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Underground > Comic Books >

Legion Of Super Heroes

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17:33 / 01.03.05

There's only three issues out. Get the last one. If you like it go back and get the other two.

Matthew Fluxington

19:23 / 01.03.05

There's no reason to wait for a trade, the issues are self contained. Start with whatever issue you can find. I liked 2 and 3 more than issue 1, but 1 introduces the main concept.

12:36 / 04.03.05

"You can't be Triplicate Girl -- I AM!"

Fun stuff.

"Where are you guys going?" "BAR!"

And yes, the idea of an entire world populated by
Triplicate Girl is inspired.

Really good issue. And glad Cos is not clueless
about Brainy's plan.

12:59 / 04.03.05

Yeah, BillR, this is really good stuff, to the point where I'll have to drop another title to buy this one... Never thought anyone could make Cosmic Boy cool.

16:03 / 06.03.05

Cosmic Boy's always been a great character - his mini around the Legends time was great.

And yeah, this book is great. It's about the only regular title (and Astonishing X-Men) that I'm buying now days. Chameleon Boy was great in issue 3.

And Flux - maybe you can help, didn't Laura Gand turn out to be a robot assasin? I'm kind of going on old memory here, but there was a cover of her, with her metal skull visable.

My favourite run was towards the end of the series before the 5 years later relaunch. One particular issue, in which I think Timber Wolf or Karate Kid gets beaten to death, was supurb. Again, old memory, so if anyone can fill in blanks that'd be great.

Oh and issue 3 - "we could have a conversation" " I like being naked" "I'll start" was very funny.

16:18 / 06.03.05

You are thinking of the death of Karate Kid, at the hand of a villain who has the power to counteract any one superpower. That is scene only topped by the reaction of his wife (Queen Projectra) in the next issue:

"Look into my eyes. The blood of wizards & kings runs through my veins. I don't need my powers to defeat you."

Then she executes him by breaking his neck with her bare hands.

16:22 / 06.03.05

I found a Usenet post that had the full speech:

"My ancestors were kings and wizards -- conquerors. You are nothing but a common killer, a mad dog accidentally born in human form. You have ravaged my planet and taken from me the man I have given my heart to. I need no power to defeat you, Nemesis Kid, save that in my blood."

I am Invisible now

17:13 / 06.03.05

Benny, my memory is pretty bad atm too on legion history, but I remember..what was her name...a desecendant of Clark Kent in the future that was dating sun-boy...who was really a manhunter robot during the "millennium" cross over thing. but alas, she had awaken 1000 years in the future, and was REALLY late for the assassination of the oans or something, and self destructed?
I think I may have just spilled out useless verbal nonsense...I hope it helped?

20:08 / 06.03.05

Mario and I.A.I.N. thank you both. I remember the cover very clearly of the Manhunter robot issue, but not much else.

As for the Karate Kid Issue, I loved that issue completely, that was one of the best hero deaths ever if I remember correctly. Anyone have a clue which issue of which run it was, I'd love to return to it.

Back to Waids current run - it has just the right amount of fun in it, and the sense that there is a grander story building is well done. I agree that the colouring is dark, murky even. As I said though, this is one of the few books I'm planning to pick up regularly.

21:17 / 06.03.05

I believe it was in the Baxter run (the 1984 relaunch) early on...issues #1-5?

10:41 / 07.03.05

Number 4. Just found a link that has all the covers. And yep it was Laurel Lang or Lane who was the Manhunter robot.

15:37 / 07.03.05

Laurel Kent, actually. And she had the _best_ costume.

15:56 / 07.03.05

That's her. After I posted I realised that she was a Kent (or not as the case turned out).

How are you finding the new series, Mario?

I wish that DC would collect more stuff in the cheap book format that Marvel are using so well - I've only got the first Legion book, another eleven to go and they're still only on the 70's.

16:53 / 07.03.05

I've decided to give it a shot. While the future society is still a bit sketchy, the dialogue and character interactions are just too much fun to ignore.

I have decided, moreover, that while I'm reading the book, I will completely forget everything I knew about the characters' prior incarnations. New world, new rules.

18:35 / 07.03.05

That was ACTUALLY her Legion costume...?

Bizarre.

I've heard a bit about the death of Karate Kid - sounds rather abrupt and shocking.

Wasn't there also a big 'death of Ferro Lad' story? I remember reading about Michael Chabon reading it to his 7 year old in tears. I guess this was from the 70s Legion...?

Matthew Fluxington

20:59 / 07.03.05

Laurel Gand was a totally different character. She was basically a stand-in for Supergirl. She was related to Lar "Valor" Gand, who was originally Mon El. Both of them are Daxamites.

Matthew Fluxington

21:02 / 07.03.05

Yeah, Ferro Lad died defeating the Sun-Eater back in the mid-60s. Here's an essay about it.

Matthew Fluxington

21:04 / 07.03.05

Never thought anyone could make Cosmic Boy cool.

Nonsense, Rokk Krinn was one of the best characters in the Giffen/Bierbaums version of the series!

21:29 / 07.03.05

I gave my 4th series run of Legion to a friend recently, but now I really want to re-read it.

Actually, now I want to buy the entire 3rd series run and read that again.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

03:07 / 09.03.05

Laurel Gand turned out to be a Manhunter during the horrid mini-series where it turned out that half of the DC supporting characters were Manhunters in disguise.

As for Karate Kid dying...Keith Giffen said that he always hated the character and wouldn't have come back to the book if he didn't get to kill him. It's a shame, since he was pretty much the only Legion character who could actually fight instead of just point and finger and do things.

14:58 / 09.03.05

Ugh... I remember that Manhunter crossover - that was especially awful. I think at one point they tried to convince readers that Lana Lang was a Manhunter all along. Just horrible, horrible stuff.

17:58 / 28.03.05

The fourth issue has guest pencils by Leonard Kirk on the main story, and a back-up story drawn by the legendary Dave Gibbons! The 4 preview pages hint that Sun Boy may be thinking about quitting the Legion...?

13:24 / 31.03.05

Just got this, haven't read it yet, but it's weird seeing Dave Gibbons inked by someone else (in the backup story)... I'm so used to seeing Gibbons ink himself (which he almost always does).

13:08 / 02.04.05

Solid issue...I really liked Brainy's deadpan "That was an interesting decision" and the dilemma faced by Invisible Kid (and the actions he took to resolve it). although I wasn't clear on whether or not the scientists from the UP will be able to get the secret of invisibility from his blood sample.

I like the Invisible Kid's origin, too. In Legion history, was he typically really smart as well as invisible?

Kitson has a cool way of drawing the Kid becoming invisible, too - a novelty in this comics world of Invisible Girl/Woman-related invisibility drawing shorthand.

The backup story was fun - could have done without the "edumicate me" joke, though (if they're trying to replicate jokes and speech patterns of our era, I hardly think 'edumicate' is a prevalent joke word of the 20th century). And Dave Gibbons must have been doing just breakdowns or something, cause in some places it looks like the inker really went to town putting his own style on top of Gibbons'. Also, in Legion history, was Karate Kid always crushing on Phantom Girl?

Lightning Lad and Dream Girl, featured on the cover, aren't in the issue at all (as well as the Invisible Kid, who is actually in the issue).

13:26 / 02.04.05

Based on various reviews, it appears the KK/PG crush is new. She's usually teamed with Ultra Boy.

Invisible Kid has always been the creator of his own powers. In the reboot era, I think he invented the flight rings.

18:31 / 02.04.05

Preboot Karate Kid was Projectra's consort. In the reboot he didn't really have a love interest AFAIK (though I like to believe he and Ferro had something on the side.)

22:44 / 03.04.05

Lightning Lad and Dream Girl, featured on the cover, aren't in the issue at all (as well as the Invisible Kid, who is actually in the issue).

Invisible Kid is actually on the cover of every comic book in the history of the world.

00:16 / 18.04.05

Y'know, (re)reading the first few issues of this last night, I realized there's only one thing could be added to push it over into where I just absolutely adore it: add Marvel Boy. The Morrison, never called it in series, Kree bastard, Horus avatar, Jack Frost of the MU, Marvel Boy. And 'Eat it, grandad,' should probably be in every other issue, if only as background graffiti or a billboard or something. Official slogan on a little membership card, so it's the first thing a cop sees when they card you.
It's sorta weird to think that Waid and Miller, both of whom have always struck me as the safer (in some weird, inexplicable sense) face of supertights, have been pushing the open rebellion, teenage kicks, meme the last few years. 'Dark Knight Strikes...' and now this. Makes me wonder what Tom Peyer or either Kesel will be coming out with soon.
'Marvel Boy' seemed to kick the ideology back into the air, but maybe it was my growing distaste with long underwear comics just before that, which is tainting my view, in retrospect.
But, y'know, two new members, Marvel Boy and er, Anarky Boy! Then I'm completely sold.

00:28 / 18.04.05

In quick addendum:
Why are the teenage kicks youth and energy frustato-angry comics all comics from old, aged folks? I mean, okeh, they're not that old, and I'm starting to make myself feel old typing this, but... Leifield was what, seventeen when he started working? Where're the fifteen-twenty impetus-to-revolt-and-just-plain-punk bastards and theorybitches? I'm so far removed from a proper non-major-label comics atmosphere, right now, that the stuff may well be about but... Hewlett's got a major corporate music thing, 'Heartbreakers' is gone, Mike Dana cannot legally touch a pen these days, James O'Barr lost it pretty quick, and the new young(er) comics types seem to be doing fairly safe, simple, professional fanfic without the cussing and open slash.
Am I wrong for thinking some comics would be well-served to be written by twelve year-olds (it worked in the past, didn't it?), and drawn somewhere between Cindy Sherman, Mike Kelly and that TCatt superporn guy? Then, every seven months, take those comics, cut all the panels out, scramble, throw them back down, and let y'know, angry highschool girls transfigure them into something, then, publish that.
Comics that look like junior-high-to-third-year-of-college finals projects in a three-hour-a-session fine arts course, if you got no grade and you hated the school anyway.
With everybody named Lad, Boy, Girl, Lass, Boigrrl, et cet.

02:20 / 18.04.05

to be horrifically practical, you have to be Waid and Millar's age in order to gain the requisite experience/reputation that would allow you to muck with company-protected comics that much. So maybe this is just their teenage stuff finally invited to the party?

m.

22:42 / 09.05.05

#5 is really solid - quite happy with this book. We get the revamped Timber Wolf (some of the first comic book superhero stories I remember reading were little Legion digests compiling stories, published in the mid-70s) and a hint at the villains, which look potentially very interesting. Waid seems to be emphasizing interestig moral dilemnas in this series, and seems to be trying very much to give us new ideas, new villains, etc.

18:53 / 03.06.05

#6 also solid, with a fun comics-as-letters page concept in the back. Anyone else still reading this?

21:17 / 03.06.05

I am, but something about the book is starting to bore me. I think we need a good "everybody fights together" story.

05:45 / 04.06.05

It's my favorite comic at the moment. Funny, loads of characterization, and I've been waiting for Kitson to return to the Legion universe for some time.

I can see why the lack of cast-of-thousands action scenes might get boring, but I'm willing to wait. And I find Lemnos a very interesting baddie indeed after the backup story in #6.

Keith, like a scientist

14:46 / 05.06.05

still reading this and the above comment that the last two issues are "solid" is spot on...that's the best way to describe this book. it's just a very tight, satifying superhero book. interesting good guys, interesting bad guys, good interplay, good art, good dialogue, and a somewhat slow moving overall arc. i've never read a Legion book before, and i haven't found this hard to get into at all.

i hope the waid/kitson team stays around for a long long run on this book.

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