Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Opine re: the Nines!

After the eight previous iterations, you probably know the drill.

Choose one per matchup -- no ties -- on your opinion of the cover merits alone. Click images to see larger versions

Previous editions, for perusal and/or catch-up: Elevens, Twelves, Eights, Tens, Twenty-Nines, Eighteens, Fifteens, Fives


1. TEEN TITANS vs. NEW TEEN TITANS




2. TIME FOR LOVE vs. GHOST MANOR




3. DAREDEVIL vs. DARK VICTORY




4. JUDGE DREDD vs. WONDER MAN

1. Teen Titans:
The Perez cover has strings operating outside the edges! The book is already selling so many copies that the strings go in front of the logo! But it has neither the endlessly cool go-go checks nor the action SFX kick that pioneered video games in later decades.

2. Ghost Manor
"How can you have two loves, one heart?" By becoming a shallow two-timing hussy! Honestly, if comic book characters can't be bothered keeping up with Legion World, I've no sympathy for them. "Time for Swinging" at the top hints at more interesting issues ahead. The main draw over on ghost manor seems to be the delightful Beatrix Potter tale of the Rat Family by the seaside. The heart shaped thing in the sky turns out to be a hot air balloon that little Rodney Rat has adventures in. Lovely. But is it spine chilling horror? It is not... ugh... don't like either at all (although good match up Teeds!), so I'll pick the one with the one eyed cackling woman based entirely on her having more sex appeal.

3. Bats: Dark Victory
I've owned only a couple of Daredevil comics but I recall Frank Miller making a hit of it. If Matt Murdoch was spending his time in faux medieval castles in #9, then the readers must have been really desperate by the time he came along. "A tale you will never forget." But not for the reasons you think. Dark Victory would win anyway because there's a hint that one of the cast is wearing pantaloons. A circus look that should have gone in parallel with the wrestler costumes Golden Age heroes wore. I cherish the short-lived Pantaloon Pete and the Crazy Clowns issues from ACG.

4. Wonder Man
An "After Bolland" cover that isn't a patch on the original, lifts it entirely and offers no new spin on it. Bah! So by default, Wonder Man wins. Although how a cover showing Simon and Vizh paralytically drunk after downing negabombs got past the code is probably the biggest Wonder in the book.

1. Teen Titans - more action and questions: I wonder how that (?)submarine got up on the rocks with a guy in a leopard skin vest. And why are the other Titans just standing back and watching Kid Flash get pummeled?

2. Ghost Manor - too much orange and that weird balloon thing, but more inviting than the weepy couch potato of Time for Love.

3. Dark Victory - much more striking and yeah, it's dark.

4. Judge Dredd - usually a starfield on a cover wins it for me, but the white background of Dredd is appealingly simple and the text shouts. I don't know from "After Bolland", so the imitation doesn't affect me.

1. TEEN TITANS. Sure, NTT is well done (look at all the different shapes of the Titans) but "marionettes" is a very time-worn cover concept right up there with its twin cousin "pieces on a chess board". it's true that SATT is a familiar formula for the book: one Titan takes on the villan in the forefront (with PERSPECTIVE) while the others are a colorful cluster over to the side...just like the last one. There's a lot more flexibility with that though.

Not taken into consideration, just saying: I can't remember what happens in NTT 9. I know I own it. (I don't think I've read SATT 9.)

2. TIME FOR LOVE. Not because I like it. I think it sucks, and same for the other one. But the other one features an inflamed brain or radioactive walnut and that is not on my wish list.

3. DAREDEVIL. Yeah, that's right. Even though the Bats cover is very much my aesthetic, the colors against the white background and the grays hit just right.

4. I FREAKIN LOVE WONDER MAN! It's reverse onomatopoeia! Unless...the sound of a nega bomb is "NEGA BOMB"? Say, how many nega bombs can you fit in a boom tube?

5. X-MEN LEGACY vs. SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN




6. SECRET WARS vs. CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS




7. CHARM SCHOOL vs. SO SUPER DUPER




8. SHE'S JOSIE vs. ARCHIE GIANT SERIES (THE WORLD OF JUGHEAD)

5. X-Men - more to look at & read. Brains are creepy and so much pink I thought it was an October issue.

6. Crisis - it's crowded, but lots of bad guys to ponder.

7. Charm School - for the title. Don't like the simple manga art on the other.

8. Josie - good memories of Melody. My generation's Gracie Allen. They should have included the musical notes but maybe that was just when she said "hello".

5. Spiderman.
There's a certain softness of the face that goes well with the squidginess of the brains. I've no idea why Doc Ock is using Pym particles though. I'm not remotely interested in Legion either, which doesn't help. Hey! Put down the pitchforks! I said "Legion" not "The Legion!"...

6. Crisis
There's nothing wrong with the Secret Wars cover. Presumably a last ditch attack on Mount Galactus before he devours the world. If that had been built up to in previous episodes there'd be even more of a pay off. Crisis nine is full of malevolence though. Perez even gets in some of that cosmic lightning. It loses some points for having Luthor run and point. Is he dancing? That Secret Wars cover gets closer all the time...

7. So Super Duper
Two people I don't know embracing against two other people I don't know embracing. One embrace is actually a sign of dominance and the other is a two way embrace. One has an expression of being swept off feet and the other one simpler art. One has a dull background while the other has jealousy/anger. One has a sword and the other a scarf that's going to get its owner killed. I prefer the art on charm school, but I 'm giving it to...

8. She's Josie
I was thinking of my own gag before I read the other balloon. But I can still look forward to Josie tripping over that guy's legs and splatting herself on the sidewalk. Seeing Jughead going all Omniphagos is creepy.

I think NTT was the Puppeteer. I had thought it was a random villain while the book found its feet, but it's linked in with Hive, Dayton/Prometheus and a few other subplots too. Terry Long makes an early appearance admiring Kory while waiting for Donna. Ick!

5. X-MEN LEGACY. Hey, is that Peter Parker's (?) inflamed brain on Ghost Manor? I might have liked it a bit more if the lettering was a bit less...gross. Like FC said, X-men is more to look at and read.

6. SECRET WARS. Focus! Do you get Cap's point? Over on Crisis, Lex pretends he's Robin on the cover of NTT #1. Starfire fails to kiss him.

7. SO SUPER DUPER. Thoth nails it. I definitely like the Charm School style more, but it is the story is problematic. The blonde looks pleased (although surpised) but there is an unpleasant dynamic here. In addition, I don't like the "chrome" on the title/logo. Over on SSD, the happy couple does indeed look happy. Whatever Tube Top Tina's problem is is her problem, but it looks like it's about to be everyone's problem.

8. ARCHIE GIANT. The world is Jughead's burger. Melody is a gem, but Sebastian should shut it. DON'T STEP ON MISS VALENTINE'S LINES, DUMMY. (Earlier bad example.)

9. J2 vs. TINY TITANS




10. SHAZAM vs. PINK PANTHER




11. BLACK HOOD vs. SAUCER COUNTRY




12. MAGIC COMICS vs. PLASTIC MAN

13. THE FURY OF FIRESTORM vs. BATGIRL




14. ROBIN HOOD vs. THE TWELVE




15. THOR ANNUAL vs. THRILLER




16. MASTER COMICS vs. MAZING MAN

9. J2 - Gangster Gorilla in a tux. It's a common enough theme, but I like the tux (with a green nelly cap!).

10. Shazam - existential crisis cover.

11. Saucer Country - more of a story.

12. Plastic Man - harmless prank. Mandrake looks creepy and why is beating up on Little Henry like that?

13. Firestorm - this looks like a flood, with mayhem. Even Firestorm's flame looks soggy. Of course, Batgirl's flood is only beginning and gargoyles always win points, but I'll stick with Firestorm.

14. The Twelve - any cover that gets me to laugh at 6 AM wins. Is that what counts for dashing and cavalier at this year's Paris Fashion Week?

15. Thriller - lots of creepies win over Thor's all new epic with good ol' chessboard.

16. 'Mazing Man - classic joke, but well done and the posters on the wall add interest. Have to admire Bulletman's yellow jodphurs, though. He could team up with The Blue Blade.

9. Tiny Titans
Like the Judge Dredd cover, the J2 one is another tired lift. Titans has DC monkey humour and the pay off of having Gar on the team. Much more fun.

10. Pink Panther
This is the one where Panther impersonates The Inspector and goes on an axe murdering rampage around Toonsville. Family fun. The Wisdom of Solomon has popped out for lunch over on CM. I just feel really sad for CM Jr. desperately telling us that he's in there too. "Please look mister! it won't take a moment! I might not have a real monkey in my story, but a sock puppet can be just as good! Please Mister! Come back... >sob<"

11. Saucer County
A bit meh on both. I wonder if the crowd are really human/grey hybrids and if it's linked into the sperm-like series titles. In the next issue of Black Hood, he raises his other hand. >yawn<

12. Magic Man
The reason why sorcerers of old were wiped out was that they couldn't help but take the piss out of everyone else with their tricks. But I'd rather read that, than Plastic Man's enema/ fetish issue.

13. Batgirl
More mehs here. Firestorm is overwrought. Too much water. Too much shoulder sagging. Too much being called baby by a comic book cover that's not even introduced itself to me formally. Batgirl is an inventory cover that they've added a story around. Remember kids! in the slippery wet, best not be jumping around on stony rooftops.

14. Robin Hood
The artist had to plaster himself into the ceiling to get the perspective on the Robin Hood cover just right. Arrows whizzing past and being outnumbered, makes you wonder how he;'s going to get out of this one. Never mind how he got up there in the first place. The Blue Blade is the grown up version of that kid on the Dark Victory cover. He ended up leaving the bat-fold and being trained by Oliver Queen, who he remembers by wearing a similar 'tache and beard. He looks happy, but you've got to show more of what he's bluckling his swash against.

15. Thor
If I had bought more than just the first few issues of Thriller, no doubt I would have enjoyed looking at all the cover detail. From here, it's terribly busy. The guys in the background are running away before random giraffes and toasters are added in for the hell of it. Thor has a highly original chess game cover, not seen before or since... >sigh< ... it wins because of the over the shoulder perspective on the game being played. And it's close to Halloween, so flame head is more appropriate today.

16. 'Mazing Man
Sure, Bulletman has the more detailed art. But I know he doesn't have super strength. So, he's really positioning the steamroller to make sure it gets the kid. Or he's just going to splat into it. The art on MM suits the gag and that gag is actually enhanced by the cover blurb. The posters are a little distracting. But there's a little dig at grim Dark Knight Comics going on.

9. TINY TITANS. There was another comic that was perhaps a closer visual match to J2, I decided to pick up another thematic thread with this one. Hey' there's Julie Lad on J2, is that on the AR lists? While J2 seems more annoyed than worried, focusing on holding a gun to someone's head? Titans kind of boring, they're just standing around and I don't think they look that much like monkeys. Starfire looks like a squirrel. Adults could enjoy this title (I know I did) but would this cover do anything for the YOUNG kids in its target audience? TT gets it on a nice color palette and some character notes: Raven's "another fine mess" expression and Miss Martian's "hey, I can work with this!"

10. PINK PANTHER. Ooh, Shazam has that mint green background (Vootie!) but I cant resist the Panther's brights.

11. SAUCER COUNTRY. BH has a weird mouth and no real story.

12. PLASTIC MAN. A little weird, but Mandrake has crummy art as usual.

13. FIRESTORM. I agree with FC about the soggy flame and Thoth about the Batgirl inventory cover. I don't have interest in Firestorm, but I want to know about this maybe? disembodied force of nature.

14. THE TWELVE. Robin Hood central figure looks fine, but the perspective and bowmanship seem off. The yellow-orange of The Twelve is kind of a difficult color, not really my thing, but I can't deny it sets of BB well and makes the cover stand out.

15. THOR. Well, at least it has the nice green background, and the starfield part of the chessboard adds a little something to that classic concept. Plus I might win a Columbia 10-Speed Formula 10 racer! Although I must be fair and say that I approve of Thriller for so clearly warning me JUST DON'T. (Much appreciated after being fooled by #1.)

16. MAZING MAN. Maybe Master has a stronger visual line -- Bulletman swooping in from top left, with boot even coming in front of the title block. But Maze is so cute (despite having -- yep, again -- a gun in his face). Tip: be very careful how you google those posters.

17. CAMELOT 3000 vs. HAWKMAN




18. THE COMICS vs. FEATURE FUNNIES




19. THE ATOMICS vs. HOWARD THE DUCK




20. THE 3 GEEKS vs. EAST OF WEST

17. Hawkman - better lighting as they fly into a sea of magical symbols. The shining goblet overwhelms Camelot with sameness.

18. Feature Funnies - the other might win if it were called Proprioception Funnies, but Feature Funnies supplies numerous other characters to examine.

19. Howard the Duck - trapped in a TV, surrounded by white nothing, broken antenna with real life Lea somehow in the picture promises strangeness. The Atomics also provides a puzzling story, since I wonder what they'll do when they get to the top of the television, but the simpler Duck cover is more attractive.

20. East of West - don't love it, creepy robot surveillance dog with bone is okay, but mostly chosen by default since the cliché geeks are just tiresome.

17. Camelot 3000
I'm all about comic book cover angst not ankhst! On one hand is a moment where Percival grasps the Grail! Anything could happen. On the other Carter holds a mace in front of Kent's disco lights. Zero contest.

18. The Comics
Feature Funnies would normally win for having all the little character boxes around the dull central image. but Comics has a sneaky Flaming Carrot cameo in the top left. Woot!

19. Howard the Duck
The Howard cover captures the trapped in a world he never made angle of Gerber really well. The small cover blurb right at the top has fun with that. Atomics art is cool, but is a bit more Land of the Giants than breaking the boundaries of reality.

20. East of West
The three Geeks would normally win over a lot of things that could have been on the other cover. But robotic, near future guard dog wins. The Geeks could be watching Howard trying to break out of another set.


Proprioception Funnies - starring Arm-Fall-Off-Boy in Phantom Limbs!
"I feel both my arms. No wait! One of them has crawled off leaving me with phantom limb syndrome! Time to call Tinya!


Loved the 'Mazing Man/ Dark Knight cover Teeds! I've not seen that one before.

17. HAWKMAN. Color palette choice.

18. FEATURE FUNNIES. Gag is lacking, but frame is attractive. Other one just sad.

19. HOWARD THE DUCK. Atomics also has a Teeds-pleasing palette, but what are they doing? Why doesn't Stretchy just pick them all up? Howard is indeed stranded.

20. EAST OF WEST. Creepy, Black Mirror. On 3 Geeks, I don't care for the finishing. Note: I was thinking of putting up HTD vs 3 Geeks, as I seem to recall the Geeks issue is them having a comic book movie marathon so they probably WOULD be watching HTD.

Any second now Julie Lad is going to show up and tell everyone to STOP BEING ARTSY-FARTSY and WRITE AN AFO BOY FIGHT SCENE ALREADY.

Go get Mazing Man 1-12! Right now! It's for your own good!

Don't make me tell you again.

Creeping Creepers! Chlorophyl Kid has been possessed by Kandarian Demons! And Ashley Armfalov's arm has also been possessed by the evil lurking within the Necronomicon. But that's ok! It comes off anyway, and now he can replace it with a chainsaw!

Julie Lad presents All Evil Dead Action in "A Farewell to Limbs!" - This Halloween on Legion World!

21. CATCLAW vs. FLARE




22. COWL vs. CHASE




23. INVISIBLE REPUBLIC vs. IVAR, TIMEWALKER




24. ALL TRUE ROMANCE vs. LOVELORN

21. Cat Claw
Two unlikely costumes. Cat Claw died from pneumonia in issue #16 and Rose's shoulder pads (a little better here) got caught in a doorway, leading to her demise in issue #14. Cat Claw wins for the background. Both do nice things to integrate the concept to the logo. No points for "Direct from Europe" Well, until next year...

22. C.O.W.L.
I'm curious to see why someone has the Evil Gingerbread man as a power reflection. Nice hovering figure. Chase is just a still that they could have put any character and pompous story title behind.

23. Invisible Republic
After taking back five copies to the counter complaining about stains and stamp ruining my near mint copy, I guess I'd come to the conclusion it's better than a cover where someone stand in a lab coat. Yes, there's the giant pocket watch. But it's just teasing me into thinking Chronos is going to squish it shut and claim the book for his own.

24. All True Romance
It's just too funny. The two guys are looking at each other and thinking "when is this harpy going to leave and let us get on with our date." Over in Lovelorn, leaving things up to The Black Leopard turned out ot be a disappointment. It stops to get a snack before curling up for a snooze. I find the lovelorn props to be distracting too.

21. Cat Claw - better colours since Flare looks a bit washed out (although the Morrigan Wars is intriguing). Cat Claw also looks very don't-mess-with-me feline with those claw-like fingers. Flare's costume is less trashy, but a cat can get away with a lot.

22. C.O.W.L. - unusual colours and design. Chase also looks a bit washed out and it doesn't look like she knows how to use that gun.

23. Invisible Republic - both are intriguing. I like the pocket watch with the meteor, but Ivar loses for the blurb from someone I've never heard of. Is that stamp on Invisible Republic part of the original cover? Is that a sasquatch in that peculiar circle & bar background?

24. All True Romance - despite the awkward arm raising a toast, it's a great scene. She looks pretty happy to be hating those dweebs. And the black jaguar looks underfed. Call the SPCA! No wonder the guy is cheating on her.