Welcome to our coverage of “Who’s Who!” For this summer, we’ll be focusing exclusively on the 26-issue 1985-1987 series, without any of the updates. Those will, hopefully, follow next year.
This week, we close out the Ks and most of the Ls – let’s jump right in.
Best Overall Entry: Krypto
This issue has a lot of Superman characters (and would’ve had even more had Lana Lang been listed under her civilian name instead of Insect Queen), and while there’s a lot of fun stuff elsewhere, there’s possibly nothing more fun anywhere than Krypto, the Super-Dog. It will never make sense to me how Superman’s entire story is “I am the last survivor of Krypton,” but then we also meet his cousin, his dog, his father’s mortal enemies, etc. Maybe it is because I’m a dog lover, but I think that Krypto might be the best Super-supporting character.
Best Non-Character Entry: Kryptonite
I am a sucker for a blueprint of an HQ, and this issue had a few of them, but this primer on the various forms of (pre-“Crisis”) Kryptonite is just awesome. Weirdo Kryptonite is so much fun; we need more Jewel-K stories, stat!
Marquee Character: Lois Lane
While the Legion (and specifically Lightning Lad) get as close to a co-headline as possible, this cover belongs to Lois Lane. The added benefit of her interviewing Lightning Lad is a bit of nice work.
Most Obscure Character: Little Cheese
This is the first of the ‘obscure’ tags that I’m not entirely sure about. While there are limited “Zoo Crew” comics, it appears that source I use for this information – the DC Fandom Wikia – doesn’t have comprehensive “Zoo Crew” statistics. The other option was the Legion of Super-Assassins, but most of those characters have made multiple appearances more than Little Cheese, even if the only appeared as a team a few times. I stand by my decision.
Most Incomprehensible Entry: Lightning Lad
Legion write ups are always a little wonky, but Lightning Lad’s goes above and beyond. We get a little bit of the confusing history of his brother, his sister, and his son (more on him later). The character stuff itself isn’t so bad, but adding in all the familial mishegoss makes this a chore to read.
Most Bizarre Entry: Little Boy Blue
So let me get this straight: three children took down a criminal that a district attorney couldn’t? And the world knows about this? Wouldn’t you think you’d be so mortified about this that you’d bribe the kids with ice cream for their silence forever.
Top 3 Pieces of Art:
3. League of Assassins by Kyle Baker
Kyle Baker’s image gives an impressive level of mystery and darkness without obscuring the characters at all. This image doesn’t have a ton going for it in terms of panel composition or background, but the main image projects the League nicely.
2. Krypto by Colleen Doran and Rick Magyar
In contrast tot he League of Assassins image, Colleen Doran and Rick Magyar do a fantastic job of telling us a lot about Krypto from the background. We see his relationship with Superman, his fidelity and good behavior from his posture and, of course, the floating doghouse.
1. Legion of Super-Heroes by Greg LaRcque and Larry Mahlstedt
While I am not the biggest LoSH super-fan, this is so pure, fantastic comic booking. The variety of characters, costumes, and styles all work together in a way that looks cohesive and yet expansive.
Best lines/details per entry:
Krona:Krona’s act had several effects. It released an evil force through the universe, causing hatred and violence. (This was not, however, the actual origin of evil, which has existed since the first sentient beings evolved).
Brian’s Commentary: Was anyone actually thinking that Krona created evil?
Krypto the Superdog: Occupation: Dog
Brian’s Commentary: Being a good doggo is his business, and business is good.
Krypton: Two islands did not join the world federation: Vathlo, the land populated by blacks (which, however, had good relations with the federation); and Bokos, the island of thieves, where what we consider crimes were legalized.
Continued belowBrian’s Commentary: Fucking yikes.
Kryptonite: Red Kryptonite was once Green K, which passed through a weird space cloud that altered it.
Brian’s Commentary: “Weird space cloud,” lol.
Kulak: Through his “Whispering Death” spell, he can cause everyone on a planet to hate each other.
Brian’s Commentary: Someone check Earth for Kulak, amirite?
Kung: Born in America, Thomas Morita blamed the death of his Japanese immigrant parents and his other troubles on the alleged racial prejudice they encountered during the Great Depression.
Brian’s Commentary: “Alleged?” Nope, they actually experienced prejudice, I can guarantee it.
Lady Chian: She spent the next years wandering from place to place as a highly successful mercenary warrior.
Brian’s Commentary: So, she was Caine from Kung Fu?
Lady Lunar: One night, as she was standing by the capsule, Stacy was struck by moonlight reflected from the space vehicle, bathing her in weird radiation like that from the Comet which had affected Rogers.
Brian’s Commentary: Does “weird” mean something more specific in the DC universe?
Lady Quark: When Lady Quark employs her powers in any manner, her uniform shimmers with crackling red energy that is apparently nonlethal to those standing nearby.
Brian’s Commentary: The fact that this was included shows that someone thought long and hard enough about this in the DC offices to raise their hand during a meeting and said “does the shimmering kill people?,” much to the confusion of their fellow staffers.
League of Assassins: For his own initiation test, one of Sensei’s pupils, a man known only as the Hook, killed circus aerialist Boston Brand; bur Brand’s twin brother, Cleveland, later impersonated Boston and carried on his act. Thinking that his pupil had failed, the Sensei killed the Hook in personal combat.
Brian’s Commentary: Sensei is the world’s greatest assassin, but is thoroughly confused by multiple births.
League of Super-Assassins: Mist Master can transform himself into a gaseous form, taking on the properties of the gas he becomes.
Brian’s Commentary: When your other team members can become deadly rays and a living knife, this power seems especially lame.
Legion Academy: Other recent members went there for training after joining.
Brian’s Commentary: Is this like being sent down to the minor leagues in baseball?
Legion of Substitute-Heroes: Polar Boy went on to join the Legion, Night Girl has gone on an extended vacation with Cosmic Boy, and the present whereabouts of the other former Subs are unknown.
Brian’s Commentary: So…why is that vacation relevant?
Legion of Super-Heroes: See Legionnaires’ individual listings for their distinctive powers, at least one of which must be unique to achieve Legion membership.
Brian’s Commentary: Most of the team entries don’t have this section, and this writeup explains why.
Legion of Super-Heroes Headquarters:
Brian’s Commentary: Is this implying that Colossal Boy is never home, that he’s shacking up with someone else, or is this a dig on him being a virgin? I can see any of these being true.
Legion of Super-Pets: Through the intervention of Krypto, the Legionnaires realized that the Brain Globes could not control the mind of a super-animal.
Brian’s Commentary: Did you really need a super pet to tell you that villains weren’t going after dogs? They’re supervillains, not monsters.
Legion of Super-Villains:
Brian’s Commentary: I really need to know more about this absolute iconic look.
Liberty Belle:
Brian’s Commentary: How many mini fucking bells does one person need?
Lightning Lad:
Brian’s Commentary: I’m trying to imagine just how fast this theft must have been that neither the medical staff nor the parents realized that a second child was born.
Lightning Lass: Ayla fell in love with Brin Londo when they first met, and their long romance ended only recently.
Brian’s Commentary: So there’s not, currently, a mister Lightning Lass? [Adjusts clip on tie and it comes off in my hand]
Lightning Lord: He is physically powerful for an ordinary man, but has been relatively unpracticed in personal combat for the past several years.
Brian’s Commentary: This is a nice way of saying he got fat. It’s cool; I’m relatively unpracticed in personal combat over the past few years, too.
Continued belowLightray: Lightly prefers to use his solar powers in battle rather than engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Brian’s Commentary: Oh really? He prefers using super powers to his fists? I wonder why?
Lilith:
Brian’s Commentary: So her mom is a Praying Mantis?
Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys:
Brian’s Commentary: Again, this must be the worst gang of all time.
Little Cheese: Little Cheese has been endowed by the Lunar Longhorn with absolute control of his body molecules.
Brian’s Commentary: He controls his molecules and still chooses to look like that? No offense Little Cheese, but tighten that shit up.
Lois Lane: She has always been helpful and supportive of friends.
Brian’s Commentary: First of all, Lois Lane is one of the most competitive characters in all of comics. Also, this has no place in her bio.
Looker: Looker is in excellent physical condition and possesses greater than average recuperative powers, but possesses no special hand-to-hand combat skills, despite constant cajoling from her fellow Outsider Katana.
Brian’s Commentary: I’ve read a ton of Katana comics, and I’ve never thought of her as a cajoler.
The Lord of Time: He went into the far future and cloned a family – six sons and a daughter. When they grew to adulthood, the sons revolved against their father. With the aid of the 20th-Century super-hero called Steel, the Time Lord regained his chrono-cube. which his sons had stolen, and went back in time to prevent their creation.
Brian’s Commentary: 🎶And the Cat’s in the Cradle and the silver spoon…🎶
Lord Satanis: He stated that he took the name Satanis from Satan, but never revealed his real name.
Brian’s Commentary: Wait, he took Satanis from Satan? I would’ve never guessed that!
Lord Shilling:
Brian’s Commentary: Imagine how successful he would’ve been if he didn’t do a stupid gimmick with each success?
The Losers: Johnny Cloud believed himself to be the continual victim of racial prejudice because he was an American Indian.
Brian’s Commentary: Again, nothing perceived here at all. He was a victim of prejudice.
