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Showcase Presents: The Legion of Super-Heroes #1
Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes, Vol. 1
Collects tales about the Legion of Super-Heroes and its most legendary member, Superboy.
552 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2007
2 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Siegel
619 books81 followersJerome "Jerry" Siegel, who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S. Fine, was the American co-creator of Superman (along with Joe Shuster), the first of the great comic book superheroes and one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 23, 2025
Three teenagers from the 30th century are inspired by tales of Superboy to form their own superhero club, and travel back in time to the 20th century to invite him to be a member.
I've been a fan of the Legion pretty much since I started reading comics. We're talking Mike Grell era here, maybe the tail end of the Cockrum run. Levitz, Giffen, and the rest were all in the future. Through back issue purchases and reprints (just how many times has that first story appeared? I've lost count), I became familiar with their past. It's no exaggeration when I say that I've read every single one of these stories before.
But I certainly don't mind rereading them. Some–many, even–may not be the greatest stories ever, but there's an undeniable enthusiasm and even power to them. The foundations were being laid. Characters and concepts were being created. The initial tale was clearly intended as a one-shot, just another Superboy story. But the characters proved popular, with each reappearance bringing more clamor from the readers for more. With issue 300 of Adventure Comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes became a regular feature, and the rest is history.
I'll admit that, as a kid, I didn't think too much about the time travel aspects. The LSH may as well have been based on the other side of the universe or in an alternate dimension for all I cared. Many of these early tales fall apart if you start examining the underlying logic of them. Which is par for the course for 60's DC, really. Internal logic and airtight concepts weren't really their thing (or anyone's. Feel free to compare these comics to any of their contemporaries from other publishers. You'll see what I mean.) But they're definitely fun! They're like puppies: maybe a little clumsy, but full of enthusiasm, eager to please, and friendly and playful enough to melt all but the stoniest of hearts.
These early Legion of Super-Heroes stories may not be for everyone. But I, for one, can't get enough of them. Highly recommended!
I've been a fan of the Legion pretty much since I started reading comics. We're talking Mike Grell era here, maybe the tail end of the Cockrum run. Levitz, Giffen, and the rest were all in the future. Through back issue purchases and reprints (just how many times has that first story appeared? I've lost count), I became familiar with their past. It's no exaggeration when I say that I've read every single one of these stories before.
But I certainly don't mind rereading them. Some–many, even–may not be the greatest stories ever, but there's an undeniable enthusiasm and even power to them. The foundations were being laid. Characters and concepts were being created. The initial tale was clearly intended as a one-shot, just another Superboy story. But the characters proved popular, with each reappearance bringing more clamor from the readers for more. With issue 300 of Adventure Comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes became a regular feature, and the rest is history.
I'll admit that, as a kid, I didn't think too much about the time travel aspects. The LSH may as well have been based on the other side of the universe or in an alternate dimension for all I cared. Many of these early tales fall apart if you start examining the underlying logic of them. Which is par for the course for 60's DC, really. Internal logic and airtight concepts weren't really their thing (or anyone's. Feel free to compare these comics to any of their contemporaries from other publishers. You'll see what I mean.) But they're definitely fun! They're like puppies: maybe a little clumsy, but full of enthusiasm, eager to please, and friendly and playful enough to melt all but the stoniest of hearts.
These early Legion of Super-Heroes stories may not be for everyone. But I, for one, can't get enough of them. Highly recommended!
February 3, 2022
The LOSH has always been one of my least favorite comics, but I wanted to read the Showcase Presents volumes for their historical significance, and I think it's awesome how these collection put everything in chronological order.
The art is the usual good DC silver age art, but unfortunately the stories are also the norm for silver age DC, and that's not really a good thing. Most stories are based around a mystery of some sort, and it seems like someone always betraying somebody or fooling them or just being a jerk to them.
If you like Silver Age campiness you'll love this series, but if you are unfamiliar with Silver Age DC comics don't go into this expecting much story wise.
The art is the usual good DC silver age art, but unfortunately the stories are also the norm for silver age DC, and that's not really a good thing. Most stories are based around a mystery of some sort, and it seems like someone always betraying somebody or fooling them or just being a jerk to them.
If you like Silver Age campiness you'll love this series, but if you are unfamiliar with Silver Age DC comics don't go into this expecting much story wise.
March 18, 2008
Ah, more wacky silver-age goodness from the 60's.
The first third of the book primarily consists of stories with a similar premise: one or more members of the Legion are in Smallville (or in the future) and are tricking Superboy (or Supergirl) into thinking they're evil or someone else. It always ends up being some sort of initiation test, and even though Superboy (or girl) would pass, there is always some weird loophole preventing their acceptance into the Legion. The rest of the book uses a similar story theme often, where some Legion member appears to have gone rogue and ultimately acted that way to save everyone else from some unknown enemy. Being that it is from the 60's, there a few continuity glitches (Matter-Eater Lad is repeatedly called "Matter-Eating Lad" in the last story, by of all people Braniac 5!) The most jarring of these, though, was how often the "distant future" changed from the truly distant 30th Century to the sorta distant 21st Century. I think someone in editorial forgot how far 1,000 years would take you into the future.
I actually enjoyed this more than most of the other Showcase collections, mostly because the only Legion I really know is the current series from DC, though I've been catching up on this version through the current story-arc in Action Comics (several of the Earth villains in that story-arc appear as Legion rejects in this Showcase). This collection also has the story that was primarily the basis for the recent "Lightning Saga" storyarc that ran through Justice League and Justice Society, so that was a nice bonus.
The first third of the book primarily consists of stories with a similar premise: one or more members of the Legion are in Smallville (or in the future) and are tricking Superboy (or Supergirl) into thinking they're evil or someone else. It always ends up being some sort of initiation test, and even though Superboy (or girl) would pass, there is always some weird loophole preventing their acceptance into the Legion. The rest of the book uses a similar story theme often, where some Legion member appears to have gone rogue and ultimately acted that way to save everyone else from some unknown enemy. Being that it is from the 60's, there a few continuity glitches (Matter-Eater Lad is repeatedly called "Matter-Eating Lad" in the last story, by of all people Braniac 5!) The most jarring of these, though, was how often the "distant future" changed from the truly distant 30th Century to the sorta distant 21st Century. I think someone in editorial forgot how far 1,000 years would take you into the future.
I actually enjoyed this more than most of the other Showcase collections, mostly because the only Legion I really know is the current series from DC, though I've been catching up on this version through the current story-arc in Action Comics (several of the Earth villains in that story-arc appear as Legion rejects in this Showcase). This collection also has the story that was primarily the basis for the recent "Lightning Saga" storyarc that ran through Justice League and Justice Society, so that was a nice bonus.
October 10, 2009
I love it but it's hard to recommend this volume to others. The stories in these first two books are mostly about the Legion getting attacked by people they rejected for the team and Legion members trying to trick each other into marriage.
October 22, 2015
The most accident-prone superheroes in the galaxy. I guess in the future people get super powers from being total klutzes.
March 26, 2018
The stories were actually mostly passable, sometimes even decent. Lots of them rely on Silver Age surprise revelations (why is Dream Girl expelling the entire team?!), but as a reader familiar with the Levitz and, later, Giffen era of the Legion's history, I did enjoy seeing lots of the history that was laid in this volume.
Things I noted: the Time Trapper is never really introduced. One story, we just find out that Superboy and Mon-El are trying to smash through the Iron Curtain of time to capture a thief who escaped into the future. It's just a side reference, that creeps up repeatedly before the Trapper actually appears in (a mediocre) story. Ultra Boy is introduced as having Ultra-vision. Much later, with no mention of a powers change, he has his traditional all-Superman-powers,-but-only-one-at-a-time powers/limitations.
Plus, man, the writers really liked to get away with murder in these stories! Lightning Lad killed in one story (they teased in the final panel that maybe he'd return, but it took a year to bring him back), and Mxyzptlk's descendent slaughtered the ENTIRE TEAM (except Superboy) in another story. Fortunately, fifth-dimensional magic is undone when Superboy is able to trick him into saying his name backwards.
Honestly, it was fun stuff. Though I really wish DC'd start Archiving the Levitz run. That's what I really want collected, and in a worthwhile format.
Things I noted: the Time Trapper is never really introduced. One story, we just find out that Superboy and Mon-El are trying to smash through the Iron Curtain of time to capture a thief who escaped into the future. It's just a side reference, that creeps up repeatedly before the Trapper actually appears in (a mediocre) story. Ultra Boy is introduced as having Ultra-vision. Much later, with no mention of a powers change, he has his traditional all-Superman-powers,-but-only-one-at-a-time powers/limitations.
Plus, man, the writers really liked to get away with murder in these stories! Lightning Lad killed in one story (they teased in the final panel that maybe he'd return, but it took a year to bring him back), and Mxyzptlk's descendent slaughtered the ENTIRE TEAM (except Superboy) in another story. Fortunately, fifth-dimensional magic is undone when Superboy is able to trick him into saying his name backwards.
Honestly, it was fun stuff. Though I really wish DC'd start Archiving the Levitz run. That's what I really want collected, and in a worthwhile format.
February 17, 2014
Ah, the Silver Age Legion of Superheroes, those zany kids from the thirtieth (or occasionally twenty-first century). They are the team who had an unbelievably huge roster long before Marvel and DC added so many Avengers and Justice Leaguers that they need three or four teams for them. The Legion of Superheroes is a team that treats the Space-time continuum like it's an a toy as they freely yank Superboy and Supergirl in for adventures never worrying what might happen if one of their adventures goes awry in the 31st Century and one of them is unable to return altering time forever.
That's not their concern. The book is more pure escapist fun than will be allowed in modern comics.
This book collects their earliest adventures beginning with guest appearances in the stories of Superboy and Supergirl from 1958-62. These stories are fairly good. The Superboy stories are particularly welcomed given the dearth of silver age Superboy reprints out there. On the other hand, the Legion can come off as jerks with some really mean behavior, and cruel pranks, though some of its explained by the end of the story.
Also, the editors made the somewhat dubious decision to reprint some stories that were only tangentially tied to the Legion such as a Supergirl story, "Superman's Super Courtship" that has Supergirl trying to play Cupid for Superman and a couple pages are dedicated to her attempt to get Superman hitched with a grown Saturn Woman, little knowing she was already married to Lightning Man. A more important story is Superboy's meeting with Mon-El who would become a powerful legionnaire.
The beginning of the true legion adventures isn't until Page 181 which is Adventure Comics #300. The next 360+ pages collects Adventure Comics #300-#321 with a couple of guest spots in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. At this point, the Legion had no contact with anyone outside of the Superboy/Superman sphere of influence in the mainstream DC Universe.
And what follows are a series of truly enjoyable stories. Having read the early Justice League stories, these are far better. They're definitely plot based stories but they're very well-done imaginative plots. This is aided by the fact that the Legion includes heroes with so many unique powers such as Triplicate Girl who can split herself into thirds, Bouncing Boy who can bounce, Matter-eater Boy who can well eat matter of various types. There are more conventional powers like Lightning Lad's.
The story had interesting concepts and dealt with the death of a hero early on with the passing of Lightning Lad who died to save Saturn Girl. Of course, he'd be back, the book was pretty honest about that too. And it's creepy how the heroes resolved to do that and left him on display like he was Lenin, but still it was interesting.
Another great concept here was the Legion of Subsitute Heroes which come about through a recurring them of the Legion considering new member. The front cover portrays Superboy before an American Idol style panel deciding whether he should be allowed in or not. The Legion rejected many. Some of them formed the Legion of Subsitute Heroes led by Night Girl and a couple days they get into action and save the Legion's bacon, most notably in the Legion's Suicide Squad in which Night Girl saves the day despite her powers only working at night.
The book dealt with Sunboy snapping after too many missions leading to a mutiny and Sunboy having his colleagues put into a ship without food, water, or a significant out of fuel, and the stranded heroes having to figure out how to go from one hostile planet to another to finally get home.
"The Super-Villains of All Ages" is another classic that has the Legion having to fight Hitler, Nero, and John Dillinger who have taken over the bodies of Superboy, Mon-el, and Ultraboy, three of the group's strongest members.
There was only one story that didn't really make any sense within its context and it was the one in which Lightning Lad was believed to have returned as the Legion came upon him returning to life in his Lenin display case. But it turned out to be his sister Lightning Lass who disguised herself as him. This raised a multitude of questions. "Why did she need to disguise herself as her dead twin brother? Why didn't she join the legion normally? How long had she been lying there?"
Another favorite was, "The Legion of Super Monsters" which featured a rejected legionnaire candidate turning his powers to control animals to vengeance and evil as he takes control of deadly beasts throughout the galaxy.
The Legion does have a few bad moments, though most bad or jerky behavior is explained as an attempt to prevent some greater evil such as when Saturn Girl steals everyone's powers so that she'll be the one to fulfill a prophecy about a Legionnaire dying. The Legion's Constitution can be annoying. If a hero loses their power, they're kicked out of the legion immediately no matter how often superheroes lose their powers. This was relaxed in the last story as Bouncing Lad was able to stay a reserve even though he could no longer bounce.
Overall, this was just a great book, despite some of the stories at the front, I have to say that this book is right up there with World's Finest and the Flash, as the best of the Silver Age Showcase books I've read so far.
That's not their concern. The book is more pure escapist fun than will be allowed in modern comics.
This book collects their earliest adventures beginning with guest appearances in the stories of Superboy and Supergirl from 1958-62. These stories are fairly good. The Superboy stories are particularly welcomed given the dearth of silver age Superboy reprints out there. On the other hand, the Legion can come off as jerks with some really mean behavior, and cruel pranks, though some of its explained by the end of the story.
Also, the editors made the somewhat dubious decision to reprint some stories that were only tangentially tied to the Legion such as a Supergirl story, "Superman's Super Courtship" that has Supergirl trying to play Cupid for Superman and a couple pages are dedicated to her attempt to get Superman hitched with a grown Saturn Woman, little knowing she was already married to Lightning Man. A more important story is Superboy's meeting with Mon-El who would become a powerful legionnaire.
The beginning of the true legion adventures isn't until Page 181 which is Adventure Comics #300. The next 360+ pages collects Adventure Comics #300-#321 with a couple of guest spots in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. At this point, the Legion had no contact with anyone outside of the Superboy/Superman sphere of influence in the mainstream DC Universe.
And what follows are a series of truly enjoyable stories. Having read the early Justice League stories, these are far better. They're definitely plot based stories but they're very well-done imaginative plots. This is aided by the fact that the Legion includes heroes with so many unique powers such as Triplicate Girl who can split herself into thirds, Bouncing Boy who can bounce, Matter-eater Boy who can well eat matter of various types. There are more conventional powers like Lightning Lad's.
The story had interesting concepts and dealt with the death of a hero early on with the passing of Lightning Lad who died to save Saturn Girl. Of course, he'd be back, the book was pretty honest about that too. And it's creepy how the heroes resolved to do that and left him on display like he was Lenin, but still it was interesting.
Another great concept here was the Legion of Subsitute Heroes which come about through a recurring them of the Legion considering new member. The front cover portrays Superboy before an American Idol style panel deciding whether he should be allowed in or not. The Legion rejected many. Some of them formed the Legion of Subsitute Heroes led by Night Girl and a couple days they get into action and save the Legion's bacon, most notably in the Legion's Suicide Squad in which Night Girl saves the day despite her powers only working at night.
The book dealt with Sunboy snapping after too many missions leading to a mutiny and Sunboy having his colleagues put into a ship without food, water, or a significant out of fuel, and the stranded heroes having to figure out how to go from one hostile planet to another to finally get home.
"The Super-Villains of All Ages" is another classic that has the Legion having to fight Hitler, Nero, and John Dillinger who have taken over the bodies of Superboy, Mon-el, and Ultraboy, three of the group's strongest members.
There was only one story that didn't really make any sense within its context and it was the one in which Lightning Lad was believed to have returned as the Legion came upon him returning to life in his Lenin display case. But it turned out to be his sister Lightning Lass who disguised herself as him. This raised a multitude of questions. "Why did she need to disguise herself as her dead twin brother? Why didn't she join the legion normally? How long had she been lying there?"
Another favorite was, "The Legion of Super Monsters" which featured a rejected legionnaire candidate turning his powers to control animals to vengeance and evil as he takes control of deadly beasts throughout the galaxy.
The Legion does have a few bad moments, though most bad or jerky behavior is explained as an attempt to prevent some greater evil such as when Saturn Girl steals everyone's powers so that she'll be the one to fulfill a prophecy about a Legionnaire dying. The Legion's Constitution can be annoying. If a hero loses their power, they're kicked out of the legion immediately no matter how often superheroes lose their powers. This was relaxed in the last story as Bouncing Lad was able to stay a reserve even though he could no longer bounce.
Overall, this was just a great book, despite some of the stories at the front, I have to say that this book is right up there with World's Finest and the Flash, as the best of the Silver Age Showcase books I've read so far.
February 6, 2018
This was a gift from my son. It was a “blast from the past.” I had read these comics when I was very young. I had a vague memory of the stories and the joy I felt reading them the first time.
March 3, 2018
Super cheesy!!
July 18, 2013
This is admittedly a 5-star based partially on comparison, but what a refreshingly good volume of comic book-ery from early 1960s DC.
I guess it's mostly based on how the characters become more likable by not having to be these god-like solo heroes. Superman and Batman are unbearable mags in this era, but these kids who all hang out and like each other and travel to weird planets, I can dig it.
The legion of substitute heroes is an awesome group of characters, there's some beautiful Supergirl art by Jim Mooney, it's an all around winner winner.
There are some dated things, like Saturn Girl being told not to do certain dangerous tasks because she's a girl...But she's one of the more awesome ones in the group (even Phantom Girl and Shrinking Violet) have their moments.
Also, Superboy being a member of the group gets gradually less annoying, but has its groan worthy bias in showing who's mag it is.
It's a fun read, and the writing is better than most, even if not necessarily ground breaking.
I guess it's mostly based on how the characters become more likable by not having to be these god-like solo heroes. Superman and Batman are unbearable mags in this era, but these kids who all hang out and like each other and travel to weird planets, I can dig it.
The legion of substitute heroes is an awesome group of characters, there's some beautiful Supergirl art by Jim Mooney, it's an all around winner winner.
There are some dated things, like Saturn Girl being told not to do certain dangerous tasks because she's a girl...But she's one of the more awesome ones in the group (even Phantom Girl and Shrinking Violet) have their moments.
Also, Superboy being a member of the group gets gradually less annoying, but has its groan worthy bias in showing who's mag it is.
It's a fun read, and the writing is better than most, even if not necessarily ground breaking.
April 24, 2016
Covering the original Legion of Super-Heroes appearances from 1958-1964, this is some mighty fun reading. The quality of the material goes a bit up and down, is on more than one occasion very tied to its time in the sense of atmosphere, etc, and a bit too often too wordy for its own good. But taken for what it is, and with those caveats in mind, still a whole lot of fun.
I do recognise some of the stories from my childhood (then read in Swedish), so the nostalgia angle certainly adds some sweetness, but it's certainly more than that. There's some really good stuff here, and after having recently read Edmond Hamilton's wonderful City at World's End, it has certainly been fun reading his Legion stories.
Looking forward to reading volume 2.
I do recognise some of the stories from my childhood (then read in Swedish), so the nostalgia angle certainly adds some sweetness, but it's certainly more than that. There's some really good stuff here, and after having recently read Edmond Hamilton's wonderful City at World's End, it has certainly been fun reading his Legion stories.
Looking forward to reading volume 2.
April 13, 2008
Silver Age kookiness. Someone appears to betray the Legion in almost every one of these stories. This volume is before the stories got more cosmic and interesting but is still enjoyable.
The quality of these Showcase books from DC seems to be decreasing. The first of these I got, Green Lantern, had nice heavy paper and crisp beautiful black and white art. This one has flimsier paper and a few pages are murkier than I'd like.
The quality of these Showcase books from DC seems to be decreasing. The first of these I got, Green Lantern, had nice heavy paper and crisp beautiful black and white art. This one has flimsier paper and a few pages are murkier than I'd like.
June 19, 2008
I'm deep into this and the follow up volume. This is truly amazing stuff: the death and revival of Lightning Boy, the shadowy menace of the Time Trapper. There are places here, like in a lot of the DC stuff from this period, where the visuals are sort of pedestrian-- you can't fake a Kirby or a Ditko, or else the folks at DC didn't yet see the need-- but when the stories are good, as they are once things get running here, this is some great comics.
January 25, 2014
Decent tales but they all basically have the same plot with people wanting to join the legion and they always end the same way with them joining in the end because either they passed the test or found put they're being messed with by the legion who were playing jokes on the people who wanted to join not much happens only memorable thing to happen was the story with mon el thats about it the rest follows the basic formula of the other ones
May 24, 2014
Perché 3 stelle?
Intanto perché nel loro essere tremendamente naif, queste storie sono anche ricche di idee. Idee sfruttate, ampliate, rinarrate ancora oggi.
Poi perché i disegni, pur non essendo mai diversi dai canoni dell'epoca, restano comunque ben leggibili.
C'è più dell'interesse filologico in queste storie.
Intanto perché nel loro essere tremendamente naif, queste storie sono anche ricche di idee. Idee sfruttate, ampliate, rinarrate ancora oggi.
Poi perché i disegni, pur non essendo mai diversi dai canoni dell'epoca, restano comunque ben leggibili.
C'è più dell'interesse filologico in queste storie.
May 27, 2008
If only this wasn't printed in black and white.
December 30, 2008
Instantly takes me back to my childhood and reading DC Digests my folks bought me from IGA. :)
November 7, 2013
Could only be improved upon if they had more Curt Swan art. Great for kids and comics enthusiasts who want the otherwise unobtainable stories in an affordable format.
November 7, 2015
Fascinating as a historical artifact, but some of the worst comics I've ever read. (Though the artwork was generally fine.)
June 20, 2012
Thank god that's over.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews