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Paul Levitz
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Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga Paperback – February 18, 2014

by Paul Levitz (Author), Keith Giffen (Illustrator), Larry Mahlstedt (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 204 ratings
See all formats and editions
The godlike Darkseid emerges in the 30th century with an ingenious plot to finally conquer the universe in Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen's timeless Legion of Super-Heroes epic!

Using his faithful minions to acquire all of the mystic artifacts of the time, Darkseid gains mental control over a race of three billion all-powerful beings. Now, as their universe teeters on the edge of Armageddon, the Legion of Super-Heroes amass their own army of every champion who ever held the status of Legionnaire to stand against the Dark Lord and his invincible soldiers. But as the Legion suffers defeat after defeat, they realize that salvation and victory rest in the hands of a mysterious baby that has aged into adulthood before their very eyes!

This is the perfect edition of the classic Levitz storyline that was decades ahead of its time and still stands as one of DC's most enthralling superhero tales! Collects LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #284-296 and ANNUAL #1.
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  1. Part of Series
    Legion of Super-Heroes (1980-1989)
  2. Print length
    397 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Dc Comics
  5. Publication date
    February 18, 2014
  6. Dimensions
    6.7 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1401244165
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1401244163
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Levitz entered comics in 1971 as editor of The Comic Reader, the first comics newszine, which won two Best Fanzine Comic Art Fan Awards. He has received the Inkpot Award and the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award and serves on the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund board. Levitz is known for his writing, including an acclaimed run on the Legion of Super-Heroes, a series to which he's returned. On staff from 1973, Levitz was DC's youngest editor ever, ultimately becoming publisher in 1989 and president and publisher from 2002 to 2009.

Keith Giffen has provided plotting, scripting, artwork, or any combination thereof for titles such as All-Star Comics, Legion Of Super-Heroes, Ragman, Creeper, Lobo, Suicide Squad, The Defenders, Hero Squared!, and Ambush Bug. He's worked on the weekly series 52 and Countdown to Final Crisis, as well as 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen and Midnighter, plus a gazillion other things.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dc Comics (February 18, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 397 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1401244165
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1401244163
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.58 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 204 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Paul Levitz

Paul Levitz

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Paul Levitz was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1956, and entered the comics industry in 1971 as editor/publisher of The Comic Reader, the first mass-circulation fanzine devoted to comics news. He continued to publish TCR for three years, winning two consecutive annual Comic Art Fan Awards for Best Fanzine. His other fan activities included editing the program books for several of Phil Seuling’s legendary New York Comic Art Conventions,. He received Comic-con International’s Inkpot Award in 2002, the prestigious Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award in 2008, and the Comics industry Appreciation Award from ComicsPro (the trade association of comic shop retailers) in 2010. Levitz also serves on the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Levitz is primarily known for his work for DC Comics, where he has written most of their classic characters including the Justice Society, Superman in both comics and the newspaper strip, and an acclaimed run on The Legion of Super-Heroes, a series he’s recently returned to write. Readers of The Buyers’ Guide voted his Legion: The Great Darkness Saga one of the 20 best comic stories of the last century, and visitors to the site comicbookresources.com selected the same story as #11 of the Top 100 Comic Book Stories of All Time. DC Comics has just issued a new hardcover edition of Legion: The Great Darkness Saga, which made the New York Times' Graphic Books Bestseller List.

Cumulatively, Levitz has written over 300 stories with sales of over 25 million copies, and translations into over 20 languages. As a DC staffer from 1973, Levitz was an assistant editor, the company’s youngest editor ever, and in a series of business capacities, became Executive Vice President & Publisher in 1989 and then served as President & Publisher from 2002-2009. He continues as a Contributing Editor, but is now concentrating on his writing.

His current writing projects include Taschen’s 75 YEARS OF DC COMICS: THE ART OF MODERN MYTHMAKING, which the LA Times praised for "its colossal ambitions, insights and collected rarities" and the NY Times called "richly conceived history."

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
204 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the stories good, timeless, and dynamic. They appreciate the art quality and value for money. Readers also say the book is a large collection of comics for the price and a must-buy for every comics fan.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Story qualityArt qualityValue for moneyContinuity
24 customers mention "Story quality"21 positive3 negative

Customers find the stories good, timeless, and dynamic. They also describe the book as a fun classic tale with at least 400 pages of action, intrigue, horror, and suspense.

"...hardcover includes at least 400 pages of action, intrigue, horror and suspense, along with stunning art from a variety of pencillers that bring the..." Read more

"...This collection is highly recommended. The stories are wonderful, and have never looked better. The colors simply pop off the page...." Read more

"...for even new fans to start their reading experience as the story here is fairly direct (considering the groups long history) and anyone can enjoy it..." Read more

"One of the absolute finest storylines of this this long-lasting DC title...." Read more

12 customers mention "Art quality"12 positive0 negative

Customers praise the artwork and writing as excellent. They also say the story is not bad.

"...400 pages of action, intrigue, horror and suspense, along with stunning art from a variety of pencillers that bring the Legion's 30th century..." Read more

"...The stories are wonderful, and have never looked better. The colors simply pop off the page. This is a must-buy for every comics fan...." Read more

"...Hooked me completely. A very serious toned story with great art. It was fun experiencing it again...." Read more

"...The art is also very good. George Perez kind of good. Old school but good. Plus you can see costume and hair style changes. Unique!...." Read more

4 customers mention "Value for money"4 positive0 negative

Customers say the book is worth the money. They also say it's a large collection of comics for the price and a must-have for every comics fan.

"...The colors simply pop off the page. This is a must-buy for every comics fan. Long Live The Legion!" Read more

"...The stories are classics and worth the money." Read more

"...Well worth it!" Read more

"Good produce with a solid feel to the book. It is a large collection of comics for the price...." Read more

3 customers mention "Continuity"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the continuity of the comics not very good. They say it doesn't hold up over time and has them skipping issues.

"...the amount of prequel issues seemed excessive to me and had me skipping issues and checking if I was reading the correct collection...." Read more

"DC has good material, but the problem with their comics is not very good continuity, otherwise, great story arcs." Read more

"Did not hold up over time..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Darklongbox
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest DC Universe stories ever told
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
Much like what the Dark Phoenix saga over at Marvel did for the X-Men, so did The Great Darkness Saga elevate The Legion of Superheroes to a level of excellence in the early eighties that rival comics would find hard to match. Of course, much of the story-line's success should be attributed to writer Paul Levitz, who went on to become possibly the greatest scribe to ever pen the Legion. This mammoth hardcover includes at least 400 pages of action, intrigue, horror and suspense, along with stunning art from a variety of pencillers that bring the Legion's 30th century setting to vivid life. As a bonus extra comics were included from before and after the main story that gives new readers a pleasant introduction to a wide variety of interesting superheroes. In total it collects 13 Legion issues, from #284 to 296 of the first series, including a massive annual filled with pulse-pounding superhero battles.

Even with all the awesome extra material, the main story is the real diamond that, in my humble opinion, should be read by every comic book fan on the planet. Not only does it feature one of the most dangerous villains in the DC Universe (trust me, even newcomers to the Legion would know him), but it also contains in-depth character development of all the individual Legionnaires, no small feat when a writer has to juggle dozens of characters. Superboy, Supergirl, Karate Kid, Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Invisible Kid, Blok, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Wildfire, Dawnstar...all of them and many more become characters you care about once the stakes are raised and the universe threatens to go BOOM.

As an earlier reviewer mentioned, the only critique that could apply to this collection is the blatant reveal by the publishers and online stores of the main villain's identity that left readers of the original comics flabbergasted 30 years ago. The entire Saga was originally written with the sole intention of keeping the mystery baddie's identity secret until the very end. However, just one look at the image solicited by Amazon on the product page gives away that revelation that I so enjoyed as a kid reading LSH #293 in my dad's study ages ago.

In spite of this, this collection still garners 5 stars. It is simply one of the greatest comic book stories ever printed. Buy it, and I'm sure you'll agree.
42 people found this helpful
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Dr Doom72
5.0 out of 5 stars Back To The Future With The Legion!
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
In 1982, Paul Levitz took over writing duties on DC Comics' "The Legion Of Super Heroes" for the second time. The result made comics history. Under Levitz's pen, the Legion soared as never before, or since. Fully embracing a cast of over twenty main characters, innumerable supporting players, and an array of locales as vast as space itself, Levitz turned the Legion into one of DC's top titles. Only "The New Teen Titans" rivaled it for sales and acclaim. With penciler Keith Giffen, he found the ideal partner to illustrate his vision of the 30th century. Giffen's sure hand gave life to a fantastical array of otherworldly creations. This volume, which collects issues 284-296 and Annual #1, allows the reader to experience the renaissance of the Legion as it happened.

These issues are famous for including "The Great Darkness Saga". That story arc is notable for molding Darkseid into the preeminent villain of the DC Universe. Previously, his appearances were confined to stories where The New Gods played a central role. After his appearance in "Legion" he began popping up everywhere, including the "Super Friends" cartoon show!

The Legion themselves are portrayed as individuals, whereas before they were often depicted as heroes with little personality. The stories are packed with multiple plots in each issue. Some are resolved quickly, while others fester for a while before reaching their ultimate conclusion. In fact, many sub-plots introduced in this volume are not completed at all. Hopefully, DC will continue to release the Levitz era issues in future volumes.

This collection is highly recommended. The stories are wonderful, and have never looked better. The colors simply pop off the page. This is a must-buy for every comics fan. Long Live The Legion!
7 people found this helpful
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I. M. Nobody
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condition
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
Book is in excellent condition. A little beaten up but it’s just as described by the seller.
That’s to be expected for a used book, an out of print on at that.
I would buy from these folks again.
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Byron Velander
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story, bit too much lead in
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019
Verified Purchase
This storyline is one of the first I read when I started collecting comics. Hooked me completely. A very serious toned story with great art. It was fun experiencing it again. However, the amount of prequel issues seemed excessive to me and had me skipping issues and checking if I was reading the correct collection. There were just the smallest bits of detail to contribute. I guess if you’re obsessive about completeness that’s a good thing. For me, until I hit the main issues, it was boring. Almost want to give this three stars as a judgment upon the collection rather than the saga but it holds a sway over my mind.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mariano Aragon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente Compra
Reviewed in Mexico on March 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
Contiene muchas historias originales. Muy bueno a mi parecer. Si te gusntan las historias de esa época, es una excelente opción
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EDSON SOARES
5.0 out of 5 stars Sensacional!
Reviewed in Brazil on October 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Enredo 10, uma estória a frente do seu tempo! Na época (1982) não havia cultura de estórias seqüenciais, além de muito bem escrita e desenhada! A versão nacional deveria ter as 200 páginas a mais que esta edição traz, mostraria o verdadeiro ambiente e o prelúdio do que a Legião viria a enfrentar!
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akarsh_shekhar
5.0 out of 5 stars The darkness is coming for you!
Reviewed in India on August 4, 2017
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My only gripe with this collected edition, is the spoiler on the cover. This is by far one of the greatest comic book stories ever. Made me a fan of the Legion of Superheroes. Epic and glorious, with incredible build ups and a throroughly satisfying climax.
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C. J. Simmons
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best storylines in comics, ever!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is one of the most well-known story lines I collected when I was in my teens. It was a very big story for a title that had a bumpy ride in the world of comics. However, this is their best. It features nearly every Legionnaire and Darkseid. What more could you ask for? Enjoy!
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Jay
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best plot arcs in the history of ever.
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
Initially, like many younger fans of the comic genre, I automatically threw this book to the side on seeing its 1984 artwork. Having been used to the modern stylish and more realistic definition of comics today I was not amused at the artwork of this book. However, as I began to read more and more of the Great Darkness Saga, I learned soon enough that not only were the visuals perfect for the story itself, but that the story was by and large one of the most immersive and enjoyable reads i've ever had with a comic. Not only did Paul Levitz take D.C's most diabolical villain into the 31st century, he left a great level of mystery and foreshadowing before to create a story full to the brim with suspense and intrigue.

The plots that the legionnaires live in this comic are also so wonderful. It's hard to balance a character roster of 10 members in the justice league, but the legion is composed of up to 25 members at a time, and yet Levitz is able to not only put them into solid teams where they can play off each other, but he also makes intertwining romances, drama and relationships build between these 31st century aliens and humans SO WELL.

The Great Darkness Saga is by far one of the best if not the BEST reads in comics i've ever had the pleasure of reading. It is so rich with wonderful characters, relationships, drama, the ultimate arch villain, mystery, and of course a whole lot of fighting. This is definitely the greatest work of Paul Levitz's career (curse is a definitely a good one too) and it has made me a lifelong fan of the Legion of Superheroes. If you're thinking about buying a great comic full of days of reading, then this is DEFINITELY the comic for you. Looks may be deceiving, so give it a little bit of time to warm up, but once it moves past the first story, it really picks up.

LONG LIVE THE LEGION! (haha im a dork)
4 people found this helpful
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