A Comic a Day - Box 4

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

As we are about to embark one the next box of my unread comics, I would like to thank all of you who come to read and/or comment on these threads. When I first started this project back in July 2006  (really?) on the old board I never thought I would even make it through the first box. The threads have helped keep me semi-honest here.

I'm pretty excited about this upcoming box. It is a very eclectic mix of comics. There are a bunch of my old standbys. Like Legion comics, Daredevil, Marvel Team-up, war comics. There is a ton of other stuff like '80s black and white comics, some Kirby, a touch of Vertigo. I don't know how much will inspire me to write about, and if it does others to comment, but I am looking forward to it.

I'm really stoked to have you with me. Let's get it on!

[Figserello]

I enjoy these.  Are there some Fourth World in the Fourth Box?

 

Am I the only one who reads your reviews of comics I haven't read yet through half-closed eyes, so that I don't read any Spoilers? 

 

Probably!  |-)

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

Adventure Comics #328
Jan 1965
Cover art by: Curt Swan & George Klein

Story: The Lad Who Wrecked the Legion!
Writer: Jerry Siegel
Art: Jim Mooney

Ah another box, and that usually means we begin with a Legion story. This time Command Kid has weaseled his way onto the Legion roster. He is actually a demon spirit who can be ousted out of the real kid's body with gold. He tricks a bunch of other Legionnaires to take a pill that will give them more “power” after Command Kid upstages them. He also fools Ultra Boy, Mon-El, and Superboy into leaving. Saturn Girl  and Element Lad save the day. This part of the story was pretty good, but there were a few more interesting bits going on.

First, we get a little tour of the Legion HQ. The group has a device called the Ancestor-Visualizer Machine that projects a person's ancestors on a screen, these ancestors are buried in your subconscious. Pretty heady stuff really. To think that everyone who came before me are in my mind, and they are part and parcel to what makes me who I am. Next, we have a Rogue Room that has android versions of some the Legion's toughest opponents, and I guess they fight each other. Finally, on the tour we reach the Celestial Chamber. A room that has accurate models of each member's home world. Well outside of the fact that each planet has said Legionnaire's face, name, and name of the planet stenciled on it. Outside of that, totally accurate!

One last thing on this story. Bouncing Boy has his powers returned to him by Superboy. Oh, joy he can finally return to active duty! Except it only lasts a few moments. Superboy promises he is working on a permanent solution (Sure he is). You can almost see the tears welling up in Chuck's eyes has he sulks away.

There is also a reprint from Superboy #36, The Man Who Knew Superboy's Identity! Which was just a plot by Pa Kent to keep Clark away from Smallville while they planned a surprise birthday party for him. The jerk shoe is on the other foot this time Superboy!

[The Baron]

For some reason, Ultra Boy's positioning on that cover makes me laugh out loud. You can tell he's just had the living crap beat out of him. The only thing it misses is a quavery little word balloon saying, "No, no, I'll be fine...."  and then a smaller one next to it saying "Help me..."

[Philip Portelli]

Command Kid was one of several characters who joined (or was allowed to join) the Legion for evil purposes. Though he was the new guy, he managed to have several members expelled! And no one questioned him! And he did it while sneering the entire time! Actually it was a lot like Dream Girl's first appearance* except without the good intentions or the hot chick!

I always wondered if he should be included on a list of Legionnaires but I don't think that he ever returned like Nemesis Kid.

*He even targetted Star Boy!

[Kirk G]

That's funny!

The Baron said:

For some reason, Ultra Boy's positioning on that cover makes me laugh out loud. You can tell he's just had the living crap beat out of him. The only thing it misses is a quavery little word balloon saying, "No, no, I'll be fine...."  and then a smaller one next to it saying "Help me..."

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

It would've been hard for him to return since he was powered by the demon. Then I got to thinking: what if that was his power. Command Kid commands demons, spirits, aliens, or whatever who can't manifest physically here, and he gets different powers based on what is possessing him at the time.

Philip Portelli said:

Command Kid was one of several characters who joined (or was allowed to join) the Legion for evil purposes. Though he was the new guy, he managed to have several members expelled! And no one questioned him! And he did it while sneering the entire time! Actually it was a lot like Dream Girl's first appearance* except without the good intentions or the hot chick!

I always wondered if he should be included on a list of Legionnaires but I don't think that he ever returned like Nemesis Kid.

*He even targetted Star Boy!

[Luke Blanchard]

It's reportedly the case that in the period the covers of the Super-books were often devised before the stories. I wonder if in this case the cover and title came first; the cover suggests the "lad" is Superboy.

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

Adventure Comics #329
Feb. 1965
Cover art by: Curt Swan & George Klein

Story: The Bizarro-Legion!
Writer: Jerry Siegel
Art: Jim Mooney

A rare treat, well for me, as we get back to back issues of a series. This issue we have Bizarro appear and try to join the Legion. The Legionnaires rebuff him, with Superboy telling him that his powers just copy his own. I wonder if this were everyone gets the bit of not allowing people with powers who duplicate someone else? Bizarro then flies home to his own planet, Bizarro World and decides to create his own Legion. He points his duplicator ray at a picture of the Legion and this creates a bizarro copy of the rest of legion. Quite a powerful device, indeed.

We get bizarros like Invisible Kid who turns invisible, and his clothes don't. Chameleon Boy who turns into a crying hyena, and likes that form so much he refuses to change back. You get the idea

Well this Bizarro Legion begins to perform acts of “good” across the galaxy that the regular Legion has to clean up. This eventually prompts the Legion to confront the Bizarros. Once the Legion arrives the Bizarros tell them that unless they surrender they will kill Superboy with a kryptonite ray gun. The Legionnaires agree. When Superboy arrives they want him to turn diamonds into coal. He tells them if he does, so they will have to disband. They agree, and Superboy miraculously performs the act. We then learn that Element Lad surreptitiously did the deed himself. Bizarro Superboy is relieved that his team was disbanded as it was too much work for him.

Not a bad story really. This story is also of note as Brainiac 5 introduces his newest creation: the Legion Flight Ring! Enabling the Legion to get rid of the bulky flight belts. There is one thing that really nagged at me. How in the world did Bizarro get to the 30th century? It is never asked by anyone nor addressed in the story at all. How?!? How did he time travel?!?

Also in this comic there is a Superboy reprint from Superboy #58. What I really liked about the art from John Sielka is that Superboy looks like a boy. Maybe 10-11 years old. Here someone advertises that Superboy will commit 100 acts of super strength that he has never done before. He knew nothing of it, but does agree to undertake the exploits once the publisher agree to donate some of the profit to charity. A fun little read.

[Luke Blanchard]

Presumably the Bizarro-Superboy in the story is one of many young Bizarros from Bizarro World, which has survived down to the 30th century. In Silver Age continuity Bizarro No. 1 wasn't a Superboy-Bizarro grown up, but duplicated by Luthor from the adult Superman. (The Superboy Bizarro who appeared in Superboy #68 was destroyed at the end of the story.)

 

 

 

[Philip Portelli]

Many consider this one of the weaker Legion stories during its Adventure Comics run with another link to the Superman mythos.

When Color Kid turned the Green Kryptonite cloud that engulfed the entire Earth to Blue Kryptonite in Adventure #351, it ensured no more Bizarro visits!

Is it just me or is Element Lad's costume colored wrong?

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

I thought the story had a certain charm to it myself. I think Element Lad's costume should be a lighter shade than it is. Closer to pink, right?

Thanks, for the info Luke. It was irritating. Well to me.

[Philip Portelli]

I just checked (finally)! Element Lad is miscolored. His trunks and boots should be pink(ish) and the leggings white. Plus his "E" emblem should be a solid black, not white.

Bizarros are charming in small doses!