Because, let's face it, the story (by Paul Levitz and Martin Pasko) was nothing special.

But Dillin's art...very nice. The guy was seriously underrated. I particularly love the way he drew my favorite Legionnaire, Shadow Lass.

An example:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qwAb-ygyJT0/TfUCt1I3z8I/AAAAAAAABzg/oMncaf5wwK4/s1600/JLA%2B148%2Bhit%2Bhim.jpg

I'm excited to finally read that story before too long! I obtained the first four "Crisis on Multiple Earths" volumes (collecting all the classic annual JLA/JSA team-ups consecutively) just this week on eBay for a sweet price! The one with the Legion is in Vol. 4!

Even if the story is so-so, as you say, I'm 99% sure it'll be better than anything is putting out these days--and definitely better than the monthly Legion comic DC is currently not publishing! Plus, there's this Dick Dillin art of which you speak.....

That's how I got to read it, too, in Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 4.

Looking forward to finding out what you think.

It'll probably be a while. Been obsessed with readin' something else lately, as you know....

Oh, yes, a certain team from the Marvelous Competition...

In need to buy those CoME volumes! I've never read that story either!

There's a 70s Legion appearance that EDE hasn't read?

Actually there's quite a few!

My reading past Archive #12 to the beginning of Levitz's run is pretty patchy.

I've never read the Space Circus of Death either!

I've had my eye on those CoME tpbs for a while. I lucked out SO much on eBay, finding a lot that had those four Vols. plus the 2 Vols. of CoME: The Team-Ups, which features smaller crossovers with JSA members in various books starting with "Flash of Two Worlds"! Get this, all six TPBs cost me less than $19 after shipping! SCORE!

What I do recall about this one, I won't want to spoil for anyone else. I did like the villains used, although neither the story or the art really stand out for me really. I'm not sure many of the JLA/Legion issues do a great deal for me around that time. Nothing a reread won;t answer for sure though...

The idea that we may never do a board wide reread of this era so you can review this comic is one that makes me feel dead inside.

IMO, all of the JLA / JSA crossovers, including the solo title appearances, are definitely worth reading.

The LSH, while not the most monumental story ever, is still pretty great. Dick Dillin's art certainly is gorgeous, and I agree he is a vastly underrated artist who produced some fantastic work during this era.

Dillin, like so many terrific artists of the mid to late 70's, produced some quality superhero stories that were fun, lush and full of action & adventure. They created a bit of an industry-wide perception of superheroes that exciting and jubilant.

When I was a kid, I'd always search the JLA/JSA crossovers among the back issues when I was looking for something to buy!

I've actually picked up all of them that are available on Comixology, but DC is so half-assed in released pre-Crisis material, that most of them still aren't available digitally.

(Contrast Marvel, who have huge runs of their Silver/Bronze Age material available!)

I thought we did one, a few years ago:

http://www.legionworld.net/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=56640&page=1

EDIT: Unless Cobie was being sarcastic, and it went over my head.

Just trying to make Eryk feel unnecessary guilt!

I'm referring to the Archive rereading project we did last year where we got to almost the end of Adventure. One day I want us to do the entirety of LSH history in that style of thread!

"Nothing special! is an understatement, as far as I'm concerned. It was the first Legion story (sort of) I ever saw, and it almost caused me to hate the Legion. Thank God I soon read a book with MUCH better Legion stories!

But yes, Dick Dillin is most definitely the most underrated comic book artist of all time. (With Curt Swan a distant second.)

Dick;s comic book story telling always gave me this strange vibe: when you read a two-parter by him, you felt just as satisfied as if you came just out of the cinema after a good, long feature film. Just as fulfilled. Even George Perez never managed that.

To be honest: I'm not so sure about that.

Normally, I HATE modern comic books with their so-called "modern sensibilities". I mean, it's something of an oxymoron to talk about publishing "mature" comics and then putting out comics with bad language, bad art, bad EVERYTHING except the coloring, isn't it?

But that JLA/JSA/LSH team-up was so DULL...! I actually think many modern comics MIGHT be better than that, despite the bad language, characterization, etc, and even despite Dick Dillin's art in that team-up.

Check it out yourself. And then tell us what you think.

I did finally get to read it this summer. While I wouldn't rank it among the best JLA/JSA crossovers or the best Legion stories, I actually thought it was pretty darn solid! Dillin's art was a big help in this overall impression, but I felt the story was pretty decent in how it incorporated both Mordru and the demons Three, as well as various significant objects from the JLA's adventures. If DC's current plots were at least this good, maybe I'd be buying more than zero books set in their New 52.

Upon further reflection: I guess it WAS better than modern comics, that I'll admit.

But "pretty solid"? I mean, it was acceptable, if very mediocre as a JLA story.

But as a Legion story, it fails utterly.

If this story was your first experience with the team, would you have felt yourself in any way encouraged to seek out further stories with the Legionnaires?

I don't think that was the original question. To paraphrase, I was asked if the story was, in my opinion, better than what we get in the modern DCnU. I answered it from what I recall of the story.

The other/new question is harder to answer. I mean, how can a Legion fan judge whether a Legion story that precedes my Legion fandom have encouraged me to be a Legion fan?

I dunno. I started becoming interested largely because of some Legion appearances in DC Comics Presents and Brave & the Bold. I don't consider those stories all-time classic Legion tales and the Legionnaires were fairly 2-dimensional, but I picked up some issues of the main title anyway. I'd say those stories aren't really any better than the JLA/JSA crossover, but they piqued my interest. I was like 11 or 12, then, so....yes?

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I didn't "judge" your taste. I was but asking if, when this would have been your first Legion story, would it have encouraged you to read further Legion stories.

Whelp, I guess you have my answer, then, as best I can approximate.

The larger question is whether, if I read the the JLA/JSA story when it was published and it had lead me to the main Legion book, would I have been impressed by the contemporary Legion stories? Well, maybe, since I might've caught Earth War if I'd stuck around. But in my case, DCCP and B&B lead me to the dawn of the Giffen/Levitz era and the simultaneous reprint publication of vintage Adventure-era Legion stories in digest form. Now, THAT was a perfect storm my friend!

(Of course, if I'd read JLA/JSA/Legion off the stands, I would've been, like 7 or 8 instead of 11-ish! Or maybe, if a friend had let me read his old JLA/JSA/Legion crossover, and I was 15.... )

Dick Dillon drew the best Supergirl in JLA. I loved those issues back then because I liked her better than Supes. Plus, you know....hot pants. But I really did like the character more. I also liked SuperBOY better than Supes as well.