Legends of Dead Earth: Supergirl with Keith Lehtinen

This week on Men of Steel, Case and Jmike are joined by Keith Lehtinen to explore the Legends of Dead Earth DC Annual featuring the memory of Supergirl. We dig into this bleak future tale, how Supergirl fits into DC's long tradition of alternate timelines, and what this story reveals about legacy when hope is in short supply.

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Men of Steel Full Episode Originally aired: January 9, 2026

Edited by Sophia Ricciardi

Scored by Geoff Moonen

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 Outline

Introduction and Context of Legends of Dead Earth Supergirl Annual (00:00 - 10:14)

• Introduction to the Men of Steel podcast and guest Keith Letinen, comic book expert
• Overview of the Legends of Dead Earth 1996 annuals by DC Comics focusing on futuristic mythologizing of modern DC characters

Analysis of Chapter One: "The Surrogate" (10:14 - 19:11)

• Written by Chuck Dixon with artwork by Dick Giordano and George Perez (noted for quality)
• The story highlights hope through flashbacks to youth and idealization of Supergirl as an icon, not a specific person

Analysis of Chapter Two: "Legend Lives On"/"Shootout at Ice Flats" (19:11 - 28:37)

• The second story (credits order error noted), written by Barbara and Carl Kesel, is a Twilight Zone-esque tale featuring space pirates who fear the myth of Supergirl, although she doesn't appear
• Discussion of how the story parodies and distorts superhero lore, especially with references to "The Crisis" and Supergirl's berserker phase

Analysis of Chapter Three: "Shootout at Ice Flats" (28:37 - 38:03)

• Written by Joe Lansdale and Neil Barrett Jr., art by Robert Turkish Taranishi, the story is a sci-fi Western featuring a sheriff who resembles Supergirl
• The story closes with hope passing to a younger generation via the amulet's gift

Overall Impressions and Discussion of the Annual (38:03 - 47:44)

• Hosts discuss whether the annual was worth the 1996 cover price of $2.95, agreeing that the package was fun and had variety making it worth the price
• Comparative recommendation: for new fans, alternative modern stories such as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and some Future State runs recommended instead

Conclusion and Promotions (47:44 - 56:39)

• Guest Keith Letinen highlights his podcast We Have Issues that delivers fast, positive comic reviews especially useful for staying current with many comics out there
• Tease of upcoming Legends of Dead Earth issues to be discussed in future episodes