Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Want It Got It TPB: Superboy and LSH's Earthwar

Coming Soon 07/17/18: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2 

Writer: Paul Levitz
Artist: James Sherman and Joe Staton
Publisher: DC Comics (1978)
Includes: Superboy (Legion of Super-Heroes) #241-245

Clipped from Wikipedia: "Earthwar" is a story arc that was published in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes and ran from July to November in 1978. The story arc features the efforts of the Legion of Super-Heroes to halt a massive intergalactic war involving the United Planets, the Khunds, the Dominators, the Dark Circle and the sorcerer Mordru.

Clipped from www.fanzing.com by Rick Bennett:

The Earthwar Saga: In the summer of 1978, I, a young boy of eleven years, read an epic. It wasn't the tale of Homer, or the Odyssey, or Dante's Inferno. It was "The Earthwar Saga". And it truly was epic in scope to me. Levitz's Earthwar Saga was the first truly epic comic book I ever read, both in scope and in the talent that contributed to it. When I first bought the books with James Sherman on the art chores, I was blown away. This was a richness of detail and composition, of subtle shading and coloring that I had never seen before. It established in me a deep and abiding love for crisp, clean art, even more so than the art of the great Mike Grell. This was art that was the precursor the fine quality of the Darkness Saga, art truly ahead of its' time. Then, with the change to Staton, a much simpler standard of quality was the rule. I didn't think too much of it as a boy, but as I re-read these issues, I noticed that I appreciated that the work wasn't drawn to be beautiful. Earth was devastated with destruction and death everywhere. Staton's art reflected this bleakness grandly.Earthwar, in all respects, was a truly fine story, in the opinion of both an eleven year old kid, and the comics fan that he grew up to be.
Fun Fact: At the conclusion of this story arc the Legion overturn the article of the Legion Charter that prohibits married Legionnaires from active duty. Two of it's founding members, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl return, while Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy elect to stay retired.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

DC recently released a hardcover called Superboy And The Legion Of Super-Heroes Volume 1", which picked up right where the abandoned Archives line left off.

Levitz wrote this on his Facebook page back in May of this year just as the book was about to come out:

"Just in, copies of SUPERBOY & THE LEGION Volume 1, a continuation of the Legion's chronological reprints from the Archives series. This volume includes the elusive, never-before reprinted tabloid edition, and issues illustrated by Simonson, Starlin, Grell, Sherman, Nasser and Chaykin...quite a line up.

It's a period when I overcommitted myself as a writer, so there are stories dialogued by others, and a full fill-in by Gerry Conway, but I guess you can watch me learn on the job, and see the build-up to "Earthwar," the first long Legion saga which will headline Volume 2."

Your pal in Milwaukee,
Jim

The Dork said...

Here's crossing fingers. DC has promised books before then failed to deliver :(

Tony Nichols said...

The LOSH Volume 1 cited above is awesome. Printed on softer paper, and at a lower price than the archives, but with an awesome full color hard cover, and dust jacket. Loved it. Can't wait for Vol. 2.

Tony Nichols said...

Amazon says Vol. 2 is released on July 17, 2018.