I can't think of a single story ever that I enjoyed that I didn't get to fill in details. That would be true for novels and even more so for a comic book and its limited real estate.
To me, a writer of fiction is a guide. A writer of a textbook fills in all the details (though sadly, I've seen one too many Math books where the reader has to fill in too many detail.)
I don't really want Archie and Jughead and I don't really want year long stories. I think a writer pretty much has to leave some things, sometimes even key thing to the imagination or I wouldn't enjoy the story. The trick to whether or not a general audience is going to like the story is which details to leave to them.
The nice thing about it, a story changes. What I read into it one day might change based upon shared experiences with other readers. They see it one way that didn't occur to me and on re-read the story is brand new.
Good points, BB. It's always subjective as to how much the writer should leave in and out of the story.
For me, a good example of something which was left out for good reason can be found back in 342. Star Boy wonders if Dream Girl has foreseen that he will lose the trial and doesn't want to tell him. We're never told if she predicted the outcome or not. One might suppose that she did since she joined the Subs and arranged for Star Boy to join, as well. But it's not certain that she knew the outcome of the trial. She may be just been a proactive planner.
The ambiguity of those scenes fits the story and the characters. We would gain nothing if we were told she had, in fact, foreseen the future. Leaving it to the reader's interpretation gives us a reason to think, to question, to wonder.
I had high hopes for this one since it was written by Bridwell.
Was it? Oddly enough, Archives 6 doesn't credit a writer to this "Orphans" story. I assume your Showcase edition does? I wonder if the omission in the Archive was by accident or if Bridwell's authorship wasn't known at the time of publication. (This is vaguely fascinating to me in the same vein as "The Weirdo Legionnaire" being credited to Hamilton "OR" Siegel and a couple other artistic mysteries in some of the other credits I can't recall offhand.)
As for why the Legionnaires didn't press charges against their prospective parents, I think it's a simple reason that is unstated but inferable in the context of the story. Just as these parents were motivated by grief and loneliness borne from being childless, these five specific Legionnaires would be particularly sympathetic because they are themselves parentless. They've each grieved the loss of their parents, so seeing the reverse of that grief would hit them where they live. If these parents had lured random, non-orphaned Legionnaires instead (imagine if Iron-Butt were among them! ), they'd be more likely to be facing imprisonment.
To me, the costumes are a non-issue, and we could easily fill in the blanks there. It's a quick 13-pager in the Silver Age, so I can forgive these things and instead commend the writer for touching on a theme that is surprisingly affecting and adult in a story that could've been 100% silly. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids who read this who'd lost a parent got something a little extra out of it.
As for Element Lad, I think the orphanage people might have thought this was another previously-unknown survivor of Trom. Or maybe every single detail of what happened to that world wasn't known? I know Jan entered the Legion as "Mystery Lad" and wanted to conceal his origins and powers. And maybe the Legion was deliberately slow or reluctant to release every detail of Jan's heritage widespread even after the name change out of respect for Jan's privacy and feelings through his grieving process.
The Ghost of Ferro Lad promises to be a great sequel to the Death of Ferro Lad ad it does just that, though not only in the literal sense but in the emotional follow-up. We see the four survivors of that story dealing with PTSD, and it's amazing that young Jim Shooter can lend such a maturity to the Legion in doing so. Superboy, whose emotional outbursts often felt flat, really conveys deep pathos here. And the usual dutiful Cosmic Boy is distracted and unmotivated, also haunted by what happened. All around, powerful stuff.
One must wonder: with neighborhood boys now coming home in body bags from Viet Nam, was Shooter tapping into a nationwide survivors guilt?
The opening sequence on Shanghalla is magnificent. Swan impresses me here like never before. Great stuff.
Once the mystery of the ghost gets going, it's fitting they two of the colder Legionnaires, Brainy and Saturn Girl, are the ones to come back to check on them. It's also always great to see them together in the Silver Age. Yet, Imra shows some compassion by asking Brainy to play along with what she thinks is mass hysteria.
We get some interesting bits with Projectra: first, her being the newbie causing Brainy to distrust her. And second, her mystical connection, which would be played with again 15 or so years later.
While the "ghost" may have been scary or fascinating to the young readers of the time, the real strength of the issue is the tension between Brainy and Projectra, or science versus magic.
The Legionnaires abandon their organization way too quickly. That's a classic example of the plot driving the characters, not the other way around.
The Controllers are introduced, and early on they are somewhat interesting. What makes them so interesting is that we surprisingly get the origin of the Sun-Eater here--and what started as an offbeat adventure feels much more important.
The ending is a classic ending, and I like it here. It resolves things too easily, but they were obviously doing this one for the fans who were so broken-hearted. Thus, we get a little closure.
I find it interesting that Brainy includes the rookie Projectra among the "four of our top members". It begs the question, "who would NOT be considered a top member?"
I wonder also, how do the Legionnaires rank themselves? They are a club, but surely there must be SOME measure of performance for certain skills, at least.
I'm reminded of the late Action Comics issue where the Legionnaires must choose one of their 26 members to quit. One measure they used was number of feats performed in the past year; it's imperfect though. Brainiac 5 had the lowest number of feats but the Legionnaires agreed they needed his computer mind.
So what would be a good measure? Success rate in missions (rather than sheer number of missions)?
After reading “The Ghost of Ferro Lad,” it occurred to me that the titular character was of more value to the Legion dead than alive. A mere four issues after his passing, his death has already figured prominently into two stories (354 and 357); in subsequent years, statues of Ferro Lad would remind readers of the sacrifice heroes make; and Ferro Lad would always serve as something of the Legion’s “Lost Boy,” suggesting that the ideal super-hero family of the future can never be complete.
And in 357, we see the effect his death has had on his comrades, as Ferro Lad—both literally and figuratively—haunts them.
In the first few, exceptionally well done pages, we’re witness to the emotion that was missing from the final scenes in 353: The four Legionnaires who were with Ferro Lad when he died visit his memorial. Then Superboy hangs back at the clubhouse to wrestle with feelings of guilt over whether or not he could have stopped Ferro Lad. Cosmic Boy can’t keep his mind on anything else; he even dreams about Ferro Lad.
In short, Ferro Lad mattered to these heroes—and not just in a perfunctory, self-serving way. Superboy’s gnawing doubt is palpable. “Did I subconsciously fear the Sun-Eater so much that I let poor Ferro Lad overpower me . . .?” he thinks. For those of us who have lost someone to tragedy, can we not relate to this unresolved question?
This is the beginning of what is, to me, the best Shooter story so far. It builds off of the previous story in an unexpected way, makes effective use of the Legionnaires featured, and tells an exciting and powerful story about loss and friendship.
As the story continuing to build off of 353, the Legionnaires return to their clubhouse to find Superboy being assaulted by flying equipment and kryptonite. Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, and Princess Projectra find themselves under assault as well, and only Cos’s quick thinking saves them from an explosion. Then they see the literal writing on the wall—a ghostly message that indicates their fallen comrade has returned, and he’s pissed!
This scene is extremely well done, as are most of the scenes in the story—there are no wasted panels or dialogue. The action keeps moving and gets us in and out of the scene quickly while springboarding into the next.
Furthermore, the story makes great use of the Legionnaires featured, particularly Brainiac 5, who was not the fateful mission in 353 and so plays skeptic to the others’ newfound belief in ghosts. In a brilliant twist, Brainy suspects new Legionnaire Princess Projectra of using her illusion power to create the ghost, and even surreptitiously tries to disrupt her illusion power—thus sowing the seeds for their eventual distrust of each other during Levitz’s run.
Projectra herself also serves the story well. We learn a little of her background—as a spiritualist, she leads her fellow Legionnaires in a séance. During the séance, a ghostly, flaming Ferro Lad appears, orders his three former comrades to leave earth, and demands the Legion disband. Disheartened, the Legionnaires decide to obey.
The third quality which makes this story stand out is its theme. Ultimately, it’s about loss and friendship, and how the latter can survive even the former. The last panel of the real ghost of Ferro Lad walking down the corridor is extremely gratifying. It does not matter that Shooter is violating a story telling taboo of sorts by having the real ghost appear and save his comrades. He does so in such a way that the Legionnaires themselves never learn the truth, and so their worldview is—from their perspective, at least—intact. Besides, this ghost is here to help—which makes this story ten times more memorable than the Legion zombies tale of a later era. Ferro Lad remains a Legionnaire, even after death.
There are few flaws. The flashbacks to Ferro Lad’s demise and the Controller’s origin are both overlong and slow the story down. Also, the Legion as an organization disbands too quickly. While I can accept Superboy, Cos, Sun Boy, and Projectra being so spooked that they would leave earth, it’s harder to accept the entire team giving up. Since Superboy is acting leader, it’s implied that he has the authority to make this call, but one would expect the others to protest.
“The Ghost of Ferro Lad” has two other notable features: the introduction of the Controllers and the origin of the Sun-Eater. These elements will have the most lasting impact on future stories; yet, they are almost an afterthought here—the meat sauce on an already satisfying steak.
I had high hopes for this one since it was written by Bridwell.
Was it? Oddly enough, Archives 6 doesn't credit a writer to this "Orphans" story. I assume your Showcase edition does? I wonder if the omission in the Archive was by accident or if Bridwell's authorship wasn't known at the time of publication.
Yes, Showcase Presents credits Bridwell, as does The Legion Handbook, published in 1975.
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As for why the Legionnaires didn't press charges against their prospective parents, I think it's a simple reason that is unstated but inferable in the context of the story. Just as these parents were motivated by grief and loneliness borne from being childless, these five specific Legionnaires would be particularly sympathetic because they are themselves parentless. They've each grieved the loss of their parents, so seeing the reverse of that grief would hit them where they live. If these parents had lured random, non-orphaned Legionnaires instead (imagine if Iron-Butt were among them! ), they'd be more likely to be facing imprisonment.
As I said in a previous post, the Baskhians also stole a power sphere, which brought a world to a standstill and may have endangered lives. The Legionnaires may have had reason to feel sympathetic, but letting the Baskhians off scot free was irresponsible from a law enforcement point of view. What's next? Forgive the Persuader because he his axe represents inadequacy issues? Let Dr. Regulus go because Dirk ruined his career?
And I'm bothered by the notion that kidnapping Legionnaires with parents would be seen as more of a crime than kidnapping Legionnaires without parents.
Nope, sorry. Kidnapping is still kidnapping (or, in this case, adopting under false pretenses).
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To me, the costumes are a non-issue, and we could easily fill in the blanks there. It's a quick 13-pager in the Silver Age, so I can forgive these things and instead commend the writer for touching on a theme that is surprisingly affecting and adult in a story that could've been 100% silly. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids who read this who'd lost a parent got something a little extra out of it.
I'll accept that it's a non-issue for some, and I may even be over-thinking it, as Jim said. But I can't accept the shortness of the story as an excuses it; nor can I accept that kids feeling better for other reasons excuses sloppy story telling.
Writers of children's stories have a special obligation to make sure their stories make sense. These stories, as many of us have testified, shape their world views and who they become as adults. Sloppy story telling can teach that it's okay to be sloppy and uncritical in other aspects of life.
This was a well-told story and one of those timeless contributions that Shooter made during his tenure.
But the best part is that ending--wow! It just elevates the story to a whole 'nother level.
In some ways this story solidifies Ferro Lad as the quintessential Legionnaire. I mean, all we really ever knew of him was his short time with the team and how he bravely sacrificed himself to save the galaxy. And soon after, we learn that he still serves in the great beyond. We knew him so briefly that we never saw his flaws, if he had any.
That's why, even if you only have an incomplete view, artists are sure to clearly show the statue commemorating Andrew Nolan whenever the memorial area of the various Legion HQs is depicted.
This is one of the stories I've either never read, or read once long ago and forgotten just about everything about it. And that is a nice feeling, as I walk into it with no preconceived notions. Reading it as a whole and then deciding to write my comments, I realized that at first, I was finding it a little run of the mill...and then as the issue went along, I grew increasingly into the story, and ended up just loving it!
First and foremost, more than any other Legion story thus far, this reads like a Silver Age Marvel comic. Melodrama, excited dialogue, an overly eccentric villain and action, action, action! And thus, I mean that statement in a very complimentary way, as Shooter really conveys tension, pacing and excitement throughout the story.
By the second half it takes on a "Most Dangerous Game" theme, and this is well done. Particularly because Karate Kid finally gets a chance to shine since his intro; and then more than anyone else, Invisible Kid really shines in a major way. Lyle was clearly one of Shooter's favorites, and this is one of his best written stories ever (and very likely his best).
Orion the Hunter himself is very well done. In a way he's a direct copy of Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man, who had recently become popular. He even talks as if written by Stan Lee. Yet Shooter is able to do something more--he takes Orion that extra step further when he goes all the way in his ending. It's something that would eventually happen with Kraven 20 years later. And it makes the story even more dramatic and strong.
The ending is the best way possible to wrap up the incredibly tense build up from panel #1. It feels like an action movie where no scenes are wasted. We could have gotten some more "in between" sequences but really, they weren't needed.
All in all, I really liked this one. It's not the best Legion story ever but it was entertaining with a lot of bang for your buck. And it had one of my favorites, George Papp, on art.
Bonus Lettercol Review: when questioned about the slim membership of the Adult Legion, Nelson confirms that Chameleon Man, Sun Man and Color King are members, as well as a Teen Auxiliary! He mentions the latter will be revealed in a future story (though we know we never see that).
He also confirms that Superboy stopped attending Legion meetings right around when Ma & Pa Kent died and he went to Metropolis University.
Also, I'm glad to see we all agree on the strength of the Ghost of Ferro Lad story. By cover alone, one might think it was a typical 1950's-type silly story; yet you know what they say about judging books by their covers.
Shooter also shows his ability to balance Superboy in the Legion. He's a member and a draw for readers but he doesn't dominate the story. It makes me wish we could get more Superboy with the Legion more than ever.
I enjoyed the Otto Orion story as well. It's not the most original plot in the world, but I like the execution. I especially liked Lyle's role and how he was the only one to make it past the hunters. The twist that revealed Orion's stake in all of this was shocking and lent a sort of gravitas it wouldn't have had with the Legion's Code preventing deadly retaliation. Yes, it was obviously inspired by "The Most Dangerous game", but it had enough flare to make it an enjoyable standalone Legion story.
Adv #359 - 360 is a story that I've only read once before and loved; things are no different this time around. One of the most obvious things is that Paul Levitz stole, er, ah, I mean borrowed heavily from this story for Universo Project; from a writing perspective alone (leaving art aside) this one is FAR superior.
After several strong stories focusing on smaller groups, Shooter just goes for it here and includes just about everyone. And it works in a big way here: it highlights the scope and lets several Legionnaires shine throughout.
As for the surprise villain (and stop reading now if you are behind), this is by far his best story ever. Shooter using one of his prior villains so quickly is a bold move and finally starts making the Legion feel like its got a growing rogues gallery. Universo is never as awesome as he is here.
The premise for a sudden political coup isn't all that far-fetched. Coups usually happen quickly and usually accompanying a panic such as an assassination. I also wonder if Boltax is inspired by someone? Was Nixon back in the public eye yet?
While the scope of the general plot is grand, the little moments make the issue:
- Luornu and her parents, just like the girl next door.
- Val's restlessness and thirst for battle.
- solid action with Legionnaires strutting their stuff.
- Jeckie's political connections.
- hey, Supergirl! Nice to see you! The one major flaw in this story is she takes off for the 20th century off-panel, though.
The street gang is more than a throwback to the 50's--street gangs *were* a problem again in 1967. Shooter has the Legionnaires in full on action with no powers, in yet another interesting take on an action sequence. Though Jeckie gets comatized for the first of many times, I like the several of them shine, especially Chuck and Vi. The entire sequence serves to highlight the camaraderie and teamwork that will be the only thing that will get them out of this.
And given the intended age group, there's nothing that says "we're all in this together" when the entire world is against you--including your parents.
From there we get Takron-Galtos, RJ Brande and the Legionnaires in civilian clothes! Whew! Something else else great on every page.
Bonus Cover Design Discussion: after a brief stint, the go-go checks have ended. Though its still hard to tell on the Superman books, who have retained classic artists like Curt Swan on their covers, DC Comics is really starting to change now. It's more apparent on the rest of their line, as 1967 sees numerous series cancelled and changing with 1968 being the real advent of the Age of Transition and the horror series boom. But soon enough, Neal Adams will be doing all the Superman covers, including Adventure and Superboy, and that's a signal that the Silver Age is ending / has ended.
Re 358: How was I Kid supposed to untie his shirt from the last tree so that he could swing to the next tree? That always stuck in my craw a little, but otherwise, I loved the story. Loved the Legion heads on the wall, the kooky alien animals, the jungle scenes, etc. Loved Orion's eccentricity and Jakra's devotion. Loved seeing K Kid in action finally. Loved I Kid getting the spotlight and outshining Supes.
Adv. 359 is one of my all time favorite Adventures. Every member is featured and Swan's art is awesome. Great buildup, great suspense, great cliffhanger at the end. Just bummed me out that they left Supergirl out of the 2nd part for no good reason. Went back to the 20th century indeed. What kind of super-heroine just goes home when the team's in a jam?
A belated review while I have some free time . . .
“The Hunter,” like some of Hamilton’s early stories, tries too hard to shoehorn the Legionnaires into a plot meant for somebody else. In this case, Shooter forces the Legionnaires through the paces of Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.”
The idea, nevertheless, is a good one. Billionnaire financier and hunter Otto Orion, bored at trapping and killing animals, seeks to challenge his mettle against the “most dangerous game” he can imagine: the Legion of Super-Heroes. His plot to force the Legionnaires to surrender to him by releasing dangerous beasts on earth is cunning.
However, the Legionnaires seem "off" in this story. They respond to the threat in ways that don’t make a lot of sense. They surrender too easily, it seems, and, once the hunt begins, they sweat, panic, separate, and even act stupid in order to play up the drama of being hunted.
Why, for example, does Invisible Kid order the two mightiest members present, Superboy and Ultra Boy, to work crowd control, while he, Cham, Vi, and Karate Kid fight the dangerous animals? Wouldn’t the opposite strategy make more sense? (KK even questions this, but concludes, “Oh well, you’re the leader.”) Once Superboy and Ultra Boy enter the fray, they make quick work of the animals.
KK himself gets a stupid moment later on when he tries to break through the door of the holding cell, only to set off a barage of lasers, knockout gas, and kryptonite beams. Why not just wait for Superboy’s x-ray vision to reveal there was more to the cell than meets the eye?
Once the hunt begins, the Legionnaires separate (why? Wouldn’t it have been better to stick together and use teamwork to reach the totem pole?). These scenes at least provide some tense and dramatic situations, such as Ultra Boy being overwhelmed by mechanical elephants and being forced to switch back and forth between invulnerability and ultra speed. The Marvel style action serves the story well, giving showpieces especially to Karate Kid and Invisible Kid. The former bravely attempts to rescue Shrinking Violet (whereas Cham, earlier, had apparently just watched during Ultra Boy’s capture).
Invisible Kid goes it alone and bravely faces being shot off the face of a cliff in order to save the day. However, I have to quibble with Lyle’s conclusion that Orion was not evil. If endangering lives, destroying property, kidnapping, and hunting human beings is not evil in your book, Lyle, I don’t know what is.
(For the second time in three issues, the Legionnaires excuse the villains who act against them. I can’t help thinking Bridwell and Shooter were attempting, in a rather clunky way, to emulate Marvel by creating villains with sympathetic motives. But giving Orion a “code of honor” does not make his actions any less evil.)
“The Hunter” is a well intentoned story that overreaches its aims. A much more successful “adaptation” of “The Most Dangerous Game” can be found in this story’s sequel, “The Impossible Target” (Superboy # 199), in which Orion’s son goes after a single Legionnaire. That story played off of Bouncing Boy’s strengths as a character and uniqueness of his power instead of contriving situations to make the characters fit the plot.
I have no problem with Lyle ordering Supes and U boy to get the populace out of harm's way. They have super-strength and super speed and could do the most important work of saving lives, more quickly and efficiently than the others. What could I Kid or Violet or Cham have done to get dozens if not hundreds of people out of harm's way quickly? And K Kid wasn't questioning Lyle's decision, only the ability of "all four of us" to defeat an army of hundreds of rampaging monsters. Also, Supes and U boy did not "make quick work of the animals". All they did was extract their beleaguered comrades from the fray and whisk them into a nearby shelter. It's Orion himself who stops the stampede, after telling Superboy he doubts he can turn the tide against them, and then subduing Jo and Kal with a radioactive beast and a kryptonite construct.
And, I understand the logic of Lyle telling the team to split up. Had they stayed in a group, Orion may have dropped a super-power dampening net over the lot of them, or shot them all with a wide range weapon and wiped them all out with one fell swoop, leaving no one left to reach the goal. By splitting up, they forced Orion to divide his resources.
I also see the reasoning that Orion wasn't evil: he was insane. His lust for the thrill of the chase overpowered his reason and made him willing to do anything to feed his addiction, which was the adrenaline rush of the hunt.
...so this is where we left off, right? Anyone have any interest in picking up where we left off, and reviewing the rest of the Adventure run, then get into Action and then the first Cockrum stories?
So...anyone else? I was giving it a few days to get some more feedback. With LT and myself and Fanfie contributing when she can, we've got a good start, but I'd love to rope in some once-great Legion Worlders who have fallen into disgrace* like Eryk, HWW, Paladin, Ex and others.
*by disgrace, I mean, possibly not doing the archive reread.
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), they'd be more likely to be facing imprisonment. 
