Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes The Archives Re-read Project Discussion Thread

A fork in the road: next week, should we do Tales #322 or LSH #9?

I had started reviewing #9, but that was just out of sequential habit. If there's any plot reason why it should be 322, I'm like Ethel's cousin Earful Eric.

Agreed. I haven't read ahead. If there's any reason to do 322 first, let's go for it.

For some reason, I just looked at some of the old Archives threads, and it seems to me like Best of DC Digest # 24 slipped through the cracks between volumes 17 and 18.

Was that the one with the new pages framing an older story?

Yes, it was the Tarik the Mute story, with new pages showing new costumes, the HQ and the cruiser. I suggested we skip it (two pages back in this thread) since it was mostly a repeat and no one objected. There was a new story, however. The new costume pages may be viewed courtesy of the Legion of Super-Bloggers and the new story pages are discussed here. In retrospect, we could have reviewed the framing pages without devoting much time to the repeat story. If anyone wants to add it in as an interlude to the current Archive, I'm fine with that.

For next week, we might as well do Tales #322. It's not terribly plot-dependent, but there is a one page Thom & Nura scene which may spill into LSH #9. Otherwise it's all Dawnstar & Brainy on Kol's planet.

I remember seeing the digest on the stands and, since it was mostly a reprint of stories I already had, I didn't buy it. This sort of framing sequence--a blatant attempt to lead into "flashbacks"--doesn't appeal to me. It's of minor significance that one-time Legion villain Tarik the Mute has died. If anyone sees value in reviewing this story, perhaps it can be added on the vol. 17 or 18 thread.

Sorry to change direction but I just read Tales #322 and it should come after LSH #9, since the lost Legionnaires have returned. So this Tuesday we should review LSH #9.

Noted (and already read, for a change ).

I thought I should broach this with plenty of notice:

I'm planning to return to the re-read with the issues that coincide with Crisis on Infinite Earths (Baxter 14-18.) What would be the consensus on whether we should leave a sidebar CoIE re-read optional or obligatory? Alternately, if we make it optional, I'd be happy to provide reviews of all 12 issues, since I had already been planning to do so in the Gym'll's forum either way, and anybody would be free to chime in if they want to.

And while we're on the subject of the Legion Re-Read, I'm curious as to whether LSH #325 marks the end of Volume 21, or not.

It goes without saying that I shan't participate in the discussion of the Legion of Substitute Heroes Special, whether it closes 21 or opens 22.

Good to see you back for the new members issue. Not for the nice Lithyl one next issue? The sooner the better.

I had been thinking of adding a Crisis post onto my normal reviews, as I also split out my meanderings down memory lane section. But like a Universo victim, I'm open to suggestions.

I last read Crisis when I was putting together my Justice League Detroit thing for Bits. I ended up getting distracted by the giant plot holes in it, and what it would take to fix them. I'll have notes somewhere.

We'll end this volume with the Subs Special, since it was referred to in Tales #325.

Volume 22 proposal: LSH #13 - 20, with the Annual "Who Shot Laurel Kent?" between #15 and #16. That's 9 issues.

There's the 4-issue Legionnaires 3. Do people want to include that in this archive or the next one?

Don't have any particular ideas for Crisis. I had the book out of the library last month but had to return it; I don't remember at which point the Legionnaires (apart from Dawnstar) got involved. So I'll leave it up to thoth, Annfie and whoever else would be reviewing Crisis to decide whether to include it as a postscript to the Archive reviews or set up a separate thread.

Thank you, Thoth, that is very kind of you to say. I like the Lithyl issue very much (partly because I think it's one of the few Baxter issues that works as a stand-alone,) and I seriously considered coming back with that one. But the New Members issue...that's such a sense of occasion! Also, the New Members issue has a deceptively incidental development involving a female Legionnaire and the mysterious helmet she wears for most of the issue...it is quite meaningful to me.



Great. I've been enjoying yours and He Who's fan reminisces a lot. Sadly, I have nothing to contribute for any phase of the Legion Re-Read -- my most vivid fan memories don't involve any DC books, but rather Marvel during the apex/nadir of the teeth-grinding era.

Hope you find those notes. I'd be interested in learning how you think CoIE could have been improved. Off the top of my head -- leave Supergirl and Huntress alive, dammit!

Okay.

(I'm struggling to contain my glee at its absence from Volume 22. But I'll stop there.)



I second ending it at Baxter 20, as that means Volume 23 will start out with Sarya leading the Takron-Galtos breakout in Baxter 21.

And I vote in favor of including Legionnaires 3, at the very least so this volume isn't too thin.



Thanks, Cramey. After having thought about it for a bit, I favor the postscript approach so that there's no awkward crossing-over between this forum and Gym'll's. (And, yes, anyone who wants to read meta-commentary about event storylines into that last sentence is free to do so.)

I don't plan to review Crisis (though that could change), so whatever people want to do is fine by me.

If there is a large interest in reviewing it, perhaps the best choice would be to review it in its own thread, as I did with the Karate Kid series two years ago. This would allow people to discuss each issue (including non-Legion content) in depth. But if the only interest is to comment on the Legion's appearances, then a postscript approach might be best.

Here's hoping.



Thanks, He Who.



Good point. Now I'm actually leaning towards the separate thread (or, possibly, the Re-Reads thread in Gy'mll's forum?) Which would you prefer, Thoth?

I second this suggestion. I feel that reviewing Crisis and other events in the Legion archives thread, should be done with a focus on the Legion. In the Reboot reread, I review crossovers the Legion appears in (e.g. Final Night) with a focus only on the Legion's bits. Crisis deserves its own thread: it involves so many more characters than the Legion, and the Legion (besides Superman) is absent for the ending.

Thanks for chiming in, Ibby.

As for Legionnaires 3, perhaps it should be covered in its own thread along with the Cosmic Boy mini-series and any other eventual spin-offs, such as Timber Wolf. Perhaps the thread could be called "Legion Spin-offs" or "Legion Solo Series." Since the story lines don't really overlap with LSH (as I recall), such a thread would allow us to discuss each series in depth without distracting from the reviews of the main series. These reviews could even be added on to the existing Karate Kid thread, though I think it should be kept separate since KK was a regular series and reflects a different era.

Good idea. I'll second He Who's suggestion.

Sounds good. We can start a Spin-Off Archives thread when we get to Legionnaires 3. It starts with a cover date of February 86; LSH #20 is dated March 86.

Should this next Archive be a short one with 9 issues or go onto to the Emerald Empress story (#21-#26) for a 15-issue Archive? Or 16 issues, if we want to extend it to Sensor Girl becoming leader in #27.

Legionnaires 3 would come in the middle of this, chronologically, so if we went with a longer Archive, we could either postpone Legionnaires 3 or pause the reviews of this particular Archive.

Decisions, decisions!

Without reading ahead ( ), I would go for wherever there's a natural break--even if it happens in mid story.



Suspending the main thread sounds good to me. L3 is only a three-issue series, so it might be a good idea to take a three-week break from the Archive and come back to it afresh--like a field trip.

Wheeee. A field trip! We can have silly pop song sing-alongs, and press our faces against the bus windows to freak out other people.

… and we can go to the Grand Canyon and tell each other our harrowing origin stories... no wait, that was the Titans...

-The Cosmic Boy mini leads straightishly into the Superboy finale doesn't it?

A field trip to the Grand Canyon? Now that sounds like a blast.

I don't remember the Cos mini-series or the Superboy finale (old brain cells and all that), but, if so, maybe the Superboy finale could be reviewed in the Spin-off thread, as well.