Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes [insert Legion artist(s)] sure drew a particularly great [insert Legion character(s)]!

Well, I've been re-reading "The Universo Project" this week. It was the first time I've read one of the Legion stories with Greg Laroque on pencils in quite some time, and I was struck by how:

Greg Laroque sure drew a particularly great Mon-El & Dream Girl!

I mean, some of his characters had a certain sameness to them or could use more work, but his Mon was possibly the most perfectly-depicted versions of the character I've ever seen. I think part of it was, oddly enough, Mon's hair of all things! I mean, the style (parted to one side) was nothing special in itself, but I dunno--it was just perfect. The proportions and craft to his hair were meticulous, and top-to-bottom, I felt that Mon never looked more heroic and dashing and basically on par with Superman as he did under Laroque's pencil. I was really impressed!

Greg, I feel, was really one of the better Legion artists at depicting detailed hair, overall. With a cast of characters as large as the Legion and with many of them sharing hair color, I feel that's a particularly important and valuable artistic skill.

Dreamy.....did she ever seem more flat-out sultry than she did as drawn by Larocque? I mean, she was just this side of coming across as a Playboy sex kitten, but Greg never goes all Adam Hughes/Greg Land on her, if that makes sense? You can see the intelligence and formidability to her, but you can also see the vulnerability as she deals with her break-up with Thom. Nura's always been presented as possibly the most desirable female Legionnaire, but Greg really sells it in a way that many Legion artists don't get across in my opinion. I don't see how anyone wouldn't have fallen in love with her during Greg's run! (Even if some of her choices were questionable...)

So which artists matched with particular Legion characters did YOU think were made in heaven?

While I loved Steve Lightle's art, and he's *obviously* the definitive Tellus artist (since he designed his look), I sometimes felt he drew some of the male Legionnaires faces a little too 'plucked' and thin-lined, to the point that they looked a tad effeminate.

And yet, I think that look really worked for Element Lad.

He also gave good Blok.

I agree with the two above....Tellus & Dream Girl especially. Pretty much nobody since the 80's has drawn Tellus properly, and I agree that Greg was brilliant at making Dreamy smart, sexy and formidable.

Dave Cockrum drew the ultimate Timber Wolf which is an opinion that shouldn't surprise anyone....and for some more recent examples I'd say Coipel does the best Brainy and Portela is the only artist I have ever seen to give Invisible Kid (Jacques) a defined look which is individual, strong and sexy to boot!

Yildiray Cinar's Phantom Girl redo was adorable. I loved her with the shorter, almost pixie-ish hair and the more streamlined costume.

I also think Cham's redesign in the first year of this last Legion was great.

If only the characterizations had followed suit... Oh, well. Can't have everything.

Dave Cockrum drew a beautiful Phantom Girl.

I expect lots of Dream Girl on this list-- I really love Keith Giffen's Dreamy- at least before his switching up his style around the Omen storyline.

Colleen Doran draws a wonderful Element Lad. I liked the recent Manapaul and Cinar's versions quite a bit, too.

Moy's Invisible Kid... Forte's Saturn Girl... Swan's Triplicate Girl and Night Girl... Grell's Duo Damsel, Brainiac 5 and Princess Projectra... Lightle's Shadow Lass... Immomen's Infectious Lass... Hughes' Sun Boy...

Did Giffen draw the classic showdown between Mysa and that Khund cyborg, where she goes all High Plains Drifter / Shootout at the OK Corral on his butt? 'Cause that really was a defining moment for her, and whoever the artist was really captured her defiance in posture and facial expressions.

Yildiray Cinar did some great Sun Boy and Ultra Boy.

I loved Francis Manapul's interpretation of Phantom Girl, in the early parts of the 'Shooterboot.'

More of that Steve Lightle Element Lad, I like so much.

I wasn't in love with the costume, but I do love the face Pete Woods drew for Dawnstar.

Dave Cockrum's Luornu is the definitive one for me, with the distinct non-revealing costume and cute hairstyle, and I don't even like the character that much (although I am learning to like her as the Supergirl's Legion version evolves.)

I agree with Lardy about LaRocque's Nura, but then LaRocque seemed to me to generally enjoy drawing women more than men. LaRocque's Legionnaire women looked the way young women really look. And IIRC, LaRocque's favorite Legionnaire to draw was Dawnstar, and I think it showed.

Oh, I remembered one.....Jiminez really brought Night Girl to life I think! She looked amaze in her Academy appearances!

And I agree with Giffen on the White Witch....I think he really had the best handle on her classic look. Even in the one panel he drew her in the 5YL series with a very different style, she still had that otherworldly quality.

Speaking of 5YL...Giffen's reinvention of Vi in that series is really the defining image for her in my mind. Whenever I think of the tougher grown-up Violet, that's how I picture her. Her attitude is really at odds with how she's drawn a lot of the time otherwise.

Aaaand one more for now: Chris Sprouse and young Ayla. His Gossamer was super cute and perky!

I always liked Dave Gibbons' version of Dawnstar: wide womanly hips, buxom chest, long lustrous hair.

And of course, Steve Lightle's Shadow Lass was beautiful, too. It was all in the eyes.

Keith Giffen sure drew a particularly great Laurel Gand.

Especially the first few issues she appeared in. No subsequent versions-- the pre-zero-hour Andromeda, the post-zero-hour Sister Andromeda-- ever really portrayed the same combination of power, toughness and determination--

Joe Prado sure drew a particularly great Lightning Lad.

You all know this about me, but I felt Joe's rendition of Garth struck more of a chord than Gary Frank's did.

Steve Lightle and Giffen both did a great Pol Krinn but I liked Giffen's floppy haired shy Krinn a bit better.

there's been a lot of great Mon El art, but when I picture the character I always think of Giffen's 5YG cover of issue 4

determined, bloodied but noble.


Of course I had a fabulous life in the original Universe. One final punch from that daxamite idiot and suddenly I'm cleaning out Mordru's stables. Grrrrrrr....