Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes

by Geoff Johns

Book Overview

When he was a boy, Clark Kent was brought to the future by the Legion of Super-Heroes, the galaxy-spanning super-teen-team. Now he has been summoned once again, only to find the Legion broken and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401219047
• ISBN13: 9781401219048
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.7" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Best Legion Story Since 1985!

This is hands down one of the best Legion of Superhero stories since the heyday of the true Legion way back in the 80s when Paul Levitz was hitting his stride and the title had been launched anew in a "Baxter" edition format, a somewhat strange experiment DC was doing with some best selling titles (the New Teen Titans was another). The basic premise is that in the future, the world has become a place hostile to aliens, and Superman's legacy is perverted when a rogue group of super-villains manages to convince everyone that Superman was a human being and never an alien. Well plotted and deftly scripted, the story bucks modern trends of decompressing for the sake of it - imagine that, something significant happens in each issue. (Yeah, I know, woah!) Although technically appearing in a Superman title, the story is so good as a Legion work that it alone justifies relaunching the Legion under Geoff Johns. The version of the Legion involved here appears to be the original, or "true" Legion, or in other words, the classic Legion before Keith Giffen's ruinous 'Five Year's Later" debacle and any of the doubtful reboots. For that alone, the series stands out, as it appears to take that Legion, the most enduring version created, (probably because it was the original and therefore not a coincidence), and treats them with love. While Johns never really manages to explain how these villains are able to convince the entire Earth of this untruth or how they effectively take over the whole planet, that really isn't so much the point. It's an effective, really fun tale of good old fashioned superheroics, and Johns builds on the mythology of both Superman and the Legion, putting Superman right back into Legion lore where he belongs. And you don't even need to know much about that lore to enjoy the story. If I have any minor irritations with the story, it's that we don't get any explanation for how this Legion manages to still be around while there's a totally different version being published monthly by DC at the time, and the origins of the crystal which sets off the whole villainous plot is never explained. Whether it gets dealt with somewhere else or not, I can't say. Johns also seems to completely ignore the fact that, technically, this Superman has met this Legion before, and you can pick up that story in a trade called 'Superman: Time and Time Again' (a great read as well.) But no one seems to remember it. Finally, what makes this story sing is the exquisite pencilling work of Gary Frank, an artist born to draw Superman if ever I've seen one. He enjoys himiself here, and what we get are six issues of the best Superman work by any artist this decade, and probably since the last one too.

Superman in the 31st Century

For all Legion of Super-Heroes Fans this is a must read, not only becaus it's a great story but it also allow Superman to re-establish his connection to the Legion. After Crisis on Infinite Earths way back in the mid 1980's the DC Universe was reorganized and the character of Superboy was lost in the process; this left the Legion on its own and there werre certainly good stories to be had but the only srories involving Superboy with the Legion were relegated to the Elseworls line which existed outside the continuity of the DC Universe. Even when reading an excelllent Legion story (and there are a lot out there) I always missed Superboy. In Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, which takes place after Infinite Crises, the second reorganization of the DC Universe, Superman is contacted by the Legion for the first time since the 80's. He is brought to the 31st century only to find that Earth's sun is now red and the United Planets are on the verge of war; all because 20th century history has been re-written to say that Superman was actually an Earthman and not an alien. This sets off a wave of xenphobia on Earth and serves as a great reason to bring Superman back to the future. Having Superman back in the 31st century is great but since the sun is now red he has no powers and must rely on a flight ring just to fly and keep up with the Legionaires; however, when he does get his powers back at the end of the story it is a climax worth waiting for. Not only are most of my favorite Legionaires present in this story but Johns has also included some members of the Substitute Legion fighting alongside the Legion and the Man of Steel. Reading this story all the elements of the old Legion are there but with a bit of a twist that only Geoff Johns could have pulled off. This is a must fan of Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

The Stuff Heroes Are Made Of

When I was a kid growing up, the Legion of Super-Heroes was one of my favorite comics ideas. They debuted in issues of SUPERBOY as a group of super teens from the 30th century. At first there was only Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl. But dozens of others joined over the years. I wasn't the only comics fan taken with the idea of a club of teen superheroes. The demand for more adventures with the Legion flooded the offices of DC Comics. Pretty soon, when Superboy was published in Adventure Comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes ran as a back-up feature that eventually pushed the Boy of Steel out of his own comic. The Legion flight rings were totally cool and gave everyone the power of flight. That way each Legionnaire could have his or her own unique power in addition to the ability to fly. Some of the powers were inevitable: Invisible Kid (yeah, you know this one), Ultra Boy (kind of like Superboy only limited to using one power at a time), Chameleon Boy (shape-shifter), Colossal Boy (yep, he grows), Shrinking Violet (yep, she shrinks), and others. Karate Kid came about because Kato was on the Green Hornet and martial arts claimed a lot of attention. Of course, there was always Matter-Eater Lad, who had the super ability to eat anything. Now there's a power to write home about! Anyway, comics fans were consumed with interest in this teen organization. However, as comics turned bleaker, so too did the Legion. We got some really dark stories there for a while. Where the Legion flourished while a colorful, space-crossing, force for good, they tended to languish as teens of retribution and confusion. The Legion just wasn't meant for all that negativity. In my opinion. The Legion is supposed to be about being heroic, larger than life (not just Colossal Boy), and fighting the good fight. Being dark really limited their strengths. Kind of like when the Metal Men went on the run and disguised themselves as humans. Or when the X-Men split up. The Legion came back under Mark Waid in a new incarnation, but just didn't click as well as I'd hoped it would. I liked the issues, but the old vitality just wasn't the same. The comics just weren't as fun. Even though they weren't dark, they were a tad too serious, too incestuous in scope. Geoff Johns is currently writing Action Comics, and he came up with a great story for an arc that became this graphic novel. What if, in the 31st century, the legend of Superman became the thing that suddenly divided the United Planets and nearly resulted in an intergalactic war? Not only that, but Johns finds a way to put the future earth under a red sun, taking Superman's powers away and reducing him just to the flight ring's ability to fly. Would he still be Superman? I was blown away by the concepts, but having watched Johns handle so many characters with aplomb in the past, I knew I was in good hands. The story starts with a simple conceit: that the worlds are polarizing, and Earth has

The Legion Is Back

What can I say? The original Legion of SuperHeroes is back and what a comeback it was. Back in 1986, I was excited for the revamp on Superman and at the same time dismayed they got rid of the Superboy character. It really messed Legion history up to the point where it probably never recovered. I did buy some Legion books in the past 20 years, but it was never the same. In one storyline, Johns brings back all the thrills and excitement of the original Legion. It also happens to be one of the better Superman stories I've read in quite awhile. I don't buy the monthly comics anymore...they're just not worth it. When I do buy a hardcover, it must meet up to the highest of standards and this book does that.

The first of many great storylines to come

This hardcover collects issues originally published in Action Comics #858-863. Writer Geoff Johns teams up with artist Gary Frank to bring the best superman story arc in years. Geoff Johns packs so much into these 6 issues, any normal comic would probably take 10 issues to tell. Johns gives you your money's worth. Artist Gary Frank gives you a very detailed superman comic, combined with Jon Sibal's smooth inks. I have no problem with superman looking like Christopher Reeve in this book. If you are not currently reading Action Comics, this your chance to catch up on your Superman, and to pick up the monthly. As well as Action Comics, you should try reading the monthly Superman, written by James Robinson.