Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives Vol. 10 (DAVE EFFING COCKRUM)

Superboy #195

This introduction of Wildfire is a classic DC story, and perhaps most classic of the whole era of LSH. And with good reason too: not only does it introduce a dynamic new character but it's beautiful to behold and is very well written from start to finish. Very much in the Superman mold of the last decade but with Dave's art giving it a modern feel.

I personally love Wildfire. He's long been one of my favorite Legionnaires and I would go one step further and say he's my favorite Legionnaire outright. The reasoning is extensive and fairly obvious--being the same as many Wildfire fans. In addition to that, I think Wildfire was desperately needed for a new era of the LSH. Along with the new costumes and changing roster, he gave an injection of something new and exciting going on. It was his look, definitely his attitude, and something all around explosive about him (literally and figuratively) that give the series a new jolt.

As I can't help but keep saying, the art is amazing. It's the last panel in particular, with the deflated costume, that stands out. By itself ifs straight up cover worthy. Gorgeous and heartbreaking.

We get more new costumes and they space-rawk. Dave gives a tweak to Gim by giving him headgear and it's a huge move forward for the character's look. Now he looks handsome and heroic, rather than just another one of the guys.

I also like the group of Legionnaires used. We get a rare Condo appearance. Tinya also comes off well. While no one Legionnaire does all that much, none are used poorly. Bates is definitely getting better at both using the Legion and the space he's being provided.

Welcome back, Cobie.

You seem to like this story more than the rest of us did. I didn't think Luornu came off well at all, falling right into a trap set by one of the rulers, and then failing to stop the detonator from going off. If it wasn't for Chameleon Boy, they'd all be space-dust.

But, yeah, those new costumes and Cockrum's art overall are great.

Now here, I am 100% in agreement with you, Cobie.

These two reviews sum up Superboy #197 well, both its high points and flaws. The main takeaway for me is this was just a helluva fun story to read! It was exciting and felt fresh and fun. For the first story where the Legion shares the headline and gets more than a backup, it's more than worthy to reintroduce readers as to why the franchise is so strong. There's certainly a lot of room for improvement, and thad wouldn't take long to get.

Thanks, Cobie.

Yeah, Cockrum and Bates were firing on all cylinders around 197-198.

It's good to be back!

With Luornu being trapped, I don't mind it because I think the literary technique Bates employs there is well used: the King who appears friendly snares her with a trap while the King who appears threatening ends up being more diplomatic. It's simple and straight-forward but it makes the middle part of the story stand out.

I liked the implication that this was a very dangerous mission that is asking a whole hell of a lot from the two Legionnaires and Luornu appears undaunted by it. She's a veteran and she knows she's more than capable. (Admittingly, that's my own interpretation).

Meanwhile, cheers to our agreement on Wildfire!

Cheers, Cobie!

SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 200

I have mixed feelings about this anniversary issue.

On one hand, it's a feast for the eyes, with the main course being that beautiful wedding scene splash (which occupied one horizontal page in the original comic, but in the Archive takes up two whole pages -- wonderful!) Plus, Preboot Luornu has never looked prettier or been more likable than the she is here. And it's always a pleasure to see Chuck get a substantial amount of panels.

On the other hand, it's something of a cop-out on Bates' part that the rescue party consists of only FOUR Legionnaires (and four of the biggest panel-hogs to boot: Superboy, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Brainiac 5), when there's a whole mob of people that could take on Starfinger. Cockrum himself points this out in his introduction to the Archive, though far more politely than I. Also, Luornu ends up very much the damsel in distress, and Chuck gets to do nothing to help rescue her.

Superboy #200

Another comic book wedding, another dastardly villain plot. No wonder Titans #50 was such a relief (although they blew it later with Kory and Grayson). People are supposed to splash out at weddings, but we get the same scene for both splash and cover. A third time too as the event actually happens inside. At least the villain has the courtesy to wait until the couple are wed. I don’t care if he has a harrowing backstory, an impolite villain has little empathy.

But why a wedding? In the Legionverse we’ve already had plenty of huge hints that such an act means it’s the end of active membership. It looks like the creative team just felt that a changing of the guard was needed. In were Wildfire and out were the ones with slightly less obvious powers. Both Lu and Chuck had “I’m the weakest Legionnaire” subplots to overcome.

But it’s not terribly done. The loss of powers is decently handled with sadness as well as hope for the couple. Brainy is involved throughout, in a nice show of his nicer personality. He shows real sadness in consoling Chuck while he also reassures Lu over her future. In fact, Brainy even had to remind Chuck when his beloved’s shuttle was getting in. Dox certainly looks out for them.

He loses a lot of points later for his “Bouncing Boy’s forgotten he’s a civilian now” line. His angry determination to get Luornu back suggests he’s more than just looking out for her. It's not a reaction I'd expect from Brainy. It's not a reaction I'd expect from Chuck either, so it's an odd bit of characterisation.


It’s interesting that the first super save Lu sees after hearing about Chuck’s powerlessness is from Superboy, who she pined after for ages. Here, her love is only for Chuck and she’s more concerned about the Eaglox birds (noted as being the only two of their kind, just like or starring couple) and her duty than Superboy.

A natural time limit for power loss has been toyed with in a few titles. People like Chuck, who drank their powers could be expected to have those powers wear off. Well, if you are following the same logic that prevents their origins killing them outright anyway. But the Justice League told us that glands were responsible for powers at one point.

Cockrum captures the splendour of a bright future superbly. The graceful parks are matched by the spires of the sparkling buildings. Of course, all this wonder comes with a price. It’s not long before someone is wheeling out an Orwellian mind tampering device. This time it’s Brainy trying to get to the bottom of why Luornu can’t split.

Lu’s reason for not knowing where her other half is not only a bit weak, but makes her look a bit flaky. Which is a shame. I like a more together (pun intended) version of Lu as opposed to an indiscreet one whose multiple personalities cheated on Chuck in the TMK run. Perhaps they looked at this issue, and saw that one personality was quite willing to shut out the actions/ fate of the other. Much like her Lelith side from earlier.

As the Legion depart for the wedding on Mars, we find out who the villain is. It’s a disembodied blob of energy. The villain can only be… Wildfire! Um… wait. What happened to Starfinger last time?

It’s a nice touch having another couple stay behind in Mon and Shady, but it’s a shame they couldn’t get into that to lovely Cockrum wedding page. There are lots of couples looking on, no doubt wondering if they will be next. Getting hitched was a big Legion preoccupation. No wonder they needed Marla around.

Although not looking a couple at this early stage, Ayla and Salu are side by side. Both looking at their dates and wondering what was missing.

There’s also a John Carter crossover and the confirmation of J’Onn J’Onzz has survived 1000 years. I also like to think that Lyle is talking about some odd physics effects with Quantum Queen ahead of his final issue. I read in the Legion Companion that it was the inability of DC to return the art for that page that caused Cockrum to quit.

Starfinger’s plan touches that over-elaborate boundary we’ve seen in recent issues. Here it’s: Wait for Duo Damsel Mission: Wait for her to separate; release poisonous gas cloud; get her to enter it; summon teleporting space dragon; kidnap one version; count on the other blocking out the memory of it etc.
Rather than just kidnap anyone from Luronu’s home planet, Starfinger risks confrontation with the Legion. There’s a moment that I thought the new Starfinger was going to turn on the old one in a case of Clone Wars. But it’s only Supes in disguise.

We get confirmation that the Legion is powering up in the last few panels. Mon El and Shady (two powerful characters shown as such here) looking to re-enlist Superboy while Subplot Lad floats nearby. But characters like Lu and Chuck show there’s much more to a superhero title than simply power. Big battles come and go, but love, friendship and courage are timeless.

A downside is that we don’t see Chuck and Lu reunited. Once he’s a “civilian” that’s it for Chuck in this issue. Written out of his own farewell issue, and not involved in the rescue. We also don’t get to see the couple leave the club they have been a part of for so long.

I think this was a fairly late purchase for me. Probably due to it being a bit more expensive as a 200th issue. I had certainly seen the wedding page years before I got the actual issue.

An actual criticism of TMK, from someone other than myself. Now my day is complete!

Sorry Fickles. It's just conjecture about where their interpretation might have originated. I may not be fond of that portrayal of the character but, if it's a logical extension of the character as seen here and as Lelith, I can't really criticise their choice. Don't worry, there's always tomorrow or the day after. It's gonna happen someday as someone, somewhere said.

Someone, somewhere, oh, yeah...

I thought I remembered who but now... it's never seemed so far away

I won't lose faith.

What an excellent idea! It could even have been a sequel to "Half a Legionnaire" in the Action run so that Lu's coming to terms with herself could come full circle. I wish Bates had thought of this.

Superboy and the LSH #198

Still catching up, I was delighted today to get to #198 which was utterly fantastic. A full length story at last, this was clearly the best Legion story in ages, and on par with the best of the Silver Age. I've always liked this story but reading it as we have--in order from Adv #247 to the present--I never realized how thirsty I've been for a great Legion story, which this issue provides.

As I gear up to go back and read the comments on this thread I'm sure a lot of the details and nuance will be discussed. But for me it comes down to a story where: the art is superb and dynamic; the narrative structure and pacing is perfect in three parts; the characters all shine (heroes and villains both) and the threat is original and well executed, then well resolved. You can't ask for more than that!

Bates usage of a limited number of Legionnaires works better here than in any of his other stories, and he manages them to excellent effect. Cham has one of his most brilliant reveals, while the sequences with Superboy and the Legionnaires in the future do a great job establishing the scope of the LSH.

The Fatal 5 also come off very well here. Cockrum's style combined with their already unique looks makes for a great story to look at.

All in all, this was a terrific issue. Even the dialogue was tight, and individual panels where a wonder to behold.

Clearly, by S&LSH #198, the Legion was "back".

Particularly with Luornu's wedding approaching, it would have been a great moment to bring closure to this period of her life before the next begins.

Very well said, Cobie.

#200

I also have mixed feelings about this one for the same reasons both Fanfie and thoth articulated: It's wonderfully drawn, and imaginatively renders the 30th century. The plot is fast-paced but expansive, allowing us to become emotionally involved with the characters. Chuck and Lu both come off as likeable and sympathetic.

Yet the plot also relies too much on convenience and surprise. There's no logical reason for Superboy to zip back to earth, steal a Starfinger costume, and return to pull off his deception. There's also no reason for him to appear before the Legionnaires as Starfinger, except to give Cos something to do and provide a nice reveal (though not as effective as Cham's reveal two issues earlier).

More convenience: The emergency Lu deals with just happens to require her to split in two--which she cannot do--to save the birds. Superboy arrives at just the right moment to save the birds. (Bad things only happened when he came to visit. Hmm.) And, of course Starfinger's entire scheme would be much easier to pull off if he had simply kidnapped--or hired--a random Carggite.

(In fact, one of my few forays into fanfic sprung from the idea that he had experimented on someone from Cargg before Lu. It's still available here.)

Still, these conveniences are minor annoyances for the most part. The story builds to a tense decision: the Legionnaires must turn the bridal Lu over to Starfinger or both Lu's will die. As in any hostage situation, the Legion is utterly powerless.

Yet they prevail--or, rather, Superboy does. It's still his mag, and he seems to assert himself by pulling off the big rescue with minimal involvement from his teammates. Why do we need 50-odd heroes in a wedding party to stomp on ol' Starfinger when Superboy can do it himself, showing how clever and fast he is?

I much preferred the resolutions of the last two issues, which were brought about because the Legionnaires acted like a team.

The biggest disappointment for me is that Chuck gets to do absolutely squat. He even drops out of the story entirely after being built up to be our "hero" at the beginning. The Chuck of Chapters One and Two is decisive and positive. He turns the worst day of his life into the best. But then he becomes a panicky, irrational groom who has to be put down with Brainy's equivalent of the Vulcan nerve pinch. Chuck doesn't even rate a cameo of being reunited with his bride.

The message: If you're non-powered, you're a non-entity. Thoth is right: The Legion is about more than powers; it's about friendship, holding up under pressure, and using one's wits. These elements are casually discarded so Superboy can look good.

Ironically, Superboy's grandstanding backfires as the villain gets away, much like the Persuader and Emerald Empress did two issues ago. This time, Dr. Lars is unconscious, so his escape makes the Legion look especially weak.

(Speaking of Vulcans, did everyone catch the Page 5 walk-on, which shows Martians aren't the only long-lived species?)

I did, however, enjoy the Wildfire subplot. This rare Marvel-type cliffhanger makes one want to come back next issue. (When I first read this issue, I couldn't wait for 201; I started to write and draw my own version!) Drake's dialogue is brilliantly ambiguous; you can't tell if he's a villain or something else. Yet reading these scenes in the context of 195 makes them all the more rich.

Amen to all of the above, He Who.

And I will read your story later today and comment accordingly.

and the cover sucked.


Still, glad I got the issue. The things that matter in the long run are there. Well, except for the whole art controversy. That puts a bad taste in the mouth.

Still catching up, but I have to say I'm loving the commentary on #198 a few pages back, most of which is entirely positive. I'm curious as to how many people always held this issue in such high esteem? I admit I didnt. I liked it since I first read it when I was collecting back issues and reading them all out of order, but it wasn't until this reread that I've truly appreciated it.

Moments like that for me make these rereads totally worth it.

I'll raise my hand as one who has always held 198 in high esteem. A number of panels, such as Jan and Brainy jumping out of the way of the Persuader's axe became instant favorites.

In fact, I included that panel, among others, in my tribute to Cockrum on my blog.

Cobie, part of the appeal of 198 for me is that Sarya comes off like a total badass on the level of the best Fatal Five stories. Also, Bates turned in one of his tighest, most plausible (by comic book standards), and most suspenseful scripts. And Cockrum seems to be having a ball drawing the story.

Like Cobie, I would have read these out of order when I first got them. Quite a lot of time would pass before I filled in some of the gaps of this era. I'd get batches of Adventure or later issues. So, I would be able to read those in some sort of context usually.

However, Cockrum issues were generally picked up in ones and twos. This issued of this decade were generally much cheaper to get. Adventure would come in protective backing boards with crisp issues. '70s issues would often only have little baggies.

I must have read most of them in more of a sequence at some point later, but this thread is probably getting me to take a closer look than usual.

If I'm honest my heart sank a little when I opened 198. I had a feeling the whole book would be some hokey fight against the five at the carnival. The gorilla didn't help. It was a pleasant feeling to see that being just part of a now book length tale. That extra length really helped, not to mention more Cockrum art. So, I've clearly not done enough re reads to remember every plot

Reading things out of order will also have affected my general impression of Cockrum. Having started reading the Legion later, I was used to seeing exotic backdrops, detailed futuristic technology and a visually varied cast. Not to mention progressive panel composition and the ability to juggle a large cast with distinctive flair.

In other words, a lot of the things introduced by Cockrum were almost standard for the Legion by the time I got there. So I wouldn't have appreciated how innovative so many things in his work were for quite some time. Standing on the shoulders of giants. I'll probably have a similar feeling for the Sherman issues too.

If anything, I'd look back and see some of the things that were more of their time with the Cockrum issues. Not to mention the writing that the art was tied into compared with later and earlier periods.