Review: Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Volume 7 by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, George Klein, et al.

Comic hardcover, 238 pages
Published 1997 (contents: 1967-68)
Acquired June 2015
Read August 2018

Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Volume 7

Writer and Layouts: Jim Shooter

Pencillers: Curt Swan, Jim Mooney, Pete Costanza
Inkers: George Klein, Jim Mooney, Pete Costanza, Sheldon Moldoff
Letterers: Milton Snapinn, Shelly Leferman, Morris Waldinger, Gaspar Saladino, Ray Holloway

For the 1960s Legion, this is actually pretty decent. You can see that Shooter is a fan, and it has a positive effect on his writing, in that he's interested in who the Legionnaires are as characters. This volume often delves into their backgrounds, with home planets and parents putting in appearances.

What, characterization, in a Legion comic? Too bad it will have no impact on the story.
from Adventure Comics vol. 1 #362 (art by Pete Costanza)

We also get milestones like the first appearance of the Dominators; I was amused to notice they're introduced just like Star Trek's Cardassians, in that a never-before-mentioned war with them is just coming to an end. Pretty tough war if our heroes devoted to the United Planets literally have nothing to do with it. Jerks!

Of course you don't think he's so bad, you've never even heard of these guys before!
from Adventure Comics vol. 1 #361 (art by Jim Mooney)

I mean, a lot of it is still silly and/or dumb. There's a story where they Legionnaires travel to another dimension as a shortcut to escort a peace mission (a technology never mentioned before or since) and get attacked by descendants of Lee Harvey Oswald, Brutus, Cassius, and John Wilkes Booth who have been given superpowers and altered to resemble their ancestors. Why is this considered a good plan by the bad guys? Who knows. Also 30th-century education must be pretty impressive, given the Legionnaires recognize all four historical assassins at a glance. Actually, flipping back through the book, a lot of the plots are silly and/or dumb. I could go the rest of my life without another Legion of Super-Pets story.

This doesn't really relate to anything I discuss in my review; I just thought it had some badass writing for Shadow Lass with good art to match.
from Adventure Comics vol. 1 #365 (art by Curt Swan & George Klein)

Also the Miracle Machine turns up for the first time, which shows up to wrap up an adventure, a never-before-mentioned piece of technology with the amazing power of doing literally anything! At least the Legion finally get their new, better HQ.

Next Week: Jumping ahead-- new costumes in Archives, Volume 10!