It may not be exactly what you'd expect from the title, but Legion Companion offers plenty of information for fans of the 30th century's greatest super group. It's a collection of dozens of interviews with virtually every creative talent that worked on the Legion of Super-Heroes, including Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, Paul Levitz, Jim Starlin, Jimmy Janes, Keith Giffen, and Steve Lightle. Some of the interviews (and Shooter's "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" intro) appeared in the 1980s-vintage fanzine The Legion Outpost, but most were conducted in 2003, and the book is generously illustrated in black and white with both original comic panels and rare items from the subjects' personal collections. Legion Companion, however, is not a convenient reference guide to Legion lore, so you're out of luck if you're looking for a quick explanation of the story of Ferro Lad or the significance of the Legion Reboot. That's not to say that whatever info you want isn't here--it might be, but you'll have to make an informed guess or scan through a lot of interviews to find it. Still, one can't discount the value of having this much information straight from the mouths of so many writers and artists collected in one convenient volume, and if you're an LSH fan, you'll probably find it surprisingly absorbing. --David Horiuchi
Book Description
In time for the Legion of Super Heroes' 45th anniversary, The Legion Companion takes a behind-the-scenes look at the story behind the comic book, in the acclaimed format of TwoMorrows' other "Companion" volumes. Set in the 30th Century, the Legion was originally conceived as a spin-off of Superman, featuring his adventures with the team while he was still Superboy.
The Legion Companion FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Legion Companion is a comprehensive look at the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes through interviews with the artists and writers of the Legion including Dave Cockrum, Mike Grell, Jim Starlin, James Sherman, Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen, Steve Lightle, Mark Waid, Jim Shooter, Jim Mooney, Al Plastino, and more! In addition to never before seen Legion art by Neal Adams, Curt Swan, George Perez and others along with unused character designs and Timber Wolf story by Dave Cockrum.