First time you bought an issue, most recent time, or somewhere in between.... An issue you loved, an issue you didn't, or one that was ho-hum.... A shopping trip that was unusual in some way or one that was routine....
The circumstances don't matter. So go on, tell your story!
As you might be able to tell from some of my other posts, I've been re-reading the LSV War.
I bought part 4, ToLSH 329, in a newsstand/gift shop in the San Francisco airport in late August 1985. There were flat comic book racks on a large square pillar in the shop. I think I would have preferred to find a new Titans or New Mutants but they weren't out yet. I think this was the only comic I bought.
It's funny...I seem to remember that the racks faced left (if viewed looking in from the outside) but I don't recall reading the issue. The story, yes, but not the act of reading it.
Quick recap of my history & how this fits in: introduced to LSH through a couple dozen quarter bin issues in 1983-4. First new issue bought was 320. My next new issue was 324. I thought it was dull. Picked up Baxter 14 because I liked the cover (still do), and I enjoyed that story (still do). I also picked up with the newsprint issues at the start of the LSV War reprint. The story was new to me because I hadn't read the originals. After 329 I stopped buying largely due to lack of funds.
I think of the LSV War as THE Legion story - probably because I read it in my own personal golden age.
PS on ToLSH 329: in the last year or two I had a phrase in my head that I knew was from a comic but I couldn't remember where. It was Ayla's Don't ask the price of a gift, momma said -- just take it. And while the biggest thing to happen in the issue is Karate Kid's death, what grabs me is the very last panel of Ayla standing at the controls of a spaceship. And one is coming back, to risk her life for theirs.
[ January 02, 2004, 08:59 PM: Message edited by: Leap Year Lass ]
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
I remember once having a dream about looking at the cover of a comic book that showed Superboy staring into a mirror and a distorted or demonic image of himself looking back. It was a haunting image that I remembered for several years.
Then one day I was looking through the back issue bins at a comic book store here in Kansas City (long before I even moved here), when I came across a copy of SUPERBOY # 184. The cover showed Superboy looking into mirror with an image of an old, decrepit and wild-haired version of himself staring back. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted.
(The cover story, by the way, had nothing to do with the Legion, though the issue did feature a Legion backup tale, the infamous Matter-Eater Lad's-brother-frames-him-for-treason story.)
Posted by DrakeB3003 on :
Last year at some big convention here in NYC I found a stack of old "Superboy and the LSH" issues in a 25 cent bin. Nobody seemed to be working the table though -- it was kinda stuck in a corner and since it was a 25 cent table, I guess the guy didn't care. I (and another guy) walked around for a few minutes trying to find someone to pay, but didn't see anyone so I just put them in my bag and walked away.
Posted by Greybird on :
In December 1981 I was picking up chips and dip at a 7-Eleven, and happened upon a spinner rack -- they were common in those days, kids, believe it or not. It had a new issue of the Legion quite prominently displayed. ("LSH" v2 n284, March 1982, "Soul-Thief from the Stars.")
The Legion? Wasn't that the story with that raft of characters a hundred years from now, or was it a thousand, that I followed in the late '60s for a while? My mind, not used to thinking of comics, was fuzzy. Four years of college does that to you {g}
Anyway, they were showing off these great form-fitting outfits, even though they were being blown out of a satellite hospital. Costuming has sure improved in a dozen years, hasn't it? I thought.
And then I saw this gorgeous winged woman tumbling through the cover scene, off to the side. Where did she come from? I thought. I didn't remember her. Wings, mmmm ... I went, imitating Homer Simpson, even though he didn't yet exist. I'd been thrilled by 'em in art for those same dozen years in the interim.
I think I'll pick this one up, I thought. I glanced inside, to see this lovely girl flying through space next to this handsome but faceless brash Noo Yawker type, and without a spacesuit ... and I was hooked.
Posted by Jerry on :
I grew up in the very small town of Prairie Home, Missouri (population 215). As a kid I bought most of my comic books at the local drug store. It was run by the only pharamist in town, Carl Lankop and his wife Nellie. The store employed Nellie's sisters Carolyn and Esther. Esther was in charge of comic books. Occasionally she would let me sneak into the back room and would sell me outdated comic books for a nickel. These always had the title cut off the cover. I later realized that Esther had been dealing post consignment returns on the sly, but as a kid I just knew I was getting a heck of a deal on comics. On of those purcahses made me a Legion fan for life. It was "100 Pages for only 60 cents" Superboy and Legion of Super-Heroes #202.
Years later, as an adult, I was living in San Diego, California. A guy I was dating sent me flowers for our six month anniversary. Attached to the flowers was a card with a $15.00 gift certificate to a local comic shop. At the comic shop I found a beautiful near mint copy of Superboy/LSH #202 for 13 bucks. I purcahsed it with my gift certificate. I now have both my yellowed, torn, 3/4 cover copy and my beautiful full cover copy bagged, boarded and holding special places in my comic book collection.
[ August 23, 2011, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: Jerry ]
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
"I later realized that Esther had been dealing post consignment returns on the sly [...]"
I wonder what the statue of limitations is on this. Posted by Leap Year Lass on :
Esther's Black Market Backroom Comicon!
I have to wonder what she did with the nickels. Save up and buy herself something pretty?
Posted by MLLASH on :
I distinctly remember S/LSH # 238-- yep, the issue that was a reprint of parts 1 & 2 of THE OUTLAWED LEGIONNAIRES.
I had some early familiarity with LEGION reprints (S/LSH 205 & 208 being my earliest exposures to the Legion-- as well as some reprint comic that reprinted the ADULT LEGION saga-- complete with hokey "Luther & Mylxtplxetilk or however it's spelled joining the Legion-- and ECHO-- and BEAUTY BLAZE-- and BALD STAR BOY-- but I digress...)
Anyhoo, I remember reading this story and realizing right away it was a reprint.... 'cause of the old costumes and the Swan art-- BOY was I swift!
AND THEN-- I got to the letter's page-- and they were APOLOGIZING for running this ABSOLUTE CLASSIC LEGION STORY-- and there I sat in the parking lot of Montesi's supermarket awaiting my Grandmother's (who bought me the issue as she did ALL of my comics back then) return, totally stunned that any apology was even semi-deemed necessary for this great story.
And to this day, I give "THE OUTLAWED LEGION" a grade of 100-- A++!
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
I agree about "The Outlawed Legion," Lash.
In those days, back issues seemed out of my reach. The nearest comics shop was 60 miles away (ironically, the same shop is now about 11 blocks from where I live, yet I almost never go there -- too many other comic book shops around). And back issues cost an unheard-of sum of three or four dollars! So, anytime DC would reprint a classic Legion tale for regular cover price was a good thing. A good thing, indeed.
Posted by superboymddjr on :
when I was around 8 or 9 - can't remember exactly - my best friend influenced me to read the Legion that he brought them to the Elementary school and we read the book together and talked about those heroes - my favorites was Brainiac 5 and Superboy while his favorite was Element Lad and Mon-El. I was envious of him because he bought those books (with the aid of his father, I am sure). I asked him where he bought them - he simply said "7-11" - I gasped and my light bulb popped saying that we have a 7-11 store near our home (we were living in Miami, Fla)...so when I went home and I was waiting for my Dad to arrive home from his work. I cleaned out the whole house (yeah!!! took out the garbage - much to my Mom's pleasure I am sure - made my bed, fed my dog, vaccuumed the living room, etc) and sat outside on the front porch waiting for my Dad. Then my Dad arrived home and he was looking at me wondering why I was sitting out there and giving him a puppy-look face. He thought that I was a bad boy and did something wrong...heck he was wrong when he spoke with my mom. I asked him to take me to the 7-11 and begged him saying "please please please"...finally he gave in my enthusiasm and my stubborn too. I swore to him that I would clean the dishes so that's the only way I could convince him to take me to 7-11.
I was so excited and enthused to ride with my Dad to 7-11. When we arrived there, I got out and zoomed inside and scouted around finding where the comics books were at. There I found it and I gasped a big time - looking at how many comics books they had in the rack...oh...oh...Justice League of America...oh...oh...Superman...Batman...Iron Man....finally Superboy and the Legion !!! My Dad was standing behind me and waiting for me to pick two books (as our agreement)...I got to pick up Justice League of America and Legion of SuperHeroes!!! Legion was my first pick ever and it was number 230 - "the day a Universe dies" starring Fatal Five...my dad bought it and I was sooo like in heaven..read and read all over again.
I even brought it to the school to show off to my best friend and I was so proud and we talked about it and even role played it. Ah...so my first issue was #230 with the aid of my Dad. Posted by Kid Quislet on :
Many moons ago I was passing thru Peekskill, NY when I saw a comic book store. I decided to stop in, to see if they had anything I could add to my modest Legion collection. After looking around for a while, I found a stack of those giant books, like the ones that featured Superman vs. Spiderman and Superman vs. the Hulk and Superman vs. Muhammed Ali! At the bottom was the LSH issue featuring the marrage of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad, in great condition. I quickly scooped it up, checking to see if I had enough funds to cover it (I figured around $25-$30). When I went to purchase the book, the sales person charged me the original cover price - $1.50. Upon leaving the store, I heard the manager yelling at the salesperson about their actual selling prices of those books - $50!
Posted by Leap Year Lass on :
Sometime last year I pulled LSH 301 out of a CBS quarter box. Quarter bin deja vu! I remember looking at in the bargain bin nearly 20 years ago but passing because I didn't like the cover.
I know now that it's the first tribute to Adventure 301, which was beautiful. And I also like v4n41, the second tribute. But this one...just doesn't come together for me. I'm trying to figure out what it is. Colors? Background/lack of?
Posted by numberonelegionfan on :
Very sad and tramatic story...I was in Grade 8 (1982-1983) and this was around the time that Adventure Comics had gone to Digest format (man oh man do I miss that). During a lunch break in my dad's classroom, without warning he tore up my Digests. It was the one with the Legion vs. Urthlo (Luthor's killer robot), the one where Mon-El was freed from the Phantom Zone and saved the Legion. I have about half a dozen of the Adventure Comics (in crappy condition, mind you) plus some of the Legion single issues of the Blue Ribbon digest. Though I've never been able to replace the digests that have been destroyed by my old man, and he did everything from threatening to see the man I bought comics from ("Selling comics to a minor"--Get real, eh?) every week to taking all my comic boxes and sealing them in one of our basement storage rooms several times throughout my high school and college years, I love the Legion (in all its' forms) even more and that is something that heartless semprini can never take from me!
Posted by numberonelegionfan on :
bump
Posted by Tab Lloyd on :
My first post.
First time I purchased a Legion issue, it was at the drug store a few blocks from my home. An issue of Adventure, where the legion is in a POW camp (I have the Archive with the issue, but it's late and I don't feel like looking it up for the issue number). Bought any I could find after that.
Second time around, was Superboy and LSH 197 (THAT issue number I remember!) with Timberwolf on the cover. The whole neighborhood flipped over the book.
Third time was in college. I had stopped buying all comics except Cerebus after highschool, mainly because I had no money. But in my senior year, a friend in the dorm had just purchased the Giffen poster and said I had to start reading the book again - picked up 300 new and grabbed the Great Darkness Saga in back issue bins. They were pricey but worth it.
Final first time (yeah, I know) was the "Five Years Later" first issue. Once again slowed comic buying because of the birth of my oldest but by this time he was getting into comics so we went to the shops. He wanted the Knightfall issues of Batman (Because it's Batman, dad!) and I saw the new Legion and picked it up.
I have no favorite era, love them all - including the Giffen Bierbaum (sp?) stuff. Which I gather here means I'm in the minority. But I saw it as a perfect end to the legion I loved. Like the final chapter of a novel. I don't read the re-boot stuff (or re-re-boot. or re-re-re-re...you get the picture) because as far as I'm concerned, my Legion is done. The doesn't mean I don't pull out the Archives. Or the back issues I've been working on picking up (great store in Vegas just had a sale - 6 issues for $5. Almost wrapped up Vol.3 that way)
Anyway, my way of saying hi and I'll post if I think I can contribute something.
Posted by Leap Year Lass on :
Starting with the Super-Stalag (Adventure 344-345) eh? It wasn't my first Legion issue but I think it was my first Adventure story (many years after it first saw print). Good stuff, I say.
Many people here love the 5YL (post-Magic Wars) stuff, me included. (Of course, many don't.) And as you can see from this thread some others have had multiple firsts too.
Oh yeah...and check the Mission Monitor Board in just a sec....
Posted by Thriftshop Debutante on :
Let's hear it, lads and lasses! I know you each have at least one story to tell.
quote:First time you bought an issue, most recent time, or somewhere in between.... An issue you loved, an issue you didn't, or one that was ho-hum.... A shopping trip that was unusual in some way or one that was routine....
The circumstances don't matter. So go on, tell your story!
Posted by Thriftshop Debutante on :
Posted by MLLASH on :
So weird the things we remember. I can also distinctly remember sitting in a rocking chair by the window in my Grandmother's living room reading NEW MUTANTS # 1 in the bright sunlight.
Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
OK, I have a story.
You fine folks no doubt know about the massive Help File I compiled about the Legion. I wrote the pre-ZH portion of it prior to, and finished it just before, I got married.
I had already managed to collect most of the core Legion issues either in original or reprint. What I had a harder time finding was issues of Karate Kid and the issue of Kamandi that finishes the last story of that series. In order to complete that portion of the Help File, I actually borrowed some of those (and selected other peripheral Legion apprearance issues) from a fellow on CompuServe who thankfully was willing to trust me on returning them. (Fortunately, he was correct in that.)
Fast forward a few months later, I'm a newlywed, and my wife has spring break from college, and it's the Passover holiday from Yeshiva where I was learning. It's the perfect time for a two-day, inexpensive "honeymoon," so we decided to drive to Connecticut. At the time, I was very very into James Robinson's new Starman series, and one of the days of our trip was a new-comic Wednesday on which the next Starman was due out. While driving, I saw a sign for a comic shop ahead, so I asked my wife if we could stop briefly so I can pick up that comic.
As it turned out, their new issues hadn't yet arrived. But I checked out their back-issue bin, and lo and behold - Karate Kid # 15 and Kamandi # 59! A major hole in my collection filled!
Posted by Thriftshop Debutante on :
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: So weird the things we remember. I can also distinctly remember sitting in a rocking chair by the window in my Grandmother's living room reading NEW MUTANTS # 1 in the bright sunlight.
I am so totes an inspiration. *beams with space-pride*
Posted by Thriftshop Debutante on :
Get typing, sweetie. Posted by Exnihil on :
In the summer of 1986, my family had just moved to a new town in the middle of farm-country in upstate NY. I had just turned 13, and was about to enter into my first year of high school in a school where I knew no one. Add to that the fact that, at the time, my parents were bickering constantly, and I was a kid desperately in need of escape.
One day in early August I just had to get away, so I set off on my ten-speed out into the middle of endless backroads and just rode for miles. After a while, I started getting thirsty and happened to ride up on an Agway farm feed store. I went in to get a drink and, to my surprise, they also had a comic spinner rack. I bought a Veryfine Papaya Punch, along with a Batman #401, Man of Steel #3, and, of course a Legion-y book: Secret Origins #8, featuring the origin of Shadow Lass.
I decided I wasn't ready to go home, so I stashed my bike behind the Agway, and walked into the woods further back, until I hit a stream. I sat down next to the stream, popped open my juice and, for the next hour or so, just... escaped.
I still have all three books and, even though sitting next to the stream warped them from the mist, I have no desire to get them replaced. It was really my best "comic book day" ever.
Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
Ex, which town? I spend my summers in Sullivan County.
Posted by Exnihil on :
I was on the flip side of the Catskills from you in a town called, Kinderhook, in Columbia County. Small world. A couple years back I met the poster, Kent Shakespeare, and we got talking about growing up in NY. Turns out that, as a kid, he was two or three towns over... and we actually knew the same people!
Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
Kinderhook, eh? Is everything in town named after William Henry Harrison?
Posted by Exnihil on :
One president off, Chaim. Martin Van Buren.
Posted by Chaim Mattis Keller on :
Drat. So much for my one shot at impressing you with my grasp of presidential trivia.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
It was my... I can't remember which birthday. But it was my birthday. No, more accurately, a month before my birthday.
My folks asked me what I wanted, and so I rushed to the local CBS and scrounged through the back issue bins. I was going to fill in gaps in my collection, dammit!
I fished out a copy of LSH v4 100, the finale to the Team20/30 storyline Post Zero Hour. And that was that.
The hard part was, my mom was adamant that I not open my gift until my birthday, so I had to wait 19 days before I could get my mitts on it! I knew where it was kept, so every day I'd drop by and gaze longingly at the cover.
My mom gave in after 7 days and let me have it early.
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Martin Van Buren.