Superman: The Triangle Era omnibus ships next week. It comprises Superman #49-64, Adventures of Superman #472-486, Action Comics #659-673 and Superman: The Man of Steel #1-8. It is named for the sequential numbering of the four regular series which appeared inside a little triangle on the covers at the time, making "Superman" essentially a weekly series. That's all well and good, but it seems an arbitrary method for delineating the beginning of a collection, especially considering that the so-called "triangle era" didn't actually begin until Superman #51, seven issues in to the collection. What's more, it leaves a gap of 34 issues of Superman continuity (Action Comics #647-658, Superman #38-48 and Adventures of Superman #461-471) from the point at which the Superman: The Exile & Other Stories omnibus ended. that gap had some good stories in it, too: "The Brainic Trilogy," "The Day of the Krypton Man" and "Dark Knight Over Metropolis" to name a few. That's enough for another omnibus in the future, but why not release them in order?
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I've read the first few parts of "Time and Time Again" now, and it's a blast. A Linear Man (although we haven't been introduced to the organization yet, so for all we know he's THE Linear Man) comes back to the 20th century to return Booster Gold to his proper time, and Superman gets between them... and blown up into the timesteam. First he goes to the future, and meets the nascent Legion of Superheroes, soon after they form. He asks them about his future, and how things turn out for him -- not for himself, as we discover, but because he wants to reassure Lois that he'll age with her, which is a really nice character beat. Nonetheless, they don't tell him (and likely don't know; he's a legend to the 30th century, more than a fact) and he get's exploded again. He lands in New York City in 1943, travels with a circus for a while, saves FDR from an assassination, and almost meets the Justice Society except the Spectre prevents him, in order to preserve the timestream. Then he gets shunted to Poland in 43, and saves some Jewish prisoners of the Nazis (and tangles with Mr. Z -- Superman's second time, Z's first). Jerry Ordway takes a lot of care with this one.
Then Clark is exploded again, and from what he next issue's cover reveals, he'll be going to a later Legion era!
It's interesting -- it looks like Stern and Ordway are taking the opportunity to trake Superman through history, and Jurgens is more interested in him meeting the Legion in the future. Two different flavors in one fun story!
On page three of The Adventures of Superman #476, Lois wonders, "What on Earth will out life together be like? How can I know what to expect?" It's too bad she doesn't have access to the pre-Crisis "Imaginary Stories" published in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #19, 20, 23 & 25 (see "Imaginary Stories on Infinite Earths" thread) or she might have some idea. Although those were stories "that may never come true, but then again may," it looks as if they are about to.
First he goes to the future, and meets the nascent Legion of Superheroes, soon after they form.
Although the Legionnaires were adults in the concurrent Legion of Super-Heroes in 1991, this scene does have a published crossover counterpart, Back in the days when we regularly submitted quizzes on this board, I posted a LSH one that covered the entire history of the team. (This would have been about 20 years ago.) I knew that this issue crossed over, but I couldn't quite remember where, and it took me about a week to track it down. After I verified the answer, I posted the quiz (I thought it was the most difficult question, frankly)... and Bob answered it within a half hour! Does anyone here today know the answer?
Oh, wow! I had no idea -- with the Legion currently in their 5YL period, it would either have to be in issue 7 (a flashback to their origin), an issue of Secret Origins (which I think had ceased publication a few years before), or an older take that Jurgens dovetailed Superman into. If it's a contemporary (and intentional) crossover, I've got no idea where it would have appeared.
...it would either have to be in issue 7... an issue of Secret Origins... or an older tale that Jurgens dovetailed Superman into...
Not necessarily.
Here's a hint: Avengers #71.
(The first hint was that I posted the quiz 20 years ago.)
Hmm... sound like the tie-in is the retrofit then -- from the Waid/Kitson Legion? That came out in 2005. I haven't read that in ages. Maybe there's a flashback to the Legion's early days in there, but I don't know what issue it happened in.
Yer gettin' warmer, Doc.
Just to clarify, I didn't say the issue in question came out 20 years ago; I said I posted the question 20 years ago.
A few more hints...
Q: When did the pre-Crisis Superboy first meet the LSH?
A: Adventure Comics #247
Q: When did the post-Crisis Superman first meet the LSH?
A: Superman #8
Q: When did the post-Crisis Superman first meet the post-Zero Hour LSH?
A: The Adventures of Superman #476
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