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 Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #30
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784
Unseen, not unheard
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Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784 |
I remember this issue and the twist. pretending to destroy the planet as a deterrent, while really shunting them into the Zone.
interesting twist also on the fate of Mon-El
it was a good story, and one I enjoyed . the big cast of characters was juggled well.
Loved the ending with Cos, also the implication that it was his leadership and bold actions/visionary thinking that made him THE greatest hero over even his fellow founders, Brainiac 5 and Supergirl. what Cos did was NOT easy, he made hard decisions and followed through on them.
Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 07/18/22 03:52 AM.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #30
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
interesting twist also on the fate of Mon-El IIRC, Mon-El is one of Waid's favorite Legionnaires, so I got the distinct impression he was literally and figuratively "putting the toy back in the box" here. 
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #30
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956
Independent Scholar
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Independent Scholar
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956 |
Okay, I've been silently following this thread, first out of mere curiosity and then out of fascination.
GL, Ibby, Cramey, and anyone else I'm forgetting at the moment, you've all inspired me to put in a library request for the two LSH trades collecting issues 20-30 of the Threeboot.
I remember little or nothing about those issues, which probably has more to do with my life at the time than with the stories themselves. We shall soon see how I think they hold up.
Thanks.
Still "Fickles" to my friends.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #30
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Hey Annie! I 100% want to hear your take on those two trades, as I came in with really low expectations, and was blown away.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #30
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784
Unseen, not unheard
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Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784 |
Glad you were inspired, Fanfie!
These stories are quite good, there are some elements of the Threeboot I really dislike, but overall they provided some nice additions to Legion history!
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Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #31
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #31
Released June 27, 2007
DC Comics, Color
22 Pages
The Quest for Cosmic Boy - Prologue
Tony Bedard - Writer
Kevin Sharpe - Penciller
Robin Riggs - Inker
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Mike Marts - Editor
Synopsis
Dream Girl tries to tell Brainiac 5 some information while he dreams, but he's interrupted by Star Boy regarding the disappearance of Cosmic Boy. Supergirl is the winner of the Legion Leader election, and she is told this by DoJ prosecutor Tenzil Kem.
At the Metropolis Convention Center (temporary HQ) Kara offers the Wanderers and Terror Firmans Legion membership to help look for Cosmic Boy. Tenzil is there to prove Rokk guilty of war crimes. Mekt, Dirk and Thom argue about who should be the leader. Brainy suggests three locations to look for Rokk. The teams begin to come to blows before Kara settles everyone down.
Team 1 - Brin, Vi and Shady head to Lallor and are immediately accosted by authorities but are observed by a mysterious group.
Team 2 - Kara, Garth and Imra search the Gobi rainforest while Garth sulks about losing. Another mysterious person observes them remotely.
Team 3 - Mekt, Dirk and Thom arrive at the Ranzz homestead on Winath, only to find Tenzil also searching for clues.
Commentary
We are definitely hitting a reset button of sorts with Tony Bedard writing the title and starting this new arc. For one thing, we now have issues with titles, something that mostly has not been the case for the prior 2+ years of issues. Not much going on here, as its both a follow up and a setup issue. We are following up on the leader election finding out that Kara is the new leader with new headaches she will have to deal with, and setting up a new story where the team searches for the vanished Rokk Krinn. I'm not sure I'm a fan of Kara combining the teams, as they had nice distinctions between the groups, but the friction seems to have been retained between the characters. Garth, however, seems a bit of a whiner here, which is a new and unwelcome aspect. Threeboot Tenzil is a welcome face, but he seems eager to knock the Legion down a few pegs. It was neat to see him in a non-Legion role, yet one that still echoed a prior incarnation of lawyer. But the story, outside of finding out about Kara winning the election, was just so-so. Not that much happens, and it sets up for issue 32.
Sharpe's art was decent, but inconsistent, especially as more characters entered the frame. Closeups or frames with just a couple characters looked pretty good. Others did not, and especially towards the end; I don't know if he was trying to rush through some pages or not.
Other notes:
The Letterer & editor have major gaffes here when they swap the word balloons between Garth and Mekt on page 10.
Brin tries to choke out the hermaphroditic nurse. That definitely didn't age well to today...
What's up with VI's pose on page 15? It's like she's in an issue of Girls With Guns or something... Literally no one would be doing that in a hospital. I do like Vi referring to herself as one of the "Meanest mothersprokkers" on the team, though.
Lyle was good here - we find out he's getting a new arm and that Brainy shouldn't be fully trusted.
Overall Grade = C. Average all around.
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Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #32
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #32 Released July 25, 2007 DC Comics, Color 23 Pages The Quest for Cosmic Boy - Lord of Lightning Part 1 of 2 Tony Bedard - Writer Dennis Calero - Artist Nathan Eyring - Colorist Mike Marts - Editor SynopsisThis issue picks up right after the end of 31, on Winath where Thom, Mekt and Dirk are arguing with Tenzil about what to do with Rokk once he's rounded up. Tenzil records everything through his lie detector glasses, but Thom and Mekt do a decent job of threatening him to stand down. They enter the Ranzz home and find it empty after a massive E-M burst. Brainy is manning the nerve center on Earth where he is fielding calls from Atom Girl needing backup on Lallor while Thom calls to ask for Kara's help - no one is answering his calls for assistance on Winath as no one is around. Brainy leaves them to their own devices. The foursome goes underground to avoid an oncoming storm - which is where most of Winathian business happens. They find "Validus" graffiti on a wall, and Mekt freaks out, thinking Tenzil planted that, and a fight breaks out between Mekt and Dirk until Thom shuts them both down. Mekt gives the background of Validus - a lord of lighting myth used to scare children. We get a bit deeper into Mekt's origin as a solo and how his treatment as such drove him to the cult of Validus, and that was why he was traveling to Korbal, leading to him and his siblings to get zapped with lightning powers. But because Garth and Ayla also adopted powers, the cult rejected him. Its strongly implied that he destroyed the cult himself. Elsewhere underground, Tenzil tries to get a signal out and encounters two young kids. They lead him to a door, telling him the Legionnaires are dangerous and they will lead him to the mayor. Its a trap and they lock Tenzil in the silo and start pouring grain into it. The two kids go to a candle lit room. The three metas fly through the underground complex, and Mekt finds his parents, who somehow zap him out of the air, saying the Lord of Lightning demands his punishment. CommentaryThis issue is a mixed bag, but ultimately worth the time, I think. I was initially turned off by the different, and inconsistent, art of Dennis Calero. Some frames look great, but others look like a complete mess. But the story kept me going. The first half of this story seems to focus on this new version of Winath, where most of society is subterranean, combined with the mystery of where everybody disappeared to following the energy surge. The second half focuses on Mekt and the Cult of Validus - an interesting way to bring that character back into the Legion fold. Solo Mekt getting seduced by a cult seems to ring true here, as does his apparent dispatching of said cult, which leads to the confrontation at the end with his possessed parents. That is keeping me interested in this story angle. I think I was used to Calero's style by the end, as his faces seem to be overly expressive, and I honestly laughed out loud at the first picture in the book as it seemed over the top. But when it works, it works, and it definitely did so by the end of the story. More observations: Tenzil was a "glasshole" way before Google Glass was invented.  He calls out Terror Firma as a terrorist cell - good call, that. Neat bit of world building about Winath doing most everything underground. Thom gets the best line of the issue - Acting like Uranuses - Hah! Tenzil getting trapped in the silo was funny, but I wasn't concerned about him. Grade: B.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #32
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853 |
#31: Kara as leader - it figures, given that her name's in the title and almost everyone regards her highly. She got a majority of the vote, but not overwhelming. How much is Brainy directing her? Her tenure should be interesting. She doesn't have the gravitas of Superman or the experience of Rokk or other Legionnaires, and she's juggling three teams at odds with one another as well as divisions within the Legion itself. Garth, however, seems a bit of a whiner here, which is a new and unwelcome aspect. Yeah, I didn't like this characterization. Maybe he's grumpy from family business. Threeboot Tenzil is a welcome face, but he seems eager to knock the Legion down a few pegs. It was neat to see him in a non-Legion role, yet one that still echoed a prior incarnation of lawyer. The role suits him well - he's a bit of a smartass, but clever, and the eating stuff is kept to a minimum. Lyle was good here - we find out he's getting a new arm and that Brainy shouldn't be fully trusted. This struck less of a chord with me, not that it wasn't a good addition to the story, but he's a fine one to talk about trust. I'm not sure if he's stabbing Brainy in the back or just being realistic. #32 presented an unusual and very dark take on Winath. I liked the way Bedard worked the Validus cult in with Mekt's history and the planet itself was much more complicated than your standard agricultural planet. Mekt is back to being a real badass with his threat to fry Tenzil's brain. I was worried he was going soft after that family reunion bit. He's a wildcard, which makes the story unpredictable. I think I was used to Calero's style by the end, as his faces seem to be overly expressive, and I honestly laughed out loud at the first picture in the book as it seemed over the top. But when it works, it works, and it definitely did so by the end of the story. Same here, extreme expressions in a lot of panels. It was dark and moody, though, and that augmented the story.
Holy Cats of Egypt!
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #32
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Lyle was good here - we find out he's getting a new arm and that Brainy shouldn't be fully trusted. This struck less of a chord with me, not that it wasn't a good addition to the story, but he's a fine one to talk about trust. I'm not sure if he's stabbing Brainy in the back or just being realistic. REALLY great point here, FC. Lyle doesn't exactly have the best track record with this kind of thing! #32 presented an unusual and very dark take on Winath. I liked the way Bedard worked the Validus cult in with Mekt's history and the planet itself was much more complicated than your standard agricultural planet. This may be the single favorite thing about this issue for me. We've moved from the OG Winath, which is basically a planet sized Kansas, to the Reboot Winath, which started that way before being transformed into a cross between a robotic Kansas and Kashyykk. This notion of the storms forcing all work to be done by harvesting from below was a pretty cool concept that I don't think I've seen before, but its imaginative and can lead to a lot of other cool concepts. Mekt is back to being a real badass with his threat to fry Tenzil's brain. I was worried he was going soft after that family reunion bit. He's a wildcard, which makes the story unpredictable. Not to mention fighting Dirk! I think I was used to Calero's style by the end, as his faces seem to be overly expressive, and I honestly laughed out loud at the first picture in the book as it seemed over the top. But when it works, it works, and it definitely did so by the end of the story. Same here, extreme expressions in a lot of panels. It was dark and moody, though, and that augmented the story. Yes, once the story went underground it heightened the claustrophobic feel - not sure if they were intentionally going for that, but it worked for me!
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #23
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956
Independent Scholar
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Independent Scholar
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956 |
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #23
Released October 25, 2006
DC Comics, Color
24 Pages
Mark Waid - Writer
Barry Kitson - Penciller
Mick Gray - Inker
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Stephen Wacker - Editor
Synopsis
Kara wakes from a sleep pod and thinks she is back on Krypton, but quickly realizes she is on a relocated Kandor, as Ayla, Imra, Brainy and Rokk are there with her. Brainy and Cos wanted to dispel Kara's notion that she was dreaming her reality, so they take her on a spaceship, expose her to Kryptonite (which is what Brin procured a few issues back) and sedate her for the trip to Kandor. Kara is very upset and is angry with the Legion, but especially Rokk, who she thought was falling for her. Rokk explains that it was just 'radiation' and seems to successfully convince Kara that her being on Kandor is for everyone's safety. Imra detects another mind.
Element Lad and Triplicate Girl are investigating the remains of the robot battle from a few issues ago. They run across a kid who can make plants grow, who seems to have someone else's agenda at heart.
On Talok VIII we see Tasmia and Grev Mallor fighting to see who will be champion. Tasmia wins and a feast is thrown with Vi in attendance. Atom Girl convinces her to run for leader.
Later, Rokk is beating himself up about his decision to put Kara through these tests when an alarm is triggered elsewhere in Kandor. The Legion squad heads to a museum and encounters the telepath Jeyra who we met in issue 19. She blocks Imra while her new friends help take out the Legionnaires. Imra can't seem to focus on taking down Jeyra because she keeps sensing the other presence from before. A familiar looking phantom begs to be freed.
Commentary
We're back to a really solid issue here with 23. I'm not sure what it is, but when its Waid writing and Kitson on art, without the crossovers into plotting and divvying up of creative responsibilities to multiple layers (plotting, layouts, dialog, etc) this book really shines. The last issue where I remember things clicking so well with a smaller team was probably around issue 8 or 9.
The main thread of this story involving the Legion deceiving Kara was fascinating to me. The little bits of history - the lack of time travel capability, the resettling of Kandor - really worked for me as did the personal bits. Ayla there for her anti-grav powers to help them on the new planet, but Rokk unhappy about the decision to put Kara under a microscope. It's also clear that he DOES have feelings for her, despite what Lyle told him in the prior issue. Rokk's feelings also brings up something interesting about this universe - that there seems to be a lack of clear affection between characters that goes past anything but sex. Garth and Imra *seem* to have a deeper relationship, but its not really explored in favor of the "who's sleeping with whom" noise that always seems to be in the background here. Bringing Jayla back after a few issues is great, as I find her a really cool villain, but we're not able to find more about what it is that she's up to as we're given the awesome cliffhanger of what looks like Mon-El in the phantom zone!
The secondary plots are also quite interesting. As Jan and Luornu explore the underground we seem to get the promise of a Legion infiltrator down the road. One third of Luornu canoodling with Jan, and the surprise by all involved, was a good touch. It both calls back to their date in issue 3 ,but also seems to indicate that the Luornus seem to have their own interests and/or personalities, which is a nice callback to the reboot, and perhaps why her homeworld sisters didn't want to have anything to do with her when she returned to Cargg.
The scene on Talok was enjoyable. We see a new side of Atom Girl and Tasmia. Tasmia actually seems more relatable and has a responsible side that is fresh. Atom Girl is also has some depth added to her with her interest in getting to know Grav better as well as interacting with anyone other than Brainy. In any case, at least in this setting, the Shadow Girl/Atom Girl interplay seems to work well.
A couple other observations:
I think what is a bit unsettling about this version of Cosmic Boy is that his costume looks like he's sporting an alien version of the Punisher's shirt.
Element Lad seems to be disintegrating the robot parts into gas, but it was mentioned earlier that his changes only last for a few minutes. It's a bit inconsistent. Either its a retcon or he's developing his powers more, but we're not told about that.
Interesting bit with Ayla - she's not happy about being dragged along and almost comes off a bit defensive of her attitude towards Kara.
It seems like the "Adults v Kids" thing spreads to Kandor as well based on the "punks" comment by the museum curator. This was a bit of an off-note for me given that they go to lengths to say that Kandor is a very isolated society.
Grade: A. The first issue in a long time that has wanted me to jump to the next issue. I decided to skip issues 20-22 and get right to this one. I think it's a solid effort by the Waid-Kitson creative team. I was especially pleased that I didn't have to cross-reference anything with the issues that I skipped. Waid is generally very conscientious about making single issues of a larger story accessible no more what point the reader jumps aboard. Jayla makes a very effective villainess, and her partners in crime make up for their lack of personality with Kitson's strong sense of character design. The art on the final page is notable, too, for its imaginative visualization of a phantom-ized Mon-El. My only quibbles with this issue are that Kara's face looks sorta wonky to me when compared to the faces of the other female characters, and the whole "it was only radiation" excuse for Cos's attraction to Kara. Then again, it was established at the beginning of this run that these kids are from a repressive society. And, naturally, the scene on Talok VIII delighted me, as did Tasmia's shoulder-length 'do which invokes fond memories of the Preboot's Dave Cockrum Era.
Still "Fickles" to my friends.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #26
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956
Independent Scholar
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Independent Scholar
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,956 |
This felt like a really dense issue, multiple plots with substance, moving the story forward. The scene on Talok was more world-building than on-going story development (unless Grev gets up to something later) but it supplied depth to Tasmia and this version of her world. The trip to Kandor really was well done, not just the detail provided about Kandor's history/status, but the emotional reactions: Kara's anxiety and feeling of abandonment, the Legionnaires mixed feelings about leaving her there. Rokk's feelings also brings up something interesting about this universe - that there seems to be a lack of clear affection between characters that goes past anything but sex. Garth and Imra *seem* to have a deeper relationship, but its not really explored in favor of the "who's sleeping with whom" noise that always seems to be in the background here. Throwing off the restraints of a buttoned-down society could explain some of this. Jan and Trip not knowing how to date in an earlier issue suggests teens didn't date, or at least some societies were more restrictive. Makes you wonder if they had arranged marriages (which could have been an easy side-plot to work into the story for some Legionnaire). I agree with all of the above, and I, too, would have liked to have seen a subplot about arranged marriages. This felt like a really dense issue, multiple plots with substance, moving the story forward. The scene on Talok was more world-building than on-going story development (unless Grev gets up to something later) but it supplied depth to Tasmia and this version of her world.
The trip to Kandor really was well done, not just the detail provided about Kandor's history/status, but the emotional reactions: Kara's anxiety and feeling of abandonment, the Legionnaires mixed feelings about leaving her there. I agree these two items were some of the best writing I've seen here in many issues. Aside from the world building, I think the Talok VIII scene was more to set the stage for Tasmia to run for leader; Vi gives her the idea, and Waid & Kitson showing us that she is used to this kind of responsibility tells us that it's a job she should be able to handle. Like you point out, it adds much needed depth to her character. And, again, agreed.
Still "Fickles" to my friends.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #26
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Did you get the TPB from the library, Ann?
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #23
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
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Posts: 2,987 |
My only quibbles with this issue are that Kara's face looks sorta wonky to me when compared to the faces of the other female characters, and the whole "it was only radiation" excuse for Cos's attraction to Kara. Then again, it was established at the beginning of this run that these kids are from a repressive society. Awesome! You got the issues! So the "it's radiation, not love" thread came from Lyle, who used that excuse to pull the wool over Rokk's eyes in an earlier issue because Lyle himself is infatuated with Kara. It was maybe a page sometime around issue 20.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #23
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709 |
Re: #31/32
I too found the new Winath interesting. Making lightning a big part of the home planet instead of just Korbol is a different choice that I am not sure how I feel about, with implications for the Lightning siblings and other Winathians. Does the constant sheltering from lightning storms make lightning more normal and accepted or make it more phobia-producing than on other planets? A cult of lightning certainly makes sense but how long has it been going on and does it have underhanded influence on government or families? Did the Ranzz family get powers instead of electrocution because the cult had managed some long-term genetic manipulation or planning? Questions that are not going to be answered but fun to speculate.
I found the replacement of Lyle's alien arm somewhat annoying. I understand a new writer is free to make choices to remove elements they don't like, but we only just had this difference added and we remove it straight away? Imagine how different the old Legion would have been if Garth's robotic arm had been replaced by a natural one in the very next issue. (Well, maybe not that great a difference considering Silver Age's lack of characterisation but still.) I would have liked to see some ongoing effect of how Lyle's alien arm was used/was affected by/influenced his relationship with others. Lots of potential there that was just reset. Oh well, not a huge priority but still disappointing.
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Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #33
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #33
Released August 22, 2007
DC Comics, Color
23 Pages
The Quest for Cosmic Boy: Lord of Lightning Part 2 of 2
Tony Bedard - Writer
Dennis Calero - Artist
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Mike Marts - Editor
Synopsis
On Earth, Brainiac 5 is frustrated with coddling the search teams on Earth and Lallor, but has lost contact with the team on Winath - Mekt, Thom and Dirk - due to an electrical storm. On Winath, the Ranzz parents and a hooded figure (the town mayor, all apparently brainwashed) try to zap the team with lightning powers they shouldn't have. Thom weighs them down to take them out, but the mayor zaps him. Mekt and Dirk retreat. Tenzil eats his way out of the grain silo he was trapped in.
The Wanderers bother Brainy about Mekt's status as they are concerned they can't track him and Vrax thinks the whole point is to make Mekt look bad (not that that's hard). On Winath, the culty townsfolk take Star Boy away. Mekt realizes that bioelectrical capabilities could be faked via nanotech, which is the specialty of the Coluans.
The two kids who earlier trapped Tenzil are dragging Thom down a passage but are confronted by Tenzil. Tenzil knocks out one kid, and Thom wakes up and uses a tranq on the other. Mekt and Dirk search for Tenzil but are confronted by Mekt's parents and other townsfolk who again try to get him back into the Validus cult. Mekt fries his father, but doesn't kill him. Thom and Tenzil discover a power transmitter via the latter's scanning glasses. Tenz bites off the lock and Thom destroys the device, which deactivates the townsfolk's powers and wakes them up.
Dirk tries to restrain Mekt after hurting his father, but Mekt just blames Brainy. Tenzil discovers the infecting nanites ARE Coluan, but are from Vrax Gozzl of the Wanderers. Mekt points at Tenzil, threatening him, but Tenzil just bites Mekt's finger off and spits it out. Tenzil charges Mekt with murder and attempted murder.
Star Boy and Sun Boy return to Legion HQ. Thom returns the flight ring Mekt had been using and Dirk elects to stay with the Legion, provided his team can also join. The Wanderers, upon hearing of Mekt's arrest, all vanished. Brainy had bugged Vrax's computers from the start, so knew there was incriminating stuff there. The idea to destroy the Dominiators world was Mekt's but implanted into Rokk by Jeyra, so this clears Rokk of crimes. Tenzil says his team expects the Wanderers to become a Legion of Super Villains.
Meanwhile, the Lallor team seems to have encountered Wildfire...
Commentary
Pretty good read here, but with a bit of a reach in the rushed ending that doesn't quite stick as its told, not shown. It's all telegraphed from this title, but the whole thing on Winath was apparently a setup by Mekt to do - something? He seems really in the dark about these citizens having lighting powers despite them being developed by his team's Coluan. This book's saving grace, however, is Tenzil. His earlier introduction was a little rough, but here he comes across as the Tenzil that we've known and loved over the years. He basically saves the day here and is given his devil-may-care attitude that is so entertaining. I'm just glad he spat out Mekt's finger.
But the lack of clarity around the reason why things were happening on Winath, compounded with using that as a way to shove the Wanderers out the door, set this book back. If Mekt and the Wanderers were behind all this, how long was this going on? Why were the cult after Mekt if he was the one behind it all? And I liked the Wanderers, partly because they seemed to get along really well with the actual Legion, for the most part. This just seemed like a cheap excuse to get them out of the way.
Art is Calero - its OK, but its a bit too inconsistent for my taste.
Other notes:
I assume that Supergirls team is fighting Evolvo, based on who we saw in the prelude issues and that we see a wilder person on the screen here. Really neat to see a familiar face in Wildfire & I'm left to wonder where Bedard's taking this.
I guess Tenzil ate open the door to the grain silo as well? It would have been funnier if his burp had popped the door open.
Interesting note of how the Winathians 'like' lightning storms. And nice detection of Invisible kid by Brainy.
Why are the Wanderers worried about Mekt being set up to fail on the search for Rokk?? In retrospect, I'm guessing they didn't want to be caught.
Really disappointed in the Wanderers decision. I liked that team infinitely better than Terror Firma, yet that terrorist team gets to stay with the Legion while they set up the Wanderers to be the LSV? Boo.
Grade: B-. The only reason this is not a C level book is because of Tenzil.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #33
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709 |
My reading of the author's intent is slightly different to yours. I think Mekt was genuinely surprised by his parents' lightning powers and the cult's activity since he had previously pretty much destroyed it, which leads me to believe that this was the Wanderers working to take out Mekt having taken Ayla's message to heart about not being able to trust him. They still don't believe in the Legion's way of doing things but don't want to follow Mekt around anymore so this is their solution. From a reader perspective they did have more appeal than Terra Firma, I think because their individual characters were more developed, but I can also imagine them becoming a devastating LSV.
Regarding the revelation that it was the Wanderers who prompted Cos to "destroy" the Dominators' homeworld, we only have Brainy's word for that and he could have easily created any incriminating evidence, so I am inclined to think that this is his way of removing the black mark from the Legion without revealing what actually happened to the the planet. He was probably unconcerned with Cos reputation but it fits well with his demonstrated approach of manipulating the Legion and others to achieve his own goals.
Matter of fact on review even the evidence that the lightning nanotech was setup by Vrax could have been manufactured and planted by Brainy as another part of his plan. Maybe the Wanderers are completely innocent and being manipulated by Brainy like everyone else. Great motivation for becoming an LSV to get revenge on him.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #33
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
I like your take on this, Stile. A coup from inside the Wanderers sounds interesting. I just wish they would have committed to a course here, as all these two issues do effectively is get rid of the Wanderers.
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Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #34
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Released September 26, 2007
DC Comics, Color
23 Pages
The Quest for Cosmic Boy: E.R.G.Onomics
Tony Bedard - Writer
Dennis Calero - Penciller
Robin Riggs - Inker
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Mike Marts - Editor
(Credits are assumed, as the digital version had them omitted.)
Synopsis
Wildfire as an assassin! Say it ain't so! Wildfire tries to kill the Lallorian President while Atom Girl wants to flirt with Wildfire.
We then spin back three hours as Atom Girl, Shadow Lass and Timber Wolf fight off Lallorian troops while the real assassins plot to unleash ERG-1. Brin and Vi capture a Lallorian soldier and the civil war has moved from Adults v Kids to Pro v Anti UP. They leverage Tasmia's status to transform this into a diplomatic visit.
In a dark room, Randall talks to Drake, who is suspended in his ERG tank. Randall transfers Drake into his suit and gives him the floorplans to the president's office. The Legion arrives at the Presidential office; Brin and Tasmia talk to the president about their mission, while Atom Girl communicates with Brainiac 5 on Earth. Their team is about to be attacked.
ERG-1 initiates his assault. The three Legionnaires confront him and we hear the story about Drake's original audition the first year of the Legion. He went on a mission, his suit was disrupted, he exploded and was assumed dead, since Brainiac 5 was not yet a Legionnaire to detect otherwise. Brin breaks Drake's faceplate, which reforms without his energy being released.
Atom Girl asks Brainy for help as they try to take down Drake unsuccessfully. Brin is hit with a direct blast, and comes out looking like Wolverine.
Commentary
Pretty good issue here and a fun read. A lot of good setup. I find that Wildfire is almost welcome in any Legion story - some of the 70s portrayals I found a bit over the top, but most after have some element that I really enjoy, so its good to see this old friend here, especially as his Threeboot origin hews closely to the Silver Age. The fact that he's a villain in this story is a neat twist that I'm eager to see how gets resolved.
I'm not sure what to think about Lallor - the last we were here, the adults were massacring the children. Not sure I'd be on great diplomatic relations with these folks. But it seems that the Lallor government is pro-UP where the rebels (Drake, Randall and their crew) are definitely against. In the "Not your daddy's (or even your older sibling's) Legion" department, Vi is shown as a badass (which is fine) but also Boy Crazy. Make that REALLY Boy Crazy. A little bit of an odd shift from either of the prior versions. But it does help call out that there is no representation for non-straight folks on this team, as was on the Reboot. I'm really curious to see where they are going with this powered up Wolverine, I mean Timber Wolf.
Bedard's art was pretty good here. Still his standard overly emotive stuff, and Brin's underbite in the last page looked horrible, but it was pretty good overall. I especially enjoyed his city-scapes.
Interesting note - Drake's "audition" suit is basically the DnA Wildfire costume, where the "present time" suit is essentially the pre-DNA ERG-1 costume. But the homage to the original Wildfire debut was pretty cool here. Neat that you can also see Drake's face in the helmet!
Grade: B+
Last edited by Gaseous Lad; 08/01/22 02:21 PM.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #34
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709 |
Yes it was fun seeing Drake again. Seems this is the first time that he can't be taken out by just shredding his suit which definitely ups his threat level.
Once again Brainy appears to be manipulating the situation. It is possible that he just became aware of the upcoming attack but his own choice of words shows that he intended for Timber Wolf to get badly hit and "transform" into a wilder more dangerous form.
I was never a big fan of portraying Brin similar to Logan. They were always different and Brin had a number of unique traits. Nevertheless I guess I was used to it by now, with the various transformations in 5YL having added their own aspect to his backstory.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #34
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
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Posts: 2,987 |
I agree, stile, the whole "quest" seems to be a way for Brainy to take care of some loose ends - Mekt & the Wanderers, Drake & getting a powered up T-Wolf, and I'm assuming something to do with Evolvo Lad.
I'm really not a big fan of the overly-overt portrayal of Brin as Logan either. Okay we get it, they are similar characters. At least they had the more wolfish appearance for part of 5YL and DNA Reboot to differentiate.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #34
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784
Unseen, not unheard
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Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 83,784 |
Brainy IS a crafty, sneaky one eh. I do like that aspect to him. The early Reboot Brainy had very few people smarts, and would just have absorbed himself in his lab rather than coming up with a sneaky plan like this.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #34
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Brainy IS a crafty, sneaky one eh. I do like that aspect to him. The early Reboot Brainy had very few people smarts, and would just have absorbed himself in his lab rather than coming up with a sneaky plan like this. Yeah threeboot Brainy always seemed to be a bit more like LSH v3 Levitz Brainy, always looking for some kind of angle.
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Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #35
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987
Legionnaire!
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OP
Legionnaire!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,987 |
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #35
Released October 31, 2007
DC Comics, Color
23 Pages
The Quest for Cosmic Boy: E.R.G.Onomics Part 2 of 2
Tony Bedard - Writer
Dennis Calero - Artist
Nathan Eyring - Colorist
Mike Marts - Editor
Synopsis
We pick up right from the end of issue 34, with feral, powered up Timber Wolf going after ERG-1. Tasmia accuses Brainy of deliberately powering up Brin.
Over the comm link, Randall is upset with Drake for not being able to take out Brin. Tasmia and Salu note that Drake is talking to Randall and ask Brainy to monitor the signal, which he already has done.
ERG-1 is unable to blast TWolf, but does kick him away, so Shadow Lass takes him on. Atom Girl also assumes Brainy is behind ERG-1, but Brainy asks for patience. She jumps into the president's office and notices the land line on the president's desk.
Drake knocks out Tasmia while his brother Randall keeps barking orders over the comm channel. He goes into the presidential office and we get to the scene with Atom Girl that issue 34 started with her flirting. Drake gets irritated with Randall and kills the comms with him.
Atom Girl confronts Drake about why he needs to kill the president, and we learn that Randall has told Drake that he has a finite amount of time to finish the task - he needs to get back to his tank in a certain amount of time to stay cohesive. He can only be in the suit for an hour at a time. Atom Girl says that Brainy can help him out.
At Randall's place, the phone rings, and Atom Girl jumps out of the phone; after a brief confrontation she knocks him out. She rode the landline to Randall's hideout. After examining the tank, Brainy concludes that Drake probably never had to use it at all and that he was lied to by Randall. Randall goes into custody, and ERG-1 becomes a Legionnaire. Brainy contacts Lightning Lad to get to Supergirl, but she's missing.
37 minutes prior to that moment, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Supergirl grouse about her reliance upon Briany for the mission breakouts as they fly over the Gobi rainforest. The three encounter Evolvo Lad on a pyramid. He states his purpose must be secret. Supergirl challenges him on that and he turns into his neanderthal, form who takes out Garth and Kara easily. Imra calls Brainy for help while machinery senses a time incursion for the 21st century.
Commentary
Another pretty fun issue with a lot going on. I was pretty sure they were going to make sure that Drake was redeemed at the end of his story, and that was well drawn out, even if a bit tropeish. Some really good story elements - The first page has a lot of good drama in it. Tasmia is upset at Brainy for what she thinks he did to Brin, and at Vi for her being an apologist for Brainy. Then we get threeboot Brainy's suffering arrogance at being bothered. The bit between Salu and Querl I found engaging "I guess neither one of us are murderers." Still begs the question of why she's packing double heat if she never uses them that much; she could have shot Randall's kneecap or something without it being fatal. Still, it was nice to get that story resolved halfway through the issue with the promise of Wildfire joining the team; it showed a bit tighter storytelling and editing versus the Winath storyline. That being said, we don't know what Brin's current status is.
The second half, dealing with Kara, Garth and Imra, was also pretty well done, although I liked Evolvo Lad the best. He's brought in as a clear enigma as to his purpose. In a lot of past portrayals, his unevolved form seemed more ape than man - here its definitely Neanderthal-ish, which is a great touch! And we are given the mystery/cliffhanger to expect something to happen to Kara by the end of the storyline.
I find that I think I like Calero's art better when things are happening in the brighter colored daylight versus the darker scenes we have had on Lallor and Winath. Still, I think this is probably his best work so far.
Grade: A-
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #35
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709
Wanderer
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Wanderer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 6,709 |
This one does move along pretty well. I wouldn't trust the Threeboot Brainy as far as I could throw him. As Garth says, "You don't use him, he uses you!" I've never really appreciated this version, far too much like Vril II than like previous Querl. Still I do appreciate how well Bedard shows his craftiness in these few issues.
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Re: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes v5 #35
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853
Time Trapper
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Time Trapper
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 16,853 |
This was a good take on Wildfire. His origin story is the same as the original, but this guy is duped by his brother to be an assassin. Cruel! It's also reminiscent of the original Timber Wolf who was duped into thinking he was the android. The first page has a lot of good drama in it. Tasmia is upset at Brainy for what she thinks he did to Brin, and at Vi for her being an apologist for Brainy. That was a good scene; it shows that these Legionnaires haven't been together long enough to trust each other. Also, the Vi-Brainy special relationship is different. She might be closer to him than the others (except Nura) but it's not a relationship of equals. Her being boy crazy - yeah, that's quite a change, but it goes with her tough personality. You wonder how much of it is an act. And Evolvo taking down Supergirl - that was surprising! Brainy is quite the puppet master in this arc. He's like a stand-in for the writer, arranging all the bits and pieces for a tidy conclusion.
Holy Cats of Egypt!
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