Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives #5

Sadly, I don't remember Lu ever able to CREATE a duplicate far away. That would be a great augmentation to her power, and combined with her trijitsu skills would make her a very formidable opponent.

Besides, criticizing a story does not necessary detract from one's enjoyment of it. I still do enjoy rereading the COMPUTO story despite how baffled I am at some of the developments.

Adventure #341

A great Colossal Boy cover, and more historically important: the first go-go checks cover!

In my review of the last issue I said the Computo story is pretty epic and it benefits in a major way from being a two-parter. Hamilton / Siegel can both take his time and also add in all the elements needed. In this issue we see just about the whole Legion playing a part as things become more and more dyer, and then even some of their allies and friends show immense bravery when they try to help out (and for some of them, it's some of their best scenes ever, like Proty and Chuck).

But first, whats left of the Legion reacts to the loss of Triplicate Girl and its for this reason I'm thankful this is a 2-parter where we can get that scene. Tenz blames Brainy, and Superboy sticks up for Brainy--after all, now isn't the time to fix the blame, it's time to fix the problem! They give a brief funeral to Luornu, and we get to see Shanghalla for the first time, complete with one of the best panels of the Silver Age which introduces Leeta87, Hateface and all the rest. There's also a great nod to continuity by including Beast Boy.

Btw, I suspect Nimbok of Vaalor's betrayal by a sorcerer somehow ties into Mordru!

Luornu sucks it up, declares herself Duo Damsel and rejoins the fight. Unfortunately for her, she's got 30 years of writers finding her useless still to overcome.

The Weirdo Legionnaire strikes! And he does look quite weird!

After a surprising mini escape, the Legion hides out in the old Batcave of all places. I've always liked this idea a lot, and these panels are chalk full of awesomeness.

With Saturn Girl in peril, it's ironic that Brainy is the one bent on saving her, considering their recent history. Yet his plan...isn't the greatest. Bizarro-Computo?! After a page of slapstick, the real Computo annihilates it!

Enter: Chuck Taine, who as usual shows incredible heroism in trying to save Imra.

Brainy comes up with another plan, and this one also feels like yet another Bizarro-Computo / "Another Omega" type solution. This time though, it works, though it almost backfires. Brainy turns it around though in a way that makes me feel like Hamilton needed another page for the story.

The action ending is satisfying but the last page feels forced--Hamilton needed more space if he was going to show the after effects. He could have done without the Superboy returning to the 20th Century panel.

All in all, this was an epic, awesome yarn!

Bonus House Ad Review: one of my favorite B&B covers, #64, featuring Batman & Eclipso!

Bonus Lettercol Review: Crystal Kid is suggested, and so is "Chemical Kid" though the powers are way off of our pal Condo.

Some random thoughts on Adventure 341.

First issue with Go-Go checks on the cover!
Curt Swan art on both the cover and the story itself!

"C'mon Fellas" Did anyone really talk like that in 1966? Then again, Superboy was, at that time, supposed to be from about 1951. Maybe people did talk like that in 1951.

Tenzil has a big mouth? I never would have guessed.

Ahh, our first look at Shanghalla. Interesting how half the heroes there are shown in the process of dying. I guess Leeta 87 didn't have any surviving family members to insist on a less embarrassing graphic for her memorial. At least Beast Boy got a cool hologram.

La la la, one of my bodies just died. No big deal. (This has got to be one of the weakest scenes in Legion history.)

The Weirdo Legionnaire to the rescue...gotta love it. But I have a question. If Superboy is supplying a voice for Proty II using super-ventriloquism, that means he is the one making Proty say "I still won't win any beauty contests unless I change myself to look like a pretty girl". I wonder if Clark secretly has Krypto making off the cuff remarks to random passersby back in Smallville as well.

I wonder how Dirk knew where the Batcave was. Has he been using it as his own private make out spot all this time?

Bonus: an ad for a Batman/Eclipso meeting in Brave and Bold #64 (one of the better pre-Adams B&Bs, I might add). Also a 2/3 page Super Turtle strip. One of the least commented on, yet defining characteristics of Silver Age DCs was those Henry Boltinoff one-pagers. Great stuff. Ohh, and here's an add announcing the coming of "Go-Go" checks. Hmm, is my copy a second printing then?
Anyway, back to the story...but wait, here is a public service ad for tolerance of people with "something wrong" with them. Hey, I'm not kidding. It's a little one page mini drama about kids teasing another kid for making a strange drawing. Really.

Speaking of strange drawings, we have the spectacular debut of...Bizarro Computo! And here's a footnote from Mort (or maybe Nelson) telling us that this thing in Brainy's hands is the same machine that created a Bizarro-Batman in the March issue of World's Finest. It must have been made of some pretty durable materials to survive a thousand years in a cave full of bats.

Bouncing Boy to the rescue...more evidence that Bridwell had a hand in this one, IMO, although I suppose it could have just as easily been Mort throwing a bone to the "bring back Bouncing Boy" crowd.

"Anti-matter force thing"

Page 15. The big three to the rescue! Is this the first non-splash full pager in a Legion book?

"Rewiring AF 21 coricle into a dyno-dubal-2 outlet did the trick" I'll have to remember that next time I have to deal with an anti-matter force thing.

Gotta love Imra's smirk as she watches Brainy try to be all bossy. Nobody does bossy better than Imra, and she knows it!

An ad for the "New" Wonder Woman, which was really a temporary return to the character's golden age roots, as I recall. And no "Go-Go" checks on the cover of the pictured comic (WW #160). Now I'm sure my copy of Adv 341 is at least a second printing

Bonus question: if Superboy's Smallville adventures are supposed to be taking place about 15 years prior to the publishing date (1966), and if the backup story is a "hall of fame classic" (reprint), why does the car on the splash page and elsewhere look like a '56 DeSoto? At least the plane is a prop job.

I'm still looking for a pair of those X-ray specs on the inside front cover, btw. But I refuse to pay more than the advertised price (plus shipping).

Cobe, we must have been writing our posts at the same time, since yours wasn't up when I started typing (reality kept interrupting me). You caught some good stuff that I missed, too.



I like this.




Well, not quite 30, as first the SW6 series and then the reboot did a good job with her.



I meant to comment on that and it totally slipped my mind (too busy trying to be clever about the X-ray specs, I guess).

Herm, lots of good insight! Love that we both noticed the go-go checks and the B&B cover.

Regarding Luornu, there pretty much what I meant--it was TMK's Legionnaires series, and then the reboot that finally made her ready heights of awesome she always deserved.

IIRC, the shift in Wonder Woman really was a return to her Golden Age roots--because the series actually stars the WW of Earth-2! Only Kanigher would pull something like that, totally ditching the series and starting over. It happened to Wonder Woman all the time, unfortunately.

Also, love the idea of the Batcave becoming Dirk's bachelor pad / seduction palace!

BB, I'm with you on loving the stories for what they are. I do too--for the most part I've enjoyed just about every single issue I've read immensely. Only about 2 or 3 of them were busts for me.

Also, I'm with you on how great they smell. I love that! It's one of my favorite parts of reading old comics.

I try to remember them as I read them. I find memories come back. Feelings come back. Some of these stories and methods of writing are brilliant but I'm almost sure that without those memories, I probably wouldn't appreciate the vast majority of these stories.

Some of us read them for the first time when we were 8, some of us were teens, even in the twenties and later. Some take different approaches to their reads and rereads.

Some review them as if they are reading them for the first time. Some review them with all their mature abilities intact.

As a result of my metagogitating, I realized I was getting "defensive" because my original perceptions and love for the stories, all developed as an 8 year old, were being challenged (you bullies, picking on an 8 year old. )

So, now that I realize why I was becoming defensive, I can enjoy the reviews more for what they are, mature perspectives of books written for 60s era kids and opinions on how each individual might re-write them to make them more.

Yes, as a result of my metacogitating I too realize that I've been re-reading them not as if I am reading them for the first time but as I actually read them the first time, when I was 8. I find memories come back. Feelings come back. Some of these stories and methods of writing are brilliant but I'm almost sure that without those memories, I probably wouldn't appreciate the vast majority of these stories.

After thinking about it I realize that only some like me, first read them when we were 8. Some of us were teens, even in the twenties and later. We all have different memories of how well the stories were written and drawn because of those age differences and different reading habits and skills. We take different approaches to both our reads and our rereads.

Some review them as if they are reading them for the first time. Some review them with all their mature abilities intact.

As a result of my metagogitating, I realized I was getting "defensive" because my original perceptions and love for the stories, all developed as an 8 year old, were being challenged (you bullies, picking on an 8 year old. wink )

So, now that I realize why I was becoming defensive, I can enjoy the reviews more for what they are, mature perspectives of books written for 60s era kids and also opinions on how each individual might re-write them to make them more.

I've read most of these stories several times, first as a kid and then as a 20-something scrounging up back issues wherever I could find them (not an easy task in the pre-CBS days). A few years back I tried an experiment, reading through all of one particular character's appearances and skipping the rest, repeating the process for several Legionnaires before something shiny got my attention

This time through I'm just sorta scanning the books and (sometimes) commenting on whatever happens to catch my eye.

Meanwhile, here it is Wednesday evening and only two people have commented on the second half of the first Computo story! What's with that?

Reading it tonight or tomorrow.

Hm. I'll go against the grain somewhat and say that Part 2 fumbled Part 1's set-up in one aspect that I can't let go. While I liked the bits with Trip's memorial, Shanghalla, Proty and Chuck, I was pretty unimpressed by the method of Computo's defeat. While I generally like the first few attempts to defeat a villain to fail and be things to learn from, this story just makes Brainy seem foolish. Brainy is not only supposed to be the smartest Legionnaire but also one of the most intelligent beings in existence, and his first attempt is a Bizarro Computo?!? And his second, somehow ultimately successful, attempt potentially endangers Earth even more than Computo?!?!

I know some will justify these missteps as happening because Brainy is guilt-ridden over what his creation has wrought, but I don't buy it. Whoever wrote this story made Brainy look really bad. Reckless and, worse, stupid! I'm not saying that Brainy should never make mistakes, but he should never look stupid. Really, with all the dire peril Brainy put the world in with Computo and the anti-matter, it's a wonder he didn't get expelled! The very next story features a Legionnaire getting expelled for much less, imo, so why would Brainy not suffer at least as much or even be brought up on criminal charges?

Utimately, though, my beef isn't with Brainy--it's with the writer(s) who did no favors to his character by writing him so poorly. At the very least, Brainy should have learned from his mistakes, but later writers used this story as a precedent and have him make similar egregious mistakes in the future.

Again, I'm not saying Brainy should be a character without flaws. I love the character and how his emotions sometimes cloud his better judgment. But one thing Brainy should never be....is stupid!

To echo Superboy's line, maybe the world would be better off if Brainy didn't think!

What makes it worse is that when he expelled Star Boy (and I place much of the blame on Brainy who acted as prosecutor), he proved that Star Boy could have stopped Kenz Nuhor without killing him. HELLO! Star Boy was in danger then, it's not like he had all the time in the world to run through all possible scenarios. Unlike YOU, Mr. Big Brain. So what Lardy said, shame on the writers.

Also, why would Brainy release that anti-matter thingie without having a backup plan in mind for stopping it? Was his thinking coulded by his emotions?

This second part does seem to be more written for kids, with the Weirdo Legionnaire, Bizarro Computo, the Batcave and lots of running off madly in all directions.

As an 8 year old, I would have loved that stuff - so it probably accomplished its main purpose, to entertain. There were some good lessons, too: don't accept defeat, keep trying, be brave and try to save your friends. And get out your dictionary, or ask your Mum about words like "palaver".

That must be the first splash page in Legion comics, the Computo army getting annihilated by the anti-matter blast.

Brainy was acting stupidly, or (more kindly) panic clouded his judgment. Also, he's openly admitting that things are out of control. In later stories, he will cover up such situations with a sneer, a "you can't understand" or some other diversion. That may have been his take-away from the Computo disaster.

Lu's return was rather cavalier. Her character could have taken a different turn from here with writers who liked her. Relieved to have at least survived with two bodies, she changes her outlook. Gets some bad-ass martial arts training, has an affair with Superboy which she ends, finds true love with Chuck Taine, gets the Constitution changed so she can remain as a married Legionnaire, has a great Legion career.

I had the EXACT same thought when re-reading but curiously it was not one of the scenes I recalled.

Weirdo Legionnaire was an image I recalled and the other image I recall having had quite an affect on me wasn't even part of the story. It was the public service ad, "The Invisible Handicap." That had been, and honestly I clearly recall this, an "oh wow" moment for me. It explained things to me about kids at school and my across the hall neighbor. How many people were positively influenced by these books! I know these got me interested in reading. Now that I think about it, it was third grade (8 years old) that I started going to the library reading every early American hero (Kit Carson, Calamity Jane...) biography I could find and getting an award at school for those reports. Comic book reports weren't allowed. Shame that, but it did get me to the library.

Interesting. Self-interesting anyhow.

So: the story. I agree totally with Paladin. The writers painted themselves into a corner didn't they? Too tough a villain. What the heck was Batman doing with that contraption? The villain was so tough, Legion couldn't beat Computo strength against strength.

As corny as the characters were, I think the writers were on better track with Weirdo and Bizarro and even Colossol Boy. The only clever way to defeat it was using its strengths (knowledge absorbed) and weaknesses (ego) against itself. IMO, these characters legitimately countered.


"Cavalier" seems the perfect description. At least the others actually mourned, as opposed to what has been depicted so many other times someone important died in battle. This sub-plot led to an impressive list of consequences, not only of Lu's future but of the many posts and fics based upon those Shanghalla characters. Much would have been lost if she actually had been annihilated.

That is a terrific splash page!

I wonder if the resolution to the story (which you'll note a earlier compare to "Another Omega") has to do with the clear confusion of who wrote the thing? There's no reason to make excuses but its interesting to consider what was going on at DC at the time.

Jerry Seigel was leaving the company again, and not on great terms. He'd once again be battling DC in the courts. This, if he was involved, would be his last Legion story. Certain elements are pure Siegel as well: the Bizarro bit (by 1965, he was the only one doing Bizarro stories), the Weirdo Legionnaire, etc.

At the same time, Ed Hamilton was winding down his long tenure at DC. He still had a few more months to go but it may have factored in. Certain elements here are pure Hammy: focus on Brainy, early focus on the Computo plot set up over the Legionnaires themselves.

I wonder who wrote which part, or both? And did Bridwell need to get called in to tweak the dialogue? Did Siegel only have a half-script for part two, which Hamilton had to finish at the last minute, while also backed into a corner? Then Bridwell stepped in?

I really wish we could find out but I don't it. Is Bridwell still alive? Lets pester him!

Bridwell died in 1987, according to the Legion Companion. I checked those early interviews to see if anyone said they worked on the Computo story, but no mention of it.

Bridwell wrote for Mad Magazine and some of the dialogue in this story has a Mad flavour to it, so maybe he had a hand in the writing.

Peeked at the next issue. Talk about your contemporary corollaries and other alliterations! AND! Superboy passes gas: saves the day.

I guess a séance would be the only way to find out, then.

My guess is that Cobie's above theory might be fairly close to the truth. There may have been a Siegel plot/script or partial-plot/script for 341 that Hamilton and/or Bridwell had to finish. In any case the "hipster" dialogue is more restrained here than it was in 340. Maybe 340 was all Siegel after all with Jerry trying to be more "relevant"?

All I can ever summon in seances is the ghost of Nixon.

Adv. 341

In spite of the several flaws mentioned above, the resolution of the Computo story is highly entertaining. It reminds me "The Man from UNCLE" and other '60s spoof-dramas: Horrible things happen, but there's no reason we can't have fun while we're trying to save the world.

A large contributor to the fun, I think, is Curt Swan. There's no denying that his art is good to look at: elegant, imaginative, and kinetic. Look at how graceful Ultra Boy flies (in the full page spread on p. 15) or the different facial expressions of grief for Superboy, Mon-El and Light Lass (page 3). Look at the mushroom-shaped cutout of the building frame the Legionnaires hide behind on page 14. This is a 30th century that actually still looks futuristic. Or course, the two most important panels--on Shanghalla and the full-page spread--have already been mentioned.

Others have also commented on the story's various strengths, including the two-part structure, the character bits, Lu's funeral and triumphant return, and Chuck's heroic cameo. All of these things left an indelible impression on me as a young child, and it's good to see they still hold up on re-read. I might be letting my own memories influence my reaction to the story a bit, but even the Weirdo Legionnaire scene is both fun and serves a purpose (though Star Boy and Sun Boy don't really do anything after being rescued; any Legionnaire could have known the location of the Batcave).

I agree with Paladin that Brainy looks stupid. However, his decision to create a Bizarro Computo makes slightly more sense after reading # 329. The Bizarro Legion did give the Legionnaires a run for their money and create a lot of havoc, so, lacking many other options, Brainy may have thought a Bizarro Computo too much for the thoroughly logical real thing to handle.

I'm on the fence about Brainy using slang, however. In some ways, it doesn't fit his personality--at least as we've come to know him over the last five decades. But it's useful for me to remember he was still a teen at this point and still trying to fit in with other teenagers as well as being a super-hero. So, I can forgive him for the "clean up the computer army" faux pas. Besides, this careless use of language created the most hilarious scene in the comic--at least my nine-year-old self thought so.

Superboy knowing hip lingo seems somewhat less easy to justify. As others have pointed out, he's from about 1951 at the time of this story, so he should not be well versed in the slang used by the Weirdo Legionnaire.

The biggest failing for me is the rushed ending. I agree that the panel of Superboy returning to his own time was unnecessary--we were told several pages earlier that he forgets everything he learns about his future when returns to the past. And the last panel is anti-climactic. The Legionnaires have just gone through a hell created by one of their own and all they have show for it is a knowing smile? This abrupt ending left me wondering what had happened even when I was nine.

It's a thought balloon.







Ah, that's what's missing from my Showcase Presents reprint. The asterisk is there, but not the footnote.

The reprint in LSH, v. 1, # 4 omits both the asterisk and the footnote. However, part of the panel had to be redrawn to replace the missing footnote: Superboy was given a hand in Showcase Presents, but not in v. 1; his cape hangs differently in both reprints.

What bothers me about that scene is that, at the bottom of Page 16, Brainy is saying "We're doomed!" One panel later, he's figured it all out. Brainy: the manic-depressive drama queen!

Maybe Brainy just wanted some attention.