Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes A Look Back: L.E.G.I.O.N. #1-55

This is the beginning of something fun for all L.E.G.I.O.N. fans here.

The way it's going to work is: I'll be re-reading each issue of my L.E.G.I.O.N. collection, one per day (unless I run into an especially busy day) and the next day, post the issue number, story title, main cast list, credits, one-or-two sentence plot summary, and some brief thoughts.

Anybody who wants to add feedback and/or their own thoughts is welcome to, I'd encourage it.


L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #1 - "Homecoming"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, pencils - Mike De Carlo, inks - Gaspar (Saladino,) letters - Lovern Kindzierski, colors.

Plot: In deep space, a group of aliens (some of which are clearly ancestors of Legion of Superheroes characters) who met while they were all prisoners of the now destroyed Alliance (from the "Invasion!" mini-series) discover that the leader of their breakout, Vril Dox, has an ulterior motive: to take them to his homeworld of Colu on a mission to destroy the Computer Tyrants, machines which oppresively rule the planet's population.

Thoughts: It's always interesting to me going back to the early, formative issues of a series and seeing how much was already in place from the start and how much the book still had to evolve.

I like the way the story plunges right into the action, saving the recap for later. The characters are less over-the-top than they'd become in later issues, but the seeds are already there. My personal favorite, Stealth, has the best line, in an exchange with Vril Dox:

Dox: "There is a debt owed to my world. It is my father who incurred it. (pause) It is I who must repay it."

Stealth: "So YOU pay it, hotshot! You didn't need to drag US into your private vendetta!"

Barry Kitson's art is already excellent as far as draftsmanship and storytelling; it would become more dynamic over time, but there's still thrilling moments, like the Durlan using his shapeshifting powers to break into the control center. But Kitson can't do anything about the bad hair on Garryn Bek (a whiner who doesn't deserve better) and Lyrissa Mallor (a great character who does deserve better.) I assume Giffen came up with the original character designs, so the bad hair was his doing, not Kitson's.

And it's pure genius, very much in keeping with the book's darkly witty tone, that the team is apparently blown up by the Tyrants on the last page. How do they survive? Find out next time.

I remember reading these only a few years ago (I’ve only actually read about #1-15 or so), and being surprised at how good they were, especially the earliest issues. The dynamic b/t Dox, the Durlan, Stealth, etc. is very real even early on.

I remember not liking Garrin Bek at all and then growing to like him as the series went on. And I thought the Durlan was really cool, and when it finally dawned on me that it was RJ Brande, being totally blown away.

This earliest story is also awesome, as it finally resolves the long-standing Legion plot of Pulsar Stargrave, which is pretty cool itself. And we see real insight into the past of Colu.

What a great series. And Kitson’s art was amazing…this is where he really made a name for himself IMO.

BTW- cool thread Stealth, and definitely one I’ll be reading!

Oh Boy! I can hardly wait until we get to the issue where Comet and others are on the planet where it's illegal to be broke. THAT story truly characterized what they were only beginning to hint at in this issue: Dox was one of the best written manipulative bastiches in comics history. Nothing he ever did, did I see coming.

This first issue was perfectly taylored to LSH fans looking for recognizables but I wonder how it went over with a reader that knew only Superman and Brainiac 5?

I'll have to get out my issues and play along.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #2 - "So You Want To Be a Despot?"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mike De Carlo, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: The reluctant associates of Vril Dox have escaped the explosion thanks to Dox's extensive knowledge of the mechanized planet's lower levels. Unfortunately, they have no choice but to help Dox overcome more obstacles in order to reach the Tyrants' Control Core.

Thoughts: This is the first issue to raise an uncomfortable question, and it wouldn't be the last. There's no denying the Tyrants are callous in their willingness to sacrifice hundreds of lives for the sake of stopping six intruders and preserving order. But when Dox succeeds in de-activating them*, he throws the planet into anarchy. Is this really the lesser of two evils? I don't pretend to know the answer, but these shades of grey are one of the things that make L.E.G.I.O.N. stand the test of time so well.

*Or does he? Next issue, we find out, and it's not good news.

This was the first issue of LEGION i read, and the art and story hooked me. The title was quickly added to my monthly purchases. Though it was several years before i managed to get a copy of #1 and the Invasion mini.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #3: "How To Win Friends and Influence People."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Stealth.

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearances of: Lobo, Mr. Starr/Pulsar Stargrave

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mike De Carlo, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: As Vril Dox takes steps toward bringing the planet Colu under his own control, Lyrissa and Garryn attempt to return to their own worlds, only for Garryn to accidentally kill a space dolphin, which leads to Lyrissa insisting they double back or face the wrath of one of the galaxy's meanest dolphin-lovers. Meanwhile, the Computer Tyrants activate their failsafe system - a powerful, sentient cyborg body containing their collective databanks.

Thoughts: As Cobalt Kid mentioned earlier in this thread, we finally learn the origin of Pulsar Stargrave - he is the host body for the Computer Tyrants of Colu. And is he ever pissed off in this story! The scene of him burning and scarring Dox was quite gruesome for its time, and even today retains some of its shock power. In this issue, we also get our first glimpse of the most controversial L.E.G.I.O.N. character, Lobo. My personal opinion of him, and more, next time.


Garryn: (as he walks away:) "Of all the big-headed, single-minded, lying...

Lyrissa: (as she walks away:) "...conniving, self-righteous, insufferable egomaniacs!"

Stealth (to Dox): "Two down, Ace. Anyone else you want to alienate?"



Garryn: I wish we could have found something faster than this clapped-out, solid-fueled hunk of junk.
Lyrissa: "Must you complain about absolutely EVERYTHING?"

The first wrong turn taken by this book IMO, though Lobo was used quite creatively by DOX, so... maybe I'm wrong.

I thought Lobo's early appearances here and in JL were fine. It was only later that the joke got stale and they ran the character into the ground.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #4: "The Godfather Pulls the Strings."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark Mc Kenna, inker - Kevin Yates, ink assist - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: Dox now has full control of Colu; The Durlan must talk him out of controlling the minds of the Coluans, which would make him no better than the Tyrants. Despite Strata and Stealth having promised to protect Lyrissa, Lobo defeats the entire team. Dox intervenes by making Lobo an offer he can't refuse.

Thoughts: Okay. Lobo. (deep breath) I don't hate Lobo, but if this had been the first story with him I read, then I would hate him.

That requires an explanation, and I hope this one's not confusing: I got into L.E.G.I.O.N. after it had been around for a while (the first issue I read was Annual #2,) and when I started picking up the back issues, I started with the post-Giffen issues (#13 on) because I'm not really a Giffen fan. I only added the first year later for completeness.

When I started reading the book, Lobo's persona was fully developed, and in most of those stories, I thought he had a certain bad-boy charm. He kind of reminded me of Wolverine in the reprints I read of the late 70s X-Men, Wolverine before he became a pseudo-philosophical bore.

But in this story, he's a disgusting creep. I generally enjoy L.E.G.I.O.N.'s brazen lack of political correctness, but the scene where he hits Lyrissa and Strata and breaks Stealth's hands is deeply offensive to me (and it wouldn't be the last time the book, or Lobo, went too far for me.)

This is my least favorite of the early issues, and I'm relieved to have gotten it over with.

On an artistic note: the new inker, Mark Mc Kenna, gives the art a cleaner line than Mike De Carlo, but there's also a loss of that wonderful Kitson detail. The art wouldn't fully bloom until later, when Kitson started doing both pencils and inks.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 #5 - "The Secret Diary of Garryn Bek."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: Dox's clever manipulations convince Lobo to spare Garryn's life - in exchange for both of them working for Dox. The others decide to stay, in order to prevent Dox and Lobo from going too far. Dox's first mission involves wresting control of the drug-ridden planet Cairn from drug dealer Kanis Biz - Garryn's father-in-law!

Thoughts: After the stumble of the last issue, the book gets back on its feet. Amazing that they got away with naming a character "Kanis Biz" (pronounced the same as "cannibus" - get it?) back in 1989. Once Dox's plan gets under way, the plot twists keep coming. The best twist of all is that Garryn, an ex cop, married Biz's daughter to get closer to his target.

Garryn: "Hey, I was young, naive, innocent..."

Stealth: "And stupid, it would seem! You obviously didn't bust him!"

Stealth never has time for excuses and bull****. What a great character she is.

I have to agree that I thought Lobo’s appearances here and in JLI were really well done, and he was a welcome site. Even by the time his ‘Paramilitary Christmas Special’ came out, I was still loving the character (funniest comic ever IMO), as well as his Demon appearances. It was later when he was overdone and his personality became thinner and more cliché that he became annoying. But the dynamic b/t him and Dox is pretty interesting, especially when you consider how the others must have thought of them.

That’s one of Stealth’s best lines too! This thread is bringing back some memories for—very cool! I’m curious to when we’ll get to the issues that I never read what your (and everyone else’s) thoughts are.

Ahhh, the <blink><font size="16">old</font s> </blink> days.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 # 6 - "Heroes...and Villains."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: Using most of the other team members as a diversion, Dox has installed himself as Cairn's new police chief. The first thing he does is launch an all-out assault on the Kanis-Biz estate, with Lobo as field commander.

Thoughts: The book's first wall-to-wall action issue is one of my favorite early ones. Grant and Giffen have finally found the right sick/funny/crazy balance in the book's tone. This issue is bracketed by two disturbing but darkly funny scenes - one involves Pulsar Stargrave plotting his revenge against L.E.G.I.O.N.* while growing accustomed to living like a walking, talking person, the other showing Dox right after he's cold-bloodedly put a bullet through Kanis-Biz's head.

Quotes:

Stealth: Too late, Lyrissa. Looks like Dox's raid's already started. It's party time!

Lyrissa: Can't you take anything seriously? Oh, what's the use...

****

Cairn Cop # 1: Holy - who's idea of tactics was this?

Cairn Cop # 2: I don't know, but I think I could seriously get into it. BLOW THE SCUMBAGS AWAY!

*About a dozen issues later, this would result in one of the team's biggest tragedies.

L.E.G.I.O.N. # 7 - "The Nature of the Beast"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Stealth

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: All the drug-dealers in the galaxy unite their forces to attack Cairn. Dox counter-attacks with an army of Lobo clones. Meanwhile, Pulsar Stargrave lands on Lyrissa's home planet of Talok VIII, and Stealth begins to act like a savage animal in heat. In order to prevent the other members from objecting to his plan, Dox has drugged them to sleep. But Stealth's unclassified biology proves immune to the drug, and she's got another nasty surprise for Dox...

Thoughts: The action stuff in this issue is good fun. The scenes with Stealth are another matter. They seem to anticipate the "Species" movies, which I hate. At least Stealth doesn't shape-shift into a monster, that would send the misogyny right over the red line. As I re-read these issues, I start to recall what's coming ahead, and I'm reminded that all the stories which handle potentially offensive material in a heavy-handed way were plotted by Giffen. Which makes me glad that he'll be gone after five more issues, then Grant takes over the full writing and proves that a comic can be daring without being gross.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 # 8 - "Don't Look Back"

Main Cast: Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Stealth.

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearances of: Lydea Mallor (as child in Lyrissa's flashback,) Marij'n.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Stealth's mating ritual has proven fatal to Vril Dox. Stealth doesn't deny her actions, but she's blacked them out. The team risks a planet-wide riot if they can't bring Dox back to life, and the only genetic engineer who can do it is Marij'n, Garryn's ex-wife. And meanwhile: Stargrave has manipulated a Talokian politician into helping him with his evil plans, Strata discovers she's a woman (it's a Dryad thing,) Lobo vows to kill Dox all over again for taking away his self-replicating power, and Lyrissa admirably handles the pressure of standing in for Dox as leader.

Thoughts: This is my favorite of the early issues, a quiet interlude which brings a welcome focus on Lyrissa Mallor. Grant truly has a gift for writing strong female characters. And as much as I disliked what happened with Stealth last issue, it's a relief that she's not automatically judged as evil, something which would inevitably happen in a lesser comic book. And there is one line in here, spoken by Strata, which I think sums up L.E.G.I.O.N. perfectly: "The past is dead, Lyrissa. The future is now." Without a team like L.E.G.I.O.N. in the chaotic present, we wouldn't have hope for the brighter future of the 30th Century Legion.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 # 9 - "Second Chances."

Main Cast: Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, The Durlan, Lobo, Marij'n, Stealth

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearance of: Phase/Phantom Girl.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Glenn Whitmore, colorist.

Plot: Lyrissa continues to do a great job as leader in the absence of Dox, whose regeneration is now almost complete; but on Lyrissa's homeworld of Talok VIII, Pulsar Stargrave discovers that Lyrissa has a baby daughter, Lydea. The Durlan's tests reveal that Stealth's escapade with Dox has left her pregnant. The Durlan then abruptly exchanges places with a young woman from the 30th century who has zero-density powers. And Lobo escapes confinement and smashes the pod containing Dox.

Thoughts: Hey, why not bring a classic Legion character into the present day? It's a pretty cool idea, and Phase ended up being one of the team's most capable and likeable members. And as for the Durlan ending up in the 30th Century...well, most of us already know what happens, but it makes such a wonderful story (about 15 issues from now) that I don't want to spoil it.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 # 10 - "Internal Affairs"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, Lobo, Marij'n, Phase, Stealth.

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: Dox has returned from the dead stronger and smarter than before. He's lucky, because Lobo wants him dead again. And Phase is just as confused by her new home as the rest of the team is confused about her.

Thoughts: The only scenes in this issue I like are the ones with Phase. The rest is just boring scenes of people beating each other up. I don't want brawls, I want gun battles and superpowers and exploding spaceships! In the end, what's important is that the book's first year is coming to a close, and the second year is where IMO it changes from being uneven to being consistently great.

Phase was such a great character. I was really ticked when they killed Tinya off in the 5-years-later Legion. So much that I dropped that book and started to pick up L.E.G.I.O.N. (Is there an easy way to abbreviate that?)

I'm sure I wasn't the only one torn between wanting to bring Tinya back with Jo and the rest of the Legion but still enjoying the attention she was getting in the L.'89 book.

That's a good point, there should be an abbreviation. And since L.E.G.I.O.N. always changed the year in its title, how about simply abbreviating it as L-20th, as in "The 20th Century Legion?" (And of course, if DC brings back L.E.G.I.O.N., we could abbreviate the current L.E.G.I.O.N. as L-21st.)

I've never read more than one issue of 5 Years Later. It went completely against what I personally think the 30th Century Legion should be, which is the hope for a brighter future.

I've never read L.E.G.I.O.N., but you make it sound very interesting, Stealth.

Why, thank you, IB. And thank you, everyone else. I've been delighted with all this positive feedback.

If I were to try and recommend the must-have issues to L-20th newcomers, I'd say probably # 11-31, # 48-51, and Annuals # 1 and 2.

I'll have a post on # 11 up in a little while.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 11 - "Power Play"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, Lobo, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Pulsar Stargrave ascends to the status of Talok VIII's new champion through deceit, manipulation, and bullying tactics, including the destruction of a non-hostile Khund ship. Garryn is heading a peaceful L.E.G.I.O.N. mission to another planet when they find an abandoned exploration vessel; investigating, they find the entire crew dead and Garryn encounters a strange glowing object...

Thoughts: The first L.E.G.I.O.N. issue cover dated 1990 instead of 1989 is great from start to finish. After too many rather claustrophobic stories, we're treated to Kitson's stunning renditions of the vast panoramas of outer space. Excellent cover by Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon, too, of the whole team (Stealth is sneering, of course - lol) standing against a starry background with the L.E.G.I.O.N. symbol behind them, and the note: "THE FUTURE IS NOW!" Year Two is off to an excellent start.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 12 - "Alone Again, Or..."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, Lobo, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Keith Giffen, plot and breakdowns - Alan Grant, script - Barry Kitson, penciler - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist.

Plot: As the team goes about its day-to-day business, Garryn sends a series of transmissions from the explorer vessel in which it becomes clear that he has discovered the Emerald Eye of Erkon, and that the eye is killing off the rest of his crew while saving him for another purpose (posession, perhaps?)

Thoughts: A lot of great characterization in this issue: in the best scene, Dox and Stealth have an argument about what she should do with the baby of theirs she is carrying, which ends with her slapping him (about time she did) and hurting him even more by mentioning the Durlan's departure. After she leaves, Dox throws a destructive tantrum, proving more than ever that, for all his intelligence and cunning, he still has the maturity of a three-year-old, which makes him all the scarier.

This issue is also the last to be plotted by Giffen. I have a feeling that if he had stayed longer, the book would have been overloaded with references to the 30th Century. IMO, bringing in the Emerald Eye of Erkon was too much of a good thing. From here on, Grant and Kitson set about giving the book a much more individual identity, and it would evolve into something very special.

These issue (I think) were the beginning of the personification of the Emerald Eye, whihc never worked for me. The Eye was never given a purpose or source for existence, which made it a random encounter getting to much airplay for my tastes. It was a spheroidal version of Lobo. The Eye worked best as a tool, an artifact that one might imagine was created.

Without spoiling the stories ahead, I will say this: on one hand, I think The Eye was a bad idea in the first place (to reiterate something from my review, it was one 30th Century reference too many.) On the other hand, it provided some brilliantly funny moments with two characters whom I otherwise found annoying and boring.

In a few issues from now, I'll have no longer been reading the series, which is a shame, since it appears those were some of the best. I remember really wanting to read the Valor/Lady Quark/Captain Comet issues. I really can't wait for the rest of the reviews!

And if you mean Garryn and his wife Stealth, I totally agree about the Eye at least making them funny for a bit.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 13 - "Deceptions"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, Lobo, Phase, Stealth

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearances of: Lady Quark, Lar Gand

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Best summed up by this conversation:

Stealth: It's that idiot Bek! That eye he found is feeding him with power - and driving him crazy in the process. He's literally smashing his way to Vril Dox!

Phase: I'm sorry, but I don't see how that's my business. Your group is ALWAYS fighting with each other.

And the sub-plots: Dox tests two possible new members, Lady Quark and a Daxamite named Lar Gand, while Pulsar Stargrave impersonates a Talokian god in order to kidnap Lyrissa's daughter, Lydea, whom he intends to use as a pawn in his revenge against L.E.G.I.O.N.

Thoughts: The first all-Grant & Kitson issue is a near-classic, except for some spots of weak inking from McKenna. Lady Quark would become one of my favorite members (the only previous appearances of hers I've read were the ones in the original "Crisis,") and Lobo finally makes me laugh, twice in fact:

1. "Get serious. A giant evil eye? So where's the giant evil NOSE??"

2. (After everyone else has asked each other if they're all right after Bek's rampage) "And are you all right, Lobo? Why, yes, thank you, teammates, I am very well indeed! Please don't fall over each other in your rush to assist me...wimps."

Lovern Kindzierski's coloring has been great from the start, but here he outdoes himself, compensating for McKenna's inspid inks with some atmospheric work, especially in the creepy scenes with Stargrave (already knowing what this sub-plot is leading to actually makes it more disturbing to me.)

A nice nostalgic bonus: this issue contains an elaborate fold-out ad for one of my favorite horror movies, "Nightbreed." I've never removed it, because it just seems cooler to leave it there.

Thanks, Cobalt Kid. Knowing that makes me enjoy what I'm doing even more.

Eye do indeed mean the Beks. Meye eyes are watering with laughter just thinking about those scenes ahead.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 14 - "The Sound of Silence"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Strata, Lobo, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: On a low-tech planet, Stealth and Strata round up some bank robbers in a Wild West-style showdown. On Talok VIII, Stargrave begins his horrifying scheme of using an abusive Lyrissa robot to brainwash baby Lydea into hating her mother. At L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters, Garryn is getting loonier, while Lobo apparently wants to leave the team and join the band of one of the galaxy's worst space pirates, Dagon-Ra.

Thoughts: Even though McKenna's inking keeps getting worse and worse, Grant and Kitson easily transcend it. This issue has some of my favorite Stealth scenes - I got my Legion World signature from a line she delivers before shooting a bad guy - and the banter between her and Strata is great. As horrifying as the scene with Stargrave is, it is not played for cheap sensationalism, the way Giffen would have done - Grant and Kitson present it starkly, with compassion for poor Lydea. And Grant's ability to shift tones from scene to scene is nothing short of amazing.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 15 - "Nightmares"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Strata, Lobo, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearances of: Garv, Telepath, and (PLOT SPOILER, read ahead.)

Plot: In addition to giving Garryn delusions of godhood, the Eye also causes Dox to have a nightmare about the still-missing Durlan. Stargrave's political puppet discovers what the villain is doing, but Stargrave threatens to kill him if he tells. Lobo successfully infiltrates Dagon-Ra's band of pirates after a sadistic hazing (Dagon-Ra using his matter-transforming powers to turn the air around Lobo into poison gas.) Stealth - whose pregnancy has become public knowledge - and Phase start becoming friends. And as Lyrissa thinks about how much she misses her baby daughter Lydea, she has no way of knowing that Stargrave has not only brainwashed Lydea, but also used a machine to age her overnight into a psychotic teenager - Lydea Darkstar!

Thoughts: Another typically fine job from Grant & Kitson. This issue introduces my favorite male L.E.G.I.O.N. member, Garv. I love his big-heartedness and his earthy common sense; he's like Marvel's Thing without the self-pity. Being bulky and hairless, he's destined to get seriously involved with the similarly featured Strata, who's the luckiest girl in the galaxy to have him. Garv actually reminds me of an ex co-worker I had a crush on, but I never acted on the crush, because workplace relationships are risky.

Quote:
Dox: Stealth! I'd like a word...
Stealth: Okay, how about CREEP? I'm off duty. You want to talk to me, send for me on PAID time!

If you'd like a shorter abbreviation, everyone in KLORDNY for the last 15 years or more has been calling it "L dot".

Thank you for the information, but I'm perfectly happy calling it "L-20."

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 16 - "Monster, Monster!"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Strata, Lobo, Lady Quark, Lar Gand, Phase, Stealth

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearance of: Captain Comet

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter, Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Lar Gand of Daxam is officially made a L.E.G.I.O.N. member. As a welcome gift, Dox exposes him to lead, the one thing that can kill a Daxamite. This forces Lar Gand to depend on Dox's supplies of anti-lead serum; typical Dox, really.

Meanwhile: Garryn has gone completely nuts and now Marij'n is starting to be affected by the eye, too; Lyrissa is furious when she finds out that Dox is planning an assault on Dagon-Ra's headquarters without consulting her first; Dox requests to have full custody of his and Stealth's child once it's born - she refuses.

At Dagon-Ra's headquarters, we see that probational team member Lady Quark is also undercover there, and Lobo gets into a fight with Dagon-Ra's goons after one of them winds up Lobo by joking about killing space dolphins. Dagon-Ra has Lobo thrown into the dungeon, where there's already another prisoner: veteran space hero Captain Comet.*

Thoughts: This issue is the first one where the Eye-possessed Garryn starts talking in a weird speech pattern that's hard to describe, but funny to read. Some examples:

"Eye must seize my destiny as leader of L.E.G.I.O.N."

"Thus do eye send forth the I."

"I don't think the I likes that."

"I! I mean...eye! No...aye!"

Dagon-Ra is turning out to be a memorable villain, and Kitson comes up with imaginative designs for the colorful variety of aliens working under Dagon-Ra.


*Captain Comet was a last minute replacement for Adam Strange, due to editorial and scheduling problems. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I don't think Adam Strange would have been a good fit in this book.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 17 - "The Power of Positive Thinking"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Lobo, Lady Quark, Lar Gand, Strata, Garv, Telepath, Captain Comet, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Unaware that Lobo has failed to assassinate Dagon-Ra as planned, Vril Dox charges ahead with the attack on Dagon-Ra's headquarters. Meanwhile: Stargrave's unwilling pawn Lydea Darkstar boards a commercial flight to L.E.G.I.O.N.'s home base of Cairn; and an experiment to free Garryn from the Eye's control only makes the Eye even more attached to both him and Marij'n, who has lost hundreds of pounds overnight thanks to the Eye.

Although the attack on Dagon-Ra's headquarters goes disastrously at first, there is a brief hope, thanks to Lady Quark and to the secret betrayal of Dagon-Ra by one of his underlings, the gentle Telepath. But Dagon-Ra regains the upper hand after using his matter-altering powers to turn Lar Gand's blood into molten lead.

Thoughts: The attack on Dagon-Ra's fortress is breathtaking. Once again, Kitson shows he's a master at depicting both the sheer beauty of outer space and the widescreen spectacle of science-fiction battles. And also once again, Kindzierski puts in extra effort with his coloring to compensate for McKenna's bad inking. Grant does a great job with the morally ambiguous Lydea Darkstar's first full scene - when she boards the flight, a sleazy guy harasses her, so she responds by torturing him with her Darkforce powers until he backs off. Then she smiles quietly.

So last minute, in fact, that I believe Alanna and Sardath have a cameo in #14 or #15.

#16 was my first issue of L-20, due entirely to that appearance of Captain Comet in the last panel. I'd not warmed to the cast in their INVASION! appearance, so I'd skipped the monthly. That said, though, it was the overall quality of the book that kept me buying it.

Thanks, Outdoor Miner. I had completely forgotten to mention Alanna and Sardath. Even though this is a very good storyarc, it's one of the more difficult ones to keep track of all the details.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 18 - "From the Jaws of Victory..."

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Strata, Garv, Lobo, Lar Gand, Lady Quark, Captain Comet, Telepath, Phase

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark McKenna, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Confident in his victory, Dagon-Ra changes the lead in Lar Gand's veins back into blood, then changes the air around Dox's troops into sleeping gas, intending to make them all his slaves. He spares Dox so that his guards can bring Dox to him, the better to humiliate Dox. Telepath uses his powers to convince Dox to attack Dagon-Ra; Dox is nearly killed but for the last-minute intervention of Captain Comet, which provides Lady Quark and Lobo the chance they need to slaughter Dagon-Ra and his army. Lady Quark and Telepath join L.E.G.I.O.N., and all seems well until Lady Quark tells Dox that he reminds her of an alien she met on Earth - Brainiac. Realizing his father still lives, Dox immediately makes the team's next mission to find and kill Brainiac.

Thoughts: A thrilling conclusion and an exciting new beginning - the team has just had its first major victory, and is about to come full circle by taking on the man who twisted Dox into what he is - plus, unknown to the team, Lydea Darkstar is coming. Unfortunately, it would be just at this point that Barry Kitson took a six-month hiatus from the book in order to draw the "Wild Cards" limited series for Epic Comics. It is to Alan Grant's credit that, despite some very bad artwork in Kitson's absence (and one incredibly well-drawn issue which we'll get to soon,) the book not only stayed readable, but extremely readable.

I may not recall this correctly, but didn't Dagon-Ra die when a big ol' boulder fell on him mysteriously, in a bit which set up another subplot (which I won't mention here)?

That's right, but only because Lar Gand interrupted Lobo while he was killing Dagon-Ra (no wonder Lar Gand never fit in with this team.) Even if the boulder hadn't fallen, Dagon-Ra would still have been killed.

Slowly catching up.

The first two pages of #3 are chillingly reflective of current events.


#13-14: The Pulsar Stargrave storyline is the highlight for me being both well paced and again, chilling. I'm not quite clear why he feels the need to have compliance from the population?

The other two storylines really jump the shark IMO. The Eye's personification just never worked for me and seemed silly. The growing the crystal thing also seemed a stretch and risks poor science.

Dox' characterization continues to grow with his one panel interaction with the eye. Something else else's up. Well, something is always up with Dox.

LOL Excellent, Gary. The emoticons on this board are some of the coolest I've ever seen.

Since he once ruled a whole planet when he was the Computer Tyrants, he probably wants to rule Talok VIII the same way.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 Annual # 1 - "Childhood's End"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Lar Gand, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Strata, Phase, Stealth

Special Guest Star: Superman

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler - Jeff Albrecht, inker - John Workman, letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Following a misunderstanding on Earth between L.E.G.I.O.N. and Superman (in Adventures of Superman Annual #2*), the team has found out that due to Dox's neglect of Colu, the planet has been taken over by Dox's father, Braniac. They head to Colu on a mission to kill. Superman, unwilling to let Dox play judge, jury and executioner - even with one of his own worst enemies - follows the team to Colu. Brainiac is well prepared for the confrontation - he's got the Coluan army, a pack of monstrous Bio-Mutants, and his own considerable mind powers.

Thoughts: Alan Grant wrote one of his best L.E.G.I.O.N. scripts for this issue, and if it had been drawn by Barry Kitson or an artist of equal talent, it would have been a masterpiece. But even with the crude and sloppy art by Jim Fern, the story is still a good read and manages some incredibly powerful moments, especially between Dox and Brainiac, a villain whom Grant seems to understand better than any of the Superman writers. Perhaps the most powerful is when Brainiac offers Dox a chance to join him - Dox responds by declaring his hatred for Brainiac and spitting on him. And it's not all doom and gloom, there's also a hilarious scene where Brainiac mind-controls the rest of the L.E.G.I.O.N., and uses their grudges against Dox to turn them into a kangaroo court, sentencing Dox to death. Once again, Grant shows his talent for switching tones seamlessly.


*If you haven't read the AOS Annual, don't worry, there's no need to, because the L-20 Annual provides a good recap. Plus, Grant didn't write the AOS Annual, and the other writer badly mis-characterized the L-20 members.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 19 - "Bitter Victory"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Strata, Lobo, Lar Gand, Lady Quark, Telepath, Captain Comet, Phase, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler - John Nyberg, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Having been brainwashed by Stargrave into feeling a murderous hatred for her mother, Lydea Darkstar arrives on Cairn and stalks Lyrissa Mallor. Meanwhile: Captain Comet is recovering and all are grateful to him for saving them - except Dox, who's not even sure he wants him on the team; Marij'n begins talking in the same "I/eye" speech as Garryn, and acting even crazier than him; Lar Gand is discharged from L.E.G.I.O.N. by Dox; and Stealth has had just about enough of Dox.

Thoughts: The Lydea Darkstar subplot finally takes over the book, and the result is one of the most tragic and disturbing issues of L.E.G.I.O.N. Words cannot describe the horror of the final scene, where Lyrissa enters her room and Lydea ambushes her, except to say that Grant continues to outdo himself, and Kindzierski shows what a magic touch he truly has - in the last few issues, he had to compensate for bad inking, but this time, he has to carry the crudely drawn pages entirely on his own. Kindzierski deserves as much credit as Grant for making that last scene work as well as it does.

"Kindzierski shows what a magic touch he truly has - in the last few issues, he had to compensate for bad inking, but this time, he has to carry the crudely drawn pages entirely on his own. Kindzierski deserves as much credit as Grant for making that last scene work as well as it does."

I'm reminded of Tom McCraw's work on the regular LSH book. After the switch-over to computer-coloring (which took about 3 months of adjustment and faded-out pages before they figured out what they were doing) the next 2 years, I often thought McCraw's work was the ONLY GOOD thing about the book. At all!

Fern eck eck

This was a great issue anyhow. All the plot threads wove well, moved well, and gained my interest.

My favorite part of this issue occurs when Lyrissa is storming out of Dox' office (is there any other way to leave?) and makes the off-hand comment to Stealth and Lady Q "watch out he doesn't eat your baby." This of course sets Stealth off in a panel or two of paranoia wondering how anyone knew she was pregnant. One of the little touches that made the writing so fun.

The killing of Lyrissa IMO, was an exchange of a great character and capable foil for Dox for a non-descript back in the pack character. Lyrissa was a character that could have held her own in the DC Universe, perhaps with the occasional mini. The only good issue with the Lydia character that I recall was the Ancestors issue and the interest of that story had more to do with the characterization of Talak VIII and Lyrissa than a "coming out" of Lydia. Even the look of the two characters was a poor exchange.

On another note, the next year commenced a series of about four or five years of completely forgettable crossover Annuals by DC.

I think Lydea had potential which nobody bothered to fulfill.

Lyrissa was an amazing character, which is exactly why her tragic loss was so shocking and powerful. In the world of comics, I personally prefer that characters, no matter how great they are, be allowed to come to their natural end, and Lyrissa was one of the few who did. Not only that, but the chaos which the loss of her deputy leader skills threw the team into made for good drama.

I don't agree about the look of the two characters being a poor exchange. Both had equally bad hair. On the other had, if Lyrissa had survived, perhaps she would have eventually adopted a less severe look. But in the end, I still think it was best for things to happen exactly as they did.

And as bad as crossovers are, a handful of great stories came out of this upcoming one, including L.E.G.I.O.N. Annual # 2, which I'm looking forward to because it was the very first L-20 issue I ever read.

L.E.G.I.O.N. # 20 - "Girl Trouble"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Strata, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Captain Comet, Phase, Lydea Darkstar, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler - John Nyberg, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: The others arrive too late to stop Lydea. When Phase tries to stop a distraught Strata from killing Lydea, her powers cause an explosion which puts more than one member in sickbay. Lyrissa now lies in a coma and Lydea is Dox's prisoner. Telepath reluctantly follows Dox's orders to read Lydea's mind. Upon finding out that Lydea was sent from Talok VIII by Stargrave, Dox strategically sends the by now insane Garryn & Marij'n as cannon fodder, with Lady Quark following them as Dox's secret weapon. And Stealth, sick of Dox trying to chain her down with office work, says goodbye to Strata and Phase, steals a ship, and goes A.W.O.L.

Thoughts: As Fern gets even worse (there's one panel where Dox SMILES after finding out the truth about Lydea,) Grant gets even better. In the end, the book stays good, Kitson will be back soon, and that's what matters. There is a scene towards the end of this issue which begins a subplot about another planet seeking help against the Khunds which will eventually turn into what I consider the greatest L-20 story arc ever.

Countdown to Barry Kitson's return: 5 issues to go.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 21 - "Light and Shade"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Lyrissa Mallor, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Strata, Garv, Captain Comet, Phase, Lydea Darkstar, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler - Jeff Albrecht, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: As Lyrissa remains in a coma, the team members all pay their respects (except for Lobo who is grossly disrespectful, no surprise there.) The idiotic Garryn & Marij'n blunder their way to Talok VIII, and Stargrave promptly goes on the attack. Stealth randomly chooses a planet for her exile. Lyrissa quietly passes away.

Thoughts: Where other writers would have gone for melodrama and bathos, Grant's portrayal of Lyrissa's deathwatch is refreshingly understated, a dignified exit for the most dignified member of this team. Rest in peace, Lyrissa.

At the other extreme (and, as always, it's amazing how Grant pulls this off,) the scenes with Garryn & Marij'n, as goofy and over-the-top as they are, make me laugh. This is really the only time I can say anything positive about those two characters - once this story arc ends (next issue) and they cease to be comedy relief, their marital troubles and the subsequent love triangle with Captain Comet would be IMO the most annoying and boring L-20 subplot EVER!

Countdown to Barry Kitson's return: 4 issues to go.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 # 22 - "Starr-Doom"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Lobo, Lady Quark, Garv, Telepath, Captain Comet, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler - Jeff Albrecht, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Strata is burning to avenge Lyrissa. She threatens to kill Dox unless he tells her who is responsible. Before long, a group of L.E.G.I.O.N. members (Strata, Dox, Lobo, and Phase) is headed for Talok VIII. Good thing, too, because not only has Stargrave easily disposed of the Beks, he has also proven to be an equal match against Lady Quark. In the end, teamwork saves the day. Meanwhile, Stealth has settled into an idyllic wilderness to await the arrival of her baby.

Thoughts: Where the last few issues managed to transcend bad art thanks to the nuances of Grant's writing, a pure action issue like this one leaves little room for subtlety and depends more heavily on the art. This, along with a lazy way of writing out the Eye (after the battle, it simply dissapears) makes # 22 one of the Grant era's weaker issues.

On the other hand, the Eye was a bad idea to begin with (and let's not forget, it was Giffen's idea, not Grant's) so all I really care about is that it's gone. Plus, two of the longest-running subplots have finally been resolved, and a third one - the Durlan - will be resolved in the outstanding next issue, in which (thankfully) Fern only draws a few pages, and the art is mostly by a great talent named Richard Piers Rayner.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '90 may have ended a little flat, but L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 is about to get to a really good start.

Countdown to Barry Kitson's return: 3 issues to go.

The Durlan.

ANOTHER great character, gone.

The thing to me about the original core members, most of them could have been a JLA level player, in another comic universe. They had charisma. Bek probably couldn't pull it off, but I think most of the others could.

Yeah, most of the founding members were great. Especially Stealth (is anyone surprised I said that?)

On the other hand, one of the things I love about team books is that they allow characters who are either too abrasive or too lightweight on their own to become parts of an exciting whole.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 23 - " I, Durlan "

Main Cast: The Durlan, Vril Dox

Present-Day Cameos: Lady Quark, Strata, Phase, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Lobo, Garv, Captain Comet, Telepath

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Richard Piers Rayner, penciler (Past and Future sequences) - Jim Fern, penciler (Present sequences) - Kim De Mulder, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: After Lyrissa's funeral service, Dox stays behind to wallow in self-pity about many things, including The Durlan's dissapearance.

Flash-forward one thousand years - The Durlan is alive and well, writing in his journal. He recalls his pre-L.E.G.I.O.N. past, as the first Durlan to leave their home planet: he crash-landed on Colu and became a prisoner of the Computer Tyrants. Vril Dox Senior performed all sorts of sadistic tests on The Durlan until Vril Dox Junior snuck him out and kept him hidden in his room for years. After Dox Senior was executed by the Tyrants (not really, he actually became Brianiac,) they failed to break Dox Junior's will and so handed him over to The Alliance. Dox snuck out the Durlan by swallowing him in the form of a worm. They, along a few other prisoners, escaped The Alliance and formed L.E.G.I.O.N.

When a time-slip causes The Durlan to switch milleniums with Phase, he finds that anti-Durlan prejudice is just as bad as ever. So he takes human form and becomes a self-made billionare - none other than R.J. Brande, sponsor of the (preboot) Legion of Superheroes. He has created this new team in honor of Dox and L.E.G.I.O.N.

Back in the present day, Lady Quark sternly tells Dox to get back on his feet and keep the team going. Jolted out of his self-pity, that's exactly what he does. At his next speech, he unveils a banner in honor of Lyrissa and declares that the team's next mission is to crush the Khunds.

Thoughts: This is a near-perfect issue. The sequences drawn by Rayner are beautifully detailed and very well-written. The present-day sequences are also well-written, enough to transcend Fern's art (and even this isn't quite as bad as before.) I particularly like the scene near the end with Lady Quark - it's her first great L-20 moment. And Dox's announcement at the end sets up a four-parter beginning next issue, which is my personal favorite L.E.G.I.O.N. story arc.

Countdown to Barry Kitson's return: 2 issues to go.

"Near-perfect"

Yep

And what an AMAZING and seemless merge into LSH continuity. Off hand I can't remember which stories came first, this one or the ones in LSH, which set up the relationship between Cham and RJ? Either way, seemless.

Two of my favorites now gone. Lyrissa and the Durlan.

Really looking forward to the next arc because if there's a surity in Legion continuity, it's that you can't go wrong with a good Khund bashing.

Speaking of Khunds, they are the only non-human humanlike multi-racial race I can think of in the comics I've bought.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 24 - "The Empire: Strike Back!"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Jim Fern, penciler and co-inker - Jeff Albrecht, co-inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: The feudal planet Ogun lies in a space sector coveted by both the Khundian and Dominion Empires. With Lady Quark as field commander, L.E.G.I.O.N. succeeds in driving the Khunds out of Ogun. Meanwhile: Stealth's peaceful exile is about to be interrupted by a big, hungry animal, while on Cairn, Marij'n and Captain Comet object to Dox's methods of deprogramming Lydea. And after Telepath informs Dox that the Khunds are developing an ultimate weapon capable of destroying planets, Dox decides it's time for direct action.

Thoughts: This issue is the first chapter of a great story arc, and it's only the tip of the iceberg. The story arc (I'm still trying to find a title for it...maybe "Khund War,") is one of those times when everything just seems to be clicking. Even Fern's art is acceptable this time (and later that same year, he'd do a surprisingly good job on Batman Annual # 15, also written by Grant.) And even though I have mixed feelings about Lobo, this issue has what I think is his best L-20 scene: a Khund charges into the office of an Ogun politican. Seeing that the swivel chair has its back to him, he threatens, "Turn around or I swear I'll kill you." The chair spins, and Lobo's in it! Lobo yells "IZZATSO?" and makes short work of him. Brilliant.


COUNTDOWN TO BARRY KITSON'S RETURN: 1 ISSUE TO GO

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 25 - "Doomsday"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Lydea Darkstar, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler, inker, and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: A giant Khund space platform, under the command of the sadistic Devla, who rewards insubordination with death, houses their planet-destroying weapon, the Doomsday Device. The weapon has been created by the Khunds' prisoner, the dog-like Professor Rn'tnt'tn (Rin Tin Tin, get it?) The Prof has a bomb implanted inside him, which the Khunds can set off if he doesn't follow their orders.

On the newly free planet Ogun, L.E.G.I.O.N. field commander Lady Quark orders the team to move out to the Khund platform. Before they leave, Strata takes a call from Captain Comet and Marij'n on Cairn. They tell her about Dox's cruel deprogramming of Lydea, and she informs them that he may try the same form of mind control he has used on the Coluans.

Using a captured Khund vessel, the L.E.G.I.O.N. assault force sees their plan go astray when their Khund hostage manages to warn the platform. Everybody except LQ and Garryn heads to the escape pods, just before the ship is shot down.

The exiled Stealth wakes up from a nightmare in which her child mutates into Dox. She then fights off a giant beast using only her wits and a log on fire.

Dox is prevented by CC and Marij'n from wiping out Lydea's free will. CC threatens to stop Dox by force if he needs to.

And back at the Khund platform, as the pods land, the Khunds have detected them and assume battle stations.

Thoughts: Barry Kitson is back. Yay! And doing his own inks, so his art looks even better than before. Grant does a great job of keeping the action moving while not neglecting the character moments that make L-20 so special: Garv comforting Strata, who is still mourning Lyrissa (I've said it before, but Garv is such a sweetheart) and Stealth finding the strength to out-fight the beast by thinking of her baby and vowing that no harm will come to her baby.

Loving these reviews Stealth. You've already passed the point where I had never read, and I'm interested in these stories. You're enthusiasm may directly cause me to start rereading, especially the Durlan issue.

I've read the whole series through only once, a couple of years back now and the I only really remember how rough Ferns art was and the issue where Stealth gives birth - what a blistering issue that was!!

Thanks for taking the time to write up your reviews Stealth, they are great!

Thank you, Cobie and Harbinger.

Right now we're in the middle of what I consider the Golden Age of Grant's L-20, The Durlan issue through Annual # 2.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 26 - "Bangs and Whimpers"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Telepath, Lydea Darkstar

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler, inker, and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Lady Quark and Garryn (whose Eye-given powers now come and go) have survived, and blast the hell out of the Khund platform, allowing the rest of the team to land in their pods and attack.

Meanwhile, on Cairn, Dox outwardly refuses to listen to Captain Comet and Marij'n, but once they leave, he decides to give Lydea a chance at redemption and spares her the mind-control.

Back at the platform, Phase's powers allow her to break into a safe and steal the plans for the Doomsday Device. But the team appears cornered by the Khunds, until Lobo steals a Khund battleship and turns its weapon systems on the Khunds.

As they leave, there is an explosion that tears up what remains of the platform. It's the bomb that was inside Professor R'n'tnt'tn. Lobo has kept the Prof's head as a memento.

Thoughts: From the awesome cover by Daniel Brereton (the first of many he would paint for L-20,) to the sick joke of an ending, this issue is IMO without a single fault. It even has a cameo by The Durlan (albeit in Dox's flashback,) whose words of wisdom convince Dox to give Lydea a second chance.

just reached the first issue i'm still missing. Good review, nice to hear exactly what happened.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 27 - "Deals With the Devil"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Telepath, Lydea Darkstar (becomes Lydea Mallor,) Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler, inker, and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: With the Doomsday Device now under his control and guarded by the Ogen, Dox has both the Dominators and the Khunds exactly where he wants them, and the rest of the galaxy is dependent on him. Privately, he has a laugh, because the plans show that the Device would never have worked anyway. On Khundia, the Emperor now spends all his time fighting one-on-one battles with the millions of subjects who want to dethrone him.

Meanwhile: Garv finally helps Strata begin to come out of her depression; Lady Quark smacks Lobo for harassing her; Garryn and Marij'n have an argument and Captain Comet comforts her; Phase asks Telepath to read her mind, in the hopes that she will finally know who she is and where she came from - sadly, even his powers can't help; Lydea Darkstar becomes a probational member and takes on her mother's last name (Dox neglects to tell Lydea that she is her mother's killer.)

On Stealth's uncharted planet of exile, she goes into labor, and we begin to see just how different her unclassified alien biology truly is.

Thoughts: Re-reading this issue yesterday, I finally understood why Lydea never lived up to the potential she shows here. It's because, a few issues later, L-20 became overcrowded with new recruits and she was neglected from then on.

At that moment, I felt a twinge of sadness, realizing that the book went even more off-course that I remember, even though it eventually got good again just before I stopped reading it.

But for the moment, I can continue to celebrate the Golden Age of L-20. The next issue focuses on my favorite character, Stealth; we finally learn her origin in what is one of the weirdest (weird in a good way) stories ever published in a mainstream superhero comic.

Stealth, I loved (most of) the L.E.G.I.O.N series and have really enjoyed reading your reviews. (I could spend all day reading well-written comic reviews.... and often do!)

Im really looking forward to next issue if its the one Im thinking of. (though I loved the series, I always seem to have a hard time remembering the details of it)

"Hard Labor" was the best issue in the series, IMO.

Thank you, Kid Chaos. The next issue is the one you're thinking of, although "Hard Labor" was the cover subtitle, not the story title.

Since it's your favorite L-20 issue, I'll dedicate this review to you.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 28 - "Mommy's Boy"

Main Cast: Stealth

Cameo: Vril Dox

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Keith Giffen, penciler and co-plotter - George Pratt, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Stealth's labor involves a gruesome and painful metamorphosis which comes full circle with her returning to her normal form.

During her labor, her life flashes before her eyes: we learn she was born into an insular society which practiced a strict form of matriarchy, viewing men as nothing more than sources of sperm to be used and abused.

Stealth's sonic superpower made her a freak in the eyes of her people, and she spent years in forced isolation, being told she was worthless. When the Alliance needed one member of Stealth's race to hold prisoner, Stealth was the first and only choice. The L.E.G.I.O.N. members were her first true friends (some of them, at least.)

Back in the present, Stealth gives birth to a baby boy who looks exactly like a baby Dox.

Thoughts: Not being a Giffen fan, I'm always surprised at how much I like his one-off return to L-20. I'm sure the collaborative process had something to do with it. Grant must have curbed Giffen's tendencies for excess, while Pratt clearly made Giffen's art less confusing and more pleasing to the eye.

Since I rarely re-read the early L-20 issues, I had never noticed until now how perfectly this story complements # 7, helping explain her savage behavior in that issue.

It's wonderful to have a story focusing on my favorite L-20 character, and to have it add extra shades to her. Her terrible upbringing makes it easy to understand why Stealth always acts hard and sarcastic in public. And when she finally experiences a moment of pure joy at the end, it's cathartic. But the final image, of Dox slouched morosely over a balcony on Cairn, reminds us that cold reality is always around the corner.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 29 - "Traffic In, Traffic Out"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Captain Comet, Telepath

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler, inker, and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: While Lobo's raid on a smuggling ship proves disastrous, big changes are taking place on Cairn.

Phase gets a pleasant surprise when Dox promotes her to second-in-command. Her first day is a trial by fire, with a near-disaster in the docking bay. She proves herself more than up to the job.

Thoughts: This is great - last issue focused on Stealth, and this one focuses on Phase. She may not have the diplomatic skills or regal bearing of her late predecessor, Lyrissa Mallor, but it's competence and quick thinking which really count.

But when Lobo comes back even madder than usual from the unsuccessful raid, it's obvious that things are going to blow up soon between him and Phase. And they do...in issue # 30.

On a less positive note, this is the first issue with new paper stock and new coloring technology. These changes are not for the better. It's a strange thing about comics that, as the tools have become more sophisticated, the end product has often ended up looking worse than before (IMO.)

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91/'01 Annual # 2 - "2001!"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Telepath, Lydea Mallor, Stealth

Guest Star: Waverider

Credits: Alan Grant, writer - Mike McKone, penciler - Jan Harps, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Note: This is a stand-alone chapter in the "Armageddon 2001" crossover affecting all 1991 DC Annuals.

Plot: Waverider is a time-traveling superhero from the future who has traveled to 1991 in order to discover which superhero will, in ten years time, become a supervillain named Monarch, who will kill all the superheroes and conquer the universe. Waverider's powers allow him to visualize each superhero's future simply by touching them.

Arriving on Cairn, Waverider first touches Lobo, whose future looks exactly like his present. No surprise there.

But when Waverider tries to sneak up behind Dox, he finds, to his surprise, that after what happened to Lobo, Telepath has forewarned Dox about Waverider and Dox has set a trap.

Now helpless, Waverider explains why he is here. Curious, Dox allows Waverider to touch him.

What we see through Waverider's and Dox's eyes is horrifying: Dox is the ONE superhero who could become AN EVEN WORSE MENACE THAN MONARCH! Even more terrible, he becomes this way through the use of the imprisoned Waverider's time-traveling powers! In this possible future, Dox and Lady Quark merge together with the remains of Pulsar Stargrave to become a bio-mechanical mutant which kills every past and present member of L.E.G.I.O.N. and conquers not only time and space but cyberspace as well.

Back in the present, Dox admits he is tempted to allow this future to become reality, but in the end, he decides L.E.G.I.O.N. is not about control, but justice. Dox sets Waverider free and asks Phase to send a crew to dismantle the time time machinery Dox had been working on. Waverider goes off to continue his quest.

Thoughts: First of all, this was the very first L-20 story I ever read, so it has special meaning to me. But more importantly, it's a great story. Not only that, but it's a great story despite being part of a mega-crossover!

Then again, I think that "Armageddon 2001" came very close to giving mega-crossovers a good name. The first of the two issues bookending the Annuals was excellent, and I would imagine that the second issue would also have been excellent, if only DC hadn't been forced to re-write and re-draw it at the last moment after some idiot leaked the identity of Monarch (he was originally supposed to be Captain Atom, then he was changed to...ugh...Hawk from Hawk and Dove.) But in the end, what matters is that some excellent alternate-future stories came out of this crossover, not only in the L-20 Annual, but in a few others, too.*

Grant seems to have understood better than any other writer involved with this crossover how to make the most of the concept handed to him. This is IMO one of the best L-20 stories ever, crossover or not. Mike McKone's art is every bit as good as Kitson's - their styles even look similar (I wish McKone had drawn the L-20 vs. Brainiac story from Annual # 1.)


*The other keepers are: Adventures of Superman Annual # 3, by Louise Simonson and Bryan Hitch (a widowed Superman is seduced by Maxima,) - Batman Annual # 15, by Alan Grant and a surprisingly good Jim Fern (someone is picking off Batman's enemies one by one,) - and Flash Annual # 4 by Mark Waid and Craig Brasfield (a forcibly retired Wally West is menaced by many of his old rogues; this story seems to anticipate some of what Geoff Johns has done on Flash in recent years, and I've often wondered if Johns is a fan of this story.)

L.E.G.I.O.N. # 30 - "Welcome to the War"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lobo, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Telepath, Lydea Mallor, Stealth

First L.E.G.I.O.N. appearances of: Bertron Diib, Darius/AI-11, Amon Hakk, Zena Moonstruk, Ig'nea, Borb Borbb, Davroth Catto

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler, inker, and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Strata puts a large number of new recruits (which, for some reason, includes Lydea) through their paces, then has Telepath mind-scan them as a safety measure. The only one rejected for membership is Jiv Reduu, obviously an ancestor of Bouncing Boy, because Strata can't see any practical use for his power.

Meanwhile: Phase demotes Garryn to office work because his powers have become unrealiable, while Marij'n runs tests on Captain Comet to try and discover what's behind his recent headaches.

On another planet, Maximillian G'odd, one of the galaxy's biggest (in more than one sense) crime lords, executes the smuggler that Lobo failed to capture, then reveals to his underlings that he has placed a mole inside L.E.G.I.O.N. in order to destroy them from the inside.

Back on Cairn, Phase reprimands Lobo for failing to write a proper report of his last mission. Lobo starts a fight, but Phase is safe, because she simply becomes intangible when he attacks, then solid when she fights back. But Dox wants it to end immediately, so instead Lobo starts fighting him. This fight is interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice:

"Well, well, well, boys. Things haven't changed much around here, have they?"

Stealth is back.

Thoughts: *Sigh* The R.E.C.R.U.I.T.S.

It would be too harsh to say that this was the beginning of the end for L-20, because the book eventually got good again, but I do feel very strongly that the book went off course at this point.

L-20 became overcrowded with new characters, most of whom never truly came alive for me. I can't reveal the one character that did, because that would be spoiling who the mole is.

It also bothers me that Lydea was grouped together with the newbies. As a result, she became little more than a footnote where she could have been a lot more. This is also the point where she developed what I call her Coca-Cola hairstyle (as in, looking like she pours Coca-Cola into her hair to make it stand up straight.) What is it with Talokians and bad hair? Oh, for the days of Shadow Lass's long-and-natural look from the 70s.

This issue and the next one do still have some of the wild energy of L-20 at its best. It wouldn't be until # 32 that the book seemed to temporarily run out of gas.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 31 - "Where Dreams End"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lobo, Telepath, Stealth

Guest Star: Captain Marvel

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Note: This issue is a stand-alone chapter of the "War of the Gods" crossover affecting the entire DCU.

Plot: Stealth's return changes from joyous to sad after she finds out that Lyrissa was killed while she was gone.

Meanwhile, Lobo decides to use his free time to blow off some steam, and Telepath is ordered by Dox to keep Lobo out of trouble. Telepath has his work cut out for him when, due to the War of the Gods, Captain Marvel is accidentally teleported to the bar where Lobo's drinking.

Thoughts: What a strange irony that the last really fun issue for a while would be part of a mega-crossover. Grant and Kitson mercifully keep it simple, no five-page recaps or anything, just squeaky-clean Captain Marvel literally dropping by and scuzzy Lobo taking a dislike to him.

And the scenes of Stealth grieving for Lyrissa, with Strata and Phase by her side, are typically understated and moving.

The next couple of weeks should be interesting. Issues # 32-47 are the ones I re-read the least often. Hopefully, I'll discover qualities I overlooked before and they'll be better than I remember.

Stealth I really appreciate this. I only have a handful of issues and they are later on.

#30 was a biggy.
The next martyr
The first traitor within
The first vengeful reject

RE: ish 30:

I remember being pretty miffed over Lydea being a recruit as well, Stealth. I mean, she was heir to her mother's role as the champion of Talok VIII. She had it in her blood. And she needs to be trained like a rookie? hello?

I did like the recruits though, particularly the Khund. They *did* overcrowd the book a bit though.

And I *loved* the LSH homage in the form of the try-outs and "vengeful reject" syndrome. I really liked how the LSH-L.E.G.I.O.N connections were very subtle yet very thoughtful.

RE ish 31:

Don't remember much about this issue, except that it was fun.

I usually hate Lobo, but was always pleasently surprised by how well he was written in this series.

Great reviews as always, Stealth.

Perfectly stated, KC. Thank you.

I don't know if Lydea's still alive in the current DCU, but if she is, I hope that, with the resurgence of science-fantasy titles, she gets the second chance she deserves.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 32 - "The Seeds of Dissent"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Telepath, Captain Comet, Davroth Catto, Darius, Bertron Diib, Ig'nea, Zena Moonstruk, Amon Hakk, Borb Borbb, Lydea Mallor, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark Pennington, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: New member Davroth Catto records his observations in his journal: the recruits watching Captain Comet in action, followed by their first field assignment, taking down a band of bikers terrorizing senior citizens; Ig'nea's suprising romance with none other than Vril Dox; the increasing corruption and violence among outworld L.E.G.I.O.N. officers; an incident between Amon Hakk and Lydea Mallor, with Lobo and Phase arguing about the best approach to discipline; and the rampant paranoia now that rumors of a traitor in the ranks are spreading.

Meanwhile: Stealth refuses to tell Dox where their son is, and expresses outrage at the presence of Lydea in the team. And, even as his plan goes smoothly, Max G'odd hires the galaxy's deadliest hired killer, The Ice Man, to help destroy L.E.G.I.O.N. The Ice Man's plan: killing Lobo will speed up the domino effect.

Thoughts: The recruits' battle with the bikers is great*, and overall it's not a bad issue, BUT...

- It's way too obvious who the traitor is (but I'm still not telling.)

- The scene of Amon Hakk spying on Lydea Mallor is more typical of the "funny" version of Justice League than of L-20.

- Davroth Catto is too boring to be a point-of-view character (there's also the matter of his hair - I like long hair on men, just not when it's worn in twin ponytails.)


*Lydea has her best line in the entire series, as she turns her shadow power on a biker with "MAIM" branded into his forehead: "The only one getting maimed around here is YOU!"

L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 # 33 - "Fault Lines"

Main Cast: Vril Dox, Phase, Strata, Garv, Lady Quark, Lobo, Garryn Bek, Marij'n, Captain Comet, Telepath, Ig'nea, Lydea Mallor, Stealth

Credits: Alan Grant, writer and co-plotter - Barry Kitson, penciler and co-plotter - Mark Pennington, inker - Gaspar (Saladino,) letterer - Lovern Kindzierski, colorist

Plot: Lady Quark uses force to stop a sadistic renegade L.E.G.I.O.N. patrol, while on Cairn, Phase is fielding endless calls about similar incidents on other planets; Dox is too lovelorn about Ig'nea to care about anything else; Lobo finds one of his pet dolphins dead, and tracks the killer's scent to The Ice Man's lair; Lydea is devastated when, after Stealth snaps at her, she finds out that she herself was her mother's killer; the core members wonder if, since Telepath's scans of the recruits revealed nothing, perhaps one of them is the traitor? And, as his plans continue to succeed, Max G'odd gloats.

Thoughts: Some undeniably powerful moments here, especially the opening sequence with LQ, the panel of the dead dolphin's head (which I always have to shield my eyes from,) the scene between Stealth and Lydea, and the one right after it where Strata and Stealth argue (as much as I like Stealth, I'm with Strata on this - it was wrong of Stealth to treat Lydea that way.)

At the same time, there's a lack of urgency here, a sense of slackening. And a key scene later in the story, of Lydea confronting Dox for not telling her the truth, is clumsily written and goes nowhere.

I suppose that the decline in Grant's L-20 writing was probably due to the health problems which forced him to leave the book at the end of this story arc, so I don't think I should be too harsh.