Discussion of Legion of Superheroes 2#
I just read my preview copy of LOSH 2# and I thought I’d share my thoughts with my fellow fans of the LOSH.
Spoiler free review: I thought this was an excellent issue and we’re starting to see the central guiding plotline of the LOSH coming out. I think this is, unfortunately, something that will continually be misunderstood by readers who didn’t get the central theme the first issue though. I do think though, that many Legion fans will be somewhat shocked by a few of the choices….a few of them are very good though and I am anxious to see how it all turns out. We got some strong characterizations of Brainiac 5, Dream Girl, and a bit more information on how the governments of society work in the Brave New World of the 30th century.
I think this issue is continuing the very strong new plotline that’s emerging as the guiding theme of the re-imagined team.
SPOILER REVIEW
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Synopsis: The Legion of Superheroes barely avoid stopping an alien diplomat accidentally killing five representatives of the United Planets on an important diplomatic mission. The action is unwelcome despite the fact it’ll clearly win the Legion much more support (or because of it). The villain is Molecule Man though the terrorist in question is unidentified.
Meanwhile, the full power of the Legion of Superheroes is started to be hinted at as its clear that Brainiac 5 is the most powerful mind in the universe. His youth is immaterial to this and it seems he’s in his mid-twenties rather than being teenaged like the others. Dream Girl is given equal importance on her world as the most powerful seer. Their conflicting styles of magic vs. technology are barely held in check by Cos who apparently finds the disputes and anger between members (including over religion with Sunboy and Chameleon very grating).
The issue follows the fact that Dream Girls’ home-world is afflicted with a form of dream sickness that has taken over the entire youth population of the planet. This ISN’T because their Legionaires, though Brainiac 5 is clearly trying to use their plight as a rallying cry to them but because there’s a war coming up and its stated that millions of the prophet planet’s youth will die in a draft. The planet government wished to keep it from them because of their fear there would be riots.
Brainiac deduces this clearly and it leads to a pretty damn outrageous incident between the planetary leaders and the security forces of the world. Poor Karate Kid is beaten senseless along with Nightgirl because they can see the future. I still say Karate Kid should have won despite their future sight because he’s just THAT good. Dreamgirl shows that while a capable fighter, she’s much better at being a ****.
Brainiac tries to make a case for free will at the end when they resolve the planet’s “Dream issues” but is disgusted to find, if Dream Girl is any example, the young adults are mutely accepting of their fate but simply annoyed at being kept from their dreams. Dream Girl says he’ll feel different when there married.
Brainiac is momentarily stunned but then realizes (he hopes) it was a joke and says you have to come up with something much more baroque to rattle him….finding someone put a herd of antelopes in his laboratory.
My thoughts:
This is the second time war and the young dying in it has been brought up, so I’m guessing the “youth vs. adults” conflict is largely based on military problems more than anything else. The Legion’s main trouble seems to be they wish to avoid conflicts that are slaying twenty somethings by promoting goodwill and change.
It’s clear that the Legion is supported by the United Planets only because they have powers that make them one of the most formidable forces in the galaxy and its better to have the “children” on their side than against them. Like the Justice League animated cartoon, its clear that while it may have started as a youth movement, the problem is that many of the “children” are in fact actually men and women of our time (and in an age when you can live to be 400-probably a lot of people we’d consider “old”), who are incredibly powerful and the established governments are terrified of them. It’s clear some, like Brainiac and Dreamgirl, are there because their ambitions are frustrated by an old boy’s network more than any real feeling of comraderie and anachronism. They’re no more “kids having fun” than Bill Gates and his computer geeks at the start.
The whole ‘cult of personality’ thing seems to be Brainy’s doing and actually isn’t Cos. Brainy it turns out, has political ambitions and is trying to make the Legion into his platform to replace the United Planets-explaining a few things. His actions seem designed to
1. Do genuine good in the world.
2. Humiliate and degrade the United Planets by showing its ineffectiveness.
Apparently, this Brainiac is significantly closer to Vril Dox the Second (and his father) than previous versions of him. He could have stopped the assassinations in any other way but he chose the method that would prove the Legion’s effectiveness the most while showing the U.P’s weakness.
It’s clear he’s also very threatened by ‘magic’ and the supernatural. It’ll be interesting how he reacts to Dawnstar or White Witch when they come.
My guess is ultimately the Legion are fighting a holding action against some incredibly powerful force out to start a war and we’ll see plenty of Old Legion villains out to make this war come to pass. I personally hope it’s the Legion of Supervillains but it could be any number of bad guys from the Legion’s past at this point.
Still no Saturn Girl this issue though….sigh.
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