Welcome to Archive Volume 35, covering LSH 0, Legionnaires 23 -25, alternating with LSH 67 - 69, LSH Annual #6, Showcase '95 #6, Legionnaires 26, LSH 70.
Links to previous Archive discussions comprise the first post of
Archive 33.
Archive Index
Legionnaires 23
"Flight"
Issue InformationSummary:
After Invisible Kid introduces the Legionnaires to their new mode of transportation -"the flight ring? -the girls take a night on the town. Andromedra tries to make friends and has a disturbing encounter with other racists. Apparition still has mommy issues.
Review:
Where to begin with this one? It is probably hands down the best issue so far, in terms of what the creators attempted to do and what they succeeded in doing. "Flight" is a classic "A Day in the Life of" type of story which gives us a great opportunity to know members of our large cast a little better. This single-issue tale paves the way for future story developments, yet it celebrates the central appeal of the Legion: the joy of having super-powers, being able to fly, and belonging to a team.
Although I focus more on the writing in these reviews, I couldn't help but notice the art. Jeffrey Moy (he's credited by his full name here) and W.C. Carani rock, as does Tom McCraw on colors. The art is sharp, crisp, and clear. This is the bright, shiny future the 30th century is supposed to be. It's not perfect (as Andromeda's encounter with those of "her kind" will demonstrate), but there is hope and joy - especially as expressed in the Legionnaires' faces when they realize that Lyle's rings enable them to fly. The bottom of Page 3 and the splash on Page 4 beautifully express this sense of liberation and wonder.
(And the settings aren't bad, either. Check out the lounge/rec room in Panel 1 of Page 3. Who wouldn't want to hang out there?)
The story rocks, as well. The Legionnaires are depicted as universal teens everywhere. There's the thrill of the being able to fly. Then Brainy's jealousy of Lyle begins as the latter gets the accolades for creating something from Brainy's lab failure. Then the girls want to go out and have fun, but the boys want to stay in and play with the V.R. (a futuristic video game, natch); Imra, significantly, also chooses the V.R. But the rest of the girls dress in civilian clothes and go to a new club.
Here we get to know the Legion lasses by watching them interact. Zoey keeps changing "Shy Vi's" clothes to hilarious effect. The girls tease each other over which Legion boys they like. Laurel is so out of place she wears her uniform to go out. And Tinya unexpectedly encounters her mother, who makes her go home and reminds us that these super-hero kids are, well, kids.
Of course, it wouldn't be much of a story if nothing "bad" happened, and something does: A trio of racists take out their hatred on a fish-like alien. Laurel pursues them and then lets them go.
There's so much in Laurel's expression at the bottom of Page 20: confusion, a reflection of herself, perhaps? If she condemns these attackers, she will have to condemn herself, and she is nowhere near ready to do that.
The other scene which stands out for me is one of Rokk and Imra nearly sharing a kiss while getting lost in their V.R. characters. This scene, like the one above, plays with our conceptions of what Legionnaires are supposed to do. Imra is supposed to be with Garth, not Rokk! But this is a new Legion, full of new possibilities.
Flaws? The transition from Page 8 to Page 9 is jarring, as we go from Laurel's nervous request to join the gang to Garth's dream. But that's the only one which jumps out at me.
Grade: 99.0 (A+)
A fine version of a "girls night out" story which continues to add depth to the characters, moves the story along on several fronts and has a few unexpected developments.
One element I really liked, rather perversely, is that the girls weren't let into the club. Fame only goes so far - and maybe their fame wasn't as widespread as they thought. Their reactions were just so realistic as they considered how to get in. I do have to wonder why a tall, statuesque blonde like Andromeda wasn't ushered into the club, even in her uniform.
Kinetix and Vi fit right in with the group; Andromeda goes along but is clearly out of place in her uniform and lack of conviviality. Her call back to Daxam was quite touching, she really sounded like a kid away from home for the first time. She's a political bargaining chip for Daxam; it struck me that Obin Der was not much concerned for her well-being but manipulating her with the threat of returning home to no powers. Andromeda's showing some real conflicted emotions here; she doesn't hesitate to stop an attack on a sentient she would consider inferior, but she lets the attackers go when she sees their White Triangle symbols.
Flight rings! Exciting! The kids sure caught on fast how to use them, nobody losing control or flying into a wall. This really puts Lyle on a level with Brainy, which the green kid clearly doesn't like. Jealous of the more popular and outgoing Lyle or intellectual remorse that he didn't think of this first? Brainy and Laurel have some things in common - feelings that they're superior to others combined (possibly) with a desire to be liked, wrapped up in social awkwardness.
Imra's choice to stay behind was unclear to me; possibly mixed motivations at work. Did she feel uncomfortable with the other girls, uncomfortable at a club or did she want to spend time with Rokk? Initially, I didn't even recognize her and Rokk; they looked older in the VR and I thought this might be some new group being introduced into the series.
We got a couple of "For Valor's sake" comments, from Obin Der and Triad, setting up that legend. There is also an indication that Triad had/has family problems.
Zoe takes Vi through a series of dress changes, including a couple of old Shrinking Violet costumes. Her final effort even seems to surprise her and the very revealing dress attracts the attention of the bouncer who is now willing to let Vi into the club. Zoe's surprise hints that she lost some control, went a bit far with the design, illustrating her tendency to overreach.
Garth's scenes were abrupt, as HWW pointed out, and I thought they were a waste of two pages retelling his origin story; that dream could have been condensed to a panel or two. As his face transforms into a lightning beast in his dream, is that supposed to mean he's becoming something he doesn't want to be? He boasts to Rokk about his high lifestyle, but he's a poorly treated employee of McCauley.
I've said this before, but I am pretty sure that this is either THE or ONE OF THE first ever Legion comics I ever purchased, so I love this issue a lot and it has a special place with me.
It also kind of established in firmament that a "day off" issue is something that should be universal in every comic title; it humanizes the characters as we get to see what they do on their time off, and the girls are all adorable (especially Ayla, Vi and Zoe, but that's just me
).
Jeff Moy's art is fantastic in this issue, as he draws the characters brilliantly, but also has his sci-fi easter eggs all over the place - the ESB asteriod sequence reference in the rec room, the Stargate theme of the nightclub.
Your callout of the Laurel/Obin discussion was spot on. Her characterization, not changing into casual clothes, and her agressiveness with the White Triangle folks was REALLY interesting to watch.
I took Imra's choice as a) not feeling like she fits in 100%, and b) she has a crush on Rokk, so its a 2-fer.
The Tinya/Winema scene had me laughing out loud, especially the girls' reaction to Tinya literally being dragged away. Triad's mention that their presence was Tinya's idea was perfect.
I loved Spark's Peter Pan outfit. The highlight of the story to me, due to the payoff at the end, is the fashion show with Zoe and Vi. I remember when reading this originally, that I wondered if Zoe's power was working with Violet mentally somehow, as she says "work with me" but given what we know of her character later, I just assume that means "be patient with me." Either way, the final costume for the punchline was an interesting choice to say the least.
I agree with everything said - great issue, fun outing, lots of little characterization moments, a bit of moving the overall plot along (Obin Der, Valor, Andromeda and the White Triangle, Winema, Cos/Imra/Garth love triangle, Zoe/Vi friendship...), excellent art.
Alas, Winema continues to remind me of my mom. I even showed her the panel, saying "mom it's you!" I was 12 at the time, and I didn't realize til later I'd hurt her feelings... I could relate very well to poor Tinya though! Strict and volatile parent, eek. And that whole "I'm old enough to go wherever I want!" bit.
Lyle continues to one-up Brainy as well, despite being less intelligent he's just more practical. The creators really took a liking to Lyle eh?
I do wonder how Zoe messed up so badly with Vi's latest outfit, the one that caused her to shrink down and hide. Also an interesting start to their friendship, with Vi clearly uncomfortable with Zoe's constant outfit-changing but not saying anything. (Also a nice power moment for Zoe, fixing the aquatic sentient's water globe). and Jenni freaking out over potentially crushing Vi!
Why am I not surprised that Tinya was the one who suggested going clubbing? and Zoe's "can't get a boy to dance" line, lol!
Oh, I totally forgot to mention Lyle and the flight ring! That was a standout to me as well, Lyle making big on Brainy's accidental invention (it makes sense that its Brainy, as Mon-El created it originally). It is interesting that Lyle gets a LOT of attention from the SWMP crew during the reboot.
I'll rely on Ibby for this, but I don't think Zoe tries to alter anything of Vi's again until Vi suggests a sleepover and Zoe changes her PJs into a teddy and she freaks out at Zoe about it (rightfully, but Zoe's choice raises MANY questions.
)
I think you're right, Zoe goes a bit hands-off re altering Vi until LSH 109, that sleepover incident. If I remember right, after L* 23, the next time we really see Vi and Zoe on-screen together is LSH Annual 6, Zoe's origin story where she also loses her powers. That was the first confirmation that they had become friends. We don't really see them again until Zoe leaves to find a way to repower, which I think was LSH 70.
Zoe does alter Vi's hospital gown in L* 52, but that's cause Vi is feverish and changing size uncontrollably. Zoe makes sure the gown grows/shrinks with Vi.
Right! Zoe does change Garth, Imra and Lyle into beachwear, but she keeps her word with Vi. Probably a good move. We all know an angry reboot Violet is pretty dangerous.
oh yeah, and that was in L* 77, towards the very end
Indeed. Zoe changes Jan's outfit a couple of times there too, and she changed Candi and Sensor as well!
You'd think the Athramites would file a complaint against her for unlicensed fashion design.
Interesting idea that Zoe's power was possibly working mentally with Vi, connecting with Vi's subconscious.
Great Mom story, Ibby - although you could have come up with a quick save by saying "Tinya's mom is pretty and fashionable - just like you". I wondered if Winema was going to the club herself, she looked quite dressed up. She might have gotten in just based on her political rank. Or is she continuously spying on Tinya?
Brilliant save, FC! I should totally have used that on my mom!
I believe Winema was indeed at the club, I remember Tinya saying "but what about YOU going to this club?" Winema goes "I'm old enough to go where I want!"
Agree - Winema was absolutely out clubbing. :-)
Fun issue. Very enjoyable how everyone is portrayed.
I didn't get the bit with Andromeda and the thugs at first reading. I wondered if they were hypnotising her with their medallions or something, but I guess it's still early in the year long mystery here. If I remember right it's the future attack on Triad that really starts to advance things.
I have read over this whole first year sequence a number of times and it is pretty obvious that the team had the whole story largely plotted out before they ever began. It's good work and it hangs together well.
great points, stile. I read this issue out of order, so by then I knew what the White Triangle meant. But you're right, in correct order it's a big mystery.
Also really cool how well the team plotted - I think as early as Andy's intro in LSH 66, and perhaps earlier, they already knew where they'd go with the whole White Triangle bit! I found it very impressive.
Yes, I want to say that I've read somewhere - and it may be back as far as the AOL chats - that they had planned pretty much all the issues through Mark Waid's involvement, which I think ended just after the White Triangle story resolved in L* Annual 2.
The White Triangle as a hypnotic device, great idea! It might well have occurred to readers; it's not that far removed from Universo's medallion.
No interference from crossover events and Superman office must have helped with the success of the long-term plotting. This series really does flow like a well thought out serial.
I'll see if I can find anything relating to that if I have any time (ha!), but I'm pretty sure the whole thing came out of the legendary planning session where they decided to completely reset the Legion after Zero Hour that included Waid, McCraw, Carlson and maybe others.
They plotted out, then farmed out the scripting for, that first year of books that focused on the intro of the characters and the rise of the White Triangle. They also had to have begun the initial arc plotting for the Emerald Eye story, as they de-powered Kinetix and had her go on a quest almost as soon as she was introduced, which I thought was a bold choice, but then again, they were originally planning for her to have the Emerald Eye from the jump.
Yeah, Zoe wasn't around for long initially eh? Introduced LSH 66, depowered LSH Annual 6 / Legionnaires 26, left to search for power LSH 70. she only went on 2 actual missions: vs. Tangleweb and vs. Composite Durlan.
I guess they thought better to send her off before White Triangle climax, to get one plot thread going and tighten focus after
i also wonder if her return was delayed due to changing horses mid-stream re making Vi the Empress instead. Zoe only returned in Legionnaires 36/LSH 80, they could have had her a bit earlier. though perhaps they also wanted to keep the Legion small, so the reunion in L*36/LSH 80 would have more impact with a bigger cavalry (besides Zoe, we see Garth, Jenni, Jan, Jo, Lar and Laurel all coming back!)
Good question on the delay; I doubt anyone remembers the specifics to that detail anymore, but it would be wonderful to find out.
They had to have made the shift in strategy pre-Chu/FF storyline, as Vi goes into confidence mode just before, then becomes leader after. So the big question would be how much change they made to that overall plan from the story, as I think the point of divergence for the overall story would have been when Vi was elected leader. Before that, though, they could have easily made the changes without too much modification to the Chu story.
Interesting regardless. I find it fascinating the level of care they took up through Emerald Vi. They obviously kept the planning up through LSH 100, even if the stories weren't as great (although I really liked the Mordru story). That was all KC Carlson.
When McAvennie took over it was like he wasn't even trying to keep anything cohesive together.
yeah, the planning was definitely better up to LSH 100! that was real long term planning.
hmm well, LSH 74 to L* 31 had the Emerald Eye easter egg in the Scavenger lair, but Vi was saved from choking gas by the Philosopher's Stone then. Though in her L*40 flashback she attributes being saved (and getting newfound confidence) to the Emerald Eye. I'd say that was the big divergence point, if only because they had to slip in a plausible situation for Vi to encounter the Eye.
I find it fascinating the level of care they took up through Emerald Vi. They obviously kept the planning up through LSH 100, even if the stories weren't as great (although I really liked the Mordru story).
I love the Mordru story, too.
yeah, the planning was definitely better up to LSH 100! that was real long term planning.
hmm well, LSH 74 to L* 31 had the Emerald Eye easter egg in the Scavenger lair, but Vi was saved from choking gas by the Philosopher's Stone then. Though in her L*40 flashback she attributes being saved (and getting newfound confidence) to the Emerald Eye. I'd say that was the big divergence point, if only because they had to slip in a plausible situation for Vi to encounter the Eye.
Oh! I meant major divergence from a writing perspective, since they write in advance of the pencilers starting. Its easy enough to draw in an eye in the background of a panel.
I may go on to the Google groups and see if I can find something as to the timing...
ah good point, good point!
I seem to remember Vi adopting her more revealing costume in.... Legionnaires 34. so perhaps...?
I find it fascinating the level of care they took up through Emerald Vi. They obviously kept the planning up through LSH 100, even if the stories weren't as great (although I really liked the Mordru story).
I love the Mordru story, too.
I adored it as well. very well-written, and everyone got something to do - even the non Legionnaires like Mysa, Dragonmage, RJ Brande. Admiral Everett is one of my fave supporting characters ever, too
The earliest evidence of people suspecting Kinetix being the next empress was as early as August 1995, around the time Legionnares 30 came out, and the reference seems to indicate that the speculation had been rampant well before that. If memory serves, it really heated up when she lost her powers in the annual a few months before.
A lot of folks started to see all kinds of things, like her symbol (the sun and crescent moon) as an eye in half profile and stuff like that, which the creative team started to use to really mess with everyone (witness the cover with Zoe reaching for the eye?)
There was also her lust for power of course, and her green power signature
Yep, that too. But folks were even like "Look she has green eyes!!"
But I have to admit, even though I was on the periphery of this, it was cool watching the infancy of online fandom interacting with the creators in near real-time. It was all very positive as I remember it.
Legion of Super-Heroes 67
"Insect Fear"
Issue InformationSummary
The Legion's first official mission comes back to haunt them as they follow up on a lead on Tangleweb. Cosmic Boy makes the tactical decision to split the team, leading to a few ruffled feathers. He brings Leviathan, Andromeda, Apparition, Chameleon, Kinetix and Spark (whom Leviathan calls power players). Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Saturn Girl, Triad, Shrinking Violet and XS (whose super-speed Cos says isn't much use on a spaceship), are asked to stay behind.
Can the away team including an emotional, guilt-stricken Leviathan and a xenophobic Andromeda save the day? The Legionnaires encounter Tangleweb pillaging a ship. Spark refuses a direct order to back down and gets captured; Tangleweb also takes Cosmic Boy before being driven away.
Meanwhile, Invisible Kid and Triad react to being left behind in different ways. Invisible Kid borrows a government ship to follow. And for Triad at least, her reaction puts her in danger, as she gets beaten by some White Triangle goons!
Thoughts
Minor quibble, but the story title is probably the worst one so far. It seems more apt for a horror movie than for a Legion comic, though it could also refer to Andromeda's disgust towards the spider-creatures.
The story opens with Tangleweb attacking a ship, and we learn that it actually eats the brains of its prey in order to get knowledge and power. Huh, interesting.
Leviathan is still feeling guilt for Kid Quantum's death, which makes him even more hot-headed and temperamental than usual. He handles the meeting poorly by insulting Saturn Girl, insensitively telling the ones left behind not to take the decision personally when they are obviously feeling inadequate (much like he himself does over James' death!), and deals with his guilty feelings poorly.
Zoe is actually the one who calms him down; she adroitly helps defuse the tension by asking about Tangleweb (notice that she speaks up instead of Laurel or Ayla!). You can also see her smiling happily at him and touching his arm to console him. Maybe she can be the Beauty to his Beast?
Cosmic Boy does a better job, calmly but firmly explaining his tactical reasoning in selecting the team. His reasoning is such that even Lyle and Lu can understand, though not like, his decision. "This isn't about who's better or stronger", he says - though he leaves out telepathic Imra, super-fast Jenni and microscopic Vi; the former CAN telepathically detect Tangleweb (despite what Leviathan says) and the latter two can easily evade his attacks. He brings Tinya, possibly because her powers allow her to keep out of harm's way; why not bring the latter two?
Lyle won't take no for an answer, and even borrows a ship so he can follow the team. Why? He mentions in one panel, "You don't understand, you're going to need me." In another he says, "but they can't do without me." But he doesn't reveal why he thinks that; his invisibility and brains are useful but neither proved to be an invaluable asset against Tangleweb. Does he just really feel so confident in his abilities? As he takes off he says, "it's not like I'm going to survive this anyway." So was all that "you'll need me" just false bravado? Is he going more because he wants to prove to himself that he can stand alongside his more powerful teammates?
"Time to repent your sins, pusbag. You're busted!" Oh Tinya, you go girl.
I also like that ships are now equipped with a device that can track Tangleweb. That shows quite a lot of foresight!
The Legion's fight against Tangleweb is terribly one-sided. Despite there being seven Legionnaires, they're taken apart like amateurs! Ayla gets in too close even though Cos warns her back, and if she hadn't been an established character she could possibly have been killed like James was! Andromeda needs to be told to use her non-contact powers; Zoe's powers can't hold her cage together (!) and Cham and Tinya do absolutely nothing during the fight. Gim also makes himself a bigger target - exactly what Cos told him NOT to do during their first fight against Tangleweb!
We can see that Andromeda is genuinely concerned for her teammates - she calls out Spark's name.
Gim, at least, manages to pull the remaining Legionnaires together in Cos' absence. With a little encouragement from Zoe, he prioritizes AND comes up with the good idea to have Andromeda provide propulsion, plus he knows the first priority is to get Cos and Ayla back safe. He's also sharp enough to notice that Tangleweb is smarter.
The five remaining Legionnaires catch up to Tangleweb on a planet full of spider-like creatures too. Uhoh. Thank goodness they have their flight rings.
Finally, we head back to Earth to see Triad again. Her mixed reactions are interesting to say the least; she argues with her selves as if each is a different person. She's also ashamed to let the rest see what she's like, which explains why she walked out. Once she calms down we see her act rationally. Sadly, her splitting up of her selves gets her in trouble as Neutral is cornered by a bunch of thugs; at three against one the odds are bad to say the least. The issue ends with Orange and Purple feeling Neutral's pain, and Neutral left for dead.
Whew. The writers sure know how to up the stakes. We have the entire away team AND Triad in deathly peril by the end of the issue.
Invisible Kid seems to be the writers' darling here; he's set up to be the big hero (or a sad casualty?) by the next issue. I have to say he's one of my least favorite Legionnaires here. And though Leviathan does show some good leadership, I don't like his poor handling of his emotions either. On the other hand, both boys ARE written very realistically (especially considering their ages - they'd both be around 16 I think).
This is a pretty good issue as the action flows along really well and we still get quite a lot of good character moments. Most of the Legionnaires on the away team (except Chameleon) get to do something, and even many of the ones left behind do too.
We also see that the team is in need of serious work. Though they do work together alright, they're not as tight as they could be - the fight against Tangleweb, and the disastrous meeting, show that they still have a lot to work on.
Chris Renaudi's guest pencils are OK; he gives the Legionnaires very expressive faces which are appropriate for each scene (except for the middle panel on page 20 where Leviathan looks like he's about to faint, and the one on page 21 where he looks constipated).
This issue didn't exactly inspire me to get going with this week's entry, primarily due to the villain.
Tangleweb is a different type of villain for a Legion story. Inspired by Tolkien's Shelob or human's discomfort around spiders and other creepy crawlies? Somehow, I find him hard to take seriously with his Satyr bottom half, mechanical parts; never liked these composite characters. In his first appearance, Tangleweb was partly hidden in the dark, we just saw one mechanical arm and his upper half, so he looked like a spider. Adrian Tchaikovsky wrote a novel, Children of Time, based on the development of a sentient spider civilization and its first contact with humans. Tangleweb, on the other hand, seems all too human in his behaviour and motivations. Except for the brain eating bit....
Apart from the big creepy, the character developments save the issue for me.
Rokk continues to be an effective leader, recognizing the importance of splitting the group into mission teams. He holds his ground despite grumpy opposition. Lyle, Triad and Gim are angry. Lyle takes matters into his own hands, defying Rokk, then going behind his back to follow the team on his own. It's not clear if it's ego or undisclosed information that makes Lyle so certain that he'll be needed on the mission. Triad shows she has trouble controlling one common emotion after she storms out of the meeting; Neutral stalks from the other two, fed up with their bickering.
Confronting Tangleweb, Andromeda really lets the team down. She might have taken him out with one blow, but she won't even touch the creature. It takes Gim, acting as leader once Rokk is captured, to direct her to use her heat vision and add speed to their ship as they track Tangleweb. Gim takes charge in Rokk's absence, but only after Zoe encouraged him.
The spiders surrounding the Legionnaires at the end lead into the next issue but they're not the cliffhanger: there's a much more effective ending with Triad Neutral assaulted by White Triangle thugs, possibly left for dead.
I think I'll hold my overall thoughts until after LSH 68, the second part of the Tangleweb story.
I will say that Gim continues to be an underwhelming leader. He was incredibly undiplomatic, making fun of Imra, shouting at Lyle and Lu and others for not agreeing with Cos' tactical decision to split the team. (also a nice character bit there, with Jenni pleading her case with Rokk instead of yelling!) I wouldn't follow Gim. I do appreciate the writers coming up with someone unsuited to be a leader though - it's more realistic!
My take on this is that no one comported themselves very well from the inter team department.
Gim kept moping, Rokk and Lyle kept clashing, Lu storms out in a huff. Gim acts like a jerk. Not a great team look - and perhaps that?s the point - the team has grown very quickly and the team dynamic is very different. Rokk not listening to Lyle as to WHY he and the less powerful Legionnaires may be needed as was Lyles failure to articulate that quickly.
Interesting seeing Brainy and Andy giving each other side glances at the Legion HQ splash page. Also a fawning Kinetix and a moping Vi.
The Tangleweb Jr. fight was interesting, as the team is easily overpowered partiallly due to a reluctant Andromeda. But when they get going, it was interesting to see the cruiser flight augmented by a Daxamite - the first time this happens in this universe, if I am not mistaken!
Great double cliffhanger ending one for the next LSH, the net for Legionnaires!
yeah, Zoe fawning over Gim. And Zoe was the one who broke the tension re Gim yelling at Imra over Kid Quantum's death.
indeed, most of them came off looking bad - though I agree, it was realistic (and perhaps the point). Cos even references their rapid growth, I believe.
Lyle's "but you need me" bit is interesting. And this issue shows that Lyle was becoming a fast fave of the writers - he already saved the day in Planet Hell, now he's poised to save the day vs. Tangleweb again too. Oh, AND he invented the flight rings. Is there anything Lyle can't do? (I'll stop there, as I know what's coming next - but for someone reading along and in order, I can imagine some readers being like "Lyle again?"
Legionnaires 24
Me, Myself and I
Issue informationSummary:
The Legionnaires on Earth really to help save Triad, though they may not be able to do so without delving into her past and her experience of having 3 different personalities. it turns out that Triad is extremely unique among Carggites.
They also try to track down the thugs who beat Triad up, and learn that there might be a connection both to the Planet Hell case and the attack on the nightclub the Legionnaire girls tried to visit.
Thoughts:
Right off the bat this issue contradicts the last. The textbox tells us, "When Cosmic Boy took the unprecedented step of excluding the LEAST POWERFUL Legionnaires from a mission...". This despite Cos saying it's NOT about powers or who is best, but about who is needed (though of course, Leviathan himself had already contradicted Cos last issue). Not hard to see why many of the Legionnaires left behind were upset.
These "weaker" Legionnaires are certainly NOT comparatively useless: XS, Violet and Saturn Girl display good teamwork and use each of their powers to track an abandoned hideout of the racist thugs, while Brainiac 5 works to save Triad.
The abandoned hideout is disturbing for 2 reasons: the first, that a level of racism and hate such as that still exists in the 30th century; and two, Violet remembered the thugs Andromeda went after - and didn't bring back - also wore the same symbol: a White Triangle. Oooh. Violet's still too shy to tell her teammates though.
The Carggites won't help and Earth's hospitals don't know much about Carggite physiology. Brainy's experiences tell him that Triad's not like the other Carggites, which may be the key. And we delve into a very sad story...
Triad was born with each of her 3 selves experiencing different emotions, unlike the typical Carggite. An unaccepting Carrgite society persecuted her for it. It was so bad that her father left and her mother committed suicide - but a guardian angel came in the form of her grandmother.
Interestingly, Luornu's mom's name is Iruna Durgo. So she took her mom's surname. I'm guessing that Granny Murlu is her maternal grandmother and that Lu's dad blamed her mom's genes for the differences.
It's ironic that Granny Murlu encouraged Lu's differences but didn't exhibit her own to Lu until she died. I'm not surprised that she didn't; her deathbed comments make it seem like she was forcibly taught to not display her differences. And one of her comments is spot on: "You come on! It's easy to preach, but living on this world with these feelings..." It's hard to be yourself when almost the entire world tells you it's wrong. What's surprising is that she didn't share her own differences with Lu, while encouraging Lu to embrace her own. Perhaps she didn't want to display her individual personalities as it would be hard for her not to dredge up the painful memories of her own past?
Triad's differences - and Purple's reckless side - are displayed again when they make their first attempt at reintegration. Sometimes these differences can be a good thing, sometimes they are bad. It's odd that Granny Murlu says they're good for a Carggite's mental health, but we've seen Lu's 3 personalities give her a lot of trouble!
Reboot, Omni, razsolo and I had a really good discussion about they nature of the differences. Our consensus is that the majority of Carggites are born fully identical; for the minority with differences, the degree of difference can vary per individual with some successfully suppressing any outward display and others not being able to do the same.
Triad manages to escape the mental hospital she was put in, and lucky the ship she tries to break into was owned by one RJ Brande!
Saturn Girl has a moment of doubt on Brande's reaction to Triad's differences, but she tests her suspicions and thankfully they are unfounded.
One bright spot in the barbaric way these hospitals are run? It looks like you're only sent there if you're a ward of the state, or perhaps if your parents send you there voluntarily. Lu was able to stay out of them while she was under her Granny's care.
Cue the 2nd attempt at reintegration. Triad Purple and Orange overcome their differences by merging; their personalities are so far apart that it's the only way. Even with their merger, they hesitate briefly upon seeing Neutral's agony. But it works, Triad is safe, and their differing personalities may actually have contributed to their survival this time.
The story ends with Brande vowing to find the thugs responsible, and Violet worrying about Andromeda's possible complicity.
The story is a good allegory for homosexuality. Being born with it; some people thinking it can be "cured" and suppressed; it's something that you can't always tell about a person just by their exhibited behaviors or appearance. The intent is good and so is the execution - the messages aren't hammered into our heads, but rather they unfold through the touching story of someone we have grown to care about (and the parallels aren't too obvious either - I certainly didn't pick up on it when I first read this issue at about 15 years old).
There are 2 inkers for this issue, Tom Simmons and W.C. Carani. You can tell which inked which page; the Simmons pages seem a bit more rough and the characters' eyes are a bit off. The art is serviceable though and the action is very easy to follow.
This is a good issue and it fulfilled its purpose - it made me care more for a character, it moved the overall plot along, and it left me with a good message.
It's a bit of a joke that, in comics, everyone from a given planet looks the same; it saves the artist time. For a change, Cargg is a planet on which each triad has to display one common personality (and probably look the same as well). For some reason, Luronu is different. She's not alone (unlike Mekt Ranzz who has usually been the only known Winathian single) but, once her grandmother dies, she's shunted off to a psychiatric hospital/orphanage where they try to cure her. There's some tolerance for the "problem" of individuality, as long as you're kept from Carggite society; you're not put to death or exiled off-planet but you're certainly a pariah.
If it weren't for Lu's grandmother, you have to figure she'd be pretty messed up. Nevertheless, part of her still feels the shame inflicted on her as she tried to keep her history, as well as her different personalities, hidden from her teammates. It is a sad story, as IB wrote, and it's easy to see the similarities with a variety of human conditions in our time which some authorities consider aberrant and try to eradicate or, at least, keep under control. That they labelled her as a dangerous criminal once she escaped speaks to their fear of the other.
I also had to wonder why the grandmother kept her own personality individuality a secret from Luornu until she was dying. Perhaps the taboo was just that strong and ingrained. Luronu must have made some progress in accepting herself when RJ supported her - and you figure the reaction of the Legionnaires would be a big "so what" (which was Brainy's reaction), but social conditioning is powerful.
Now she faces another challenge to her existence, not to her psyche but to her very life. She really doesn't have much choice whether or not to merge with her dying self; she'll die if she doesn't. I liked how Purple acknowledged that she needed Orange. Luronu's tough and she's a survivor but she still has to come to terms with and accept her true self (selves).
I did get a kick out of the picture of Valor on both Irina Durgo's gravestone and over Grandma Murlo's bed, setting him up as a figure of religious worship.
Imra shows a surprising display of emotion, hugging R.J. when she realizes he stood up for Luornu.
Downsides of this issue: my biggest beef with the reboot is how very 20th century it looks. The hospitals could easily be from our time - and not even from the advanced ICUs of our time. The doctor has no knowledge of Carggite physiology; either the Carggites don't travel off-planet or this hospital is sub-par. You'd think there would be medical manuals for treating citizens of all U.P. planets - or at least the ability to call a Carggite doctor for a consultation. It's a minor distraction from the story; at least Brainy looks like he's got some advanced gizmos as well as an understanding of the treatment required. Deus ex Colu.
This is the first issue in the series that doesn't end with a big cliffhanger. Triad has survived - almost an afterthought to Brainiac 5, but a relief to the others. The story ends with a mystery; Violet knows something about Andromeda vis-a-vis the White Triangle, but she's being cautious. There's no heart-stopping action moment; just a lead into the next chapter and some uncertainty of where Andromeda's loyalties lie.
You raise a very good point, FC, on why Lu's granny kept her own differences hidden - while encouraging Lu to display hers. I always thought it was because of her own conditioning, it just became habit for her...
A later issue (Legionnaires 77 I believe) would also comment that Triad's differences are "among the strongest of any Carggite". Which led me to believe that there are degrees of differences. Maybe some are more overt (i.e. Triad - if she's triplicated, you will definitely know who you're talking to!), and some, like Lu's granny, are more subtle. which could have made it easier for Granny to keep hers hidden.
I also very much liked how Purple basically accepted that Orange is strong on her own right - just not the part equipped for this particular situation. it lends an air of: each triplet is a crucial partof the whole, and each will excel in diff. situations
yeah, I did wonder about why nobody knew how to treat Carggites. Even having to call Cargg for help, and Cargg refusing to...
overall I really liked this issue, for the in-depth exploration of Triad. I'm pretty sure this issue was responsible for Triad's strong popularity through the Reboot era.
I think this was possibly one of the best depiction of Triad in any 'boot. It definitely is way way better than the horror story origins that Threeboot gave her. Here, we have a comic-book explanation of why Carggites tripiclate, why the different personalities are important, and considered abhorrent to the powers that be on Cargg. Not only was Triad developed in this issue, but we also learn about her background and a large part of her world.
I did find it weird that nobody wanted to help heal her, not even the physicians on Cargg. And don't they have medical texts for these things in the future? I would have thought that anatomy and physiology of all the UP species would at least be on file somewhere...
I know I read this issue multiple times when I got it, and although I was disappointed that we didn't get any resolution for the Tangleweb story (that would have to wait another 2 weeks), we did at least get a complete story here that was not rushed nor drawn out. Indeed, looking back and comparing it with Bendis' work on his Legion, the pacing was good for this story, and for making us want more in two weeks time for the update to the team on the away mission.
I agree with all the above comments, and from a story perspective, I enjoyed how they used this story to show how they could effectively run parallel storylines across the books. Its yet another outstanding example of how this creative team planned out the story while including character development and worldbuilding.
Looking back to today, Vi's role in this is interesting as she's eager to be a contributor to the team ("Try and keep me out") but also apprehensive to raise a concern that could be confrontational within her new team. I see this with introverts a lot, so its a good fit.
The moment when purple tries to re-integrate on her own freaked me out a bit, so that was well done. But the whole focus on Luornu and her story was so great; a lot of us have a moment in our lives where we don't feel that we fit in for whatever reason, so this story made Luornu very relatable. Nice redirect at the end where you are made to think that she may be dead, but Brainy walks by with an attitude of "yeah she's fine" at the end.
Legion of Super-Heroes 68
"Sticky Situation"
Issue informationSummary:
The away team gets captured by members of Tangleweb's species, and learns that they're not hostile. Chameleon is able to communicate with the spider-creatures, and uses his shapeshifting to tell the other Legionnaires their story. Tangleweb is a terrorist on their world, and became intelligent by eating brains.
Invisible Kid catches up to the Legion and (in a major part due to luck) manages to save Cosmic Boy and Spark. Andromeda (with some tough love from Leviathan) overcomes her xenophobia enough to find a way to save the day.
Thoughts:
The issue satisfactorily resolves an "open" story arc that began way back in LSH 62, and gives many of our Legionnaires some good development.
The away team of Leviathan, Kinetix, Apparition, Andromeda and Chameleon are outnumbered 5 to 1 by members of Tangleweb's species. The odds are so staggering that Leviathan appears stunned at first; it's Apparition who asks Andromeda for a quick scan of the situation. Leviathan decides to take the offensive, which is pretty disastrous; Andromeda is the only one who has a chance to win. Despite using only her long-range heat vision, a Spider-person tears her transuit and she collapses. The other four Legionnaires get taken down quickly.
The team's definitely still getting used to working together. Kinetix gets a face full of gunk when Apparition phases right in front of her; and I don't see any of them use their flight rings to give themselves an advantage.
Back on Earth, Triad is conscious but weak. Imra scans her memories and is horrified by what she sees. She also still disapproves of Cos' decision to split the team, though frankly Triad would still have been in danger if she'd gone after Tangleweb too. I give Imra a pass here though, as Triad's beating was definitely traumatic to "see".
Leviathan's team is still alive. Andromeda realizes she merely overreacted; we realize that her attitude isn't just derision and contempt for "inferior" races but also fear and disgust for the stranger ones - particularly non-humanoids. (Now I wish she and Gates had been on the team at the same time; Gates' retorts would have been hilarious). You can't really blame her for her fear, as she'd never left Daxam before being drafted. Likely she was raised that way.
The Legionnaires use their brains, with most of them staying behind in safety while sending a phased Tinya finds Cham.
Next we enter Invisible Kid, displaying little of the cockiness and arrogance he did in previous issues. He mentally admits that he's terrified, he falls into a trap, and he has to constantly reassure himself. It makes me wonder more than ever why exactly he followed the team? Was it to prove something to them - or to himself? Seems to be more of the latter, frankly. I get that the writers wanted him there because he was the only one (besides Imra) who could translate Cham's speech, but getting him there was clumsy. And so was the addition of a captive Science Police officer who did absolutely nothing except provide a blaster for Lyle to use. Convenient, and nothing more.
"Shame Imra or Lyle aren't around to translate... but I guess they're too weak to come along on this mission huh?" Good girl, Tinya. At the same time, a sign that even the "power player" Legionnaires - as Gim put it - don't approve of dividing the team like that. Cham brilliantly uses his shapeshifting to communicate to the others, and Zoe, Tinya and Gim not only do a good job interpreting it but also defend him when Andromeda raises her doubts. Good show.
Cos and Ayla do a good job combining their powers to take out Tangleweb. Cham's strong friendship with Lyle is demonstrated with their reunion, and we learn another crucial piece of info - not only does Tangleweb use technology to become stronger, he uses brains to become SMARTER. Leviathan's observation on Tangleweb's intellect was spot on. The reunited team faces a trio of Tanglewebs.
Gim helps convince Andromeda to work past her fears and end the battle quickly. It's a practical move, though I think the writers overplayed the drama; even with Andromeda reduced to a cowering xenophobic mass you still have 7 Legionnaires and a Sci-Cop against 3 Tanglewebs - far better odds than the opening battle.
Scene ends with Cos reminding Lyle that he's leader, but not punishing him because he did save them. I approve; it's clear that Lyle wasn't following because he had vital information or anything like that. Cos also takes time to praise and encourage Gim, who also thanks Laurel. It's a satisfying ending, and as Cos points out there aren't any new stars tonight. All's well, for now.
Next up? Well, we also get a curious scene on Durla, where what appears to be a living fluid creature escapes confinement and attacks some Durlans. Uh oh.
Some thoughts on the individual Legionnaires:
Leviathan starts to mature. He's a lot less cranky this issue, and he actually deals with Andromeda quite well. It's still tough love, but he doesn't demean or bully her but appeals to reason to get her to fight. It's a very positive and welcome change.
Andromeda also comes through by working around her xenophobia to intelligently fly the Tanglewebs into the atmosphere. I'm glad the writers stopped at that; it was realistic and shows Andromeda has the makings of a smart and effective Legionnaire.
Cosmic Boy continues to grow into his leader role fairly well, asserting his authority naturally. The only poor bit was him yelling at Lyle for following them while Tangleweb was approaching, but the way he admonished Lyle while still not punishing him was good.
Lyle himself is a walking contradiction. He's outwardly cocky, but look at his face when Cos talks to him in the last page. He's clearly worried. He's definitely covering up for - for what, really? We only know he's scared this issue but it doesn't tell us much new about him except his cockiness is a facade for... approval seeking maybe?
Chameleon does a good job here, as his intelligence and craftiness shine through. It's good to know that despite his inability to speak Interlac he's just as capable as any other Legionnaire. The scene with him shaking hands with the Spider-people is good; maybe he could be an ambassador.
Spark, Apparition and Kinetix don't get to do too much, but each has her moments. Tinya and Zoe especially make a good pair standing up to Andromeda. I think these two would make good friends and would love to see them in battle together. Spark doesn't shine at all, and it would have been good for either Cos or Gim to admonish her for staying too close to Tangleweb last issue - that's what led to her capture, after all.
This is a solid issue and gives good development to Leviathan, Andromeda and Chameleon. Best of all, it all feels organic rather than forced.
This story is reminiscent of the Bierbaums' Legionnaires in Atlantis issue, in which Brainiac 5 managed to communicate with the Devilfish and sort everything out (which in turn was based on a Cary Bates story in SLSH #202, in which Mon-el used telepathic earplugs). Here, it's Cham who makes the connection, then retells the spiders' story in a form of charades. In all three stories, just a big misunderstanding, although this issue has a good twist of Tangleweb being a villain to his own species.
The spiders' language looks like Durlan but it isn't clear if it is Durlan, or a dialect, or Cham simply knows spiderese - or did I miss the explanation?
Lyle did help save the day after all, but it didn't appear to be based on a rational analysis of the mission or the threat. He really just served as a one man back-up force. Nevertheless, it added some layers to the character: his past with Earthgov, a bit of arrogance, independence, yet able to accept possible consequences for disobeying Rokk's orders. I doubt Brainiac 5 would have cared how much trouble he was in had he done what Lyle did.
Andromeda shows a lot of racist-driven cowardice, refusing to touch Tangleweb and taking no other action until berated by Gim. She's drawn as ugly in her anger scenes, beautiful when she succeeds in removing Tangleweb and his hench-spiders. She remains pretty grumpy, though. Kinetix, on the other hand, fits right in.
The art was a bit rough in places but there was a lot of effort put into the Legionnaires' expressions (and I liked Lyle's big hair).
Rokk's comment about weak members annoyed a lot of people. Expect consequences! Tinya gave Gim a dig over it, Imra resented it as she assumed leadership, in Rokk's absence, to find Luronu's attackers.
The ceremony on Durla is mysterious and leads into the next issue. It looks like one of these science experiment gone wrong stories and the view of Durla is eerie, strange and a bit creepy.
Loved Zoe and Tinya defending Cham vs. Andromeda.
Gim does get his chance to step up as a leader - first telling Andromeda off after she starts being racist, and taking a tough love approach vs. Andy. (His aggression does get his team captured in the first place though).
I liked how the spiders were actually neutral/good. I'm guessing Cham and the Spiders just happened to speak mutually intelligible languages. clever of Cham to use shapeshifting to tell the story.
The "weak member' thing definitely reverberated here.
Lyle... yeah, why did they "need" Lyle, was not clear. He did help save the day, but sort of stumbled into it. Good reading of his character, FC
In any case, the Legion avenged Kid Quantum's death and stopped Tangleweb's reign of terror. It was clever of the writers, handicapping Andromeda so and adding tension to the story; she could easily have beat all the enemies up by herself, after all. Also probably why she wasn't introduced before Planet Hell, imagine how easy that mission would have been!
Cos' little pep talk at the end was a nice full circle moment.
Also liked him sort of thanking Lyle, while also letting Lyle know that he clearly disobeyed orders, which was NOT acceptable.
I enjoyed these three issues too.
The central issue around Triad is a fascinating look at her character in a way we never have before, and the different reactions of her personas are well portrayed and add to the tale in their dialogue and performance.
The two issue Tangleweb story has Gim as a central character, which makes sense considering how his failed leadership was so much a part of the original mission. There are some great lines of dialogue. Quantum Kid's statue is "the only thing in the world that makes Leviathan feel small." His reactions throughout makes sense and add to his character as has been discussed above. His outbursts during the briefing reflect well on how keen he is to make up for his initial mistakes so he is frustrated at the debate delaying the mission. The way he burst out with "After I blew the mission? That's what you were going to say, wasn't it?" and the deathly silence that followed (well portrayed in a silent visual medium). Then how he more quietly describes the original mission to the new legionnaires including finishing with words again showing that he hasn't forgiven himself. Then his need to step up as leader, ever so reluctantly because he is afraid he will fail again but he does it anyway, followed by his frustration but working on getting Andromeda involved. Finally prepared to do whatever it takes to make her act as a legionnaire, and then making sure he thanks and congratulates her after she succeeds.
He still has a way to go which he obviously realises as reflected in his final speech with Cos, but then that is true of the whole team. The comments above about them really being and acting like teens is a good one. They really do feel young in this series in ways they rarely did in some of the original stories and that is something I appreciate about the Reboot. From memory it starts to fade in to the background but at least here it is on display.
Indeed, I appreciate Gim being portrayed as a flawed leader who is working hard to better himself. It's a nice contrast to the cool, calm and competent Cosmic Boy.
I may personally dislike Gim (because I would struggle to work with someone like him), but from a storytelling point of view it's gold.
Agree with all the above, but just want to reinforce the good parts of this issue - Gim really struggling to be a leader, but also Andromeda's struggles in her own right. I remember hoping at the time that I read this that she would start to become a more likeable character sooner.
Cham's understanding of the arachnid's language was, in hindsight, a clue that he understood more than he let on.
Also agree on the points made about Lyle - he makes a big deal about coming along, but doesn't really add much.
Just as a somewhat interesting note, this issue is the final issue of the first "Legionnaires" Omnibus. It begins with the "Zero" issues and continues through to this, which effectively covers the start of the Legion, Gim's disastrous initial leadership, then his redemption, so a nice arc in that story before it turns to the White Triangle.
ooh yeah it does make a nice endpoint, IMO. Ending here gives some hope = Andromeda coming through, Gim coming through, Kid Quantum I being avenged, Triad on the way to healing. definitely a better stopping point than the next two issues (Composite Durlan)
And good point re Andromeda also getting a little victory here!
That is a good point about Andromeda. A lot of her words and actions have made her a bit unlikeable, but there have been moments when we have seen past her portrayed bigotry and outer facade such as her mixed reactions to the "fish-man" muggers and her concern for Spark in LSH #67 and her portrayal here.
Legionnnaires 25
Issue Information
Skin DeepSummary: After Saturn Girl sees the inner workings of a Durlan mind, the Legion gets attacked by a Durlan who imitates all of their powers and has a vendetta against Chameleon.
Review:
It must have been easy to come up with certain story ideas for the reboot Legion. All the writers really had to do was delve into back issues of the preboot for plots and villains and then ?update? them for a ?90s crowd. In this case, they update the Composite Superman, a villain who appeared in World?s Finest and who possessed the powers of the Legionnaires which he gained while working in the Superman Museum, when lightning struck the miniature statues once used to summon Superboy.
In this case, the ?Composite Legionnaire? (though he?s not referred to by that name in this story) is a Durlan who has been genetically bred for war by assimilating the powers as well as the appearance of anyone with whom he is in close proximity. The makes him a truly formidable Legion foe as he is able to keep the entire team on its toes, shifting easily from Spark?s electricity to Cos?s magnetism, from Apparition?s phasing to Violet?s shrinking, and then to Brainy?s intellect?the latter ability making him realize that he can take on all the Legionnaires' powers and some of their appearances at once!
Even though very little new ground is covered here, either in terms of the villain or the storyline, what is delivered is expertly done. The story hints at a motivation behind the new Durlan villain, whose warrior caste apparently was at odds with the religious caste (shades of Babylon 5!), to which Cham belongs. So, the villain?s motivation is simple revenge, but it works. He also trumps Cham in being able to assimilate Interlac far faster than the Legionnaire has been shown to do.
The plot flows seamlessly from Saturn Girl?s voyage to the bottom of Reep?s mind to Gim?s visit to the Science Police, where he trades barbs with Shvaughn Erin before being attacked by the Durlan. Watching this on the viewscreen, Cos assembles the entire Legion to deal with the threat?a big mistake, as it turns out, since so many Legionnaires give the Durlan more powers to assimilate. The battle scenes which follow are well choreographed for the most part, though some Legionnaires are simply not shown after the group shots on Page 16, leading me to forget that Brainy and Tinya were even present.
The story feels disjointed, though, particularly in the early parts. The writers try to heighten the drama by creating Marvel-style tension in the ranks, but their efforts are not wholly successful. Saturn Girl muses that ?it?s all going wrong,? but this comes across as an overly dramatic interpretation of the past few issues. Imra also feels bad for throwing herself at Cos?a comment which made me think I?d missed an issue until I realized she was referring to their innocent near-kiss a few issues ago.
It?s nice to see a focus on Saturn Girl, but not when she comes off as a drama queen.
Likewise, Imra?s attempt to communicate with Cham?s mind goes on too long and pads the story?which leaves us with an ending that feels like very little has been accomplished. Unlike in previous issues where the plot development has been so tight that the cliffhangers seem natural, this one is too abrupt. It reads like a lot of the old-style Marvel comics of the ?60s and ?70s in which very little actually happened in the story.
Legionnaires 25 provides us with a successful update of an old character in a partially successful story that I almost want to grade as ?Incomplete.?
IB pointed out the weak points in this story: too long on the Durlan mind scene and Imra's out-of-character drama queen comments (one assumes she's just very stressed, but it feels off).
Although composite characters annoy me (look weird and too many powers), I do like the concept of creating a Durlan warrior to imitate powers as well as forms. It's another science gone wrong tale; the super soldier is turning on its creators. This one doesn't start out as a composite, though. Not unlike Tangleweb, he learns from his victims and uses that knowledge to modify his attack. After killing a few Durlans on the home world, he's on a mad quest to take down Cham, for some reason. Is Cham the only one remaining of the religious caste and the composite has vowed to wipe them all out?
I also liked Gim's relationship with his old SP pals. Shvaughn Erin joins the story; she's taken out of the action with a broken back (for a few days, reminding us that this is future health care) but I'd expect her to be back in a bigger role in some later issue and notes in the letter column confirm this.
A shape changer in the Science Police has been done before (and will be done again) but it's a good ploy to sow confusion and heighten the danger. By contrast, the fight scene against the Legionnaires dragged a bit for me; the bad guy was imitating the Legionnaires one after the other, but it was obvious who he was.
Very smart of Rokk to get Andromeda out of battle in case her powers get duplicated and bring them all down. It also means that Andromeda doesn't have to deal with her racism.
Vi stands up to Adromeda and confronts her regarding the White Triangle thugs. Vi has a quiet voice but fierce determination. Interesting that she'd go to Andromeda first for an explanation rather than relay her suspicions to the others: a good sense of fair play.
There's a bit of comic interlude as Tinya bitches about men, Tenzil eats the cactus Jo sent Tinya and Ayla's on cloud 9 over an anonymous love note.
HI there! Just a quick note to say I'm up to Legionnaires #4 on my epic attempt to reading "all of it" from the fabled #247 to the end of the Bendis run, and hope to catch up by the end of the weekend so I can join in the discussion here! I'm into previously unread territory for me, so it'll be all new as far as I'm concerned!
hey Christopher, glad to see you joining in! and WOW! a full reread of every Legion comic ever, super curious how long it took you!
Feel free to jump in whenever - like, you can comment on issues already reviewed, you may have new insights and thoughts. would be great to read em all!
I'm a big Reboot era fan, you're in for a treat! Enjoy!
FC, you raise a good point about the battle. I think part of why it seemed to drag on, was it was a dozen Legionnaires against one foe. If it had been against a team/group, it would not have felt so long.
Yeah, Imra being stressed is understandable, but the over-the-top narration also made her reactions seem too drama queen-y. not too mention, she was becoming too snippy (e.g. that crack to Cos: "Can you handle this, or shall I summon the team?" - totally unprovoked and uncalled for) - and this is not something we've seen from her earlier in the Reboot.
I still enjoyed this. Reading your criticisms I can see your points, but I also saw positives in the same thing.
With Imra, I agree that her thoughts and characterisation feels a bit like it comes out of the blue. I think this is the first time we have seen inside her head (as to what she is thinking) in the reboot so it does come across a bit sudden. On t the other hand it also means we don't know what she has been thinking behind the scenes. Actually we have seen little of our character's thoughts, learning most by their spoken words and actions. Lyle's thoughts when he decided to be the cavalry during he mission with Tangleweb are an exception as are Garth's thoughts on occasion. So far it has seemed balanced, shown by that it never crossed my mind before - but yes this feels different. I guess they needed to do something different considering the subject was Imra diving into someone else's mind.
And that's the positive. Typically when we think of telepathy we think of it like hearing spoken thoughts or even like reading, but as this tries to show it could be something very different and only another telepath would understand how different. SPOILER -
Having read further I can see that this is also a setup for the climax of the battle and the sacrifice involved. Like a gun over the mantlepiece it is perhaps obvious in retrospect but not right now, leading to the off-colour feel.
This delving in to the viewpoint of the telepath is an interesting take, reminding me of Volume 3 Baxter issue when that version of Imra peered into Nura, Brainy, and Reep's minds. Highlighting the inherent dangers involved is a good point that is rarely considered. Star Trek have visited here on occasion but I don't remember another Legion occurrence. Still it doesn't explain her seemingly sudden issues with the team and Rokk's leadership.
As for the "super" Durlan, I found most of the issue really creepy, conveying well the threat of a homicidal creature trained in killing that can become anyone or anything. Even though I have read this a number of times before, I had forgotten the sudden reveal when he turned out to be the SP that shot the mouse. His acting chops are pretty great as he really had me fooled when he wasn't sure if it was a mouse or not. This part had a real horror movie feel to it and I thought it was done pretty well. The "final" battle wasn't as good but the leadup was terrific.
Oh and I wonder why they chose to have the "weather-control" mishap? Just for the atmosphere (no pun intended)? Seeing such dedication to rainy scenes isn't that common and I enjoyed that, along with their badged Legion rain ponchos. They must have stuff ready for every possibility at their HQ.
yeah that's a good one stile. I agree it was a very nice illustration of how complex telepathy can be!
And I do agree, the Composite Durlan was pretty creepy. How he stalked and killed... eeek!
Hi Christopher! Welcome to the thread and hope you're enjoying your epic Legion read!
Stile, you're right that this is the first time we're seeing inside reboot Imra's head. She's not the same Imra as in 5YL and Bierbaums' Legionnaires, and I tend to forget that.
Also, the reveal that the SP Officer who shot the mouse was the Durlan was a great surprise and really added to the sense of danger in that fight.
I saw a note upthread about the issue under discussion perhaps being a "good place to stop" (presumably this thread, so as to move on "vol. 36"), though I may have misunderstood it. I've been reading Legion comics steadily at the rate of ten stories a day or so for over a month now, and up to Legionairres #28 (cover date August 1995) and I'm ready to dive in to talk about these stories! (I must admit that I just jumped on mid-issue because I can't wait to talk about Joyce Chin's fill-in pencils, which I absolutely adore). Anyway, is my interpretation correct? Will someone be starting an Archive 36 thread soon?
Cheers,
Christopher
Fat Cramer started this one, so I?m looking to her for guidance te the next one
If I may make a suggestion (which I am in no way heavily invested in), remaining cognizant of the fact that I'm a new guy, one set of issues that you all might consider is Legionairres #27-#28 interpolated with Legion of Super-heroes #71, the 1995 Legionnaires Annual (#2), Legion of Super-heroes #72-73, Legionnaires #29-30, Superboy #21, Legion of Super-heroes #74, and Legionnaires #31.
This looks to be fewer issues than you normally cover in one of these Archive threads, but, I believe, has some advantages. The run (re)introduces some major bits of Legion lore, it includes the first major crossover of the Reboot (if I'm recalling correctly), and does not end with a second crossover (a LINE! WIDE! EVENT!) that I personally found a pretty tough slog and might be better moved through fairly quickly at the beginning of a thread rather than finishing off a thread.
My two credits, anyway!
thanks Christopher, and especially for pointing out the issues that we might miss - Annual 2, Superboy 21. (LSH Annual v4 6 should also be added here!)
we're actually drawing from a reread I started earlier, so we have to make sure we pick up the Showcase issues too
https://www.legionworld.net/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=783685#Post783685Also: even the newest poster should have a say, and suggestions are always welcome
thanks for recommending a good stopping point! I like it, and I support stopping here, then picking up again to go to LSH 80/ L* 37, the end of the Chu sting (the next major Reboot event, in my mind)
thanks Christopher, and especially for pointing out the issues that we might miss - Annual 2, Superboy 21. (LSH Annual v4 6 should also be added here!)
we're actually drawing from a reread I started earlier, so we have to make sure we pick up the Showcase issues too
https://www.legionworld.net/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=783685#Post783685Also: even the newest poster should have a say, and suggestions are always welcome
thanks for recommending a good stopping point! I like it, and I support stopping here, then picking up again to go to LSH 80/ L* 37, the end of the Chu sting (the next major Reboot event, in my mind)
Did something change (I haven't read this whole thread) from the initial post? According to the original/first post, LSH Annual #6 and Showcase '95 #6 were orginally planned for this Archive. I'm confusing myself, I'm sure.
you mean this? hmm...
Welcome to Archive Volume 35, covering LSH 0, Legionnaires 23 -25, alternating with LSH 67 - 69, LSH Annual #6, Showcase '95 #6, Legionnaires 26, LSH 70.
Links to previous Archive discussions comprise the first post of
Archive 33.
Archive Index
either we're not done yet, or things did change. where did you see the comment, that the previous issue was a good stopping point? I can;t quite find it
IB, Gaseous Lad mentioned that LSH 68 was the last issue in the first Legionnaires Omnibus. We still have a few issues to run on this Archive, but Christopher's suggestions could make up the next volume. I'll repost them in the Archive discussion thread later (out of time right now).
Legion of Super-heroes 69
Absolute Power
Issue informationSummary:
The battle against the Composite Durlan (C.D.) continues. He reveals that Cham's from the royal lineage of spiritual leaders; and that they kept C.D. and two others like him imprisoned despite them being genetically engineered to be able to copy powers.
The Legion tries, and fails, to use Cham's knowledge to stop the C.D., necessitating Saturn Girl's telepathic intervention. She manages to render him catatonic - at the cost of her own mind.
Thoughts:
The battle continues to flow naturally, and nearly everyone gets something to do. I'm particularly pleased with the good use of XS and Kinetix.
Zoe's caring and "big sisterly" nature is further highlighted here, and it fits in well with her encouragement of Vi and Gim in past issues. She's the one who tells Cham to keep his head in the game, and she's the one you see trying to reach out and stop Imra from entering C.D's mind. Zoe's power levels are also impressive - she (and Cos) were able to stall the C.D. long enough for some important background. Said exposition was also delivered in a way that fit the flow of the story.
XS has grown as well; you can see she's scared, but she barely hesitates to place herself in almost certain danger to save Cham and innocent bystanders, and to buy her teammates time. I love the panel of her telling herself NOT to think so she won't spoil the plan. I also like how the writers referenced her crush on Cos without making it feel out of place. Hey, she thought she was going to die!
It was also nice seeing Brainy and Lyle working together to mix up the chemicals to stop the C.D. Love the contrast between Lyle's greater tactical ability and Brainy's greater analytic ability. Lyle's mistake in translation was believable, and kept the momentum of the fight going. Because of it, I almost didn't notice how abrupt Imra's sudden burst of courage was. We go from her adamantly refusing to enter C.D.'s mind - and lashing out at Cosmic Boy to cover up her own fear - to jumping right in and shutting C.D. down despite the obvious fear and danger it is putting her in. That last page of a catatonic Imra is made all the more powerful because of her heroism.
Let's not forget how heroic Chameleon is as well. He staves off the grief over his father's death to focus on shutting down C.D. He also bravely puts himself in danger and helps keep bystanders out of it.
Cosmic Boy does a good job leading the team this issue. It's good to see him take to leadership so well.
Now let's go to C.D.s motivation. It shows that the 30th century isn't quite as shiny and bright as we thought; much like with the oppression of Carggites with differences, the C.D.s are punished simply for being. They had absolutely no control over their creation. His hatred is understandable (though I wonder why he didn't free the two other C.D.s? but from a storytelling standpoint that would have been undesirable as well - no way the Legion could have dealt with three C.D.s at once).
The art has improved; Lee Moder and Ron Boyd make a good combination. The Legionnaires are a lot less angular and it's easy to follow the action.
All in all, this is a good issue. The action is solid and flows naturally; good character bits are mixed in throughout without slowing the story's pacing; and nothing is shoehorned in. This is much, much better than the first part of the story.
This issue really stepped up the game for me. The story was more exciting, the stakes were higher and the art was consistently compelling. There was a scene with Andromeda digging her fingers into the hull of an SP shift in order to hurl it out of danger - a very effective yet simple way to show her strength.
I liked how the Composite kept changing his composition, yet always looking ugly and angry regardless of whose face he copied. He was a creation out of control and had to be reined in; the Legionnaires don't have to account for the ethics of the Composite's creation or release, but I found the cruelty of eliminating the threat quite harsh and nobody seemed particularly concerned. The SPs treated the body as a trophy, pinned to a wall. Relief, no doubt, played a part in these attitudes; maybe there will be some questions raised later about just what the Durlans were up to with this killing machine and the dangers of only their limited priest class knowing how to contain it.
Lyle really screwed up with the base 9 thing. It's understandable, given the tension of the situation; nobody yelled at him (even Brainiac 5, who perhaps should have known better himself) but Rokk and Brainy looked very angry.
This set the stage for Imra to take charge and prove herself, to herself as well as to Rokk. This part of the story did a great job illustrating her persistence and courage overcoming her fear and horror of the Composite's mind. I wonder if she knew it could be tantamount to a suicide mission.
Some stand-out character bits: Lyle once again acting as the practical half of the Brainy/Lyle team-up. The SPs are fed up with and resentful of the Legionnaires and indulge in some casual racism or insulting by calling Brainiac 5 "greenie". Imra calling Andromeda "Andy" implies an acceptance of the sometimes-difficult Andromeda and Andromeda herself hates feeling useless in the fight. Kinetix proves herself to be a real heavy hitter, taking out the Composite for long enough to buy time for the others. Jenni is used strategically as a diversion (she's getting a lot of effective panel time for a new character!) Both she and Cham are willing to self-sacrifice to fight the Composite. Jenni's resignation, not even completing a possibly final message to Rokk, felt real. Rokk's regret that his last words to Imra were harsh was also very touching.
As IB wrote, this issue is much better than the first half of the story.
thanks for clarifying the stopping point, FC!
re Lyle's miscalculation. I see Rokk and Brainy being all "dang it, but yelling will not help now." I do like that the writers had Lyle mess up this time, showing that he's not perfect - after all, he's had a string of highs recently with the flight ring
good point re Composite Durlan always having a more menacing face, compared to the original
I actually felt a pang of sympathy for the Comp Durlan, considering his creation. he did not ask to be created like this, and he was imprisoned through none of his own fault. of course, his revenge was disproportionate - how many innocents died who had nothing to do with his suffering?
Overall there were a lot of good moments too, lots of Legionnaires (like Zoe and Jenni) also getting a chance to shine!
either we're not done yet, or things did change. where did you see the comment, that the previous issue was a good stopping point? I can;t quite find it
There's a better than even chance it was either retconned out of existence or was an "imaginary story." Because I can't find it now, either!
According to the Legion Wiki, this issue hit the newsstands on April 18th, 1995. The number one song on the Billboard charts was the annoyingly catchy "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan and everyone was watching ER, Seinfeld, and Friends. In the news, the great and the good were debating how, whether, and when to end the Iraqi oil embargo. In the streets, a lot of people were talking about Major League Baseball's umpire strike and losing their minds.
In the 30th century, Saturn Girl was losing her mind.
I thought this was a good, if not outstanding, issue. It continues two major Legion traditions of the '60s and '70s: you can't, at a glance, tell who the character on the cover is purely from their facial features and somebody is institutionalized.
As to that cover, I find it both striking and frustrating. Alan Davis' pencils, my nit above notwithstanding, are strong, made even stronger under the inks of Mark Farmer. Unfortunately, I think the colorist (longtime Legion co-plotter Tom McGraw) let his enthusiasm get in the way of clarity. Frankly, it was only on a second, more careful, examination that I noticed the emblem below Imra's chin, which, along with the--what, Saturn earrings?--clarified who the depicted figure is supposed to be.
Inside, Lee Moder's pencils under Ron Boyd's inks impressed me throughout, especially, as has been noted, in the facial expressions of the Composite Durlan. McGraw here shows a surer, maybe I should say subtler, hand with the coloring. My favorite page in the issue, in terms of art, is 17. The pursuit of XS by the villain shows real motion and speed. A close second is page 22, which visualizes Imra's mental exploration of the psyche of a shapechanger in genuinely horrific fashion. (Makes you wonder what's going on inside Cham's head, doesn't it?)
(Actually, if I'm honest, my favorite bit of art in the issue is the righthand side of the two-page spread atop pages 2 and 3, specifically Gim showing surprise at being carried away from danger on "horseback." Hilarious!)
The story, I would say, is good but not great. It's a fight scene, followed by a discussion about how to continue the fight, followed by some more fighting, some recriminations about how the fight is going, followed by the fight finishing up in a manner that, thankfully, isn't predictable and which offers some nice characterization of Imra's powers and their self-imposed limits. And of how and when she's willing to push through those limits.
And of course, it turns out that those limits are in place, in this instance, for very good reasons. I felt genuine heartache for Imra, whose self-control and intelligence have been hallmarks (if occasionally ignored hallmarks) since 1958. Rokk's genuine regret doubles down on that heartache.
Bonus content: insight into Durla!
Notes: I think this might be the first issue of the "main book" that has a (single page) letter column since Zero Hour, discounting assistant editor Mike McAvennie's full page discussion of how there hasn't been a letter column in a year or two in the previous issue.
The only non-house ad is the back cover, for Musicland/Sam Goody, a company I believe no longer exists, featuring CDs from Mike Watt and the Chris Duarte Group. I've not heard of either artist. Their albums were apparently on sale, and that sale, it says here, ends April 16th. Two days before the issue launched. If you're curious about who now has the 800 number listed on the ad these days, it's a high-pressure sales outfit called Medical Assistance. Your call may be monitored for quality assurance.
Looking forward to issue #70!
nice review, Christopher, and also very nicely-written! You're good at your craft, this read like a feature article in a magazine.
Good point re the cover, without the pink color scheme and the Saturn emblem, I'd have been hard-pressed to guess this was supposed to be Imra. Someone color-blind would not have the advantage of the pink as a clue.
I remember chuckling at Cham turning into a horse and "rescuing" Gim, too. And the panel with Brainy and Lyle being electrocuted was beautiful - not that I enjoy watching people get zapped, but it was very well-drawn
Zoe standing her ground while burying the Durlan, and Jenni's facial expression as she gets ready for a suicide run vs. Durlan - both amazingly drawn, too. Also very good moments.
it was definitely a heart-wrenching ending. Poor Imra, with that bit of spit running down her mouth, and Cos' obvious regret and concern - so obvious that even Cham gave him condolences.
funny enough, it almost drowned out Cham's grief over his own father - though it was till palpable
I'm rereading this again and I just spotted Spark sticking out her tongue on page 13, second panel on the right from the top.
Moy would have spark stick out her tongue in each of the issues he drew and it was a fun thing to try and spot every issue back in the day.
This is a great issue up and down. In another thread about a future portrayal about this reboot Legion we've been talking about the differences in the approach of having MANY characters being able to shine out for a few panels but still come back to the team concept versus only have a couple team standouts in a particular issue(s).
LSH 69 is a great example of how this is done extremely well with a large cast. The story is absolutely centered around Imra and Cham, with both coming out of the story much worse for wear. But we see a lot of other great characterization across the team - Rokk is starting to show the strain of the job, XS is learning how to work with her fear, Kinetix shows her nurturing as well as fierce aspects of her personality. I was very struck by Andromeda's dialogue and, especially after her encounters earlier with the racists and last L* issue with Vi, if she was beginning to turn over a new leaf. As noted above, the Lyle/Brainy interaction is always fun when this team was writing them.
The Composite Man is easily the most challenging adversary the team has faced so far, so it makes sense that the team wouldn't come out of this undamaged. Imra's frustration at the beginning of the issue seemed somewhat uncharacteristic, but she definitely realizes she did wrong immediately and grows from it. Her tour through Cham's mind, and later CM's, was eerie and unnerving as designed.
This was definitely one of Moder's better drawn issues - I was generally not that much of a fan of his work, although it was serviceable. EDIT/ADDITION - I will say this is probably one of the coolest covers of the reboot, along with the Ultra Boy cover.
Christopher, I loved the intro to your comments!! It took me back to when this was released! Great stuff!
Cos really has a tough job as leader eh? and he's handling it admirably. also, kudos for the tactical ability, warning Andromeda away before Composite Durlan can copy her powers.
Agree about the little bits, the writers and artists did amazing. Things like Zoe being the one running up to Imra, and Cos having to stop Zoe. Lyle's "oh crap" moment slapping his forehead when he realizes he messed up. XS, Vi, Tinya running into the building to check for survivors. Brainy and Lyle being all sarcastic to the SP officers who didn't want to get them that restricted chemical to stop Durlan.
Imra's determination, tears falling down her face when she enters the Durlan's mind.
I'm rereading this again and I just spotted Spark sticking out her tongue on page 13, second panel on the right from the top.
Moy would have spark stick out her tongue in each of the issues he drew and it was a fun thing to try and spot every issue back in the day.
I always loved that cool visual, and it really added to Ayla's personality!
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 6
Deep Background
Issue InformationSummary:
Shvaughn Erin is appointed Legion Liaison Officer. She gets teased mercilessly by her fellow Science Police officers. Though she is upset, she is a professional; she goes through the Legion's files, and digs deepet into the origins of XS, Kinetix and Leviathan. At first, she skips over Leviathan's file; like most Science Police, Shvaughn believes the Legionnaires are incompetent glory hogs, and thinks Leviathan betrayed the ideals of the Science Police to join the Legion.
XS: Running Scared reveals that XS is indeed part of the Flash family; she's the daughter of Dawn Allen and granddaughter of Barry Allen. In this reality, XS' mother Dawn and her uncle Don went into action to rescue Dominator captives, but were themselves slain. The news made it to Earthgov; to protect the family, grandma Iris took Bart (who manifested speed powers) into the past (though XS didn't know about it, just that they were safe). XS' dad took her to his homeworld, Aarok, where they could hide from the UP... but not from the Dominators.
Her powers manifest themselves when she sees Dominators torturing her father. It takes time, but eventually the stress of watching her dad be tortured gets to here. She runs out and saves him, and stray Dominator shots blow up the lab they were in.
XS' dad is worried that her powers will put her in harm's way (we know they have!), but XS is determined to make it right.
Shvaughn is impressed, and continues.
Kinetix: From Dawn to Darkness tells us that Kinetix's obsession with power stems from the feelings of perfection and usefulness that using said power gives her. Sadly, her quest for more power leads her to losing hers!
We open with a scene from Kinetix's dream journal, where she uses a lot of flowery words to talk about her love for power. "I'm not a person anymore, but a personification, a presence... a visitation. .." "I'm too powerful, too pure to allow such suffering to exist..." Whoa, girl! She uses her powers to make plants grow, turning a barren area into a paradise. Whew. So that's why she's not satisfied with what she has now.... She wants to be ablde to do that!
We find her and Violet on an archeological dig. Zoe gushes about power, and Vi calls her out on it. Zoe is taken aback, and talks about her origin. Her mom was an archeologist, and Zoe always felt useless hanging around digs and being unable to help. One day, her mom fell ill from poison gas, and nothing could heal her. But Zoe taught herself a magical spell from an old book, and used the Moon of Koll to heal her mother. "It could transform a drop of love into a wellspring of health, once in a lifetime..." Zoe succeeded, despite her mother's fears and her brother Thanot's skepticism. It's telling how, when Zoe's family is hugging, Zoe kept looking at the Moon of Koll. The feeling of "being useful" made her throw herself into her mom's work so she could find more power... which she did, through an energy-pool on Titan. She absorbed it and gained her amazing telekinetic abilities. But Zoe still says it wasn't enough, not when there's so much more. Violet finds the Star of Akkos hidden in the ground. In her rush, Zoe digs it up - almost burying Vi, who calls her out on it again. Zoe barely hears as she holds the Star... which charges her up.... and makes her lose her powers! Violet comforts her as Zoe stares forlornly, saying that she just wanted the power to end suffering and to feel "perfected".
Shvaughn sympathizes and continues. She reads through the remaining Legionnaire bios, files on RJ Brande, stargates, the Legion HQ and staff (interestingly, Marla is described as the team's advisor and Brande Industries liaison (his primary assignment now!), while Tenzil is described as non-officially acting as Legion counselor. The Athramites are aesthetic designers and maintenance coordinators. We get a map of Legion HQ, descrpitions of the Legion cruisers, telepathic earplugs, transuits, utility belts, and a brief history of the United Planets including a list of member worlds (though the writers built in an out, saying the UP is currently expanding).
Finally, Shvaughn has only one file left...
Leviathan: Greater Good shows Gim choosing to leave the Science Police for the Legion because his commanding officer was just using his him to further his career. He believes the Legion will enable him to do more good.
We flash back to the day Gim was drafted. He lashes out at his Science Police colleagues for teasing him; he is focused on building a career in the Science Police. Chief Wilson, Gim's commander, refuses to let him go. Gigi Cusimano, Gim's close friend, tells Gim to be wary of Wilson using Gim to further HIS own career. Gim reflects; he does see the appeal in joining the Legion as a force for good, but has always wanted to be in the Science Police. Gim gained his powers from a meteoroid crashing near him.
They are called away to deal with a terrorist situation. Racists are threatening to blow up some alien hostages. Roon Dvron makes an appearance. Gim has a plan, but Chief Wilson (that idiot) strolls right in and takes charge, refusing to risk Gim as "Gim is his ticket to fame". Two Science Police officers go up, and one is killed by the terrorists. Wilson STILL refuses to let Gim go, at which point Gim defies orders, grows to giant size and takes out the terrorists with one slap of his hand.
Gigi is upset at first, worried that Gim has outgrown their friendship. Gim reassures her that is not the case, but that Wilson's actions have shown him that he needs to serve the greater good. Gigi says she will stay in the Science Police and help expose Wilson for the gloryhound that he is.
Their stories, and their "unswerving belief in something more important than themselves', inspire Shvaughn so much that she does a total 180. She digs into all the Legion's files, reading up on all their adventures. She becomes convinced that the Legionnaires all truly believe in their mission - something that is more important than themselves. She tells off a colleague teasing her, by introducing herself as "Liaison Lass, with the powwer to super-liaise. My weakness is creeps who don't want to liaise and therefore won't talk or listen. Since my power is useless in combat, I would be lucky to even become a Reservist. But if that day comes, I will be proud to be a Legionnaire."
Thoughts:
The opening scene reminds us that the Legion has a long way to go to prove themselves to everyone. It does make a good framing sequence for the story though, and sets Shvaughn up to become a more prominent supporting character.
The one-page bios are nice and informative. The highlight of the issue, of course, are the origin stories. It's no surprise that the two Legionnaires who were created in the Postboot, XS and Kinetix, get two of the spotlight stories.
XS' origin is a nice way to tie the Legion into the 20th century DC Universe without making these ties too restrictive. The only requirement for her origin to hold up is for Barry and Iris Allen to raise a family in the 30th century. It's a pleasant story, but is very much standard superhero fare: the hero is normal, then her powers are triggered by seeing someone important be placed in harm's way. It reveals her past but doesn't really reveal anything new about her personality. If anything, she seems more confident and competent in this story than she was in LSH 62 or Legionnaires 19. We do understand her motivations for being a Legionnaire better though - she wants to make her family proud.
I've written about Kinetix's origin and powerlust elsewhere, and my opinions stand upon rereading. Zoe loves using her powers because it makes her feel useful and "perfected"; while she tells Violet her origin she refers to herself as "useless" at least thrice. It doesn't seem as though her mother neglected her, so maybe Zoe just wanted to be useful as a way to repay her. Now we understand why she craves power; it completes her. She has a very deep need for self-validation, and the story shows how addicting power can be - you see it when Violet finds the Star of Akkos, and Zoe recklessly retrieves it without regard for Violet's safety. Now the big question is - where to next? The writers didn't g to all this trouble to create a Legionnaire and strip her of her powers just as a cautionary tale.
By the way, I love the gorgeous Alan Davis/Mark Farmer art in this story.
Violet is put to good use as well. Besides moving the plot along, we see more and more that she isn't exactly shy. She doesn't hesitate to question Zoe's need for power, or to call Zoe out for being reckless. In contrast to Zoe's need for self-validation, Violet displays a sort of inner strength. She really is an odd one.
We get some informative text pieces, though the stories so far haven't yet demonstrated some of what we read. Marla Latham's primary assignment is as advisor to the Legionnaires, though I only remember seeing him in that capacity in LSH 66. Tenzil is a non-official counselor to the team, which makes some sense as he is their age. And we know RJ Brande's past is mysterious, though his "uncle-ly" manner certainly doesn't make him seem mysterious.
I'm sure many fans were thrilled to see a lot of familiar worlds on the list of UP members - besides homeworlds of introduced characters, we have Kathoon, Lallor, Lythyl, Manna-5, Myar, Naltor, Phlon, Rann, Schwar, Taltar, Tharr, Vengar (a misspelled Venegar?) and Zuun. Many Substitute Hero homeworlds on this list!
We move on to Gim's origin. He's hotheaded as ever and blows his top at a little teasing. I can give him a pass though, as he's confused by the (apparently recent) emergence of his powers and the two career options presented to him. He displays the same tactical thinking and regard for the good of many that we've seen him do in recent issues. Having Chief Wilson be a dirty gloryhound gives Gim an easy choice; he won't be able to do much good under the Chief's thumb so joining the Legion is the logical step.
His friendship with Gigi is used to help him verbalize his inner conflict, and is also a good way to show that his new powers have changed things for him. It's odd that they would send Gigi all the way to Earth just to recruit Lyle; we already know there are plenty of SciCops on Earth. I guess it's as good a way as any to get her on Earth too, but she hasn't appeared since Legionnaires 0 either.
All in all this issue served its purpose - it gave us a lot of information on the Legionnaires and their immediate universe. It added new dimensions to 3 Legionnaires and set up future storylines for Kinetix. It was a pleasant enough read, even for readers who aren't big fans of XS, Kinetix or Leviathan.
Annuals can be hit or miss and most, like this one, are a combination, although I felt that there was a lot of filler here. The "meet the Legionnaires" pages could have been condensed to two or four to a page; that's my primary criticism.
My favourite section was actually the introduction, as Shvaughn learns that she's been stuck with the job of Legion liason and has to put up with the ribbing of her fellow officers. There's a good sense of the camaraderie among the cops as well as her frustration and annoyance with this unwelcome posting. This reinforces what we've seen so far of the relationship between the SPs and the Legion; certainly, those media-darling superteens, enjoying the full backing of R.J. Brande and the U.P., would generate some resentment and derision among the older, experienced cops. The closing pages were a bit of a let down; Shvaughn feels honoured to work with the Legionnaires after reading a few of their files. Too pat and happy ending for me. Some continued tension between her and the Legionnaires would be welcome; they would have to earn her respect over time.
Jenni's backstory is serviceable; it explains the origin of her powers and draws from the prior version's history of the Tornado Twins and Dominator experiments. She saves her Dad, very courageous for someone with newly activated powers, but the tale lacked sizzle for me. Hard to pinpoint why.
Zoe's tale is more complex, just as she herself is: here's a character with power and the right kind of character flaws to have it all go wrong. Stay tuned! the story promises. Zoe is driven; she's got a good heart but roads to hell and good intentions come to mind. Her relationships with others are not simple either. Her brother is difficult and Violet seems like an odd companion, but, as Ibby wrote above, Violet displays a considerable inner strength, which provides a balance to Zoe's exuberance and impusivity.
Gim's story was a bit drawn out, although that supported his reluctance to disobey his superior officer as he debated what to do about the hostages. We saw a couple of familiar faces - Dvron and Gigi - but the prima donna chief was a man named Wilson, not the beloved and fatherly Zendak of the original Legion.
Once again, I can't resist comparing this reboot with the Bendis Legion: some backstory pages (more developed than the one-page recruitment scenes we got) devoted to the never-seen-before members might have quelled a lot of fan impatience.
Like you FC, I felt Jenni?s story was ok but lacked something. It felt too by the book. Her starring role in Legionnaires 19, and her steeling herself against the Composite Durlan in LSH 69, were even more powerful moments - maybe that?s why this origin story seemed less amazing in comparison.
Zoe?s was a good one, mixing past and present and showing layers to her personality. (Her prose was interesting though, her personal journal - shows a bit of, I don?t know. You can really see how lustful for power she is, she waxes so lyrical about it.)
I did appreciate Gim?s story, for making him quite a bit more sympathetic. Showing that he generally wants to serve and do good. An interesting one, because in Legionnaires 0 we have him saying their mission to investigate distress calls from stranded spaceships ?is small but will lead to later glory?. And here we have him turning his back on glory to do the right thing.
Also wonder why Gigi would have to go from Mars to Earth just to find Lyle. Don?t they have science police on earth? Or was it a clumsy way to explain Gigi?s presence back in Legionnaires 0?
Lots of good comments here. I have found that I definitely enjoy this annual - I have at least one extra copy of it that did not get bagged and has been worn over the years - but not as much for the stories, except for Zoe's.
I agree with FC that the Legionnaire bios could have been done in half- or quarter-pages. Its a lot of filler. What I think I enjoyed the most about this book are the equipment pages and the cutaway map of the HQ. I just found all that very neat.
Story-wise, the interstitial story about Shvaughn was a creative, if not very compelling, way of pulling the information together, and I agree with most of the comments from Ibby from the original review, as well as FC's here. The XS story was fine, but it seemed there was a lot missing - it essentially serves to show that she's Dawn's child and she and Don are dead, so don't be looking for them here in this future. I found the whole Dominator aspect to this story to be strange to me as well; maybe that's it.
The Gim Allon story is also serviceable and is good for telling his background, but little else. I'm really glad they didn't use Zendak and instead opted for this Wilson character. I found it strange that they barely used Gigi after the White Triangle storyline completed.
It goes without saying that the Kinetix story is the best of the bunch, both as a story itself, since we get an origin AND a change as part of the arc, but it is drawn the best as well. Ibby, I really liked your comments about Zoe needing power for validation while Vi doesn't take nass from anyone. Its an interesting portrayal of her, as she calls out Zoe directly, but softly, about her power, which is very different from how she behaves in group settings or with much more aggressive people like Laurel, so this is definitely showing the instant bond that the two have.
And FC, your comparison to Bendis is apt - This Legion had been around for almost a year at this point - less I think - and we know more about each and every one of them than we know of half of the Bendis Legionnaires.
I first read it in my aunt's comic book stash. I was so happy when I found my own copy in the bargain bins
It's still one of the crowners of my collection.
I wonder if the bios were meant to be pin-ups. Each a full page... and indeed, most of it for the art.
FC's thoughts got me thinking, and Shvaughn did indeed turn a full 180 in a relatively short time, eh? It may have been a bit too abrupt. It seemed to flow well, and the ending narration showed how absorbed Shvaughn became, but maybe a bit too convenient.
Yeah, if I remember, GIgi's last appearance is Leviathan's funeral in L* 41... strange eh. also glad that Zendak wasn't ruined in this manner.
thanks GL, and a good point about Vi and Zoe's friendship, where Vi is now comfortable calling Zoe out. And indeed, the art was gorgeous!
Also agree re comparison to Bendisboot! So far, a lot has been sprinkled in about each Legionnaire, and it's very well done!
I know this was an annual and it's supposed to be filled with stories, but they also took the opportunity to give us pin-ups which as FC says takes away quite a bit of what should be storylines advancing the plot.
I like the use of Shavaughn as a narrative, and the files as a way to present information like the cutaway of the legion HQ as GL says, or the list of member worlds of the UP. Those 2 pages alone provided a significant amount of information to advance the world building.
Like you FC, I felt Jenni?s story was ok but lacked something.
I think Jenni's story isn't meant to make us like her or understand more about her. The writers used the story to tie her back into the main DC comics of the time and to show that despite Zero Hour, Barry Allen in the 30th century is still cannon and Bart's cousin is also a hero in the future. Is it meant for us to like her? Well, in that aspect it doesn't really work. However, it does explain (in canon) relatively easily Jenni's relationship with Dawn and why she is a non-white person (and a dark-skinned human-looking Legionnaire) despite her mother being white. Yes, I know a good writer could make it interesting and show ore of Jenni's personality in the story as well. I have to say though I have always found it weird that they have to stow away to Aarok. Why?
Gim's story was also a big *yawn* for me. Sure we got his origin story as well and we got to glimpse how the SP works and Mars was built up a bit more, but nothing resonated. Also nothing explained why he was such a bad leader at the beginning of his Legion membership as one would have thought being in the SP would have trained him to work in teams. Was it because he was always kept out of harms way and used as a political tool? If so it wasn't made clear. I did like the art though and the expressions in his story.
I left Kinetix last because she came across as annoying and power hungry. We understand that she wants power for validation and acceptance, but why after she was added to the Legion did she need *more* power? That just doesn't jive with her caring and friendly personality. But the shock I had when reading this way back in the day was that the writers made her *lose* her powers. I was like what would this mean for her Legion membership. And why would the writers depower her, after beating up Triad to near death and making Saturn girl a vegetable? Did they have something against ladies? (And later on they would supposedly "kill" 2 more females). Yes I know the first death was not female, and yes I know they were building up the fact that being a Legionnaire is not an easy or safe job, and yes I know they were advancing storylines, but still to have bad things happen to 3 females in a row seemed a bit harsh.
This Legion had been around for almost a year at this point - less I think - and we know more about each and every one of them than we know of half of the Bendis Legionnaires.
To be fair, we have had 2 issues a week for this run of the Legion compared to the one a month for Bendis. However, I think your point stands. We still don't know much of Bendis' Legion, the character, their motivations, etc. We only know the circumstances of some of them and their powers. Heck we still have no idea if Light Lass and Lightning Lass are 2 separate characters in Bendis' Legion. At this point in the reboot, we know both Garth's and Ayla's characterisation, what drives them individually and the tension between them. In Bendis' Legion, all I know is that Ayla doesn't like the Legion for some reason that I don't really understand, and that Garth's and Ayla's family is a poor parody of a typical Afro-American family from the Southern US from the 60s. But this isn't a thread about the Bendisboot!
Overall, I think I enjoyed this annual. Sure, it's a bit light on the story, but it does give us information about the Legion and backstories of the 2 new characters created for the Reboot so far.
I wonder if the bios were meant to be pin-ups. Each a full page... and indeed, most of it for the art.
LOL you beat me to the punch there.
It seemed to flow well, and the ending narration showed how absorbed Shvaughn became, but maybe a bit too convenient.
I never thought it was abrupt. I don't see Shavaughn as they cynical petty type. I guess once she realised how awesome the individuals are, yes, even Gim, by going through their back stories she is warmed up to them and the concept of the Legion. I'm also guessing the writers was hoping that we would identify with Shavaughn as well, and also warm up to the new characters (who was created for the Reboot) and to Gim (who not many seemed to like for some reason at that time).
Good call outs - as I recall, the individual page bios were indeed intended to be pinups. But its a great point - the only real story that ties in to the arc at the time is Zoe's and that doesn't really come into play until AFTER the White Triangle story is over. I do remember that this is what REALLY ignited the "Zoe-as-Emerald-Empress" fan speculation that ended up making the creators shift their plans.
Also really good points about the Legionnaire deaths. I remember a bunch of criticism at the time about two of the deaths being female, but we do know that both of those were planned out as to their outcome in advance.
I read a lot of these out of order, but indeed, for someone reading it in order... Triad hospitalized, Saturn Girl catatonic, Chameleon orphaned, Kinetix depowered... whew! that's a lot of bad luck and sidelined team members in such a short time! And mostly female indeed... hm! though I remember the team commenting at the end of LSH 66, 8 girls 5 guys...
Kinetix was always meant to be borderline re her powerlust. She was so manic and crazed at the thought of power... and Vi was right to call her out, again, for being so reckless she could have crushed her. Heck, Zoe didn't even notice...
About Gim being a bad leader. I wonder if he?s a bad leader BECAUSE he was a Sci-Cop. Like, he?s used to working with people trained to follow orders and be one of many. So when faced with teammates who question orders and grandstand (Kid Quantum I), and without training, well?
About Gim being a bad leader. I wonder if he?s a bad leader BECAUSE he was a Sci-Cop. Like, he?s used to working with people trained to follow orders and be one of many. So when faced with teammates who question orders and grandstand (Kid Quantum I), and without training, well?
I think this is exactly right and was ruminating about this yesterday as well. Assuming the Sci-Cops are paramilitary and have an enforced hierarchy, those trained to give and follow orders would do just that. The Legion is more of a football team, where there is one person calling strategy, but the execution varies by the person doing a particular function. The first scenario is very binary, while the second requires a lot more finesse AND talent to be successful. Granted a strict hierarchy would be better with great leadership, the leader/subordinate relationship makes execution a bit easier as its automatically expected.
Yeah! Good point about the differences in leadership style effectiveness versus situation
And the Legion? well, once they got their individual uniforms, and considering their inspiration was great heroes like the Justice League? it?s all about individuals coming together to make a whole, a whole better than its parts? but still individuals
Yep - and when a paramilitary leader tries to impose that kind of leadership process on a group of individuals who may or may not respond to that, the end result is typically a mess.
Showcase '95 #6
The Alienation of Unification
Issue informationSummary:
Apparition and Andromeda escort three students to the new Legion Academy: Tomb, who can control bodily functions; Cannus, a canine tracker; and arrogant Brawler, who is tough and can mind-mesh with machinery. Andromeda and the three students hate each other, but are forced to work together when their ship is hijacked.
Thoughts:
The story by Beau Smith is generic and bland; it's nice enough but I never find myself getting excited.
Even fans of Apparition or Andromeda won't mind skipping this issue, as we learn almost nothing new about them. The action is generic and virtually no character development occurs. Even their personalities don't match what we've seen in the main series: Apparition plays a leader role but loses almost all of her sarcasm and "fire", while Andromeda's demonstrated aggression towards the three students could be chalked up to annoyance and irritation rather than her xenophobia.
None of the three students is particularly interesting. Brawler acts like your typical arrogant jock, and Cannus contributes nothing to the story besides punching some bad guys (there was really no reason to make him a tracker or a canine). Tomb is the most interesting; his power is very formidable. He's also silent and the only hints of personality we get are that he has some sense of humor (laughing at Brawler getting shot down by Andromeda) and apparently isn't afraid to kill (though nobody dies). We're not given a good reason for why Brawler and Tomb, despite their good powers, are not considered Legion material. Is Tomb's power too lethal or scary? But what about telepathic Saturn Girl or shapeshifting Chameleon? Is Brawler too arrogant? Then why is xenophobic Andromeda a Legionnaire? Perhaps the reason is politics, but it would have been nice to say so.
The story is generic: Andromeda, Brawler, Cannus and Tomb dislike each other. Apparition is the voice of reason, but has to leave to infiltrate the enemy ship. Andromeda and the students work together out of necessity, and not because of any deep realizations. They certainly don't end the story as friends - or even as a team, despite what Apparition says.
The art (Mike Huddleston - pencils, and Jim Mahfood - inker) is good; cocky Brawler and aggressive Andromeda in particular are drawn well. There's a lot of shading though, which gives it a very "bleak space" feel and the characters look much older than teenagers.
This story is fun enough, but is definitely for completists only.
Showcase '95 #6
Learning CurveSummary:
Hard-headed, violent and rebellious Science Police Officer Sybelle Deacon has been placed under the supervision of Gigi Cusimano and Shvaughn Erin as a last resort - either she begins to fall in line or she will be discharged. Along with Leviathan, the four investigate a robbery. The day is saved thanks to a combination of Sybelle's unorthodox tactics, Leviathan's powers and teamwork from Shvaughn and Gigi.
Thoughts:
Here's another story that tries to teach a lesson, and the delivery is pretty rough. Sybelle Deacon is the one who notices that the dragon-creatures they're fighting are being controlled. She then defies orders and goes after the crooks without backup, but is saved only because Leviathan, Shvaughn and Gigi work together to track her and surround the enemy. It would have worked decently if not for the fact that Leviathan himself countermands Gigi's orders twice; Gigi and Leviathan wrangle over who has jurisdiction over the scene; and Shvaughn herself can barely stand working with Leviathan. (Which is a pretty big continuity error - Shvaughn expresses dislike not only towards Gim but to the whole Legion, when she is already Legion liaison; but LSH Annual 6 clearly shows her gaining respect for the Legion immediately after getting the assignment). Although they are certainly a lot less brutal than Sybelle, their behavior isn't all that far from Sybelle's contempt for authority. Yes, Gim, Gigi and Shvaughn do work together in the end but they give each other a rough time doing it. Gigi's supposed to be the voice of reason, but she's undermined because the writers have Leviathan go against her orders - and be right doing so!
The art is okay, but Leviathan is toothy and grimaces a lot. There are times when the transition between panels isn't clear, and the action can be hard to follow.
Again, an okay story but unless you're a big Gigi Cusimano fan I'd give it a pass.
Generic stories, as IB wrote, above. Both delivered the same message: difficult people triumph with teamwork and fair play. The endings were both a bit too happy smiles for me; as with the Annual, I would have preferred some tension to remain between characters at the end. Andromeda is still a racist, a terrible thing as the most interesting character trait of the bunch.
We did get new worlds and new races added to the story. The three recruits were okay as new characters, but I don't think they were seen again. Tomb had the most unusual powers and appearance; Brawler's power was unique (and made me think of Gear) but he was essentially a big thug and Canus played the canine tropes. I'd like to have seen what the U.P. was getting out the recruits' respective worlds, just as we would see Chu gloat over Trom as her secret weapon in a later issue. Of course the tough guy, Brawler, was smitten with tough girl Andromeda - another fairly common idea in comics, although still mildly amusing for its familiarity.
Another recurring event is Tinya going in solo to infiltrate a ship or machinery; it makes sense that she'd do that in this situation, but it still felt old.
There's been a bit of focus on the Science Police in the last few issues; could DC have been considering something like a regular back-up story about the SPs or just trying to establish them as a regular part of the Legion's routine? Shvaughn is presented as the tough one ("nobody expects me to be nice"), which struck me as odd given her original history, but a welcome change to the character. Also, as IB pointed out, there was a lot of not-following-orders yet everything worked out in the end. Neither the Legion nor the SPs have been presented as the wild west, although a rather casual regard for procedure among the SPs might have been a good counterpoint to the earnest young Legionnaires.
The dragon creature was cute, once it was restored to normal. What can I say, I'm a sucker for pets and this one would have made a good animal companion for Leviathan - or guard dog for Legion HQ.
Agree on the analysis of these stories - they were both vanilla that led nowhere. The concept of the Legion Academy is introduced but never really touched again, and the story is the textbook definition of bland.
The SP story was a little better, and it was nice to see more Shvaughn and Gigi. The hook for the mystery was a little more interesting but in the end the story didn't do anything for me.
And FC, not sure if you're asking generically or not, but there *was* a SP limited comic for some time in the late 90s that was pretty forgettable. I think I may have a few of them, but I couldn't tell you a thing that happens.
The SP mini was 4 issues, involving a disgraced Science Police cop investigating the Ringers - 4 sponsored heroes who wear rings that give them the powers of deceased villains. They find out that the rings channel the villains? personalities too.
One ringer is Drianna Allon, Gim?s never before seen sister
And one of the rings would wind up with DNA?s Oversight Watch member Abyss
Pretty forgettable overall. Though the story did do a decent job of exploring Drianna?s feelings of being overshadowed by Gim, and the Sci Cop?s PTSD over being forced to make a decision that cost lives earlier in his career
Arguably, better character explorations than what went on in these two showcase stories
That SP mini series sure was pretty forgettable and no follow-up to fold any of it into the Legion book. I was wondering if the reboot team were considering expanding the SP involvement in the Legion stories as an on-going plot, tension between the two groups sort of thing. Do we even see Gigi again in this series?
I always forget the SP mini happened and keep missing it when I reread.
We don't ever see Gigi again. Ibby and I had a chat about this when doing my Vi story and I was completely shocked she had disappeared in the Reboot. In the main Legion of Super Heroes and Legionnaires she vanished after Gim Allon's funeral.
I don't even consider the SP series Canon, tbh.
Legionnaires 26
Issue Information
"Authority"Summary:
Saturn Girl gets some unexpected help from a former mentor. Apparition meets up with Ultra Boy and accompanies Workforce on a mission in which they learn some (more) unsavory things about McCauley.
Review:
I want to be charitable towards this issue because it develops some of the ongoing subplots and has a few memorable twists and turns. However, one of the two major plot lines reads like an idiot plot?a plot which would end very quickly if the characters stopped acting like idiots.
The chief idiot this time is Aven, Saturn Girl?s former teacher on Titan. Having learned of his pupil?s catatonia, he travels to earth to cure her with his own formidable mental powers. Unfortunately, Aven doesn?t bother to announce what he?s doing. He simply performs some Jedi mind tricks to get others out of his way and reveals who he is only after Cosmic Boy interrupts his mental ministrations.
This kind of set-up creates a lot of false and unnecessary drama. If Aven had stopped acting like a jerk, much of the plot development could have been avoided?and the story would have been better for it. Imagine Aven reaching out to the Legionnaires first, and them inviting him to earth to help Saturn Girl. We could have gotten into the meat of the story much quicker. Complications could even have been introduced if Aven?s mental ?operation? turned out to be as unsuccessful as it is here?with Saturn Girl waking up but being able to repeat only one sentence (?Hello, Cosmic Boy.?).
One might suppose that Aven's behavior was influenced by the UP-wide distrust of telepaths, but this long-dormant plotline is not mentioned here. Instead, Aven behaves like a bad guy in order to build tension in the story. The tension, however, is artificial; as a reader, I felt I was being talked down to, which goes back to my earlier theory that the creators of the reboot were targeting very young children who might find such story telling techniques fresh.
The other main plot is more successful. Tinya, thoroughly smitten with Jo, is annoyed with him for being late, yet she instantly forgives him. Jo plays the typical dunderheaded teenaged boy who doesn?t realize the girl he likes might have preferred roses to a cactus (a cactus?). Perhaps on Rimbor a cactus is considered romantic. In any case, their date is interrupted by McCauley, who sends Jo on a mission and invites Tinya along so she can see how ?professionals? handle super-heroing. Tinya accepts, affording her a brief reunion with Garth and a chance to tease Jo over his casual relationship with Spider-Girl.
More importantly, the Workforce tackles a group of White Triangle racists who reveal that McCauley is their former business partner. It seems that McCauley doesn?t care who he sells arms to. Showing they have more integrity than he does, the thieves are willing to die to prevent McCauley's arms from getting into the hands of races they deem inferior. Only quick actions from Karate Kid, Jo, and Garth prevent ?the entire region? from being destroyed by a glowing globe of hazardous waste.
This sequence brilliantly shows the contrast between the Legion and Workforce. One team has dedicated itself to idealistic purposes; the other doesn?t care about McCauley?s double-dipping business practices as long as they get paid. Tinya loses her respect for the Workforce, including Jo. Garth, at least, has the sense to quit.
So, Legionnaires 26 is a mixed bag for me. Both plot lines are well intentioned and flesh out our understanding of the Legion?s universe. Only one, however, is delivered in an authentic and convincing manner.
Grade: 84.2 (B)
"I want to be charitable" sums up my reaction to this issue, although for somewhat different reasons than Ibby. The romances - Spark and her secret admirer, Jo and Tinya with Sussa glaring - may well have been authentic but just reminded me that these are young teens and it all seemed kind of silly to me: just a personal reaction, the same I get from squealing bridesmaid movies.
I did like the contrast between the Workforce and the Legion and how some of the Workforce members were starting to question McCauley's ethics - but only Garth was willing to walk away from the material benefits. You can take the boy out of the Legion, but you can't take the Legion out of the boy. It's ironic, and a well-done detail, that the White Triangle thieves have more personal integrity than McCauley, as IB points out.
Aven's behaviour was a mixed bag; I also think those scenes could have been written to present a much more convincing character. Aven is a high-ranking telepath and surely understands Imra's mind better than the doctors treating her. These factors support the arrogant attitude he displays and, whether he is just accustomed to getting his way or feels he's on an urgent mission to rescue Imra, explain why he simply shoves people aside and bypasses security. He's not a likeable character here, but he is an intriguing addition to the Legionverse mix.
However, it doesn't make sense, even for an arrogant mentor, that he would just barge in unannounced and not explain who he was. It should have been set up that Imra's medical team called him in as an expert, in which case he would have been welcomed and given uninterrupted access to treat Imra. He could still have acted snooty. Luornu and Rokk could still have upset things by bursting in uninvited. The tension could have been preserved.
The three lead-ins to future developments are promising. There's a page of Durlan speak at Cham's father's funeral, the highlight of which is "Reep Wob" and the indication that this is going to cause some problem back at Legion HQ. Kinetix has lost her powers, but Chu insists she remain on the team for some reason. Finally, Andromeda crashes through the roof, unconscious, all three scenes promising more action than poor Imra babbling in a hospital bed.
The title "Authority" covers the behaviour of Aven and McCauley, as well as the brief appearance of President Chu, none of whom generate much respect for handling the authority they possess. It makes the teen heroes look good by contrast.
I generally have similar reactions here - the Aven plot was just a waste. Why wasn't he treated as a VIP specially brought in by Brande? Half the issue was basically a waste.
And here we have the beginning of Tinya/Jo. I'm getting PTSD just reading the panels. Yikes.
It is interesting that we are here reading the intro of Aven and the blossoming of the Tinya/Jo relationship here just as we see the back end of both over on the DnA thread.
What I DID like about this issue was Spark. Her reacting to the jump-scares was well done by Jeff Moy and honestly are what make me remember the issue the most after all this time. The secret admirer angle was very interesting as there was a lot of speculation as to who it was for many months; due to the recently concluded Zero-Hour, many people speculated that Vi was the admirer, which wouldn't have been a bad angle to take except for it being DC in the mid-90s.
The other thing that jumped out at me when Cos and Zoe are trying to figure out what to do with her - Cos says, "Its not your fault." Well, it kinda is. Sorry, Zo.
haha it IS kinda Zoe's fault... if Vi had been crushed when Zoe acted all reckless, we would have had a very different convo
Tinya's complaints about JO before referenced that he's already "dating" Sussa, and Sussa also acts jealous her, so at least Jo is not totally let off the hook. but yes, this part is realistic - I did that when I was younger (the dating-multiple-people-without-really-committing-to-either), so I can understand where Jo is coming from. he's still immature, after all. And at least those involved are not letting him off scot-free
But do either of them really mature?
Legion of Super-Heroes 70
Beyond BeliefIssue informationSummary:
Andromeda is suffering from deadly lead poisoning, and Brainiac 5 is the only one who can help her. Will Andromeda's xenophobia make it an impossible task?
Also, Violet discovers something chilling about Andromeda.
Thoughts:
My first impression for this issue was that Jason Armstrong's art is hideous. The characters' faces have no symmetry. One good thing I can say is that he does facial expressions well, as evidenced by the roll call page. But the interiors are a shame, especially in contrast to the gorgeous Alan Davis/Mark Farmer cover.
On to the story. The Andromeda/Brainiac 5 dynamic works very well; you have a xenophobe who believes her race is superior, and a highly intelligent man with a superiority complex of his own. "Someone of your intellect lacking faith in my prowess is akin to a dog lacking faith in its master." Ooh. Fighting words.
Andromeda herself is interesting: she whispers she's scared but won't admit it to Brainy; she apologizes to him in the end but only because he proved that he isn't truly inferior; she swears she's angry at the thugs for defying her but perhaps, just perhaps, she does care enough about Triad that she doesn't want her to die. And when Brainy shows his own contempt for Daxamites, of course she can't help but react - she was raised to believe they are the superior race, after all.
Andy won't be able to rest for long though. Andy's White Triangle connections are outed both to the Legion and to the readers. Her guilt is clear; she herself admits she knows the White Triangle faction is actively working to destroy the UP.
Violet, on a lesser scale, is also (at first glance) a creature of contradictions. She's bothered by Andromeda's thoughts towards her, but once she finds something that points to Andy's guilt she doesn't hesitate to share it (rather dramatically) with the rest of the team. I DO find the circumstances behind her finding Andy's necklace a bit too convenient (She acknowledges she doesn't know Andy well, but thinks Andy will appreciate her cleaning up her room. and she knows she shouldn't snoop, but she still moves things around...?) I think her actions do make sense though. She's obviously more loyal to the team than to Andromeda.
Let's talk about Daxam as well. Having the White Triangle be social outcasts, and not representative of the Daxamite government, is a good logical step which explains why Daxam is a UP member. It's comforting to know that the White Triangle members don't represent the majority of Daxamites.
Other plotlines:
Saturn Girl's case seems as hopeless as ever. At least Triad is back in action, and she seems none the worse for wear.
Kinetix is in high spirits, considering she's just lost her powers. She must be very confident she can regain them, and it fits in nicely with how she acted in her first few appearances. She's also keenly perspective when she's not distracted by thoughts of power.
Spark's secret admirer plotline is clumsily shoved into the scene. I know, it's there to set up Zoe's suggestion to Violet of giving Andromeda a gift, but she could just as easily have suggested it without Spark being there.
The Cosmic Boy-Winema Wazzo scene is another clumsy one. Frankly, Cos jumped the gun here. All Winema did was say she would monitor the situation. Without knowing exactly what it would entail, he antagonized her and dragged Apparition into it. Oh, Cos.
These other plotlines seem very inconsequential in the shadow of the main Andromeda/Brainiac 5 plot, though. Andromeda's near-death experience and her being saved by Brainiac 5 is a realistic way of making her confront her xenophobic beliefs. She doesn't totally discard them, which would be unbelievable; but she is forced to admit to herself that maybe not all races are completely inferior to her own. And yet, it may be too late - looks like the White Triangle plot is going to blow up pretty soon!
It's rough when the cover differs so much from the interior art, you just sigh a wistful might-have-been. However, there is something about the expressions captured that is satisfying, with just a few sketch lines on some of the simpler depictions (e.g. Vi watching Andromeda lift weights, P.10; the bottom panels of p.2 & 3). Puzzlement, suspicion and resentment are shown much more effectively than pain, anger or happiness.
We got Andromeda's history and a few steps forward in assorted sub-plots, but it was the motivations of the characters which drove this story for me.
Andromeda is the easiest character to understand, not just because she explains her upbringing and conditioning but because her motivations are clearest. She's in pain and desperate for a cure, but finds herself at the mercy of someone who she considers racially inferior, because every "other" is racially inferior. She has quick answers to justify her behaviour; not much analysis is demanded of her or the reader. Also, cracks appear in her prejudice by the end of the issue, and it's always nice to see the promise of character growth.
Brainiac 5's motivations, on the other hand, are more muddled to me. Is he trying to cure her racism as well as her lead poisoning? We know he has an ego, and Coluans have a legitimate claim to be brainier than other races; is he truly arrogant or pretending to be so? He mentions that he wishes Lyle were there to help, since Lyle is the biochemist - so he apparently doesn't see himself as the only intellect in the Legion. We also know from previous issues that he was quite smitten with Andromeda, but there's no evidence of that here - it's a strictly business relationship. At this point, it has all the makings of a screwball romantic comedy - although I think the idea was better handled by Mark Waid in the 3boot with Brainy and Dream Girl.
Violet's motivations are also puzzling. She professes to want to do something nice for poor Andromeda, - and does get her a gift of violets - but it looks like a set-up from the start for an excuse to snoop around Andromeda's quarters. Watch out for the quiet ones, our Violet has shown herself to be a little more canny than she appears.
Winema also finds an excuse to stick her nose into Tinya's business. Tinya seems to be unusually upset; Rokk blew that meeting by including Tinya, possibly also making an enemy of Winema by going to the heart of the matter and accusing her of taking a heavy hand in the mother-daughter relationship. The clumsiness, as Ibby put it, is surprising.
Imra's on hold; she's made some minimal progress but there's no explanation of what happened with Aven. Just a plot-holder, along with the brief reference to Spark's secret admirer and Zoe's farewell.
why did Brainy do what he did? odd isn't it?
Andromeda oddly comes across as the most sympathetic here, being very much torn by everything.
Vi - I agree, why is she so worried about Andromeda? Is she upset at herself for upsetting Andy earlier (confronting her about letting the thugs in L* 23 go?)
Yeah, Rokk really blew it - included Tinya (why was she there???) and calling Winema out in public. sigh. Cos is usually cannier than that.