posted
Adv. #4 is the first of the series I've read, but I'm delighted to have the retroboot Legion back. I hope they take over Adventure and banish the other 2 versions to oblivion ASAP.
I know they're not going to be identical to the original Legion, but they're the closest we're ever going to get and I'm okay with that.
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From: Champaign, IL | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
we just have to take the continuity glitches as ripples from Superboy punching the wall of time. it frustrates me too, but what're ya gonna do. Johns is overloaded with work and nobody else at DC aside from Levitz is a as big Legion geeks as we are.
i'm enjoying seeing the legion backups but i agree that it's time to tell an actual story. i'm pretty sure the three/four/five back up plotlines will be connected somehow, but until we start seeing a connection, it's not much of a pull for newer readers. haven't we already forgotten about Lightning Lord's claim of having a twin? RJ Brande's will? Missing Legionnaires?
i like the artist just fine. (i really hate Dawnstar's peek-a-boo cleavage. it's really demeaning. but Gary Frank designed it not this guy.) his work is sleek and attractive and he captures characters emotions very well. however, i thought Blok's transformation was not very well depicted. why was everyone chasing after him as if he needed to be hospitalized, when he looked pretty much the same. when the Witch transformed him, i could only guess that he is now flesh instead of rock but he doesn't look that different at all. also, i don't recall his rock physiology as any reason why he and Mysa couldn't be "together". if the Thing and Alicia Masters could do it all these years, i don't see why these enlightened 31st century beings can't.
-------------------- Gorilla Nebula
From: san francisco | Registered: Jul 2003
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: I imagine anyone who was a fan of the threeboot would be somewhat annoyed by the way that series was cancelled to make way for this one.
Oh, I'm definitely not a fan of any Legion book being cancelled to be replaced by an eight page backup that may or may not appear in another book, depending upon what the solicits that don't mention the Legion at all mean.
I was not the biggest fan of the threeboot, but at least they didn't *pretend* to be the 'classic' Legion, and then make all sorts of arbitrary changes. Waid didn't lie to me. He made it very clear that this was not my Legion, right from the first issue, but a new twist on an old theme, and, just as I did with Superboy's Legion, I was willing to give him a chance.
Johns/Meltzer didn't do this. They went right out and stated that this was the 'real Legion,' and then continually put the lie to these declarations by making the changes I mentioned above (which, in the case of Red Tornado / Wildfire, you even agree was uncalled for). More annoyingly, they seemed *irritated* that they have to keep explaining to us that this is the original team, while going out of their way to write characters out of character and change things. I could care less about the emotional spectrum Rainbow Lantern storyline, so it impresses me not even a little bit that Johns changed Rainbow Girl's powers to fit his current 20th century storyline and shuffled Color Kid off into whatever oblivion has claimed Magnetic Kid and Graym Ranzz.
On the other hand, I'm thankful that the changes to Rainbow Lass to suit the 20th century Spectrum Lantern storyline weren't as egregious as the changes made to Laurel Kent to fit the 20th century Manhunter storyline...
[ November 23, 2009, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: Set ]
Registered: Aug 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Gorilla Nebula: . . . however, i thought Blok's transformation was not very well depicted. why was everyone chasing after him as if he needed to be hospitalized, when he looked pretty much the same. when the Witch transformed him, i could only guess that he is now flesh instead of rock but he doesn't look that different at all. also, i don't recall his rock physiology as any reason why he and Mysa couldn't be "together". if the Thing and Alicia Masters could do it all these years, i don't see why these enlightened 31st century beings can't.
Wow! For some reason, I didn't catch that at all!
So, he's only flesh while Mysa has the Black Witch powers? Why did she become the White Witch to do the spell, then? It took all of the BW power? Thanks for the insight!
As to the problems with this boot? Just one, really, for me.
I don't have any of the Baxter run although I read them, sometime in the last 20 years. I need 'someone in charge' to write an informative introduction setting the stage for this Legion.
The other boots weren't picking up somewhere in a boot that we're supposed to be familiar with.
There are enough changes in this retroboot to make referencing important.
Something simple to set the scenes for those of us who remember things, both clearly and not so clearly. It would also be helpful for new readers, I think.
-------------------- 'In the twinkling of an eye' I'll be dancing in the sky!
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From: Salem, Oregon USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I didn't catch the flesh thing either - just that he looked a whole lot smoother. Could that affect his powers?
As others have pointed out, my main problem with the retroboot is its current status. Some nice character tales, but a vague and slowly-moving story, like having a few pieces of a 1000 piece puzzle.
Continuity glitches don't overly vex me. Some of them are for the better, although some just seem like whims of the writer. I certainly haven't seen anything annoying enough to make me drop the series.
Is Levitz starting off where Johns leaves off, or is he picking up the storyline somewhere in the Baxter run?
posted
I don't know, but I hope he builds on whats been happening AND places the retroboot somewhere in the timeline before Zero Hour. (I hope I've got that straight.
And I DON'T want the reboot Legion forgotten ASAP. I just can't agree. I don't want to loose so many wonderful characters! ugh
-------------------- 'In the twinkling of an eye' I'll be dancing in the sky!
Come, join me!
From: Salem, Oregon USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I don't think Blok was turned to flesh. I'm not sure what happened to him, exactly, but I think he's still rocky. Maybe what Mysa did was as straightforward as healing Mordru's damage to him.
posted
I don't know. I DO remember Set and I and some others posting about how it might be possible for Mysa and Blok to have children together and it involved lots of magic!
-------------------- 'In the twinkling of an eye' I'll be dancing in the sky!
Come, join me!
From: Salem, Oregon USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
I finally went and got my copy of this issue. I was delighted to see Blok and Mysa and Dawny and Wildfire, though it was weird to see Dawny piloting a space craft instead of free flying. I suppose she'd make a great pilot.
It was very clear to me that Blok shed a crusty, rough exterior and came out all smooth but still rocky, not fleshy. Sort of like polished granite or something.
Lots to anticipate, but I get a feeling that that's what these short stories are meant to do for (to) us.
posted
Yeah, I also got the impression that Mysa's magic healed Blok, and the result was the shedding of the old, pox-marked gravelly exterior to more of a polished granite/onyx stone one.
Turning Blok to flesh would be pretty much like clipping Dawnstar's wings or solidifying Wildfire.
-------------------- "My dance card was getting fuller than a contestant's at a Jandan shurg-off." - Exnihil, The Lost Klordny
From: Frederick, MD | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
My two cents on Adv#4 in general was that I am enjoying these backup stories more than I did the Waid run, even though there are fewer pages. The stories are more focused and I like the way a few Legionnaires are being featured at a time. Clayton Henry's art is terrific and getting better each issue. These short stories remind me of how the Legion built up momentum as a backup story in Superboy back in the early 70's and eventually went on to their own book and great things years later.
In particular, this story illustrated what interesting characters Blok and Mysa can actually be, and maybe part of the problem with the Legion the past three-four years is these two (and others) have basically been put on a shelf and missing from the team. I'd rather have more stories about these two (and Tellus and Tyroc and M-E Lad and Gazelle and Sizzle and Quislet!) than the relentless re-imaginings we've had in the Waid series of Triplicate Girl, Micro-Lad/Colossal Boy and Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl, among others.
My one complaint of #4 is that there were two full page spreads (both wonderfully illustrated), but in an 11 page story? That tells me we can afford to have a little more story detail or progression in that space. Again, remembering the Bates/Cockrum Superboy backups of the early 70's, you had a lot of story in each issue.
-------------------- "My dance card was getting fuller than a contestant's at a Jandan shurg-off." - Exnihil, The Lost Klordny
From: Frederick, MD | Registered: Aug 2003
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future king
Excuse me but can you please direct me to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles?
posted
I am also enjoying these Legion back-up stories (just wish they were longer though) and AC#4 was another good read. Seeing my Legion, even in a brief touch-base kind of way is better than nothing at all. I enjoy seeing the underused Legionnaires such as Blok and White/Black Witch get their fair share of space in a Legion comic. I am also a huge fan of the friendship between Wildfire and Dawnstar and it was nice to see them both again here. I want Paul Levitz to start his run by following up with what Brainy said at the end of Lo3W #5 and look into where the missing Legionnaires are. If we get Cham, Dream Girl, Element Lad, M-E Lad, Quislet, Sensor Girl, Tellus and Tyroc back image how powerful the new Levitz Legion would be. (Star Boy/Man, whatever, belongs in the future with the rest of the Legion, not in the past living in obscurity with the JSA.)
There is so much potential plot threads for Paul to work with that it almost seems like he has too much work to do when he returns to the book, doesn't it? I think Mr. Levitz is going to do a bang up job and I, personally, am rooting for the guy. Plus it means I will have a regular full-length Legion book to look forward to again each month.
From: ontario | Registered: Feb 2007
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