Legion of Super-Heroes #291 (1982)
“Of Leaders and Lovers”
by Paul Levitz & Howard Bender (originally) or Keith Giffen (reprint)
This is the only story in the Great Darkness Saga proper that was NOT penciled by Keith Giffen… at least originally. Because he later re-drew the story himself.
I was already exposed to this dichotomy when I first read the Legion, because thankfully the Italian reprint included BOTH versions.
So I’ll show the same scene in both versions (Bender first, Giffen later) and see which is the superior version.
The first page is basically the same, with Saturn Girl tending to her husband. Both are perfectly fine, although you’ll immediately notice the huge difference between the 1982 Giffen style and his later work.
The difference starts with the second page, with a scene of Saturn Girl probing LL’s mind.
I vastly prefer the Bender version; the way Lightning Lad’s silhouette merges with the ice is just gorgeous. Giffen tries to do the same thing, but unless you’ve seen what Bender was going after, I don’t think you’d even get what it’s supposed to represent.
The following scene, where Saturn Girl is updated by Cosmic Boy on the situation but is too distracted to care, is again done MUCH better by Bender. In the Giffen version her face seems really off.
The next page is almost a tie… both versions are great at depicting Saturn Girl flying to the rescue… but for me the Bender version is once again superior because it really sells she’s flying once she faces the Servant, whereas in the Giffen version she’s just floating.
The confrontation with the Servant, however, is better in the Giffen version: this is late Giffen, so him taking advantage of the shadows is kind of expected.
I’m a bit on the fence on the next-to-last page, since they work well for different reasons. Let’s call it a tie.
We’re on the last page, where Giffen makes one tiny change: in the original Saturn Girl is TALKING to her husband, but in the new version she’s THINKING. Which makes sense since she’s a telepath, but I think it’s more powerful when those are her spoken words.
When I first read both versions, I considered the Bender version to be vastly superior. I still think it’s the better one, but the Giffen version isn’t bad at all.
Except when I got to the end, I realize why I remember the Giffen version to be bad: its last panel is ATROCIOUS when compared to the original!!!
Come on, only ONE of these reaction shot sells “I’m excited about the new leader” instead of “I’ve been awake for twenty hours straight”.
Legion significance: 0/10
It is technically the story where Dream Girl is elected leader, but it’s only one panel. Other than that, this is harmless fluff.
Silver Age-ness: 0/10
Not really.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
Definitely the weakest part of the saga: why couldn’t this be part of the main story? That being said there’s nothing inherently bad about it, so I can’t complain it too much.
Except for that last panel.
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