Or – “Man, I Think I Missed An Issue…”
The Dominators have captured two Legionnaires, and their rescue squad is, at best, a ragtag affair. At least they have Bouncing Boy, the greatest Legionnaire of them all, but can even his tactical skill save Brainiac 5 and Dream Girl from vivisection? Your Major Spoilers review awaits!
Or – “Fast Times At Thirtieth Century High…”
With one bad decision under their belts, it’s much simpler for the kids of the Legion Academy to make a few more bonehead plays… Is there any chance of them making it to their second year?
Or – “V-I-L-L-A-I-N. ‘Villian’ Is Not A Word, Folks.”
The Legion of Super-Villains has gone through a lot of membership changes in it’s decades (our time) of service. The last LSV consisted of nearly every member of every incarnation of the team and came within inches of destroying the entire multiverse before being stopped by an all-star three-universe Legion of Super-Heroes. What the team has generally lacked, though, is a strong leadership force.
Have you met Ted Saturn Queen?
Or – “Also Known As Adventure Comics #306 1/2.”
One of the transformative moments in the history of the Legion of Super-Heroes came in the form of their first loss, the death of Lightning Lad at the hands of Zaryan the Conqueror. Far from destroying the LSH (as it reasonably could have), Garth’s sacrifice instead catalyzed the remaining members to rededicate themselves to taking down pirates and space-whales and such. Even though he got over it, it was really the moment that turned the Legion from Kal-El’s teenage social club into an honest-to-Klordny army against evil. It also set the precedent that, unlike MOST superhero stories, there were very real consequences in the Legion’s world…
Or – “The Further Adventures Of People Who Look Vaguely Like Characters We Used To Love In The 80′s!”
After a so-so launch, the second and third issues of the latest volume of Legion of Super-Heroes left me on the fence regarding whether or not Volume 5 is a success for me. There have been missteps (far too much focus on Earth-Man, a reliance upon things we’ve seen before) and there have been some workable concepts as well… It’s kind of been a crapshoot, in all senses of the word, thus far.
This issue finally tips the balance for me, and it does it with a single sentence.
Or – “All This Fuss Over Absorbency Boy???”
The resurgence of the Legion has it’s positives and it’s opportunities for me, not the least of which comes in the form of Earth-Man, the buzzcut neo-Nazi xenophobic schmuck who has dominated the first two issues of the series. His utilization in the Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes arc of Action Comics worked well, but out of that context, he’s just an annoyance, and provides a twenty-somethingth or other member of a team that’s already full to bursting with people I might care about. Will this issue continue the trend, or can we get some Legion in our Legion?
Or – “In Which A Fave-Rave Makes A Somewhat Lukewarm Return…”
Everybody has their favorite Legionnaire, even if they don’t know it… Mine is Blok, but Matter-Eater Lad is in the top five, as is another much-maligned Legionnaire who makes his unheralded return this issue. In the wake of last issue’s tragedy, relationships have changed, families have been separated, and much unpleasantness has occurred. Isn’t this a perfect time to deal with a traitor in your midst AND an old enemy with a grudge?
Or – “I’m Almost Tempted To Mark This One As A Retro Review…”
I really didn’t intend to review two Legion-related books back-to-back, but c’est la guerre, I guess. We all know the story of how three kids from the future changed Clark Kent’s destiny be showing him that he wasn’t alone in the world. But 52 years down the line, some of those old-school tales are feeling a bit shopworn. At least for a while, Adventure Comics is going to fill in some of those blanks, showing us (in essence) the past of the future! Flight rings… ACTIVATE!
Or – “They Also Serve Those Who Only Stand And Wait Get Retconned After Twelve Issues…”
It’s a sad truth of the Legion of Super-Heroes that many readers consider them (in the words of my pal Otter Disaster) “an inside joke that I don’t get.” That confusion is understandable, given my own questions on whether Vol. 4 Laurel Gand and Rebooted Andromeda should be considered the same character, or whether Alchemist and Element Lad should be treated as one, sharing as they do little more than a real name in common. So, it’s nice to be able to take a character and give a straightforward explanation, without changing realities, wiped out figures, or reconstituted post-Crisis elements… Today’s entrant started as a crush for a fellow Legionnaire, and ended up becoming an emblem of how the team overcomes prejudices, heals old grudges and can even make a better hero. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Giselle Smith of Triton… Gazelle!
Or – “Soldiering On In The Face of Inevitability…”
First of all, I know what you’re thinking… Where’s the Hero History, schmucko? Turns out that doing seven heroes at the same time is the kind of thing you should plan extra time for. Go figure. Add to that recent work meetings about metrics that nobody really understands and a 14 hour day yesterday, and the Hero History is late. (Again.) In any case, I thought I’d share a little Legion in the hopes of cushioning the blow, and then get the H.H. up and running tonight, barring the rising of the creek and the blessings of any theoretical deities. Recent announcements that this book is ending with #50 have somewhat diminished the bloom on this particular Legion era’s rose, ironically at the point where things were really starting to turn around. DC editorial seems to be intent on returning the old-school Legion to prominence, without realizing that’s exactly what Shooter has been doing…
Or – “Eight Heroes Are Better Than None…”
In recent weeks, we’ve been examining those heroes who joined the Legion in it’s second major incarnation, after harassment from a corrupt Earthgov (undermined by Dominator spies) drove the team to disband for over three years. The team was eventually brought back together by the murder of longtime member Blok (*sniff*) and rose like a phoenix from the ashes, only without sleeping with the kid in the visor. But there is something that we’ve only touched upon briefly that you may not have known… The Legion was active for several months during that Five Year Lacuna. And during that time, took on new members (including the already-covered Kent Shakespeare) whose Legion tenures were mostly undocumented. But, thanks to the miracles of modern technology (and a collection of Legion comics bigger than the average minivan) their stories can be told… Sort of. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of E. Davis Ester of Touston… Bobb Kohan of Earth… Myke-4 Astor of Calish Aetia… Myg of Lythyl… Berta Skye Haris of Earth… Stig Ah of Rimbor… Myke Chypurz of Earth… Rhent Ustin of Earth… The Five-Year Gap Legionnaires!
Or – “When The Girl Next Door Comes From Another Dimension…”
In our Hero Histories to date, we’ve seen martyrs and martinets, rockmen and rubber boys, 12th level geniuses and 20th century rejects, but today’s Hero History subject is one of the most relatable of the various Legionnaires throughout the years. Her story is very familiar, a girl from a good family who leaves home and ends up bonding with a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Her story becomes inextricably intertwined with that of her longtime beau, encompassing one of the Legion’s longest-running and most successful romances, and the depth of love is as impressive as his super-powers in many ways. She’s the sweetest, the calmest of Legionnaires, even at times when all seems lost, and the nature of her powers allow her a sense of serenity that most LSHers can only dream of. In short, she’s the Legionnaire I’d be most likely to fall in love with, and, I have to say this… her classic costume showcases one of the finest derrieres of the 31st century. This, then, is your Hero History of Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl… Phantom Girl!
