Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes LSH v7 #17 (Spoilers)

Well, I must say that this issue has answered a criticism I voiced years ago-- that the Retroboot is merely a watered-down version of the 5YL dystopia.

With the New 52, we are now being served it full-strength.

I predict that the next dozen issues will be loved / hated by Fandom with the same fervor that 5YL was / is.

Lol, I was not aware of your criticism, but have had thoughts along those lines!

(And if I hadn't noticed a typo, I would have told you I had THONGS along those lines instead of THOUGHTs, stupid apple spell check)

Here's why the death actually kind of works for me:

He dies heroically saving the lives of his fellow Legionnaires. That itself actually ranks it much higher than a number of Legion deaths, in my view. Even cooler is the fact that his heroic deed isn't a matter of his using his super-power, but of his unique non-super-powered skills. He's the Legion's best pilot; he's the only one that could have brought them down safely.

Now, there's the separate issue that it happens off-panel, so that we don't get to see his "I'm a leaf in the wind, watch me soar" moment, and the issue of what happens to his body after his death, but, as far as how he died, I think it might actually be one of the better Legion deaths in awhile.

^ I agree with your argument, but feel that the negatives you identify in the second part of it outweigh the positives of the first (especially the off-panel factor).

That said, not just Dirk but the Legion as a whole have been dead to me since the DCnU anyway so it's not like I'm too bothered by this development.

Vive le back-issue!

I like EDE's take that it was actually a good Legion death, but the off-panel presentation didn't serve the character too well... no opportunity to see XXXX go out in a blazing flare of heroic glory!!! ... but I received a total shock, which is the point, and was put on notice that things are about to be a'shooken up... and the rest of the issue gave me nuthin' but more shakin'.

And apparently next issue "It Gets worse," haha!

I'm looking forward to it... with sadness, since Giffen ain't stickin' around.

Heroically? My thoughts as I looked at the previews was why didn't he die heroically? He didn't really seem to have a choice as a pilot. It was fly or die. He was saving himself as much as anyone.

They were smart in how they set up the silly end scene, by being sure the out they would have had from the disaster, flight rings, suddenly weren't working. At least they didn't overlook that.

Heroically (to ME) would have been to sacrifice himself so that others would live. I hardly think he was able to predict that sitting there would put a massive piece of equipment (poor design by the way) where his head was, so no heroics there. It would be silly to think of any of them balling up in a corner during this, I'm sure they were all doing something to try and save the ship. No heroics there.

This is where we are supposed to say, but during the stress, he was the one person on board that "kept his head."

Nope, not the best written scene for me. It seems clear to me the goal was the end scene, not the story that would lead to it. I figured Giffen (or Levitz) wanted to show that the character lost his head because he'd kept his head. It seems to me most like Giffen's sense of humor way of going about things.


A hundred thousand ways someone could get killed in a crash, I wouldn't be able to get past the juvenile way it was done to let me enjoy the book. I'd just be expecting more ambush bug humor. I like ambush bug. I liked ambush bug on Legion in an obvious parody. I don't like ambush bug humor in what should be a serious scene.

I think that's one good reason for me to set this title aside.

I've really enjoyed this issue, and it's getting great reviews on other websites, but I am bummed to keep seeing calls go out for Levitz to be canned as writer because people think that only Giffen can put the spark in the Legion. Giffen does help motivate Levitz to be more daring, but this storyline has been building for some time before Giffen came on board, even crossing over to Legion Lost #10. While I enjoy Giffen, I think it is unfair to state as some posters have on other sites that they only plan on buying the two issues that Giffen is on board and then dropping the series again thereafter. I think Portela can illustrate an epic story just as well if Levitz writes one. I for one will be interested in seeing where Levitz takes us with and without Giffen on pencils.

The idea that this might have pissed off Geoff Johns makes it all worthwhile. Johns gets my vote for most overrated comics writer.

Wasn't he the one that came up with Sungirl (Deborah Morgna) for the Teen Titans series? You may be right about Dirk being one of his favorites.

I found this issue .... not bad.

However, I don't see why Phantom Girl is similarly dirty and mussed as Jacques and Polar Boy though, if she phased to avoid the crash.

I preferred the Rimbor sections, much more exciting watching Cham and Jo on the case than Tinya's team floundering. Glorith pulls a White Witch, which makes me wonder why can't the White Witch just hang out with our LSH friends ... and what is the point of Glorith.



The Promethean Giant segment, was a bit slow, lots of panels of "oh shit we crash landed ... weirdo aliens ... " Suck it up Legionnaires.

If this was to be a set up issue, It would be nice to touch on 4 or so groups of heroes all stuck in different situations. There was one page on Rimbor ... that was sooo similar to the Magic Wars ... I thought Cham should've said ... "This is just like the Magic Wars." ha!

... Maybe Tharok is using New God tech to perform his wonders.

Pretty good stuff.

also, I predict Sun Boy will be reincarnated or reanimated by the bizarre feasting ritual ... and save the day in Messiah like fashion.

I was thinking sarcastically that ... what if there was a Legion death each issue! HA! That would be dark.

... but then I thought that could be pretty interesting ... like a murder mystery ... kind of fun.

and then when they're all dead, it would reboot!

^^That's totally what I was expecting for the plot of Legion of 3 Worlds!

At least we would see all the characters then!

It would be quite the challenge to come up with creative ways for each Legionnaire to die.

Who am I kidding though...the emotional roller coaster of watching my favorite characters die would probably lead me to tears and a tub of fudge swirl ice cream.

It would be like the Mask Man story all over again!

Reboot and Threeboot Sun Boys are also dead, which means that Dirk is, if I am not mistaken, the only Legionnaire to be dead in all three continuities!

Element Lad, dead in two out of three, might be next on the hit list!

I don't think reboot Dirk Morgna is dead, is he?

Didn't he like, betray the team and then commit suicide or something? Or was that 5YL Dirk?

If it was 5YL Dirk, at least 'classic' Dirk dodged the bullet of living to become that toad.

Yeah, you're thinking of 5YL Dirk, who worked for Earthgov before being imprisoned by the Dominators and was mercy-killed by his lover Circe after his powers went haywire and were burning him alive or something.

Actually, wasn't reboot Dirk Morgna, along with the entirety of the reboot universe except for the conga-line of lost Legionnaires, killed off in Infinite Crisis?

Hmm... I suppose you're right about that. And by the same token, SW6 Dirk was whited out in Zero Hour. So, there don't appear to be any extant Dirks.

This is quoted from the Keith Giffen already off Legion? thread.



Would one of those gaps be dying off panel?

He lives on in our hearts.

The reboot Dirk never was Sun Boy.
We see him for last time in the Elemental Saga Legionnaires : 71 - 74
But died in the 247 Earth destruction in the 2º Crisis.