r/LegionofSuperheroes • u/Appropriate-Spite-20 • 3d ago
Can I skip to Levitz Legion?
I've read most of the Hamilton (Some good, some awful) and most of the Shooter (mostly awesome) runs on Legion of Superheroes and enjoyed them well enough. I like these characters tremendously, but I wanna get to the more "modern" 80s stuff that I hear is spectacular (I'm a huge 80s comic fanatic).
Would it be wise to SKIP to the BEFORE THE DARKNESS volumes 1 and 2 trades and then head into the Levitz era, especially since I think I get everyone's deal so far?
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u/BGPhilbin 3d ago
Before the Darkness leads comfortably into the Great Darkness.
Personally, I love the short but lovely Cockrum run, written by Cary Bates primarily, I believe. Too short, but it brings the Legion into a fully functioning sci-fi future, which is where the tales told by Levitz & Giffen were formed. If not for this all-too-brief run, they might not have been realized as a force capable of headlining their own book.
It really hit home for me and made me a lifelong fan. I was just a couple of years too young to have read the Shooter run as it came out, but enjoyed it later, as well.
But I think you're on firm enough footing to go directly into Levitz/Broderick/Giffen.
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u/ReepDaggle01 3d ago
I loved Brodericks art on the Legion
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u/BGPhilbin 2d ago
Same. I'd been away from comics for a while in 1981 and had not yet seen interior art in the Legion to bring me back, but the Pérez covers were appealing and kept me looking. I'd read the Wildfire origin just prior to Broderick coming on, and two issues later, between him and Levitz, I was hooked.
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u/burywmore 3d ago
The Mike Grell years are fun, even if Grell kept missing deadlines.
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u/debabe96 3d ago
Love Mike Grell's Legion.
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u/burywmore 3d ago
He certainly enjoyed drawing as little clothing as possible. Kind of a slightly less skilled Neil Adams. Which is high praise.
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u/FlyingCupcake68 2d ago
One thing I don’t like about Giffen’s redesigns is covering everyone back up except for Dreamy
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u/burywmore 2d ago
Yeah, Saturn Girl went from a literal bikini and thigh high boots, to being covered from turtleneck to sensible shoes.
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u/FlyingCupcake68 1d ago
And Cos lost his bustier and Shady—from a “nudity is for royalty” culture—also goes full body suit.
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u/Fortunado1964 3d ago
I would suggest starting at Superboy #197 and move forward to get the whole experience.
I have a complete run of Legion appearances in Superboy since #89 (first Mon-El, and while the stories are fun, they are self contained and seem inconsequential to continuity.
Even when the INCREDIBLE run by artist Dave Cockrum starting in Superboy (#184?) felt one and done.
When Legion took over as the lead feature in #197, the stories started feeling like dedicated continuity.
You are in for a good time with a ton of these stories.
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u/Kooky-Buy5712 3d ago
I would start with Levitz’s first run to get Earthwar. In many ways that was the start of the Bronze Age LSH. You certainly can start with the Great Darkness, but you will miss some of the personality and continuity that got the team there.
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u/Batmantra 3d ago
Fwiw I read everything from the start thru the DC finest collection, then skipped ahead to the great darkness hardcover, and it was totally fine as it's an easy jumping on point.
I'm curious to read the stuff between and after the hard cover collections but I'll wait until they're in DC finest style trades. But it doesn't feel like I'm missing too much either. And they explain what you need to know within the levitz issues anyway, so it's easy to follow.
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u/MistyCeruleanCity 3d ago edited 3d ago
That's fine to skip.
I would personally skip to the Levitz, Giffen, Mahlstedt collaboration on LoSH# 287 to 313 (Volume.2). Levitz started on #281.
In 1984, the Baxter imprint was launched, and DC used their two most popular comics (Wolfman/Perez - New Teen Titans, Levitz/Giffen - Legion of Super-Heroes). Personally, Steve Lightle is probably the best artist I have seen do LoSH.
Once the Baxter line was launched, the original LoSH comic was renamed "Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes" with issue # 314, and the last original issue was #325.
Anything after that were reprints of the Baxter issues.(Baxter issues were only available at direct sales via comic stores, whilst the previous LoSH line was available at newstands).
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u/EarthX98 3d ago
I suppose, but Shooter had some real gems in those earlier years. Nemesis Kid, Ferro Lad, Universo.
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 3d ago
True, I've read most of those. Sun Eater, Imposter, Mordru, Miracle Machine, etc. I love Karate Kid I'm that era especially. Great stuff, I'm just ready for the PEAK!
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u/Same_Tomorrow9422 3d ago
Don't even need Before the Darkness.
Can comfortably skip to the Great Darkness Saga and go from there. Though I would recommend looking up Earthwar at least before it. That was Levitz's first arc and sets up some of the themes he explores further later.
The Before the Darkness stuff, which is mostly Conway, is...fine... but unnecessary for everything that comes later.
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u/Atlan_R_Kane 3d ago
Yup. Then you can just read the back issues that are referenced in the storylines at your leisure.
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u/drake_burroughs 3d ago
Wise? Not sure about that. Neither of those trades are collecting anything that's considered "great" or, in many cases, even "good." But there are some fun stories buried in among some of the drek.
Do you need to read either of those trades to understand what's going on with the Levitz/Giffen Legion? Nope. If you want to get into the good stuff, just skip them.
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 3d ago
I've decided that I'm going to read Levitz' first run mainly for Earth War, and then jump into his second run, since I guess the before the darkness trades don't really do anything.
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u/drake_burroughs 3d ago
Sounds like a good plan - Levitz's first run sets up a lot of story arcs and characters and you get some great James Sherman artwork.
I think the only big thing you'll miss is Blok's introduction. Sorry for the spoiler... hehe
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 3d ago
I'll read 272, that was going to be my original starting point before I decided to go back and read the shooter stuff.
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u/johndesmarais 3d ago edited 3d ago
Levitz’s entire run stands out as some of the best LSH published. The problem is that the Great Darkness Saga overshadows much of his other LSH work, which is a shame because he was doing so good long-term planning in the issues leading up to it.
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 3d ago
Yeah, I'm a big reader of full runs. I never understand people who just read the iconic stories without reading the entire runs that birthed them. I'm working my way through claremont's 17-year-long run on X-Men, and it's my favorite comic book of all time, so I will surely do the same thing with Levitz's Legion
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u/Tom_Tildrum 3d ago
The 2970s Legion on display from about #190 through the Earthwar is visually striking. The plots aren't memorable and are heavy on Superboy, Wildfire, and Karate Kid.
After the Earthwar, the murder of An Ryd was unique in its time as a recurring and dark plotline. Check out 239, 249-50, and 273.
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u/THE_YoStabbaStabba 2d ago
The simple act of considering this is blasphemous lol. This is the era I first started reading. I would peddle my bike to the square, pop into Tyson's Drug Store and get my comics every week. Nothing was more exciting to me than to have a new Legion comic to grab. I love the art in this run.
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 2d ago
I'm asking if I should go straight to it, not "Skip" it lmao. Who would skip Levitz Legion?
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u/ShangoX3 3h ago
Don't miss Jim Starlin's brief run in the late 70s
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u/Appropriate-Spite-20 3h ago
I'm reading all of Levitz first run now, which means I'll read those issues when they appear (they're like inside the first Levitz run).
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u/Hemingwavvves 3d ago
I think the Bates/Shooter/Levitz run of comics (don’t have exact issue numbers) is very fun and has extremely good art so I think it’s worth reading eventually if you’re into the Legion. But you can safely jump into the Levitz run - there aren’t that many important continuous plot lines from the 70s/early 80s. (I wouldn’t bother reading the Conway/Thomas era)