This article is part of the DC Database Recommended Reading project, a series of articles written by our editors. They are meant as a guide to help both new and old readers, either getting into comics for the first time or looking to read more on their favorites. These should not be taken as a definitive guide; obviously you can start wherever and with whatever you want, but they're some general suggestions that we think you might find enjoyable.
Legion of Super-Heroes is confusing as balls. The Legion of Super-Heroes have some very good stories, but they can also be impossible to figure out how to get into. The massive continuity issues between the three different main versions of the team, and the endless characters with seemingly silly names can make it very inaccessible. They're actually an incredibly rich and diverse wealth of stories that are well worth your time getting into if you can find the good parts, but the trick is figuring out where to get started.
New readers[]
- Legion of Super-Heroes: An Eye for an Eye is the beginning arc of Volume 3, by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen. Featuring the Original Legion, the story features a massive battle against the Legion of Super-Villains and ends in the tragic death of a long-time Legionnaire.
- Legion of Super-Heroes: Teenage Revolution is the first arc of Volume 5, debuting the Prime Legion reboot by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. It's really freaking good.
- Legion of Super-Heroes: The Beginning of Tomorrow is the first and origin story of the Reboot Legion, published immediately after Zero Hour by Mark Waid, Tom McCraw, Stuart Immonen and Jeffrey Moy. Using a vastly different tone than the preceding Five Years Later stories by portraying a lighter and more idealistic Legion, it does an excellent job of establishing the characters and building their new universe.
- Lightning Saga is a JLA/JSA crossover written by Brad Meltzer and Geoff Johns, featuring the Original Legion's return following Infinite Crisis.
- Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank is the follow-up arc to Lightning Saga, exploring the original Legion's return to continuity and the details of their time spent lost without Superman. Taking place on a future Earth grown violent with xenophobia, Superman returns to the future and helps the Legion fight against oppression and racial hatred.
Further reading[]
- Adult Education
- Argo: Set in the Smallville (TV Series) continuity, Clark Kent travels to the future to prevent a war between the Earth and the survivors of Krypton.
- Legion of Super-Heroes: Earthwar is one of the first Legion epics written by Paul Levitz. At the same time someone attempts to sabotage peace talks between the United Planets and the Dominators, the Khunds declare war on Earth. But who is really behind everything?
- The Dominator War
- Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds is a Legion epic featuring all three main teams, written by Geoff Johns and George Pérez as a companion piece to Final Crisis. Superboy-Prime comes to the future and teams up with all of the Legion's greatest villains, including the Legion of Super-Villains, Mordru and the Time Trapper. The Legions unite for the first time led by Superman against their common enemies.
- Five Years Later is a period in the Original Legion history taking place in the beginning of Volume 4. Following an event called Black Dawn, the Legion has been disbanded and the Legionnaires live in an oppressive militant dystopian United Planets secretly controlled by the Dominators. The period, lasting several years, details the reestablishment of the team as they attempt to rebuild and protect the universe for future generations.
- The Great Darkness Saga is a classic story written by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen that shows Darkseid appearing in the 30th Century and fighting against the Legionnaires.
- The Legion: Foundations is a Reboot Legion epic featuring the team fighting against Darkseid.
- Legion Lost is a Reboot Legion story written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, taking place immediately after Widening Rifts. The team of Legionnaires teleported vast lightyears outside of known space struggle to find their way home through unfamiliar territory.
- Legion of Super-Heroes: End of an Era is the last story of the Original Legion taking place during Zero Hour. The team makes their last stand as time deteriorates and fluxes around them, doing everything they can to protect life while the universe around them is consumed by entropy. Beginning of Tomorrow follows immediately afterward, introducing the Reboot Legion.
- Legion of the Damned is a Reboot Legion story by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, taking place during the Blight occupation of Earth.
- The Quest for Cosmic Boy
- Strange Visitor from Another Century
Single issues[]
- Adventure Comics #247
- Action Comics #276
- Adventure Comics #304–Adventure Comics #312
- Action Comics #287
- Adventure Comics #313
- Adventure Comics #340
- Adventure Comics #342
- Adventure Comics #353
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (Volume 4) #1
- Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (Volume 4) #2
- Legion of Super-Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special #1