the end, but the middle it can be rough).
Given how continuity focused Legion fans can be, it's fun to see how haphazard the stories are in the very beginning, even to the point of messing up which century the Legion exists in. On the other hand, it's fascinating to see the regular appearance of let's-humiliate-Superboy-and-Supergirl stories (they're always redeemed in the end, but the middle it can be rough).
manwithanagenda's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My neighbor growing up, his dad collected the DC Archives, hardbound editions collecting gold and silver age comic books. They were of phenomenal quality, and introduced me to the deeper history of Superman, Batman and The Flash, among others. A blast from the past!
I loved those books, I was allowed to borrow one at a time and devoured everything he had. My favorites though, were 'The Legion of Super Heroes', teens from the distant future (there was some confusion about their being 100 or 1000 years ahead) who had formed a super-hero club in honor of Superboy.
Since they were a 'Superboy' spin-off, they were rather silly at first, but these proto-typical X-Men struck a cord with me. By the end of this volume, the Legion is only beginning to gel into the story-telling dynamo it became, but it was a pleasure to be re-introduced to Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and the rest (even Bouncing Boy).
These books can get crazy-expensive, so I don't know when I'll get to the next volumes, but I'll keep my eyes open.
Legion of Super Heroes
Next: 'Volume 2'
I loved those books, I was allowed to borrow one at a time and devoured everything he had. My favorites though, were 'The Legion of Super Heroes', teens from the distant future (there was some confusion about their being 100 or 1000 years ahead) who had formed a super-hero club in honor of Superboy.
Since they were a 'Superboy' spin-off, they were rather silly at first, but these proto-typical X-Men struck a cord with me. By the end of this volume, the Legion is only beginning to gel into the story-telling dynamo it became, but it was a pleasure to be re-introduced to Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and the rest (even Bouncing Boy).
These books can get crazy-expensive, so I don't know when I'll get to the next volumes, but I'll keep my eyes open.
Legion of Super Heroes
Next: 'Volume 2'
nickpalmieri's review
4.0
First off: Like all the Archives books, this book is beautiful. Really nice hardcover and classy stamping under the dustjacket, with archival paper, sewn binding, "remastered" art/coloring- this thing is NICE.
While some stories here are better than others, all of them are entertaining and provide a great experience when read together. Each one is a dense little 12-page nugget, providing great insight on story structure- even as modern stories, and particularly comics, get more and more decompressed.
The first two-thirds of the stories are guest-appearances by the Legion, primarily in Superboy and Supergirl. These stories are either: one Legion member goes back in time to visit; a few Legion members go back in time to visit; or, much less common but much more fun, Superboy and/or Supergirl goes into the future to adventure with the Legion. A few stories include the Legion only briefly, but I'm happy they're here for the sake of completeness. Also worth noting is that some stories include little details that are changed/contradicted later, but even so it's interesting to watch the development of the concept. While some it can be formulaic and/or convoluted, there is some fun stuff in the first two-thirds of the book.
But the series hits its stride in the last third of this book, starting when the Legion gets its own dedicated stories. I'm amazed at the imagination on display here, and at how much STUFF happens! There are new "futuristic devices" galore, inventive superpowers and schemes, and completely off-the-wall plots- and the art gets equally as inventive, as dictated by the story. You never know what's going to happen from one panel to the next, in the most delightfully absurd way, but it all comes around by the end of the 12-pages.
Because these are old stories, don't expect the characters to have distinct voices. But, what the book lacks in characterization, it makes up for tenfold in plot, imagination, and FUN! I really enjoyed these, both as a look into a different era and in their own right. I'll definitely be reading more of these books. Highly recommended.
While some stories here are better than others, all of them are entertaining and provide a great experience when read together. Each one is a dense little 12-page nugget, providing great insight on story structure- even as modern stories, and particularly comics, get more and more decompressed.
The first two-thirds of the stories are guest-appearances by the Legion, primarily in Superboy and Supergirl. These stories are either: one Legion member goes back in time to visit; a few Legion members go back in time to visit; or, much less common but much more fun, Superboy and/or Supergirl goes into the future to adventure with the Legion. A few stories include the Legion only briefly, but I'm happy they're here for the sake of completeness. Also worth noting is that some stories include little details that are changed/contradicted later, but even so it's interesting to watch the development of the concept. While some it can be formulaic and/or convoluted, there is some fun stuff in the first two-thirds of the book.
But the series hits its stride in the last third of this book, starting when the Legion gets its own dedicated stories. I'm amazed at the imagination on display here, and at how much STUFF happens! There are new "futuristic devices" galore, inventive superpowers and schemes, and completely off-the-wall plots- and the art gets equally as inventive, as dictated by the story. You never know what's going to happen from one panel to the next, in the most delightfully absurd way, but it all comes around by the end of the 12-pages.
Because these are old stories, don't expect the characters to have distinct voices. But, what the book lacks in characterization, it makes up for tenfold in plot, imagination, and FUN! I really enjoyed these, both as a look into a different era and in their own right. I'll definitely be reading more of these books. Highly recommended.
More...