George Perez has been busy working on a number of commissions for fans, featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes. Here are a few of them, featuring the women from the future.
Saturn Girl.
Phantom Girl.
Dawnstar.
. I've always thought that this cover was one of the best for the Legion or any group of super-heroes. It made great use of the wraparound spread to showcase the team fighting an army determined to get them. Saturn Girl's rockette-style kick isn't bad either.
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.
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.
If you are a Legion fan, no doubt you already have this book called Legion of Super-Heroes: 1050 Years of the Future
This pin-up by Steve Lightle is a great representation of the mid-80s era of the Legion. You've got a character that Lightle co-created, Quislet, front and center. But you've also got Timber Wolf, Light Lass, Mon-El, and my favorite Legionnaire, Dawnstar.
Now I had to really think about where this piece first appeared. I searched through all my Legion back issues and came up with nada. But the answer was on the table of contents in the Legion book.
Steve Lightle's illustration was a part of the 1986 History of the DC Universe portfolio. This portfolio was published to co-incide with the History of the DC Universe prestige series by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. It also celebrated the birth a new DC Universe...one that would actually destroy the Legion team that I loved. Thanks to Geoff Johns, all that evil has been undone. Nuff Said!
A post we featured last week focused on Neal Adams Superman 252 "Flying Heroes" cover. This cover to a Legion of Super-Heroes collection (1050 Years in the Future) is a spiritual successor to that earlier one.
Superboy, leading his friends off into an intergalactic horizon. But wait, what era is this Legion from? Saturn Girl is wearing her 1970s costume; this isn't a recent drawing. Like the Superman cover, we can view this in a different form.
The Legion hardcover image was photo shopped from the DC Calendar 1976, where many of the images were produced by Adams and Dick Giordano. The original is much more pleasing and there are many more Legionnaires in their Dave Cockrum designed costumes. Too bad Neal Adams never drew a full length Legion story. Nuff Said!
Continuing on my Legion of Super-Heroes binge (there won't be a purge, don't worry), here is a great illustration by Francis Manapul...
Superboy and the founding Legion members (Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy) flying in space. I love how the Legion Ring shines on Superboy's hand. Nuff Said!
Link: Francis Manapul's Homepage.
The new Legion of Super-Heroes series has been a lot of fun, especially for the old geeks who read Paul Levitz' original run. I've been collecting all the variant covers by Jim Lee. Each cover spotlights a different character from a specific era of the Legion.
Legion of Super-Heroes #2 featured Superboy and Krypto during the 1950s era. It didn't occur to me that the Legion was older than myself, but they first premiered in a 1958 issue of Adventure Comics, #247. The inverted spaceship that was the Legion's first headquarters is a riot. The boy of steel appears to be having the adventure of a lifetime.
Issue #3 has the 1960's era, with Chameleon Boy shifting into the guise of Validus. I'm not a total Legion expert. At first glance I thought this was an 80s cover, but Jim Lee twittered on July 29th:
Had Superboy for 50s cvr, Chameleon Boy for 60s, Saturn Girl for 70s. Just did Mon-el in his "5 years later" Giffen costume for 90s
Now I am well acquainted with this groovy 70s era cover for issue #1! Saturn Chick in this go-go swimsuit costume (love the planet ring buckle on her belly) was totally outasite. One of my favorite costumes for any super gal ever created, designed by Dave Cockrum. Why did it ever go away?
The spaceship, which Cockrum also designed, was a nod to the starship Enterprise.
The second printing cover was a sketch/pencil drawing of the ultra cool Saturn Girl. The one thing I dislike about the new series is Saturn Girl's current look with the short hair. That's just repulsive. Imra's hair should be longer and luxurious. Can we have the 70s Saturn Girl back?
Jim Lee has been asking for input on the 80s themed cover. It has to be Dawnstar, don't you agree? Nuff Said!
