I wanted to like this issue—I really did. In general, I have no problem with SW6. I enjoyed their interactions with their older counterparts in a later issue. But here—in the first issue to spotlight them—things seem off. The issue reads like a parody of the Adventure-era Legion by well-meaning creators who didn’t truly understand that era.
First, we have the Legionnaires waking up naked in the Dominators’ chamber. I understand that the Dominators weren’t big on propriety, but so little was done with this scene. No one comments on the situation except for an obligatory remark from Sun Boy. The Legionnaires are still teenagers at this point—they should be awkward, shy, horny, self-conscious, any number of emotions. But instead they behave as professionally as ever. Even adults would find themselves experiencing a range of emotions under similar circumstances.
Second, there’s the salute on page 12. One can imagine that the Bierbaums thought, “Hey, let’s give the fans another tidbit to remind them of the Adventure days.” But why are the Legionnaires saluting in the first place? Violet only tells Devlin that they have to do something—but why? They seem to have too readily accepted the notion that they are out of time and have no way back to their own era, but it’s too soon to come to this conclusion. (Brainy even suggests that this is only one possible future.) As Devlin points out, the Legionnaires are simply making themselves targets for the Dominators—and the Domies are happy to oblige. The Adventure Legionnaires exhibited much more intelligence than that.
Third, Matter-Eater Lad. Dev-Em is right that he gets the best lines, but Tom and Mary use the humorous approach to such an extent that it strains credibility. The Dominators stand there and listen while Tenz prattles on and on instead of blowing his brains out? Sorry, I don’t buy it. The humor that works so well when Tenz is the center of the story (e.g., # 14) seems out of place when he’s a bit player in a more serious storyline.
Fourth, what exactly was Devlin O’Ryan’s plan? He was surprised when Matter-Eater Lad appeared out of nowhere. Does this mean he wasn’t expecting any Legionnaires to come to his rescue? Was he planning on sacrificing himself so they could get away? Perhaps he was waiting for the Legion Espionage Squad to act—but they sure took their time, didn’t they?
There are a few other nitpicky things that bother me, as well, such as Vi’s (and later Chlorophyll Kid’s) stuttering. This shorthand way of indicating that she’s shy is instrusive and makes it appear as if she has a speech impediment.
The issue isn’t a total loss. The artwork by Dusty Abell and Brad Vancata suits the Adventure-era Legion quite well. Also, Devlin is starting to emerge as a character I like (though he does whine a lot).
I guess it was inevitable that Devlin was going to get a power—just about everybody who hangs out with the Legion in any boot gets powers eventually (as Celeste did a few issues ago). Now that Giffen and crew have dismantled everything the Legion stood for, they’re not bound by the same rules (e.g., everyone must have a power), so it would be nice if the Legion had some non-powered supporting players. Of course, they still have Rokk . . .
I fear that the Adventure-era Legionnaires suffer from an undeserved reputation of being bland and having no personalities. This is untrue: the personalities were more subtly conveyed than in later eras. But the Bierbaums, in trying to recreate the Adventure era, popuate this issue with two dozen characters who fade into the background, have little to say or do, or behave oddly.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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This issue presents an exciting fight between Laurel Gand and the Dominator’s android BION. Whereas issue-long fights tend to grow tedious, this one never does. It keeps moving as Laurel throws everything she has against BION but cannot defeat him: he possesses all the powers of the Legionnaires (or claims he does). I like it that this isn’t obvious, at first, but, on re-read, we can see him using the abilities of Elastic Lad (or Cham) (p. 8).
For all his might, however, BION continues to think that this Laurel is the SW6 Laurel! One would think that if he had Saturn Girl’s telepathy, he could figure out his error, but I’m glad he does not. It subtly reminds us that BION and his Dominator creators are as flawed as humans.
I agree with Dev-Em's appraisal of this issue's depiction of the former Subs, who come into their own as resistance warriors. Page 13 is one example where the use of abstract images actually works instead of drawing a fight scene. (In this case, Ulu Vakk uses his Color Kid power in an amazing way to confuse the enemy.)
Ronn-Karr also makes a suitable addition to the Subs.
I also appreciate it that Chlorophyll Kid expresses shock and disgust when a resistance soldier murders a Dominator lab technician (page 17). The former Legionnaires seem to have abandoned their code against killing (Jo in # 2) or to have adopted a more cavalier attitude toward the taking of life during 5YL. It was good to see someone who still thinks that murder—even in war—is wrong.
Grinn is an odd character. He serves his role as Universo’s lackey well, but I can’t help wondering what’s the origin/explanation behind his Cheshire cat appearance.
Issue # 27 is the last issue (I think) that I’m missing of this run. I may have missed the BION resolution, but I’m enjoying most of the other plots and subplots in this intricate tapestry.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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I agree with pretty much everything Dev said in his review a few pages ago. This is a riveting story about Sun Boy’s life and downfall.
Throughout these reviews, I’ve mentioned that Giffen and crew have obviously taken their cues from Watchmen in how they approached 5YL. Nowhere is this more evident than here. Dirk’s back story has a lot in common with that of Rorschach. Although the latter was the son of a prostitute and Dirk Morgna was the son of a wealthy businessman, each seems to have learned some very bad lessons from his parent—lessons regarding women and what one must do to survive and prosper.
It doesn’t hurt that the transitional scenes which appear throughout # 28 bear a striking resemblance to Rorschach tests, or that Dirk as a boy with curly, red hair looks like Walter Kovacs (Rorschach).
Yet despite the similarities to Watchmen, this is Dirk’s own story. The Bierbaums seamlessly weave us in and out of the established facts of Dirk’s back story—his origin, his Legion membership (including going mad from being on one too many space missions), his womanizing—and reinterpret them from Dirk’s perspective.
One aspect that stands out to me is that Dirk never takes responsibility for his own actions. Perhaps he feels “justified” (to use Dev’s term) in blaming his father for steering him down the wrong path, but, at some point, Dirk has to make his own decisions. Instead, he blames the Legion for letting him down, and he quits when the team needs him most. He takes every slight personally yet does not acknowledge the hurt he’s caused others (particularly women).
Perhaps the most significant revelation is that Dirk probably ignored the warning signs that Dr. Regulus had posted outside the reactor, leading to the explosion and death of Alisia (Zarl Hendricks in the original story). This certainly casts Dirk's career in a new light, as the golden Sun Boy could never acknowledge (not even to himself) that he had recklessly caused the death of another.
Jason Pearson’s art perfectly captures the twisted state of Dirk’s mind. Dev already mentioned that characters’ mouths leap creepily off their faces. Other aspects of Pearson’s art that shine include the way Dirk sees Polar Boy as a goofy, always happy sidekick (the real Brek who had joined the Legion was a far more serious sort) and the continuity between transition scenes, such as when the Legionnaires start resigning (p. 11-12).
I can’t say I “love” this story, either—but that’s because Sun Boy was always one of my favorite Legionnaires (hence, the avatar on the left). But I’ve seen enough real-world heroes fall from grace due to their own self-indulgence and narcissism that I appreciate the brutal honesty depicted here.
[ January 20, 2010, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
#28 was gut wrenching. Dirk's fall was hard to watch because he always tried so hard. You wanted him to succeed because he wanted to succeed so badly. Under the surface he may have had a need for approval and popularity that was so strong that it contributed to his downfall. As the Legion fell out of favor on Earth, he still wanted to be Earth's hero - still needed to be Earth's hero. Ultimately this contributed to him not maintaining as strong a tie to the ideals of the Legion.
Missed opportunity: I wish more attention had been paid to the reactions of Gim, Garth, and Rokk to Dirk's tragic fate. These guys always seemed the closest to Dirk to me. Showing one (or all) of them dealing with his sadness would have been powerful.
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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As if the book wasn’t already overpopulated with characters, in these issues we meet Sade—another naked lady who jumps around and causes havoc before being convinced to side with the heroes.
All in all, these two issues are not bad. However, this book doesn’t seem like the Legion’s book anymore. The main characters—the reformed, older Legionnaires—do virtually nothing while the action shifts between various theatres of war. The Subs and Sade fight a mock Fantastic Four. Ambassador Relnic threatens to go to war with the Dominion. The Dominators execute President Wellington and blow up cities. Circe and Bounty sneak into Pinacle Command. The SW6 Legionnaires learn about Dark Circle involvement, sneak away from Universo, and argue with Devlin.
If the Legion didn’t need a scorecard before, they certainly do now. A phone book would be better.
Jason Pearson’s art continues to impress me for the most part. There are times when he (like Tenz) uses humor in inappropriate places. For example, on page 10 of # 30, he’s drawn a shock-haired assistant of Universo’s waving his arms wildly to convey the message that the SW6 have escaped—an image that would be more appropriate in, say, an Ambush Bug story. But Pearson’s images are so much easier to decipher than Giffen’s that I found myself wishing he had drawn all of 5YL.
Another misplaced bit of humor: On page 20 of # 29, the SW6ers tell Devlin that they’ve faced tougher enemies than the Dark Circle in the past, and Violet gives examples: “Like Jungle King and Size Lad and the Cosmic Spy League.” It’s a funny moment, but it portrays the SW6ers as hopelessly naïve. It also ignores the fact that, at this point in the Legion’s history, they had indeed faced some of their toughest enemies, including Universo, the Khunds, and the Time Trapper. (Perhaps Vi was intentionally being silly, but, considering how the SW6 have been depicted thus far, I’m not so sure.)
However, there are also many standout moments in these issues, such as Vakk’s heartbreaking attempt to put Dirk out of his misery by shutting off his life support. The battle scenes also continue to be well choreographed and to move the story forward.
The drama continues to build in these issues. However, I’m glad I get to read them all in a few sittings. Trying to keep track of all the characters and plotlines on a month-to-month basis would be enormously confusing and would put a strain on my patience. Giffen and crew have truly written a novel here, but, as with most novels, the chapters are not as satisfying as the whole.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
My reaction to Annual #3--as well as responses from several other posters--can be found here.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Jerry: Missed opportunity: I wish more attention had been paid to the reactions of Gim, Garth, and Rokk to Dirk's tragic fate. These guys always seemed the closest to Dirk to me. Showing one (or all) of them dealing with his sadness would have been powerful.
Good point. An arguable failing of 5YL is that TMK spend so much time on the "Big Story" that they lose sight of the Legionnaires' relationships. Having re-read through # 30 now, I can't think of a meaningful exchange that has occurred between the old teammates since Vi and Rokk came clean about Venado Bay.
There have been some funny scenes and some near misses (Brainy brushing Rond off over Laurel--but that doesn't really count since Laurel is a retcon). But there's little sense that these people have known each other, fought alongside each other, and cared about one another for 20 years.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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This is a good issue that wraps up the Subs taking over the chamber story, and sets up a major event that will happen soon.
Things that happen within:
Reep gets info on his father, adn decides to go find him. Rokk give Reep a hard time about leaving until he realizes who he is going after.
Elia is being invaded by the Khunds, and the Dominators have a choise to make...go protect their homeworld, or stay and fight for Earth.
The Legionnaires prove that teamwork is a good thing as they devise a plan to rescue those in the chamber. Their plan works to perfection...except nobody counted on Grinn activating the self destruct mechanism. This kills Karate Kid, Princess Projectra and Chameleon Boy of the SW6 group. It also destroys the rest of the chambers, as they were all linked together.
Some thoughts/rants from me.
-There are events that are happening in the book that lead to the destruction of the Earth, and the previous destruction of the moon. The Dominators had these things in place, but in both cases, the events were triggered by others, Dev Em and Grinn to be precise. Just an observation. Were the Dominators ever going to use the things they had in place? We'll never know.
-The other thing is the obsessive hatred the Giffen has for Val (Karate Kid). There have been several interviews over the years where Giffen has publically stated his desire to kill the character...at least three times at this point. The Death of Val is his favorite Legion moment here.
He says this: "Whenever Karate Kid dies, I kind of rejoice a little. I'm nostalgic over the first time with Nemesis Kid. That was his best death. But anytime he dies is OK with me."
If you really hate a character that much, you seriously have a problem. There are characters that all of us do not like, but this is kinda odd.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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Reread this for probably the first time since buying it way back when. It's not terrible, and at the same time it's not great. It's pretty average for an early 90's comic. The art is pretty good.
Brin and Aria end up back in the modern day DCU. They meet Thrust, a shape changing bad boy. It's implies that his father is Lobo...and his mother was a Durlan, I think.
They are taken in by a government agency, and Aria is promptly kidnapped due to a double agent working for the Dominators. That's right, the Dominators kidnap Aria to leech her powers into a typical 90's character.
The good guys get Aria back and she and Brin go off to have more adventure...that we never see.
He'll be back in the LSH soon enough.
Pretty average mini overall, but I liked it enough at the time, because Timber Wolf was always a fave.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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This is an amazingly well constructed issue that delivers an important victory to the heroes—but at great cost.
The Subs and crew are rescued from the underground chambers thanks to some sleight of hand pulled off by the SW6 Legionnaries, who finally get a chance to do something besides stand around and argue with Devlin O’Ryan. Giffen, the Bierbaums, and Pearson execute this maneuver with expert precision, keeping the reader in the dark until it's over. They make effective use of the characters and their powers.
Of course, what people remember most about this issue are the deaths of three SW6 Legionnaires—Chameleon Boy, Karate Kid, and Princess Projectra. It’s a horrific moment made worse as it comes right after their impressive victory. (Well, Cham and Jeckie participated in the rescue of the Subs; it’s not clear what Val did. His apparently useless death may be another sign of Giffen’s dislike of the character.)
Very few comic book deaths have any significance beyond shock value. The demise of three Legionnaires is certainly shocking; however, much more also happens here. The three Legionnaires die as heroes, and their deaths are portrayed as realistic consequences of war. Furthermore, they are murdered because of the thoughtless actions of Grinn, who is so focused on making sure that the Dominators do not get their hands on the weapons in the chamber that he sets off the chamber’s self-destruct mechanism without considering the widspread consequences. (Not only do three Legionnaires die, but so do thousands if not millions across the world, as the Dominators’ chambers were all interconnected.)
Giffen and crew play emotional hardball with us by having so much tragedy come right after the victorious rescue of the Subs. This is good writing. Painful, but good.
There are, however, a few things in this story I don’t understand. I did not re-read # 31, as I had already reviewed it elsewhere, so I’m not sure I follow what Circe and Bounty are doing, or how they hooked up with Sussa (or why). I’m not sure what is happening on page 16: Are the giant hands Colossal Boy’s, and what is the giant globe they are holding? Is the building of Pinnacle Command shaped like a globe? (Later on, Colossal Boy says he could “deflate,” suggesting he was the globe.) These things, though mildly distracting, did not interfere with the main story.
Other nice touches: Invisible Kid questions whether or not Jacques Foccart is working with the Dark Circle—Kid, who has never met Foccart, apparently does not know that Foccart became his own successor as Invisible Kid II. Phantom Girl compliments the Subs on having “blossomed.” And, of course, there’s the hilarious opening scene with Kono, a sleeping adult Cham, and ice cream.
(Though this scene does remind me that it’s been a long time since Kono or any of the adult Legionnaires have done anything of substance in this book. Even Valor stands by alongside his younger counterpart and watches as large areas of earth are destroyed.)
The flawless execution of this issue makes it one of the highlights of 5YL for me.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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We finally learn about the statue that is in Garth's dargen. The issue is alright overall. Never minded the addition of Kid Quantum to the mythos of the Legion. There are a few things that bother me though, as well as some good stuff....
Reep is following the trail of his farther. He finds him on the Planet Yal where he is writing something...not sure what else he is doing...or has been doing since he was "killed."
The Dominators hire the Hunter to track him down. Hunter is seen hunting a probe here...not sure how that is very challenging for him, but who knows.
Reep is taken out really easy here. It would have been one thing if he had just come across his dad, but they came to this planet together. He also recovers amazingly fast. Both seem to be there to serve the plot and not much else.
Garth is also shown lamenting over what happened to the Kid.
The Proteans are given some back story here, which is nice to see. It's also suggested that James is a Protean stripped of it's shape changing and telepathy. Not sure about that though, since it's the 'legend" that is related to the reader. Wish they had been a little more clear on that end of what James was. It is clear that he is able to restore the Proteans to full sentience.
We round out the issue with them getting "hijacked" by the Emerald Eye.
We also get to see the Legionnaires run into some more chamber survivors...including Dannielle Foccart, Xao Jin Catspaw and the Crystal Kid.
There is a text piece that covers the Protean legend again. Plus a bit of history about James Cullen, Kid Quantum.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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This issue amounts to a mildly pleasant diversion from the Dominion war. The main purpose of this story is to introduce Kid Quantum and his retconned history as an early Legionnaire. I have my doubts about inserting another character into the Legion’s past; most of the retcons so far have been intended to cover the gaping holes left by Superboy and Supergirl's removal from continuity. But what purpose does the Kid Quantum retcon serve? All it really does is distance the 5YL Legion even further from the original timeline.
The story itself is fair: a wild west adventure set on an outpost planet with Kid Q as a “wanted man,” a robot sheriff and deputy that can be bribed, an old Legion villain (Adam Orion) as a bounty hunter, and Proteans who save the day. Oh, yes, Cham finds Brande and they figure into the story, too.
As Dev noted, Cham and Brande are here mainly to serve the plot; the story could just as easily take place without them or with other characters occupying their roles. What particularly grates on me is Cham’s impulsive attack on Orion on page 13. Cham is too late to save the robot sheriff, so all he accomplishes is getting himself shot by Orion and getting Brande taken hostage. Yawn.
The Soul of Antares plotline seems like an unncessary distraction; it’s unclear why the Dominators want to possess it, or why Brande was looking for it in the first place. The revelation that the Soul is really Kid Quantum reminds me of the film “The Jewel of the Nile,” wherein the sought after “jewel” turns out to be a holy man. Again, this revelation is distracting and simply inserts another plotline into an already convoluted series.
As Dev noted, other stuff happens as well—but the introductions of Catspaw, Danielle, Xao Jin, and Crystal Kid merely set up their roles in the forthcoming Legionnaires comic.
This issue is one of the least inspired efforts of 5YL, although it is partially redeemed by David A. Williams’ expressive and moody artwork.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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The Dominion War finally comes to an end in these issues, which explicitly show the cost of war with panels that depict the bodies of civilians and massive destruction. The horror of these scenes is only one of many emotions that Giffen and crew deftly pull as through. The heroes rejoice in their victory. Even the surrender of the Dominators’ leader is oddly moving.
Again, so many things happen on so many different fronts that it’s hard to keep track of everything. Basically, the Dominators lose for three reasons: abandonment by their homeworld, which is under attack by the Dark Circle; subterfuge by Bounty, Sussa, and Circe, who implant a virus in their computer network; and last-minute action from the youthful LSH, particularly Valor and Laurel Gand, which turns the tide of the battle.
The end of the war is well presented for the most part, although there are still some problems. The Legionnaires have spent most of the last several issues standing around, waiting for the call to action. When the call finally arrives, they deliver decisive blows against the Dominators, leading me to wonder why they didn’t act sooner. For that matter, the adult LSH never does get involved (except for brief action by Jan and pointless wisecracks by Tenz), giving the impression that the entire storyline existed for no other reason than to showcase the younger Legionnaires and prepare them for their own book.
In actuality, the Dominion War is much more complex than that. It presents a truly vivid account of what war on earth would be like from several perspectives. Resistance troops carry on the fight in different corners, battling against hopless odds. Each makes crucial contributions to victory. In this respect, the storyline succeeds admirably.
Other aspects, however, are less satisfying. A recurring theme seems to be that earth must fight its own battles. This is the reason given for the Legionnaires’ delay. (In fact, Valor pointedly tells Sade that he’s there to save souls, not the planet.) But this clichéd rationale falls flat, particularly in light of modern events. Can you imagine, for example, relief organizations standing by and claiming that Haitians must solve their own problems? It wouldn’t look very heroic, would it?
In the end, earth does not win this war. Much of the victory is due to the United Planets, other aliens, and, of course, the young Legionnaires themselves. I’m not sure what point is being made here. In interviews, Giffen has said that he had hoped to end 5YL with earth coming to realize that it needs the Legion. This is borne out by the scene of an earth man watching the Legionnaires fly by and proclaiming, “God, we’re gonna win this thing!” (# 35, page 6). All well and good, but since the Legionnaires haven’t done much, their victory is more symbolic than literal.
Perhaps that’s Giffen’s point—that the symbolism of heroes is important. If so, it still falls flat. Giffen has spent much of this book tearing down the Legion in earth’s eyes. Now, all of a sudden, they’re heroes again—and not heroes who have gone through the dark days of disbandment and discreditation and who have bounced back from their darkest days, but heroes who have spent the last 17 years sleeping.
Another, equally disturbing point seems to be that it was not the older heroes who won but the younger heroes. This message plays into the usual stereotypes about super-heroes being eternally youthful which runs counter to what 5YL has been about. What was the point in aging the Legionnaires at all if they were only going to fade into the background?
Yet perhaps I’m reading too much into it. Giffen wanted to tell an exciting story, and he did. The accomplishments of the Dominion War storyline and 5YL as a whole are considerable. Giffen and crew broke the boundaries of what could be done in a super-hero comic. They forced us to reconsider what was truly meaningful about the Legion: not the costumes, code names or even powers, but the spirit of the Legion itself.
Since this is a DC Comic, of course, no plotline can truly end without a new one beginning. We finally learn what Universo has been up to, as he launches a nefarious new scheme with Leland McCauley. Also, Dirk emerges from the debris of the Dominators’ chamber ravaged in both body and mind. In a poignant twist, he encounters his youthful counterpart who impulsively thinks he is a monster to be fought. The things older Dirk should tell younger Dirk . . . if his mind isn’t too far gone.
In one of my favorite scenes, we learn the fate of Grinn. The faceless murderer of young Val, Jeckie, and Cham gets shoved out the hatch of a ship by Sade—off-panel, no less.
The Dominion War ends as a sprawling epic—a very convoluted narrative that requires several re-readings to fully understand. For all its faults, it was both emotionally satisfying and intellectually challenging: truly a remarkable accomplishment.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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The cover blurb describes this issue as the “the conclusion of the Terra Mosaic epic”—but it’s really an epilogue of sorts. The Legionnaires spend a lot of time wandering around, commenting on the destruction of the war and loss of life. A few plotlines are advanced. A major revelation occurs in a ridiculously off-handed way. And Dirk Morgna’s fate comes to a tragic end.
The issue opens with Jacques complaining to Drura about being president—a responsibility he never wanted. Then we move to a scene of the SW6 Invisible Kid coming to terms with the deaths of three of his teammates. A nice theme is established here, as neither Invisible Kid wanted the responsibility of command and the moral burden of sending people to die. Death, as we shall see, plays a major part in this story.
Next, Circe and Bounty argue over what to do with Dirk, and—after Cosmic Boy interrupts their feud—Bounty stalks off with what appears to be another voice in her head. Jason Pearson drew this issue over Giffen’s breakdowns and, at times, the return of the latter’s obscure imagery proves distracting. The shot of Bounty with her eyes shadowed (page 5, panel 3) made me think she was being stalked by Vrykos, the faceless energy vampire from the Mordru arc. On the other hand, the image of Circe crying at the bottom of the same page—with her shadow forming a tombstone behind her—makes effective and haunting use of foreshadowing.
So goes the art throughout this story. Some panels are dreadful (manga-eyed Triplicate Girl on page 3); others are masterful (the contrast between young Dirk and his older, disfigured counterpart on page 6).
Young Sun Boy experiences a heartbreaking moment with his older self. Young Brainiac 5 and older Brainiac 5 ponder the intellectual possibilities of either team being clones. Young Light Lass pays the older Valor a compliment. (And, later, the older Ayla tells Kent it doesn’t matter to her if she’s a clone or not.) Such character moments are a welcome relief from the heavy action of the past several issues.
However, obligatory action is provided courtesy of Bounty, who recognizes Sade as a fugitive with a billion-credit bounty on her head. Their fight scene is well paced, if bloody, and ends with the Bounty entity leaving its badly wounded host body—which turns out to belong to (ta da!) Dawnstar.
I’ve said all along that I don’t have a problem with most of the drastic revelations of 5YL—Dirk, Proty-Garth, Shvaughn/Sean, et al.—so long as they resulted in good stories. For the most part, I also don’t have a problem with Dawnstar being de-winged and turned into a host for some mysterious entity. What I do have a problem with is how matter-of-factly this revelation was dropped into the story and how little thought seems to have been put into it. There was no setup—or if there was, I completely missed it while re-reading the previous issues. So little attention was paid to Bounty since her introduction that she seemed to be just another supporting character, like Circe, Celeste, etc. She helped round out the 5YL milieu but showed little importance as a character herself. Thus, the sudden revelation that she has been a longtime fan favorite Legionnaire all along comes out of nowhere and adds nothing to the story except shock value.
What makes this scene truly unforgivable is the admission of older Brainiac 5 that he knew Bounty’s identity all along yet he lacked the “sense to intervene.” Shouldn’t Brainy have been the least little bit curious as to what happened to his former teammates’ wings and personality? Didn’t it occur to him that she might not be acting of her own free will?
And even Rokk excuses Brainy’s inaction by saying that they had all picked up on the similarity. Excuse me? Even if Rokk had no previous reason to believe that the similarities between Dawny and Bounty were anything other than coincidence, how can he now dismiss Brainy’s depraved indifference?
The cavalier attitudes of these two Legionnaires remind me of the deservedly maligned Avengers # 200, in which Ms. Marvel was forced to give birth to her own rapist and then returned to live with him in limbo. None of the Avengers considered the possibility that she was still being manipulated by said rapist. The issue—and its asinine assumptions about women—has always stood out as a black mark on Marvel. The handling of Bounty does the same thing for DC.
Wanna make it even worse? Now that they know the truth, Rokk and Brainy don’t seem the least bit concerned about how Dawny ended up this way. Their scene is interrupted by Rokk playing with his child, then Brainy suggests only that Dawny be “debriefed” once she’s out of danger—to which Rokk responds, “What do you think we could learn from her that’s so urgent?” Yes, never mind the fact that she’s an old teammate who will need support from her friends. All that matters is what WE can get from her. Good going, Rokk and Brainy. Good going, TMK.
That scene ruins the issue for me—which is a shame as the issue also contains the most powerful sequence in the entire run of TMK. It begins as young Sun Boy stares at his graffiti-covered statue. Cosmic Boy consoles him by telling him that he can avoid the mistakes made by his older counterpart. Then there is a closeup of the statue’s face, followed in the next panel by a closeup of the skeletal older Dirk—with a bullet hole between his eyes. On the next page, Circe—who loved Dirk so much that she put him out of his misery—puts a bullet into her own head, as well.
Paradoxically, # 36 combines both the best and the worst of TMK. Even this late in Giffen’s run, they were still finding ways to move us and get us talking.
[ February 16, 2010, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
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