Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Visionaries of Tomorrow The Origin of ...

I want to second the good word on your great Legion covers as of late!! Also, thanks for designing such a great character like Tellus all those years ago. Nice to see him get the spotlight on Legion Lost. I wish you were drawing the covers for that series as well.

Thirded! I'd go so far as to say, they're probably the best thing about the most recent series to this point!

One of my favorite threads, ever.

R.I.P. Steve.

Thanks, EDE.

He was a treasure, his work an inspiration to all.

Posting here what I wrote on Facebook:
One of the reasons I've largely stopped reading comics is that the modern crop of comic-book artists seem to be ignorant of one of their primary jobs as comic-book artists: to tell a story. All too often when I read a new comic, I have enormous trouble just figuring out what's actually going on in each panel. Every page is so layered with irrelevant detail that the action of the scene is totally buried.
The artists of my youth knew how to tell a story, even when packing unimaginable levels of detail into a frame. Steve Lightle was one of the best of these artists. Every page was a wealth of tiny details, but overall, the action took center stage and there was never any question about what story he was helping Paul Levitz (or Paul Kupperberg or whichever writer he was drawing for) tell. His anatomy was tight, his action was dynamic in the best Kirby tradition, and his creativity was off the charts. In the Legion of Super Heroes, he followed Keith Giffen, who had redefined the visual style of the 30th century setting, finally breaking away from the rockets of the '60s and the Star Trek inspired tech of the '70s. Steve was the perfect follow-up. He took Keith's ball and ran it down field, adding countless visual touches to improve the look of the comic. He also added some of the most memorable new characters in the book's history, including the thoroughly alien telepath and telekinetic Tellus. His run on the book was all too short and I know I'm not the only fan who desperately missed his beautiful clean lines, visual style, and gorgeous Legionnaires after he was gone.
This morning, we got the news that he is now truly gone, another of the victims of the scourge ravaging our land. He died this morning of COVID related heart failure. Although his mainstream comics career did not have one tenth the longevity it deserved, the torrent of tributes from creators and fans today is a testament to the influence and impact he left behind. I was fortunate, in this age of social media, to count him among my Facebook friends, as did many fans. We came to know Steve not just as a great artist, but as a kind, generous, and decent human being. He was deeply appreciative of our praise for his work. I'm glad that we were able to share it directly with him. I'll miss the possibility of ever seeing his graceful pencil on my beloved Legionnaires again, but my heart truly goes out to his beloved family, who are grieving a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather today.

well said, Director Lad. I agree, Steve's art always drew me into the story. Many artists now, I get lost without the speech bubbles.

Great post Director Lad. I like description of his work as 'graceful.' I'd been floundering for a word to describe his tight clean lines, and that's better than anything I came up with.

I also like the mention of how he made his Legionnaires gorgeous. Sexy, yet not sexualized, if that makes sense. It's a fine line to walk, and he did it masterfully.