Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #32 (Spoilers)

Well now the secret of issue 33 is blown.

Ha! New artist isn't taking any crap AND he's funny! Better watch it, LMBers!

You sentients think is haughty?

It's time for some Lester threads.

I still haven't been to the CBS to get the last couple weeks worth of books!!

I'm more curious than ever to see the art. Love that Dennis is here, interacting.

Re: Dennis Calero, my respect for the you and the 3boot has multiplied a thousandfold. Highly anticipating the new creative team's direction.

<span style="font-size: 10px;">Mekt being totally awesometastic doesn't hurt either. Going back into hiding, now.</span>

Amen! This version has turned out to be quite a chatterbox, though; he almost seems friendly. I always liked the villain Mekt, but it's an interesting change to have him as a tough guy, but not (so far) intent on taking over the universe or amassing great riches. Given his origin, it's a wonder he has any concern for Winath or his parents at all, so maybe he's just faking it here.

Sun Boy on the Legion - "why should I care?" - has he really distanced himself from the Legion that much? It sounded like he was putting on a show for Mekt, also with the talk of laughing off the Dominators' torture.

Love low-key Tenzil and his amazing truth-or-lie sunglasses. Maybe they have other powers. Pretty lax of him to take them off underground (surely the shading adjusts for light) and trust those two kids.

This is a great version of Winath, down to the mayor having a name ending in "zz" - perhaps they all do. I really wonder how the crops deal with those storms, though. Must be very short stalk plants.

I'm glad that we're seeing the three teams working together, but in small groups. These large battle scenes with everybody involved don't do much for me.

The artwork is striking! It took me a second read to really enjoy it. Simmering, hot and noir all at once. I am really looking forward to Dennis' Shadow Lass!

I liked the art-- but I always thought of Sun Boy as one of the, if not *the*, handsomest Legion boys. That doesn't come across, here-- though not because of one panel in which his expression was clearly (to me) used to communicate a nonverbal reaction. Which is something comics sometimes utterly fail to do, so I appreciate the intent. But Dirk should be good-lookin' (and a redhead, damn it!)

I like the way the eeriness of underground Winath comes across. Add that to Mekt's POV-- if you're one of only a few singletons on a planet of twins, you'd think there was something creepy... or at the least 'other'... about your people. It's an interesting combination... the 'horror movie' creepiness tinged by Mekt's 'issues'.

I'm concerned about the possible upcoming contradiction between Validus here and the Fatal Five we saw in BRAVE AND BOLD. More multiversal nuttiness? That's secondary to interesting storytelling, for me, though.

A larger question-- why is Winath so attractive to writers for reimagining? Is there any other world that's been portrayed so differently from boot to boot? I can't think of one. What is it about Winath that makes creators wish to recreate it from the ground up? And is the twin thing a sacred cow?

For me-- the free-wheeling nudist agrarian culture is still the most interesting. I liked the canopy of trees idea from LEGION WORLDS-- and the underground Winath introduced here is fascinating. The storm-besieged bit from the 'toon is worth noting, too.

Actually, all of these *could* be incorporated into one Winath. Earth certainly isn't monolithic-- no reason 'pretend' worlds should be.

Or maybe convincing himself?

I want to stick to the idea that he's still a Legionnaire, but keeping it secret for some reason. Getting harder to think that, though. It's more likely he'll be wrestled back into the fold by some other means. Or skulk off again, I suppose.

Or 'root' vegetables, like potatoes?

Amen! (Though large-scale cast scenes-- there really wasn't all that much 'battle' are fine with me-- *if* we've got names and IDs for those involved!)

Winathian Yuca & Malanga must be really good!

The conflicted Mekt was probably my favorite, whether it was Levitz or post ZH. The Legion World's Mekt when LL returned from being lost... Brrrr.

I agree with some, I never ever need to read another "origin" story. Any future reboot should just have an "ibid" statement to any or all previous boots and let the reader choose the one they prefer.

You touched upon it yourself. There's something inherently creepy about a world of twins, yet after all these years (since it was first canonized 1984ish) writers have barely begun to mine its potential for weirdness. We've seen the deleterious effects of twinness on Mekt's psyche before, but Winath society has otherwise been portrayed as relatively normal by Earth standards . How could it be, though? They might look like us, but their cultural mentality is as foreign as, say, Colu's. If any of us "solos" lived on Winath for an extended duration, we'd probably wind up feeling as alienated by its physical and psychological duality as Mekt.

There's even more psychological fodder to be found in their almost primal fear of storms (did Bedard borrow this idea from the cartoon?) as well as the unexplored "bond" between Winathi twins, and how the latter affects their relationships with each other and with non-Winathi singeltons. Does the "bond" help explain Garth's excessive monogamy, Ayla's checkered love lives, and the fact that Mekt (besides a purely speculative romance with Holt) has never once been in love? For me, those unanswered questions contain more interesting story potential than the perfectly understandable inclination to run around naked. I enjoyed DnA's techno-primitive portrayal of Winath, but I feel they only scraped the surface.

Nor has the alienness of Titan, Braal, Colu, Cargg, Durla, Rimbor and other Legion planets been explored to its limits, imo.

I would like to see Bismol. on a planet where people can digest anything, what passes for fine cuisine?


and on Titan, how of many of Saturn Girl's kin hire themselves out as spies, business advisers, or therapist.

as for origin stories, the only ones I know, are what I have read in this series so far. so, keep making them, er reprinting them, er retconning them, er well you know what I mean.

I just stumbled upon an earlier use of "unlax": in post-boot LSH #66, uttered by Chameleon Boy as he rescues Colossal Boy from a giant predator.

Fodder for the Oxford Interlac Dictionary. Now I'm wondering if there are even earlier instances of unlax.

That was when Cham was supposedly struggling to to learn the language, no? Maybe a word that essentially means "make yourself not lax" should be confined to such circumstances, unless the 31st century is especially ironic.

Unlax and Interlac, for that matter, have been used in Nexus; perhaps this is another nod/wink between the two books.

Anyway, my thanks to Dennis Colero for explaining Sun Boy's sour puss. Now I can kind of see where you guys heads' are at.

I thought I had posted earlier...probably forgot to hit the post button.

I thought this was a fun issue and the art was particularly strong. My one quibble was with Sun Boy--he looked all emaciated, like SpongeBob in Sandy Squirrel's dome without a fishbowl helmet. Otherwise, the depictions were quite awesome. Dennis's art is more similar to Barry's than I expected. Where Barry is slick and cool, though, Dennis's art is more emotional and "hot."

While I understand the sentiment about the Winath/Ranzz story getting old, I found all the additions here very pleasing. Giving Validus an interesting back story is always an accomplishment. And I like this Mekt and his angry, haughty singleton sadsack state. What if he has a "lost" twin who is...Validus!?!?

The depiction of Tenzil is fantastic, perhaps the best ever. He's funny, but very self-assured and intelligent. This day and age, the Legion could really USE a good lawyer.

I think Tony writes these characters better than Mark did; they're still sarcastic, ironic and conflicted, but somehow not as nasty. Reading the latest B&B at the same time brought this home.

The colors really deserve special commendation, too. They were spooky, creepy and moody but also lush and exotic. An amazing freshman art outing all around, I think. Just make Sun Boy handsome, and you're money, baby.

Or in the 2200s, the UNilever might have acquired the brandname of a certain laxative. So the anti-corporate rabble-rousing Legion now use "Unlax" to ironically mean, "Don't poop your pants Grandpa."

I finally picked up my comics yesterday. I must say that I was quite impressed.

The story was pretty good, I thought. You get a little insight into Mekt, which was nice.

The art was pretty darn cool. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to get into it, since it's not exactly what I picture in my mind for "Legion artwork", but I must say that by the end I was really enjoying it. I'm looking forward to next issue now

I think most posters are refering just to the "origin" story, at least I was. We see Korbal, every origin of the Legion, every origin of LL, or LLass or Mekt or anytime any of them have a bad dream. I swear if I see any of those characters having a bowl of chili, I'm not buying the next issue.

Caleros art is vertainly a major improvement to the embarrassing guest artist in #31. I can very well live with him staying on board, he has a lot of potential.

As for the story, I really tried to like it cause I like Bedards writing on Negation, but everytime I try I am once more smashed with the feeling that this... is not the real Legion. It must be me, I just can't give this continuity a chance, I don't feel for the characters, I don't care for what's happening, I just keep on buying the book cause it's not really bad (it was til #18 or so) - and it's the only Legion you can get... at the moment.

Tenzil as a special investigator seems wasted to me by the way.

Please to define "The Real Legion" for me...

I think I made it abundantly clear that it is (just) my feeling. So it will be hard to define it but all I can say is that the Legion hasn't felt "real" to me since Zero Hour - first it became a future vesrion of "Archie", then it became a second version of L.E.G.I.O.N. and I keep on buying it hoping that the old/new characters will finally start to grow on me... but they don't.

Good chance that if the Lightning Saga Legion will somehow become a regular book, they will feel "wrong" as well... but I hope not.

I rationalize by saying to myself, this doesn't mean he won't someday be a Legionnaire, get fatassed, eat the miracle machine, become a lawyer for the defense and eventual President of Bismol.

Had my reread.

- The Story
The words and the art provide distinct stories.
Dialogue was economical.
Concentrated on a smaller group of legionnaires.

Two good cliffhangers (wheat and glowing eyes)
I think we all think we know how the wheat hanger will resolve. I look forward to more about the cult. Is there some "connection" between winathians and lightning? Mekt was "sent" to Korbal, so it seems likely and would fit in nicely with "canon," which certainly doesn't preclude the idea. It doesn't have to be an accident that sent them to Korbal and nothing prevents others from having a natural affinity for lightning powers.


- The Art
This had a "Legion World's" feel to it for me. There is so much going on in the backgrounds or little details of holos or plates with food...., things that add up to the culture of the place. It really painted a picture of Winath.

I also enjoyed the use of B-5s monitors to add to the bigger story. Good SF affects throughout.
Example of great story-telling IMO was the page where Tenz first gets locked in the wheatbin. In fact, i would have left off entirely the "Tenzil, you stupid...." as his expression tells it all, though Tenz is the type to think outloud.

Opening splash was terrific, closing splash less so for me (though it had a "Coipel" feel to it) but I loved the Validus symbol.

Easily my favorite panel was that little bottom left corner panel on the first page with the cult leader. Just the three legionnaires flying. Something else else about it, but they really do look to be flying in mid air as opposed to pictures plastered on top of a background. Another is lower bottom left on the page with Legion HQ at the top. Very SF, so busy and cluttered like a lab.

- Some great one-liners:
Waddya know, it works
That's a felony
I know for a FACT that cult isn't around anymore
I will not drown in a roomful of wheat.

- Homage to earlier versions
Brainy's overworked, underappreciated
Validus, perhaps Darkseid?
A living lightning (Glorithverse version of Mekt)
A story to frighten small children

- Nitpics
perhaps its the sensitivity to the seemingly endless storylines and feeling that companies are stretching out stories to fill graphic novels, but some of the oversized panels seem to have no purpose. Specifically when they enter the Ranz household, on the opposite page, legion HQ, and the biggest waste of space, the full page entering the underground. The same "emptyness" was conveyed in the tiny panel below the panel we had dispute about earlier in the thread.

However, the BIGGEST NIT goes toward the Ballpark Frank ad, which I've seen bitchen about on at least two other message boards. Wish this thing would go away! It's not funny. It's vaguely disgusting and creepy and it doesn't make me want a hotdog. Lol.

Well, that narrows it down somewhat. Essentially, what I take away from your post is that you haven't really enjoyed Legion since changes were made over 10 years ago to what had gone before. I'm also thinking that it was the Legion you grew up with that is more akin to the "real Legion." Would that be an accurate summmation?

If not, please help me out here...

Accurate, yes Sir I am guilty of not enjoying any Legion since Zero Hour - cause it did not feel like the "real Legion" to me.

But that's just the background for my feelings about #32, which, as I said, was okay, the art even good, but still it somehow left me cold. But as I am not the only one feeling "left cold" by the WaK Legion, I don't worry too much about it And everybody is very very free to have totally different feelings about WaK, to consider this new version as the "real Legion" and that still will not change my opinion about it. Not that there's anything wrong with it, to quote Seinfeld...