Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Earthwar Saga- a significant turning point for the legion?

You're right about that, Kent. Adventure # 346 was cover dated July 1966 (meaning it was probably on sale in March or April). The Klingons first appeared in Star Trek's "Errand of Mercy," which aired nearly a year later, on March 23, 1967 ... another example of the Legion anticipating some cultural phenomena (e.g., Timber Wolf/Wolverine, Karate Kid/martial arts, etc.)

can we get a Levitz interview? Ask him how he came up the names like Shvaughn Erin, Relnic, and Weber's World.

Weber's World? wikipedia lists a few Weber's that might be it? doubt it though.

There was a gravitational physicist called Joseph Weber.

Wilhelm Eduard Weber, physicist and inventor of the telegraph. The SI unit of magnetic flux, the weber (symbol: Wb) is named after him.

I always loved the artifical constructs like Null-Port, Weber's World, Labrynth, and Legion World.

I think Weber's World and Legion World need to return asap! Destroy the moon again and have LW replace it.

OK -- I spent a sleepless night last night re-reading the entire "Earthwar." It reminded me that, when this story first appeared, I really didn't like it at all.

First, let me say that I admire Paul Levitz's overall contribution to the Legion, and, when all is said and done, he made the most positive contributions of any of the Legion's long-term writers. But with "Earthwar," the 21-year-old Levitz was still feeling his way as a comic book writer. The plot is rather clever, in that you have villains using villains using villains, but its execution leaves much to be desired.

The early chapters feel rushed, which probably was intended to create a sense of urgency. Instead it conveys the impression that Levitz was trying to get through this story as quickly as possible. It's only after Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl appear that the pacing of the story slows down enough that the reader can reflect on what is happening and how dire the situation is. Perhaps Garth and Imra were Levitz's favorite characters and this entire story was engineered for their return. That is, after all, the most significant and immediate outcome of this story.

None of the other Legionnaires get much valuable screen time, and, when they do, they look bad. Element Lad seems vindictive for sending Brainy out in a ship all by himself to Weber's World, after Brainy has twice usurped Jan's role as deputy leader. (Ironically, E-Lad's team makes it to Weber's World in advance of Brainy, who never does arrive!) Brainy spends his time complaining and making fatalistic prognostications -- symptoms, we will later realize, of his mounting insanity. Wildfire is a reckless jerk who nearly causes a Science Police ship to crash and then accuses Ambassador Relnic and Ontiir of collusion with the enemy without any real evidence. Dawnstar feels it necessary to remind Drake that his powers can kill criminals (which may actually be a reasonable reaction on her part, given Drake's earlier impulsiveness). Most of the other Legionnaires just go through the motions of doing what they have to do.

As for the art: Jim Sherman has been praised for his early work on the Legion, but here, in his final two issues (# 241-242), he, too, seems to be rushing through his job as quickly as possible. Anatomy and faces look awkward and bland; action scenes are competent, but uninspiring (much of this cannot be blamed on the inker, which is often the case when appraising Sherman's work).

The art improves somewhat after Joe Staton takes over and is inked by Joe Giella (on # 244) and Murphy Anderson (on # 245).

Coloring is rarely discussed, but here it should be. Cory Adams' colors are also bland and he frequently uses different shades of the same colors in key scenes -- hardly the most appropriate choices for a space-faring epic with multiple characters and settings.

To me, "Earthwar" should be remembered for what it attempted to achieve, if not for what it fully realized. It was an ambitious undertaking that expanded the Legion's world by introducing more political tensions to complement the Imsk/UP tensions introduced earlier; by showing that a multi-part story could work in the Legion's setting; and by changing one of the fundamental rules of the Legion's Constitution (no married members), thereby paving the way for the characters to grow up.

The ending is also rather poignant and ironic in hindsight. With Garth and Imra rejoining, the Legion is whole again, just as they were in Adventure # 351, when other former members rejoined. Earth is safe and celebrates its heroes. The Dominators sign a 1,000-year peace treaty (on which they would apparently later renege.) The Legion would probably never again be this whole. As such, this ending takes on a fairy-tale quaility. It represents the apex of the Legion's idealized adolescence -- before everything changes.

Levitz was 21?! That makes it even better!

One thing you should keep in mind when reading the Shooter stuff that he's only 13.

Oh trust me I do. Which also makes it cool. I guess we can't cut Levitz slack at 21 when Shooter started at 13. lol.

My second issue. I was 11...wow! My first was number 248 bought in a Whitman sampler 3 pack.lol. I'm with a few of you all I was blown away with all the members and couldnt tell who was who but that is why I was so excited. Next year will be my 30 year anniversary reading Legion of Super Heroes...what a ride!
About Earthwar....Loved Sherman art, Element lad with long hair, Weber's World/Ontir, the Lost in space test tubes every one was held in, the story and it's multi parts.
Disliked..rushed, sloppy art and color on last few issues, not enough screen time for Shrinking Violet. All in all better than the current crap...even for a ten year old! Long live the Legion!

I discovered I no longer have these issues when I saw HWW's thread and decided to reread the story before reading HWW's review!

*How'd* that happen?!!

Guess I'll have to bug my LCS next week...

I knew I had some holes before Levitz's second stint, but I thought they were later!

Part of me wants to wait on Archives... but at the rate DC's putting *those* out these days, I'll in a retirement home by the time they get to the Reflecto saga.

I'm glad that my reviews have made you want to re-read the old stories, Mystery Lad, but this isn't my thread. Rickshaw1 beat me to it.

I think the name of Weber's World comes from the German sociologist Max Weber, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber
who wrote extensively on the sociology of religion and government, and pioneered the study of bureaucracy and the use of that word. Hence, it would be appropriate to name an artificial planetoid devoted to government functions after him.

Yeah, I was thinking it was Max Weber as well, but couldn't remember why it would be him, but that makes a lot of sense.

I also have very fond memories of Earthwar - though I did not read it when it first came out in Germany, it was one of my favorites when I hunted down all of the German Legion appearances in the sooner 90s. They dedicated a whole small format paperback to Earthwar back in the 80s which I found later on and loved to read.

I really consider this the first "modern style" Legion story. It has the first longer story arc I can remember, though it was kind of incoherent because the villains kept on changing til Mordru came out as the Mastermind. But it still is a big story which I would recommend as a starting point for every new fan unfamiliar with the great old continuity...

I absolutely adored Shermans art (every of his too few issues) and also think that it is a shame that he did not do the whole arc. A real pity. I consider Sherman one of the best legion artists ever right up there with the young (and the 5YL) Giffen, Lightle and Pat Broderick. Better than Coipiel and Kitson.

So yes, I think Earthwar was a major turning point which lead into what later became the Great Darkness, LSV War, Universo Project and Conspiracy. If they really bring back the Cockrum legion for good, this might be a crucial reprint option...

I think my favorite Earthwar memory is the introduction of Ontiir. I have always liked that it took 5 years to prove he was a plant.

Yeah, but whose? Good memories you bring up. Ontiir was as good a disposible character as Legion has had.

The first Legion comic I ever bought was the conclusion of Earthwar. Of course I went back and got the back issues soon thereafter.
Earthwar was awesome. Political intrigue, mystery, the entire Legion (except Tyroc!) took part, multiple villains for the Legion to fight. It was like three wars in one. And of course the fact that Mordru was behind it all was great, and the way Saturn Girl, Brainy, and E-Lad teamed up to defeat him was awesome.
To answer the OP, I think it was a turning point just because of the scope of the war, and the fact that earth put up that poly shield afterwards. Perhaps it was the beginning of a darker Levitz Legion, too.