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The Best Of The Legion Outpost edited by Glen Cadigan
01/10/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 158 page illustrated softcover. Price: $17.95 (US). ISBN: 1-893905-36-5. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.twomorrows.com
When this book first arrived, my first inclination was this was going to be largely a fan material thing about DC's 'Legion Of Super-Heroes' from the early 70s American fanzine 'The Legion Outpost'. Although there was some fan material what was more important was the number of creator interviews and their viewpoints from the 70s-90s. If you don't have any inkling about comicbooks or their history then the names I'm going to say will be pretty meaningless. We have interviews with editors Mort Weisinger, Jack C. Harris, Al Milgrom and Mike Barr, writers Jim Shooter, Cary Bates, Roy Thomas and an unpublished Keith Giffen tape together with artist Dave Cockum who did the most to shake up the LSH costumes and designs when he was on the book. It is also loaded with sketches from various artists involved with the Legion. An odd thing if you are more Marvel Comics orientated is seeing some early pictures of Nightcrawler, Storm and what would one day be the Imperial Guard from the X-Men. In 'The Legion Companion' and other sources, Dave Cockrum always said that his original intention was to introduce these characters here before he shifted companies and its nice to see some pictorial evidence.
'The Legion Of Super-Heroes' was National Periodicals/DC Comics only title from that period that had any sense of continuity, largely because although a super-hero comic other than the inclusion of Superboy to ensure sales, it was outside of the mainstream of the other titles which gave it that needed freedom to be allowed to develop. Writer Jim Shooter says he was influenced by Marvel continuity and thought it was an effective way to go with the LSH when he wrote it as a teen-ager. The sales and fan favouritism are a testament to this. With over 25 lead characters and villains, it was regarded as a comicbook nightmare to draw with only the most hardiest or new foolhardy artists wanting to draw the book. Many of the writers started off as fans of the title so the transition into writing it was less of a hardship for them.
'The Legion Outpost' fanzine, created by Mike Flynn, Harry Broertjes and others, had a periodic release of 10 issues over 9 years with long gaps in between and practically only in the USA. The UK had its own fandom scene and I never heard of any people from my side of the pond getting involved when I was running my enterprise over here. What this book does do is show how these things evolve and how it affects people involved over the years and some of the influence they had on the LSH.
If I have to be critical of anything in this book it is the 9 pages dealing with Legionnaire personalities based off supposed birthdays largely because I would have thought there might have been something better in the archives to choose from. Then again, I'm still trying to figure out where Lightning Lad's legs and actual height is on the back cover picture by Jimmy Janes is unless he's turning into a Protean...maybe he was for those who remember. The order of some things like comments made in the letter columns put at the back of the book might have been more appropriate prior to some interviews for newer readers but it does pull together things later. In many respects, these fans got on well with the people at DC and gives a good impression of their offices at the time.
These criticisms aside, this is an awfully interesting book to while away your time reading if you have any interest in the LSH and want to get a nostalgic kick for comics from the past then this one should be in your collection.
GF Willmetts
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