The Legion is back... as the back-up feature to support Superboy! We look at Adventure Comics #0, 1 & 2

Adventure Comics #0

Fresh off the success of Legion of 3 Worlds, even if it didn't really make a lick of sense, the Legion move into Adventure Comics. Much like some parts of the 60s and 70s, the Legion are the back up feature for all new tales of the recently resurrected Superboy.

For these reviews, I'll be rereading the Legion stories only. It's not that I don't care about Superboy. It's that there are only so many hours in a day.

For reasons that, to be honest, I don't really understand, DC has decided to reprint Adventure Comics #247, the very first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes, in Adventure Comics #0. Because there is no better way to entice a younger audience to care about old characters than to print a story that is, at the time of publishing, 51 years old.

You would think they could've picked something from the 70s or 80s, something with artwork and writing similar to what they're used to. You would think they'd pick something by Paul Levitz, knowing that he's going to be taking over the characters fairly soon.

So here's my first big question - if you were going to reprint one Legion story for a brand new audience so they'd get a sense of who everyone is and get them excited for future stories, which one would you choose?

This tale, written by Otto Binder with art by Al Plastino, features every great cliche that the Silver Age is known for. The text piece on the front page, which also shows a scene from the story to get you excited. People being complete jerks to each other. A ham-fisted moral or two. Rampant sexism and bullying. An entire story told in 12 pages.

We begin back in Smallville, where Superboy is greeted by three mysterious teenagers, all of whom know his secret identity. They're from the future and decided to come back, put on 20th Century clothing, and have a little fun with him. Good thing no one was close enough to hear when they're revealing his biggest secret in public.

It's Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Boy. We're so lucky to have their names written across their chests. After a brief explanation of who they are and why they're bugging Superboy, the foursome get into a time bubble and head to the 30th Century.

They take a little tour of futuristic Metropolis - they get a satellite tour of the Earth that only takes 80 minutes. They go to an ice cream parlor that has nine delicious flavors from nine planets. And they go to a history class where they learn all about Superboy.

Next, they head to the Super Hero Club (that's what it says on the upside-down rocket ship) to see if Superboy can join the Legion of Super-Heroes.  Each member must have a different super-power and to earn his spot, Superboy has to compete against the three who went back in time to meet him. There are other Legionnaires, but we don't really care about them right now. Well, aside from the one who's been colored green in every reprint of this story.

If you've read any Superboy stories from this time, you know Clark's going to lose the competition because he's doing other heroic things instead of competing. For anyone who likes to complain about writers recycling plots again and again, the Silver Age did it the best.

After Superboy loses to Saturn Girl, we get this gem from Cosmic Boy: "You lost out on your first task... and to a girl!" Misogyny is alive and well in the 30th Century and this does explain why Cosmic Boy spends the next 20 years being a complete jerk to most women on the Legion... and even more so to his girlfriend.

Superboy loses to Cosmic Boy and his magnetic eyes (yep, his powers only come from his head at this point) and again to Lightning Boy and his electric sky-writing. But, of course, in every case, he lost because he was saving someone or something else instead of competing in the challenges.

The Legion then mocks Superboy for losing, bringing Clark to tears. He heads out, ready to go home, completely ignoring that he needs to get back in the time bubble. But wait! Saturn Girl tells him it was all an initiation to prove he's "a super-good sport, taking it all with a smile." Well, and tears. He ignores the fact that he's been bullied and mocked and Superboy joins the Legion.

After he answers another alarm, using the Legionnaires' own powers as a trick (or to show them that's he more powerful than all of them), Superboy is awarded a special medal naming him "Super-Hero Number One."

I love the Legion and I find this story more than a little cringe. I wonder how new readers in 2009 found it. 

Adventure Comics #1 or 504

I know I literally wrote in the last part that I wasn't going to say anything about the Superboy stories... but I can't help but comment that Francis Manapul's art on this is tremendous. And Brian Buccellato's colors are stunning.

Our 8-page Legion backup is written by Geoff Johns with art by Clayton Henry. If I'm reading Henry's history correctly, this is some of his first work for DC. I liked what he did on Exiles and Alpha Flight, so I'm looking forward to his art.

We begin with a recap of who the Legion are and how they came to be. We already have our first costume redesign as Triplicate Girl (at least I'm guessing that's who it is) is dressed very differently than in the Silver Age Comics.

We get a great two-page spread (kind of a weird way to spend two pages in an 8-page story, but it looks good) showing off the Legionnaires who are not missing right now. Just a couple of things I noticed:

• They mixed up the captions, getting Night Girl and Shadow Lass labelled incorrectly
• Bouncing Boy and Duplicate Damsel are officially on the team
• Ultra Boy and Timber Wolf seem to gone to the same costume designers
• The Legion is back in the old, upside-down rocket HQ
• In a nice joke, there's no picture of Invisible Kid, just the caption

But rather than spend some time in the future, we go back to 21st Century Earth to see Starman flying around and yelling at birds. Why am I suddenly worried we're going to get more badly-written schizophrenia?

He offers a bird a spot on the team, code-named "Bird Boy," crashes into the sign for a bowling alley in Smallville, and falls through the roof. After comparing bowling to jousting, Thom grabs a bowling ball and makes it the same weight as a time sphere full of inertron. The ball flies through the wall, and the van parked beside it, and Starman yells, "Touchdown!"

He flies away and heads to the local lake. Residing within is Tellus, who tries to cure Thom by entering his thoughts. But the disease is too far gone and rapidly progressing, so we're stuck with Thom as a badly-written joke. Ugh. Why is Tellus back in the 21st Century? No explanation needed, of course.

Thom has their battle plan and he needs help to get Dream Girl back before his mind is completely gone.

The final page is the teaser, showing what's to come:

• Element Lad acting like Superboy, pulling open his shirt to head into action
• Dream Girl trapped in a machine and being saved by Superboy
• Despero working with Morgan Edge
• Blok's wounds are healed, but there's a complication. He only cares about going to Sorcerer's World. Man, I hope he doesn't shed like Strata in L.E.G.I.O.N.
• XS using the cosmic treadmill to warn someone
• A new Green Lantern Legionnaire 

Well, that story coulda been told in two pages.

Adventure Comics #2 or 505

It's Long Live the Legion, part two: Lightning Lad. Gotta say that I like the title. Writer Geoff Johns is joined by Michael Shoemaker and it's Clayton Henry on art.

We begin with Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl talking about something they have to tell Lightning Lad. They compare Garth to his twin sister, Ayla (Lightning Lass) and make the cryptic comment that not everyone from Winath is a twin. And that they have to tell him.

What do they have to tell him? Garth and Ayla's brother, the villain Lightning Lord (or Mekt) is offering a trade. Mekt will give the locations of the Legion of Super-Villains' safehouses for a meeting with his brother.

Since that's an easy decision to make, Garth heads to the new Takron-Galtos. Unfortunately, he finds out that Legionnaires no longer have full clearance. So, even though this makes no sense, Garth is able to get into general population when he finds this out. Storm Boy makes a rude comment and Lightning Lad zaps him, calling him a reject.

In case you're wondering, Takron Galtos now looks like any prison from the 21st Century, with bars and cells and angry looking guards. Guards that are stunningly incompetent as they let Garth just walk up and assault a prisoner. 

After getting clearance, he heads to Mekt's cell. Mekt is standing, his arms spread wide in a Jesus Christ pose, his hands in shackles that prevent him from using his electrical powers. You would think a they'd have a better prison system in the 31st Century, wouldn't you?

Why does Mekt want to see him? He wants Garth's help. Before he explains how, we get the usual two pages of "Woe is me, I don't have a twin and I feel alone" that I was really glad they got rid of in both the Reboot and Threeboot Legion.

Then Mekt drops the bombshell - their father lied. Mekt has a twin. And he wants Garth to find him. So Lightning Lad goes back home to Winath.

I think I've said this before, but I really, really, really don't like this new personality for Garth. Okay, he's hot-headed. Okay, he's short-tempered. But now he's just an ass who the Legion should never send anywhere. I mean, even Wildfire has better control of his emotions. They've completely tossed out any character growth he enjoyed and turned him into a jerk.

Also, and I'm just going to say this to continue my "this is not the OG Legion" thread: Where are the kids? I'm assuming they've been written out of this version. To be honest, I'm not even sure Garth and Imra are married in this version of the Legion. 

To end on a positive note, I've really enjoyed Henry's artwork on these stories. Yes, his characters are a little thick and overly muscular, and their faces are especially wide, but he's captured the feel of the Legion and the storytelling is quite good. If I was going to compare him to anyone, I'd say that his work is very reminiscent of early Dave Gibbons artwork.

Thoughts? Please let me know what you think in the comments here or on Reddit! 

I've got a little teaser here - if you're not currently listening to the Long Live the Legion podcast, you need to check out next week's episode. We have a great interview with someone who's currently working at DC Comics and we talk all things Legion. If you're not subscribed yet, please do so anywhere you normally find your podcast entertainment.