Who's Who Volume 13 - Supergirl, Streaky, the Legion of Super-Heroes, etc.

I figured it was time to plug one of my favorite things on the web right now - the Fire and Water podcasts - which are available every Monday. The link to the accompanying tumblr site is http://fireandwaterpodcast.tumblr.com/

The podcasts are hosted by the Irredeemable Shag who runs a Firestorm site ( http://firestormfan.com/  ) and Rob Kelly of The Aquaman Shrine (http://www.aquamanshrine.net/) hence the fire/water title. The hosts have great rapport with each other, the shows sounding more like conversations. The podcasts cover reviews of the Aquaman and Firestorm books, DC role playing games, Power Records, and general DC comic news. But the topic I love most is their reviewing of the classic DC Who's Who book from the eighties, issue by issue, page by page.

This week they reviewed Volume 13, my second favorite issue as it covers a bunch of Legion entries as well as a boatload of Superman related stuff. But there was enough Supergirl stuff in this issue that I felt I needed to include some coverage here.

First off, look at the lower right cover.

That's right, it's Streaky the Super-cat getting some love from Lilith of Teen Titans fame. Good for him to get one last nuzzle before being shunted to comic book limbo.

Yes, there have been subsequent Streakies in other mainstream Supergirl incarnations but never a X-Kryptonite fueled, cape wearing daredevil! (Makes me miss Landry Walker and Eric Jones Cosmic Adventures even more).

As this is the L book, we get a gorgeous splash page by Greg LaRocque of the Legion of Super-Heroes. And LaRocque brings his A game here, including everyone who has ever been in the Legion, including the honored dead.

I will say I was somewhat disappointed that the team only gets a small 'history'. Sure it opens up way more space for the beautiful art. But Legion fans pride themselves on their knowledge of the team's lore. Surely something else could be written about their history. I do like that they are called 'unquestionably the most powerful team in the DC universe'.

As I said, LaRocque put in all the Legionnaires. That includes Supergirl.

She had been killed 6 months earlier in the Crisis. So I remember being happy to see her here amongst friends again.

Also in the issue is the Legion of Super-Pets which includes Supergirl's animal pals Streaky and Comet. I had forgotten about this entry completely and was glad to see that these characters that are important in Supergirl's history merited a small blurb in this encyclopedic book.

And I also had to include the Lois Lane page as she was (I believe) the only supporting character who got a page on her own merits. Jimmy Olsen got in as Elastic Lad. Alfred Pennyworth makes it in as The Outsider. Lana Lang is in as the Insect Queen.

Lois is Lois. That's good enough.

And boy, I love Bob Oksner's art.

Anyways, I highly highly recommend the Fire and Water Podcasts as a great comic forum. And if you are a Who's Who fan, you need to listen to those episodes in particular.