Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 #16 pg 11

This was one of the rare cases where a Legion page up for sale sticks around for a long time instead of getting snapped up. It was listed in the CAF classifieds last summer, and then on eBay a little later. Both times I wanted to buy it, both times I had auctions to win or time payments to make, and both times, the page remained unsold. Then it was listed at the fall 2024 Comic Art Live event, and still I hesitated... and then the price was reduced, and I figured I'd waited long enough!

This is from the 5YL Legion storyline where the Khunds go to war with the United Planets. On this page here, we see Orlak, a Khund double agent the Legion have sent to infiltrate Khundian high command, accompanied by one Laurel Gand, disguised as a Khund... erm... let's go with "wench", as the officers say in the second panel, there. You might think that Laurel's disdain in the first panel is because she's uncomfortable in her costume, but the actual truth is that ever since the Khunds murdered her family she's held quite the grudge against them, and really she's just fed up with listening to Orlak go on about how "lively" and "vibrant" Khundia feels.

Peterson and Garzon do a masterful job with this page, perfectly capturing the slightly seedy, neon-lit aesthetic of a bustling but slightly sinister city. Look at how the crowds behind them are in shadows that blend into hatching to give the indication of a haze of smog! The buildings in the background are beautifully detailed with all their lit up windows, and I love the futuristic twist of the floating neon billboards and signs all around. The way they've rendered the sheer fabric of Laurel's costume is is very well-done, too.

Speaking of Laurel, this is the first piece of art I've bought that features her! A younger clone of Laurel (and eventually an alternate-universe version of her) would be known as Andromeda, one of my favourite Legion characters, and even though this Laurel isn't technically Andromeda, I'm still happy to have a piece of art that features her.