Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-reading the Legion: Archives Volume 14

Superboy & LSH #241: Earth War Part 1

There is so much to like in #241, that’s hard to figure out where to start. First off, at long last we get to Earth War, and I’ve been really looking forward to this from the very moment we started this big Archive reread project! Earth War has always stood out to me as one of the very best stories in LSH history and judging by how damn good I felt as I was reading this, I think that opinion will stand.

First and foremost, the story here is done extremely well, much like the latter Great Darkness Saga. Paul is opening up a pretty epic story but in the first installment, he takes his time and draws you in. He gets you comfortable with the various characters and where they are in the story, all the while building up the tension and intrigue. That build isn’t slow either—the issue starts with a bang with the Legionnaires rushing off to Weber’s World and creates a sense of urgency and importance. That sense never leaves the story.

I love that we get the classic Jo / Mon / Dawny / Drake combo flying together at top speed. It’s an iconic image and this is the first time we see it presented as such.

I love the introduction of Schvaughn Erin. She is such an excellent addition to the LSH cast: her presence makes sense and she gives us the “new” perspective of an outsider entering this world. And despite her unfamiliarity with the LSH (and her youth), she is courageous, capable and clever throughout the story.

I love that Levitz just “goes for it” and brings in a wide array of LSH canon into the story. There are various facets from various eras at play here and for continuity purposes its like a dream: The Dominator peace talks, Weber’s World, Ambassador Relnic, the Khunds, etc. He’s been doing this gradually his entire run and here it just feels like the flood gates have opened. The Legion franchise is a vast universe and in this story right here, its as if that concept is no longer being implied or hinted at: it now simply is.

I like how Levitz is setting up the payoff for the returns of certain members later in the story: Brainy complains that Imra & Garth are married and gone, while Superboy, Tyroc and Karate Kid are all on detached service. He complains about the four others heading off on a diplomatic mission too, but the point is pretty potent in that the Legion is undermanned. It’s an idea we see again many times that immediately creates a need for a payoff, and Earth War has one of the best.

I like the confidence Levitz has gained to showcase the various Legionnaires as having distinct personalities that often clash. We’ve seen that all along during his run, but by now, as the tail end of it, we’re seeing him utilizing this in every interaction. This makes the book feel more real and more exciting. Mon condemns Wildfire for being reckless while they’re flying, while Wildfire brashly doesn’t care and blames the science police; meanwhile, Brainy is annoyed at being undermanned while Dirk breezily brushes it off to Brainy’s annoyance; subsequently, Jan and Brainy have a mini-argument over Brainy usurping his command. This is all within the first 6 or 7 pages and already we’re getting a plethora of full realized personalities. It just works.

I like how Levitz also starts to reveal to the readers that many of the things he’s been doing have been building to this: the Resource Raiders, the Khunds battle with Mon-El, (and soon, even the dangling Mordru plot from Shooter).

I love the way Levitz and Sherman show the Legionnaires using their powers. Element Lad shines especially, but each and every one of the Resource Raiders group get a moment in the sun, from Brainy’s plan to Cham & Vi hiding in the ore. Very well done, and a must have for LSH stories.

I also like that although this is part 1 of a larger story, it clearly has its own chapter structure. The leader of the Resource Raiders—a giant brain-like being—is the surprise enemy here, as others lay in wait. Ontirr is also first introduced, and with a stunning visual courtesy of Sherman. Life in the 30th Century feels very alien here and its very welcome.

All in all, a terrific issue on its own and an incredible start to Earth War. I’m anxiously awaiting each installment over the next few weeks as we review it together!

Back-up story
The issue also had a back-up story plotted by Levitz but written by Paul Kupperberg and drawn by Avril Jones & Danny Buladdi. It’s relatively straight-forward and somewhat forgettable in its pedestrian plot, but taken for what it is, it’s still somewhat entertaining. What I like is that the creators are smart to use the space to give two other Legionnnaires not in the first story something to do: Light Lass and Timberwolf. The main story features no less than 11 Legionnaires, with more to join over time. Here, we get what two other ones are doing. Levitz will use back-up stories to do the same thing in the future, during GDS and other long form stories.

Really good point on the shadowing, which I also agree with. This was done to good effect and gave the story a strong ongoing sense of suspsense, which by looking at just the script might have felt more action-oriented than anything else.

241/Prologue to Earthwar

Let me start by saying this is one of the ugliest Legion covers ever. Once again, our heroes are beset by a giant brain with tentacles that seem to be getting too friendly with Cham. Then there is a bunch of other cute aliens in the background, overrunning the team, none of whom look like they could hold Ronn-Karr at bay, let alone Superboy. And where is Cham? In a boiling pot? Maybe the brain isn't getting friendly after all, but stirring?

Even the colors seem garish.

Fortunately, things improve on Page 1, where we have that iconic image of four Legionnaires zooming into the sky. (But, man, are they close together. Jo looks like he's riding on Wildfire's back.) This leads to a near-accident in which my man, Mon, gets to save the day for a hot, red-headed sci cop, but he gives her the brush off before she can tell him what she has to say. Heroes don't have time to be bedazzled by pretty ladies or even to wait for them to say thank you; it's off to the next crisis.

With Page 4, things slow down a bit for us to get some character interaction and to introduce interpersonal conflicts: Mon versus Wildfire, Brainy versus everybody . . . and Shvaughn once again gets the brush off!

It's interesting to read these scenes knowing what Brainy is secretly going through. He seems overly polite in his apology to Jan and pessimistic because the Legion is undermanned (even though that's never been a problem before). His wide grin at Superboy's arrival seems strangely forced. Something else else seems artificial about Brainy throughout this story. It's amazing what you notice in retrospect.

The Resource Raiders are used to good effect in this story. I just wish they didn't look like cuddly toys one might find on a six-year-old girl's dresser. Their appearance undercuts the real danger they pose and make our heroes seem like wusses for putting up with them so long.

At least the danger on Weber's World is much more convincing. The artificial world is shrouded in shadows and features a lizard-like security chief who hisses the letter "s" when he speaks. Ontiir may or may not be a good guy at this point, but he sure creates tension every time he appears.

Overall, the story gets high marks. It expands the Legion's universe by drawing together strands from throughout Levitz's tenure. It also expands the Legion's story possibilities by launching their first multi-part epic (the Pulsar Stargrave debacle notwithstanding). Each Legionnaire is used to good effect by a writer who knows their powers and personalities and uses each character to his or her full potential. Cham's solo outing is a highlight for me. Although his teammates worry for his safety, he shows no signs of concern--not even when he's surrounded by enemies. This recklessness seems at odds with the stoic sleuth introduced by Starlin two issues ago, but it does hint at Cham's future troubles on Khundia.

I'm not as thrilled with Earthwar as others are, though I appreciate what Levitz sought to accomplish. The story is grand in scope and ambitious, but sloppy in places. On Page 14, for example, one of the Resource Raiders tells the others to "Fire!" on the unconscious Cham, while the next page begins with an explosion. The abrupt shift to Weber's World made me think Wildfire and Mon had somehow arrived in time to rescue Cham. What's even more confusing is that the Raiders apparently didn't fire on Cham after all. (Or, if they did, they hit him with the power-neutralizing ray, but the reader has to guess this is what took place.)

The artwork also has its ups and downs. I like the moodiness of the Weber's World scenes best of all, and most of the faces are expressive and the action scenes dynamic throughout. But at times Sherman seems to be borrowing from manga or some other big-eyed form of art (Relnic on Page 8, Panel 5; Dawny on Page 15, Panel 6). The faces can also be inconsistent (Relnic in three different panels on Page 8).

Even so, I would take the Sherman/McLeod combination over Staton/Abel, who would become the regular art team in two more issues.

If I were grading this issue, I'd give it an A for effort and a B+ for execution.

241/My Brother's Keeper

As Cobie says, this is a pedestrian story which gives Light Lass and Timber Wolf something to do. It's mainly forgettable, though there are a couple of things I like:

-- Arvell Jones' depiction of Ayla, especially on the splash page and Page 3, both of which feature nuanced and lovely expressions.

-- The use of the government-controlled weather to track down Lightning Lord--a throwaway line at the beginning of the story that isn't so throwaway.

Two main things I didn't like:

-- The histrionic police commissioner. He made a good point about Ayla being too emotionally involved and even about the Legion sending two of its "lesser lights" (heh) to deal with the problem. Kupperberg and Levitz didn't need to work so hard to turn him into a colossal jerk.

-- In a similar vein, Mekt spouts typical super-villain gibberish such as "dolt," "fool" and "I will brook no further insolence." He even fries one of his own henchmen when the latter suggests Ayla be killed. But, hey, why bother with subtlety in the bad guy when the main purpose of this story is to watch Brin bust up a bar?

The back-up story was heavy-handed unless, as HWW said, you like bar fights. It certainly wasn't the bucolic farming planet that we'll get in the Baxter series!

I did like that it showed Mekt's drive to be the leader as well as his devotion (of a sort) to Ayla, two themes we'll see again and again.



This is what makes Earthwar so exciting for me - so many different characters/races at once and the full (almost) Legion really give the sense of a big universe.



I didn't pick up on that foreshadowing! Good point.



That's the right term for Brainy's behaviour: artificial. Something else else does seem off and it's hard to identify - but I'd think a regular Legion reader would have sensed something didn't quite fit. It adds to the undercurrent of bad things brewing.




They do look a bit like JarJar Binks.




He does! And it just struck me how clever it was to make him reptilitan (cold-blooded?) and speak like a snake, given our supposedly innate human aversion to snakes.




And I initially thought that explosion was Cham being shot. There's a term for this sort of scene change in cinema, but I can't think of it. It would have been more effective if we'd seen some blast coming out of a Raider's gun, but not yet reaching Cham - then shift to the explosion scene.

However, the power-neutralizing ray was a rather lazy way to neutralize Cham. Was it for Durlans only or any power? Did Superboy really know what he was doing when he simply reversed the gun's action?

You may be thinking of "jump cut" as the cinema term. It's an effective technique of getting from one scene to the next, but the writer has to play fair with the viewers. Levitz does not play fair here. He leads us to believe Cham is going to be shot, but that doesn't happen for whatever reason. The explosion comes across as a blatant attempt to shock the reader.

I actually thought it was an effective use of the technique. Considering the pace of most of the issue, I think he was trying different things to get across the urgency of the story.

But I can see how it might be jarring for some too.

I think that's what Levitz was trying to do, Cobie, but he doesn't have enough skills as a writer yet to pull it off. Like Cramey, I thought the explosion was meant to indicate Cham getting shot. It's just a very awkwardly placed transition.

#242 Startarget: Earth by Paul Levitz, art by James Sherman & Bob McLeod, Colors by Cory Adams



On Weber's World, Wildfire confronts Relnic, Ontiir and the other ambassadors over the deteriorating security situation. Ultra Boy thinks he's a bit rough on Relnic, Dawnstar defends him. Another bomb goes off, but Jo manage to detect it and rescue some ambassadors just in time, who state that Ontiir had suggested they walk along that path.

Relnic announces that war has broken out, but he didn't hear the detail that it's not the Dominators but a Khund invasion of Earth. The Legionnaires and Earth forces fight, but are overwhelmed; Brainiac 5 calls the Legionnaires back to their ship to announce that they can't win. Element Lad, angry with another usurp of his authority, refuses to give up and decides to take the war to the Khund's own world, sending Brainy off to Weber's World to seek help.

Weber's World has left the galaxy for neutral space. The Legionnaires discuss their growing concerns. The Dominators arrive, with Legionnaires guiding their ship to avoid any mishap.

Element Lad's team arrives on Khundia to seek Warlord Garlak. After considerable resistance, they succeed. Jan threatens to kill Garlak, who suddenly goes blank. Superboy detects a coded hyper-beam, so Jan blocks Garlak's ears with telepathic plugs. It doesn't work, Garlak becomes entirely unresponsive. Other Khunds threaten the team as they fly off to trace the hyperbeam's source. A group of hooded figures, observing the action on Khundia, wonder if their desire to conquer Earth has made them underestimate the Legion.

On Weber's World, a wayward truck tries to take out Jo, without success. Relnic tells the suspicious Legionnaires that trust is important; Dawnstar senses someone is watching her.

As the other team traces the hyperbeam from Khundia, they discover it's coming from Weber's World.

Comments:

This issue deepens and complicates the story with some unexpected events. War does break out, but it's Khunds attacking Earth. It looks like the Black Circle is controlling the Khunds, but how is Weber's World involved? At this point in the story, it looks like it could be Ontiir and Relnic working together. Given the number of robot impersonators we've had recently, I suppose a first time reader might suspect that one or the other of them is a robot.

The story alternates effectively between the two Legion teams, and is about to bring them together at the end. The stage is set for things to really heat up in the next issue!

This isn't the first time that the Dominators have parlayed with the U.P. and, while they're evidently a military threat, they don't come across like the A-class badasses that they'll be in the 5YL series.

Brainy continues to clash with Element Lad and it's good to see Jan assert his authority. There doesn't appear to be any communication between this team and Weber's World – no doubt the Earth-bound team had their hands full with the Khund's drone attack, but perhaps Jan was just sending Brainy to Weber's World to get him out of the way. Jan's also very assertive when confronting Garlak. This time, it's he who is the moral authority, defending Earth, not Superboy.

I'd love to know why the Legion sent a team to the Matriarchy of Taltar for help.

Dawnstar doesn't do as much as I would have liked. She senses the Dominators approaching, she senses "someone" is watching her. Should she have some idea of who/what is watching her - or does she have to know what she's tracking to identify it? I wonder if she couldn't have tracked the bombs, how they got to where they were and who put them there. Her abilities seem to vary with the needs of the story.

Ontiir is pretty creepy, not only in looks but the way he suddenly appears and compliments the Legionnaires: at once obsequious and threatening.

One thing that struck me was that Relnic is the only human-looking ambassador – but there are no alien-looking Legionnaires (yet). I wonder which planets all these sentients represent.

The cover of this issue isn't filled with silly monsters like the previous one, but it's pretty hectic. While it does promise a lot of action, I think the opening page with the four Legionnaires confronting Relnic is much more striking.

Two minor points: I don't really get the title, Star target? I keep reading Stargate, which doesn't help. Secondly, our first view of Khundia is amazingly pedestrian. It looks like a high end shopping district with good lighting, a woman with earphones, another carrying paper bags of groceries, a kid on a bicycle.

242/Startarget: Earth

These re-reads have increased my respect for Sherman as an interior artist, especially when he was paired with the right inker. As a cover artist, though, he's a wash. This cover is indeed messy with Legionnaires going in every direction and mini "Saturns" covering the scene. At first glance, there doesn't appear to be any order or organization. If I study the cover, I can make out what appears to be an order for my eye to follow, but I have to work at it.

Simplicity, my friends. Simplicity.

Speaking of inkers, I don't think Rubinstein was a good match for Sherman, though he did wonders for Starlin.

The interior art is much better. It begins with four Legionnaires staring the reader in the face and Wildfire slamming his fist on the table. The faces of each Legionnaire are distinct, and such attention to detail remains a treat throughout the story. (Another example: the various shots of Weber's World, such as on p. 9.)

The story shifts into high gear, with several villains using each other, dividing the Legionnaires on two fronts. The stakes are very high, and passions escalate, as well.

The tight plot moves the story forward, yet there are plenty of excellent character bits, such as Dawny defending Drake as leader and Jo lashing out because Drake led the charge against him in 239. Jan comes into his own as a leader, and his threat to kill Garlak carries real weight for those of us who remember 211.

On the other hand, Brainy's odd behavior continues to make sense only in hindsight. At the time, I was troubled by Brainy calling the Legionnaires in from a fight just to tell them earth is doomed. They should have been troubled, too. Yet they brush right past him and send him off on a fool's errand. Some friends.

It's also odd that Jan dispatches Brainy in an auxiliary craft to Weber's World, yet Jan and the rest make it there before he does.

Speaking of which, my main complaint about this story has to do with dramatic expedience at the expense of logic. The Legionnaires go to Khundia in a Legion cruiser yet depart from Khundia and fly under their own steam to Weber's World--apparently crossing intergalactic distances. Superboy could do that, but Jan, Gim, and Dirk?

Also, Dawny's powers do indeed change to fit the needs of the story. Here she seems to have taken over Saturn Girl's role of extrasensory perception.

Yes, our first look at Khundia is pedestrian and very '70s.

My only other complaint about this story is that there's not enough of it. When I first read it, I was just starting to get into it when it ended and we were treated to yet another lackluster backup. The expanded size of the comic had a lot of pluses, but its limitations were beginning to show.

Lackluster backup for sure. It was an unusual group, characters we didn't see together as friends and, for once, Jeckie played a crucial role.

The police corruption echoes the concerns of the Legionnaires on Weber's World, suspecting the U.P. reps themselves of sabotage: not all officials are on the side of the angels. However, no link is made to the bigger story.

This tale could also have tied into Element Lad's remark about seeking help from the Matriarchy of Taltar: a team of female Legionnaires sent to Taltar could have gotten involved in some mess there (which prevented Taltar's assistance to Earth) and are now out celebrating a difficult mission. In that case, the story should come after Earthwar - would you be out on the town with an impending invasion?

The art was pretty rough, which didn't help.

I love the idea of four female Legionnaires being sent to Taltar and then celebrating some victory afterwards. Such an idea would have tied in greatly with Earthwar.

Even if Levitz and Kupperberg just wanted to show the girls having a night out, that would have been fine. But the story is very pedestrian and rough. It reads like a first draft. I don't have the issue in front of me, but I can't recall Nura using her power even once. After the first "solo" mission, we see where the story is going and all tension evaporates. It was obvious that the deputy chief was involved in the crimes; he's the only significant character who's not a Legionnaire.

(This reminds me of the scene in "Throw Momma from the Train," in which Billy Crystal's character, a writing teacher, criticizes Danny DeVito's character for writing a whodunnit with only one suspect.)

Once again, the representation of the future doesn't seem so futuristic.

The story had potential. It would have been great to see four Legionnaires who don't interact much do something together, but they don't really do much--except squabble in the typical way comic book characters did in those days.

Superboy & the LSH #242: Earth War Part 2

Earth War continues in its second issue and my enthusiasm for the story has only become enhanced as it goes on. To me, all of the various things I said I “loved” or “liked” from the first issue continue in the 2nd, and in spades.

The story opens with a really dramatic splash page with Wildfire hammering his fist down and demanding the UP Ambassadors start giving the Legion some answers, with Mon, Jo and Dawny flanking him. This image has always been etched in my memory and it’s a classic one in Legion lore. It also is a great example of when Sherman’s art really just gets it right. He’s a unique artist and fans are subjective on their level of enjoyment in his linework. I generally love his artwork, and this issue in particular showcases it.

We also get right into some of the inner tensions that exist within the Legion, which Levitz has done such an amazing job establishing throughout his run. The Legion feels real and full of personality. Ultra Boy questions Wildfire’s harshness so Dawny defends Drake; Jo then reveals some animosity he still has from issues earlier where Wildfire hunted him down and makes a good point. None are wrong here and it works. Later, the Element Lad / Brainy tensions continue as Brainy boldly overextends his authority.

This scene leads to Jan taking full control of the situation, taking charge and leading his group headlong towards the Khunds. It’s a great Jan moment and perhaps his first “real” moment since the Roxxas story almost 40 issues ago. It’s also the first glimpse at what Jan will become under Levitz’s pen during his second run, as the quintessential great Legion Leader. Later in the issue we get another Jan scene and this one is more reminiscent of the last Jan issue, as here he threatens to kill Garlak. I had forgotten about this and it caught me off guard! One could read that Jan was still struggling with some very personal issues and its somewhat alarming. Another reading is that this is simply a threat and a bluff, which ultimately works. But its definitely ambiguous. Is Jan really a loose cannon at this point? As I stated a few sentences earlier, he eventually comes across as one of the most level-headed Legionnaires during Levitz’s second run. This feels more like a regression than getting to that point.

I love the way this story continues to add things to build the grandiose scale. For example, Colossal Boy appears early in the issue, marking the 14th Legionnaire featured in the story thus far (if you count Light Lass and Timberwolf being seen in the back-up last issue). Gradually, all of the Legionnaires will be featured. Meanwhile, the Matriarchy of Taltar is referenced, as Levitz continues to showcase the huge scale of the Legion’s universe—and he does it with all preexisting continuity.

At the start of this issue, the Khundian Invasion of Earth has begun. War is here and in full force, meaning all the tension from the prior issue has exploded. The stakes are incredibly high but unlike in the Legion’s past, we’ll have issues to truly feel it. On the flip side, this story does a good job at having another layer unraveled each issue of the story. Much like last issue we learned the Resource Raiders were only a precursor to the Khunds, here we learn that the Khunds are also being manipulated into war—by the Dark Circle. (Though I don’t think the DC are actually named yet).

Still a ton to love here. I’m anxious to continue onwards!

The Back-Up

Regarding the back-up story (or perhaps “second story” is more appropriate considering its length), I found it a little bit of a letdown. And that may just be because we’re in the middle of Earth War and I’m feeling a ton of excitement and enthusiasm for the larger epic, so to suddenly be hit with a slower paced story with the stakes considerably lower is a little like throwing water on a roaring flame.

“Girl’s Night Out” stories can be a lot of fun, and have become so common place over the decades that they are basically their own drama. While some of these stories can be memorable, they can also be overly ‘cutesy’. Or more likely in the late 1970’s, just plain old chauvinistic by their very nature—such as when the high ranking SP makes no less than 3 comments about how beautiful and charming the girls are.

What I really notice about this story is that it’s a huge missed opportunity. Rather than all of that tired ‘same old’ Girls Night Out stuff, Levitz and company should have used this story to showcase four female Legionnaires, which we aren’t seeing in the main story, and plant it firmly in the middle of Earth War! And the perfect opportunity was right there: why not have Shadow Lass, Light Lass, Dream Girl and Princess Projectra visiting the Matriarchy of Taltar? It would make perfect sense! A crew of female-only Legionnaires go to Taltar, thereby explaining one of the random throwaway lines of the story. It would also give the four Legionnaires something substantial to contribute instead of the throwaway corrupt cop / stick-up crew story that we got.

A Personal Anecdote
It’s worth mentioning something personal about this story on Legion World, as there’s a very LMB element to my enjoyment of this story. Earth War, and in fact, this entire era, were among the last issues I needed to complete my LSH collection a few years ago. (Though its still not 100% completed—those damn Silver Age issues). And I was able to do it with none other than the icon himself, Poverty Lad! In what I think was our third meet-up (or was it the first?), Pov took me to a comic book store in central or northern Connecticut somewhere and we did a little comic book hunting together. He’d already long completed his collection, so I was able to take full advantage of their S&LSH collection…and they had like every issue! So I picked up no less than 25-30 LSH stories all for about $1.00 each. In fact, all of my Earth War issues were bought that day for exactly $1.00 each. It was a great, great day for LSH comic book collecting!

This was probably about 10-11 years ago. (I think?).

So Pov!

In reading your comments FC & HWW, I notice you had the same exact reaction on the back-up! Great minds!

In fact, it's so obvious in hindsight. Truly one of those missed opportunities we talk about in these rereads!

Earthwar for all of $5. What a bargain!

Yeah, I know, right?!

And I think I got like 20% off because I bought $40 or $50 of comics. So possibly even less!

I've still never gotten to read Earthwar. I hate that the real Archives ended before they got there. I'd rather read it as a high-quality reprint than old faded floppies.

Yeah, I can really see what you mean Lardy. Better paper and colors could help certain scenes pop like they probably did when the issues came out. Ontirr, for instance, is always well depicted and I feel that added pop would have a big effect on his panels.

#243 Earth's Last Stand by Paul Levitz, art by Joe Staton & Jack Abel, colours by Cory Adams



The story opens with Shvaughn Erin (now named) watching screens of Weber's World, the Khund drone invasion of Earth's space and the Legion team approaching Weber's World. We're told that she holds the answer to why all this is happening, but doesn't know it. Shvaughn recaps, to herself and the reader, what's happened so far and reveals her important message: that one of the Legion's old foes has escaped. It's as if somebody planned all this, she thinks.

On Weber's World, the Dominators are attacked the moment they emerge from their ship; Mon-el and Ultra Boy intercept the missiles as Wildfire and Dawnstar chase the snipers. The snipers escape Wildfire's energy cage and vanish as Dawnstar grabs them.

Dominators and U.P. reps bicker over the situation; Ontiir suggests that all the trouble started with the Legionnaires' arrival. However, the Dominators trust the Legionnaires and conclude that someone is provoking war. The team from Khundia arrives and Superboy confirms this. He proposes that everyone split into two teams to find the puppet master and defend Earth, but the Dominators only want to continue negotiations as planned.

In Earth space, the Khund forces are triumphing but a Legion ship blocks them from the planet. The team from the Matriarchy of Taltar has returned to fight the Khunds on their own, but fail. Only Vi and Dream Girl, piloting the ship, remain.

Brainiac 5 approaches Weber's World, grumbling. As he contacts Wildfire to announce his approach, he disappears into a black hole. Mon-el, Superboy and Ultra Boy fail to detect any trace of him and say it's as though he disappeared “by magic”.

Negotiations begin between Dominators and the U.P., but a hostile Relnic abruptly ends them.

The Legionnaires trace the Khundian hyper-beam to the conference room, but have to fight off Ontiir's security robots. Suddenly, the robots vanish.

Khundish armies land on Earth and defeat assorted forces including the Subs. The Warlord communicates victory to his overlords, the Dark Circle. While the situation looks hopeless, four former Legionnaires approach Earth: Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel.

Comments:

Things go from bad to worse: although the plot does not advance much in terms of events, it deepens in mystery and complications.

It's confirmed that the Dark Circle are controlling the Khunds, but there's somebody else in the mix – Shvaughn's escaped foe of the Legion, the “puppet master”. Puppet master makes me think of the Time Trapper, although he may have gotten that name in some later story. The hint that magic could be involved would have gone right by me initially.

It's a chilling moment when Ontiir tries to lay the blame for the sabotage on the Legion and Relnic explodes in anger. The Dominators are actually the reasonable ones in this drama, expressing faith in the Legion. It's a reminder of an earlier story in which the Legion guarded a Dominator delegation, but strikes me as very ironic given the eventual events of 5YL.

Grumbling Brainy is almost comedic amid all these dark events.

It's good to see the lovely Shvaughn and the valiant Subs in action, even if they are defeated.

Half the Legion went to Taltar? While it's a quick way to bring a lot more Legionnaires into the story, it's the one aspect of this issue that rings false. Why send so many to appeal for help?

Are Violet and Dream Girl going to pull off some Hail Mary pass and defeat the Khunds?

Seeing the four retired Legionnaires on their way to Earth, you figure it's the Cavalry arriving. While it seems impossible that they can do much against the powerful Khunds/Dark Circle, I want to cheer on their heroism. And, because it's comics, I know they're going to pull off some amazing, last minute save. It's a great way to end the issue.

The change in artist is disappointing but I won't complain about Staton's depictions. The cover, however, is really cluttered again - maybe it's just the way covers were drawn in the 70s.

Superboy & the LSH #243: Earth War Part 3

Earth War rages on in #243 as the story now hits that critical “bridge” point where things have to start changing and building to something in the midway point. And we get a lot of that here, which serves to introduce additional elements in the story that amp up the epic scale even further.

The issue presents a consistent increase in the cast from start to finish. First, we get all the Legionnaires we haven’t seen thus far and those from the first issue that aren’t accounted for: Cos, Cham, Tinya, Jeckie, Thom, Nura, Vi and Brin, as they unsuccessfully assist in Earth’s defense. Some of these Legionnaires were on the Taltar mission an issue earlier that was off-panel. I note, though, that Shady hasn’t appeared yet, the only active Legionnaire not yet in the Earth War proper story. Later in the issue, as the Khunds now start to outright invade and overtake Earth, we get the Legion of Substitute Heroes, who have a heroic return to defend the mother planet. This starts a series of Subs appearances over the next 10 years or so that basically amount to: when the Subs are called in, shit has really hit the fan. The Subs have a good moment where they are courageous but ultimately they too are overtaken (though big props to Color Kid who has a great moment here—perhaps his second greatest after the big save in Adventure #351). And finally, in what surely must have felt like a huge cheer-worthy moment when this issue came out, we get the return of the retired, married Legionnaires: Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy. If readers didn’t know things were ultra-serious and bleak as hell, they get the picture now! While they really shine next issue, the final pages featuring them feels both heroic and angst-ridden, as the odds they face feels insurmountable. The continued additions all story serve to make the story feel grandiose and epic. It’s just awesome, frankly.

The story also has lots of other story moments that bring the plot along the eventual “Big Bad” though I admit it is starting to take a little while to get there. But between Relnic, the Dominators, Ontirr, the Dark Circle revealed (to the readers), Shvaughn Erin, Brainy disappearing, and the Khunds, all the different pieces are being utilized. What I like are the little things we see in these scenes: The Dominators trust the Legionnaires because of prior stories. Yet the Dominators require the Legionnaires to stay on Weber’s World—a political problem that is affecting war strategy, much like all war stories have (real and fictional). I like Relnic being both diplomatic at times and then overly frustrated and aggressive at others.

Shvaughn is shown for the second time and its great to see her more. I’m amazed she wasn’t more of an instant hit and is basically forgotten about until Levitz comes back for his second run.

We also see the Dominators in full and they are still very much looking like their Silver Age selves. Todd McFarlane hasn’t given them their quintessential fangs yet in Invasion, which will become their trademark and give them the evil look they have in TMK.

The other non-story big change in this issue is the mid-story shift in art which fans have always complained about. I had even heard about it talked about on LW for years before I actually read this story the first time. And the shift from Sherman to Staton & Abel is significant. Staton & Abel do an acceptable job, but it just doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor that Sherman’s art had, or which Grell and Cockrum and almost all the Legion artists have had for some time. It’s a shame. In some panels it feels very flat, as the backgrounds are almost largely blank. I do note, however, that in some places, they do a phenomenal job. The splash on pg 18 featuring the full invasion of Earth by the Khunds is incredibly dynamic.

I also note this issue marks the DC wide scaling back down to normal sized issues, which allows the main story to be a few pages longer and eliminates the need for a back-up. At this point, that is preferred by me for the main story as I don’t want to be distracted by a back-up mid-Earth War.

All in all, I’m still enjoying the story immensely. The art is a shame, but its not terrible and not enough to hurt my enthusiasm. I’m anxious now for the showdown with the Dark Circle and then the revelation of the biggest bad of them all.

FC, totally agree on the ending. As unlikely as it is that these four former Legionnaires will save the day, it's still a terrific ending to the issue. It leaves me itching to read the next one!

243

I actually like this cover. It boasts an excellent design, with the viewer's eye being drawn in by Superboy's punch, then following in a circle from the robot's head, down to Cos, around to Mon, Dirk, and Drake, and back up to Superboy. The background is busy but subdued with thin lines which do not compete with the foreground action. Even the colors are complementary and vibrant.

The colors and the panel with the Subs do give the cover a retro feel which works against the modern approach of Grell's previous covers. But design-wise, it's a vast improvement over the previous two covers, in my opinion.

The story is full of surprises and moves the Earthwar along in substantial ways. The Dominators finally arrive, show they trust the Legionnaires, and make the sensible demand that the heroes stay to safeguard the conference. The war on earth fares badly for our heroes and, despite their triumphant return on the cover, the Subs cannot make any difference. However, the arrival of the married ex-Legionnaires is indeed a rah-rah moment.

This very good chapter could be a little better, though. For one thing, there is too much exposition, both in Shvaughn's three-page monologue and in Superboy's recap for the Dominators. This is all essential information to keep readers up to speed, but we can get there quicker. Shvaughn's scene, for example, could probably be cut in half.

You're right, Cobie, that Shvaughn wasn't a big deal at the time. She was just someone who had been brought in to deliver the Legionnaires a message and to draw out the mystery of who was behind it all a little longer. I'm actually surprised she was given a name in this issue as she didn't seem that important a character.

However, Shvaughn does show some initiative by deciding to go and help fight the Khunds. Dawnstar, our other major female character, goes from a Wildfire supporter last issue to being a full-out mother hen. She worries that Drake’s power will kill the fleeing would-be assassins and then wonders if his energy cage wasn’t strong enough to hold them. Drake’s annoyance with her is understandable.

Most of the other Legionnaires serve the needs of the story, and that’s fine. Too many character bits would have distracted from the high stakes and fast-moving plot. The outer space battle is particularly well done—brief, but it gets its point across. Brainy’s disappearance adds to the mystery, and, yes, the “magic” clue went right by me, too.

However, one aspect about this issue bothers me, which is not really the story's fault or the creators', but a trope of superhero stories in general. Lydda is shot point blank by a Khund warrior, yet she survives. The other Subs are similarly dispatched by weapons that turn out to be non-lethal. Even Nura and Vi miraculously survive when their cruiser is blasted by a Khund warship. It’s awful nice of the Khunds to play by the Legionnaires’ rules and not kill anyone.

So, in raising the stakes in his Earthwar, Levitz has created a puzzle with many twists and turns but hasn’t really considered (or been allowed to consider) the ramifications of earth going to war with a belligerent enemy or three. We will later see some ramifications in terms of earth’s financial collapse, but the war itself is presented like any other superhero battle, and, for me, that works against the believability factor. I was 14 when this issue was published, and I knew damn well that young people died in war. I knew damn well that when ships blow up, not everyone makes it out alive (even though our heroes go to great lengths to explain that no one dies when they blow up ships).

At this point, I was truly torn between the childhood fantasy neverland the Legion represented and what I thought the Legion could be. Some recent stories had dealt with more adult themes. This one, complete with its retro cover, seems to thrust the Legionnaires back into that childhood box where Everything is Safe and Nothing Bad Ever Happens.

I’m not saying our heroes should have been slaughtered—I had also seen too many movies where the realities of war were shown in graphic detail—but more thought should have been given to how our heroes would survive and what traumas—physical, emotional, and spiritual—they may have to deal with because of these events. To sidestep this reality does readers—who grow up believing in and being inspired by superheroes—a disservice, I think.


A few odds and ends:

-- Jan, who had been so prominent in the last two issues, virtually disappears from this one. He’s in maybe three panels, and, in one, he’s wearing the godawful green costume from the tabloid’s text feature. It’s nice that Legionnaires have time to update their fashion during a crisis.

--I like Ambassador Relnic as a character and was disappointed that he turned out to be a villain (sort of) in this issue. Like R.J. Brande, he’s a mature figure who serves as something of a mentor or colleague to the Legion without interfering with their autonomy or agency. I liken him to George Martin in his role as producer of the Beatles.

--I’m not sure why the Subs were brought back in their old costumes, but this also adds to the retro feel of the story. It’s almost as if DC made a conscious decision to retreat from the more adult themes and depictions of the last few years.

--The letters page of this issue contains a brief letter from erstwhile LW fan icon Thomas Fatsi.

"Bridge" is a good term to describe this issue. I was searching for something like that.



Interesting that the Subs will be repeatedly used that way. Has it ever ended? Geoff Johns had Brainy bring them in as an almost last-ditch attempt to free Legionnaires held by the Justice League.



So true! She has a lot more going for her as a character than Dvron. The SP officers so far have been pretty much nameless, faceless, interchangeable figures.



It's pretty strange seeing this version of the Dominators. Between now and their more menacing version, you figure there's an untold story of a coup and/or some serious genetic re-engineering on Elia.



I'd agree with that. I guess it's the Subs panel that strikes me as cluttered; it's such a shift from the primary panel.



That's a funny bit of character development. She's sort of gone from student to teacher. It also illustrates their growing relationship. I wonder how many other Legionnaires would speak to Wildfire like that, without provoking more than annoyance.





It's certainly a dilemma for the story teller. The impact of war isn't really felt; you see more injuries in a football game. We aren't really into the "day in the life" type issues yet, but it could have been a good addition to Earthwar to have an issue at the end just showing the effect on the different Legionnaires.




missed that!



After Marla acting like a skunk, it is disappointing. Don't trust anyone over 30 in the 30th century.



Which makes it an even greater issue!

And, if they're over 50, run for the hills!