Customer Reviews

Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Vol. 3 (DC Archive Editions)

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The third volume of the Legion of Super-Heroes Archives shows the kids picking up a little momentum in their stories beginning with the shadowy first appearance of the Time Trapper and the addition of some interesting new characters, such as Dev-Em and the Heroes of Lallor. The silly character of Bouncing Boy is also deflated as a nice added touch. The stories still rely too heavily on the surprise gimmick which gives an interesting cover, such as the concept of the girl Legionnaires attempting the kill the boys, but result in a rather silly conclusion. Also, the writers still did very little characterization so there is little difference between the various members. That would come with later authors. But this volume is interesting and it shows growth from the previous volume.

For years it has puzzled me that the Legion of Super-heroes was a comic that I enjoyed when I was very young yet when I reread those stories now I find them dull and sillier than most. After thinking about it I have come to the conclusion that it is due to the hero worship of teenagers in your vicinity. When you are young, adults are still a mystery, going about their lives earning a living, paying the bills and keeping things in order. However, the teenagers are close enough to your age and activities that they interact with you, seem capable of doing things beyond your capabilities and are full of vigor. Parents have become an annoyance but it is still OK to worship teens as heroes.
The Legion of Super-heroes is a club, with rules of membership, rites of passage, a cool clubhouse, has elected leaders and is composed of teenagers. When I was young, my friends and I were always building forts and creating clubs (gangs) with rules, and other children my age did the same. It was us against the world as we battled the "bad guys of the day" using our powerful weapons and abilities. In many ways, we were a version of the Legion of Super-heroes.
This fantasy was expressed in the comic Legion of Super-heroes where a group of teenagers, each with a super power, has banded together to guard the universe against a host of evil threats. Their adventures are set in the 30th century, a time of great scientific and technical achievement. Superboy and Supergirl are also members as they travel forward into the future on occasion. All of the characters are noble, self-sacrificing idealists with attractive bodies and only a few well-regulated faults and weaknesses.
I read most of these stories when they were first published, I must confess that I was more interested in the girls, especially Saturn Girl with her flowing blonde hair and full lips. The most interesting feature of the stories was the regular introduction of new characters with new powers that could fire my imagination. When reading them now after decades of change in the comics industry, the dialog seems simplistic and childish, which is no doubt why they have remained so popular over the years, as they fire the imagination of the child.

I'm 53 years old and I've always remebered about DC magazines I bought during chilhood in Argentina. Some time ago I decided to get those as many as possible but I didn't find where to buy them. Then I enter at Amazon.com and, with a huge pleasant of myself, I found all those magazines availables. I'm very happy to have them again and read them. Hardcopy edition is really wonderful.

Thank you Amazon.com,

Jorge Freigedo

Way back when, back when I was a kid, these were the stories that I rushed down to the local drug store to buy after scrounging for old pop bottles to come up with the necessary 12 cents that would whisk me off into the 30th century. Geat stuff and a trip back to my youth.