“GAA! I’m drinking the super plastic fluid by mistake!!” - Chuck Taine
I love how unabashedly silly these Silver Age stories are. He’s coated his nose in Superboy-punch-resistant nuclear plastic from Neptune! I also like how everybody’s a jerk. “There’s that bouncing idiot!”
There’s the obvious sexism, but there’s also a very bleak background story about the treatment of robots. I like it.
@biff_pow, Great point about the unique combo / mashup of silliness and bleakness.
I’ve been reading a book Nathan Payson suggested, Slugfest, which deals with “the 50 year battle between Marvel and DC” and it spends some time digging in on what DC was like in the early and mid '60s when these stories came out. The DC offices were styled like those ones in Mad Men, all cultured and sleek and rich looking, you would have thought you were visiting an accounting firm. And the writers were often former sci fi pulp writers. Oh, and the philosophy was, you were writing for 8 to 12 year olds. So you have writers used to writing bleak violent pulp stuff trying to tone it down for the kiddies…and kind of succeeding?
I spend lots of time just gazing at these wild fantastical and funny DC early '60s covers. I’m about to read the King Superman Action two parter- ends with Clark Kent becoming Metallo trying to kill Superman with Kryptonite in his chest!
That’s really interesting! This zany sort of stream-of-consciousness storytelling is so unique to DC, I wish the fans would embrace it more.
My mind is blown as I look at this ironic panel and realize wait a minute …I’m one of the Legion fans too!
Could Legion WALs be on a Wednesday by chance? I’m usually busy at 6 on Tuesday.
Why I bet they can be on Wednesday, @Vroom. Wednesdays they shall be!!!
Any other Legion Club members have thoughts on Watchalongs?
Hopefully the special Legion Clubhouse has been built over on the Discord site noted above for us, a convenient place to meet and discuss more actively one on one such burning issues as which is the best Legion ring out there to buy etc…I’ll be back there again Friday afternoon April 26th.
I loved the “Pull Lever to Contact Superboy”.
Thanks DE! See, Wednesday is New Comics Day and with a Legion WAL, well…that’s just the cherry on top!
I’m finally reading Adventure #'s 247 and 300. While doing so, I’m watching the Legion episode of Smallville.
Synergy 
Oh what platform has Smallville?
Hulu, my good sir.
They also have Justice League Action. However, the Legion didn’t show up on that.
The Legion club house is built on the Discord site mentioned above, open for taking care of Club business!!!
Don’t forget to bring your flight ring!!!
Oh and there’s no initiation, unlike those mean Legion high school kids.
Vroom, Trusty Mutsi, Mulletoverlord, etc, and others reading this week’s Legion selection, be sure to post you thoughts here soon. I plan to join in tomorrow, I finished the selection over the weekend, and why you want to talk about it a trip in the time bubble more ways than one!!!
We’ll post the new selection Wednesday before noon Eastern!
I’ll squeeze Adventure #300 in by tomorrow. Legion 4EVR!
That was a fun reread of some classic tales. I will try to give you an answer for each of the four question…
what do I love about the early legion stories? I think I enjoy the way that the legion is more a social club than a crimefighting team. they are like a teen version of the elks club, running around doing good deeds to help others more than beating down a villian. Even the whole initiation thing is like joining a social club, it is all just so innocent. We don’t send teens out to fight, but here help with this social improvement action.
what is so stupid about the early legion? ummm, names on your costume. and those early costume designs in general are a nightmare. even in the 60s people would think that the future would have better taste than those outfits.
Where do you think the idea of the time sphere comes from? At this point in the 60s the idea of time being like a fluid would have been well established in both science fiction and theory. I think the writers were looking for a form that would make sense in the fluid of time, so something aerodynamic like a wing or bubble would be a good plan.
which story did i like in issue 300? I kind of like the luthor story better. I am not always a fan of the hero origin story, though seeing legion tryouts is always fun, I can’t bring myself to pick bouncing boy over the luthor piece. and anyway how can you not love that chest packed with hate tapes. HATE TAPES!
So for these two super early issues, here’s my thoughts:
What is it about the very early 1960’s version of the Legion of Super-heroes that you love?
I like the ironies like the Jules Verne Earth Satellite Around the World in 80 minutes ride. I like the positive culture that everyone assumed would wait for us all 1,000 years from now, unlike all the post apocalyptic visions current day sci fi envisions.
What is it about the very early 1960’s version of the Legion of Super-heroes that seems silly and wrong?
The idea that all vehicles would be flying around. The use of giant TV screens. The use of a white board to discuss things with a real marker. And those folding papers showing their names.
Where do you think the writers of the 1960s Legion stories came up with the enduring “Time Bubble” concept from?
I think they took the idea from the vehicle used in the then-recent H G Wells Time Machine movie.
What is your favorite story in the Issue 300 collection of Legion stories? Why?
The Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy, but mainly for all the funny tech they use. Like the pen that signs three autograph books at once.
So for these two super early issues, here’s my thoughts:
What is it about the very early 1960’s version of the Legion of Super-heroes that you love?
I like the ironies like the Jules Verne Earth Satellite Around the World in 80 minutes ride. I like the positive culture that everyone assumed would wait for us all 1,000 years from now, unlike all the post apocalyptic visions current day sci fi envisions.
What is it about the very early 1960’s version of the Legion of Super-heroes that seems silly and wrong?
The idea that all vehicles would be flying around. The use of giant TV screens. The use of a white board to discuss things with a real marker. And those folding papers showing their names.
Where do you think the writers of the 1960s Legion stories came up with the enduring “Time Bubble” concept from?
I think they took the idea from the vehicle used in the then-recent H G Wells Time Machine movie.
What is your favorite story in the Issue 300 collection of Legion stories? Why?
The Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy, but mainly for all the funny tech they use. Like the pen that signs three autograph books at once.
I love George Pal’s iteration of The Time Machine. His best movie IMO.
I liked the idea that the future would be bright and hopeful too. Flying cars and other vehicles were nifty as well.
