Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #22

R.E.B.E.L.S. #22 was released last week and was the middle chapter of the three part 'To be a Rebel' storyline. R.E.B.E.L.S. as a book continues to find it's way in the post-Starro world, as writer Tony Bedard has the team exploring their new role in the universe.

Maybe it isn't necessarily a new role, they are back to being L.E.G.I.O.N. protectors for worlds again, providing a police presence for the galaxy. But now, to compete, Brainiac has taken an anti-Oa stance, asking planets who they would rather have protect them: the R.E.B.E.L.S. or the Green Lanterns. For me, in some ways, these last several issues have sort of lessened the book a bit. I liked when R.E.B.E.L.S. felt like a solo DC cosmic book, exploring the areas of the DC galaxy  that weren't covered elsewhere. Now, the book sort of feels like an adjunct to the Green Lantern franchise.

We are closer to the original feel of the book now. The team's roster appears to have stabilized now that Adam Strange, Captain Comet, Lobo, and Starfire have joined. With the team settled, we can again begin to look at the individual characters a bit more closely. And I need to see Bedard do that again. One thing I liked about the early issues of this title was how easily Bedard was able to showcase different races cultures, how he had developed some pretty well-rounded characters. With Starro done, with new members present, I still don't know why some of the original R.E.B.E.L.S. are still there. Why would Ciji or Bounder or Xylon stick around? The newer members of the team seem to be dominating the book a bit more. So I hope we are going to see more of those characters soon.

The book sports a very nice cover by Legion artist Francis Portela, showing a very nice action shot of Starfire.

The book starts off with a scene on Oa, further cementing my feeling that this is now a Green Lantern book, even moreso now that the Okaaran and Psion Green Lantern novices are in the book so prominently.

Green Lantern Karkum, the female Psion, is being investigated by the Guardians for some indiscretion she has committed on her homeworld. Whatever she did, it seems grave and has worsened the relationship between Oa and the Psion people. Karkum is allowed to tell her story.

I know that this is pertinent to this storyline but I don't know if I need or want this scene in this book. There are already 3 Green Lantern books on the market. And this sudden concentration on more GL-like stories and the newer more popular team members hasn't really effected sales that much.

I mean ... when was the last meaningful dialogue we have heard from Amon Hakk? Or Bounder?

We then see a meeting of the R.E.B.E.L.S. team, albeit initially without Vril Dox. Adam Strange has concerns about what is happening. He is worried about the anti-Oa message, about Lobo being on the team, about Lyrl wandering the halls.

This scene is a short 2 pages and I really wished it could have been longer. This was a chance to be re-acquainted with these characters. At least we see Wildstar in a panel. But again, looking at that table, without the unifying threat of Starro, it makes me wonder why some of these characters are still there. Aren't there stories to be told there? Why would Ciji stay and work for Dox? What's worse, because the scene is short, we only get more 2-dimensional representations of these characters.

Honestly, I miss these characters and their interactions with Brainiac. That dynamic is what made me read this title to begin with.

Dox arrives at the end of the discussion and despite the apparent brewing mutiny, appears confident and smug in what he is doing. That was a nice moment.

Starfire has been asked by Dox to do something of a good will tour for the LEGION team, being a spokesperson and media darling for the team.

While traveling from planet to planet, Kory notices that Karkum has been following her. Initially, Starfire thinks it is something of an attack. After all, Kory had been a prisoner of the Psions earlier in life, her homeworld destroyed by the Psions. Maybe Karkum wants to kill her.

Turns out Karkum wants Starfire's help. She reminds Kory of the atrocities she suffered at the hands of the Psions when she was imprisoned. Karkum understands those indignities because she suffered them too. Starfire lashes out; she doesn't want to be reminded of that time. No one has  the right to talk to her about it.

I will admit I had forgotten this portion of Starfire's origin, that she was sexually abused by the Psions. Maybe I didn't remember it because I think that theme in a female character's origins is somewhat overused.

But what does Karkum mean that she also suffered like that?

Karkum takes Starfire to the Psion planet. There, the Green Lantern acolyte slaughters several Psion soldiers, telling them they do not deserve Oan protection. It is sudden and shocking.

But I wonder, do Green Lantern rookies ... initiates who haven't earned the symbol ... do they have full access to what the ring can do? Can they use lethal force? Wouldn't the Guardians put in some sort of checks within the rings of these rookies so they couldn't go amok?

Starfire is completely shocked by this sudden murderous spree but Karkum says she has her reasons.

Starfire's shock turns to rage when she is shown how the Psions procreate. Psion females are prisoners in centers called Breeding Nexus. They are chained and raped and forced to breed. They have quotas they need to reach, specifically of male progeny they need to meet.

Karkum suffered there as these other women have but her spirit was never broken. That strength of character is what led the ring to her.

This is such an awful scene. It really made me cringe. It makes the Psions that much more loathsome.

Disgusted, enraged ... maybe because it forces her to face her own degradations, Starfire lashes out at the Psion troops there. And Green Lantern Karkum does as well. They wade through the Nexus, slaughtering Psions as they go.

These are brutal scenes of mayhem, Psions being hewn, blasted, and immolated. I am not used to seeing heroes do this. But the Psions deserve it ... right?

With the Nexus about to be overrun by the heroes, the Psion leader uses a self-destruct device to destroy the Breeding cell.

The Psion women within the Nexus are dead ... but free.

Once the adrenaline has worn off, once her rage has passed, Starfire cries.

Is it because this dredged up awful memories? Is it because she just killed? I think of Kory as a warrior but not a murderer. Regardless of why she is crying, I thought it was a very nice piece of characterization, subtle but important.

Back at the LEGION headquarters, Starfire angrily confronts Dox who had recently signed a contract to protect the Psion world. Dox is talking to a Psion leader, trying to smooth over the Starfire incident.

But Starfire won't have it. With one steely look, she forces Dox to annul the contract.

When Starfire was added to the book, I thought her passion would make her a nice foil to Dox. She is a different type of leader; she has a different type of strength, an emotional fortitude. So it was good to see this friction. It was good to see her influence Dox like this.

While the Psions lost one Breeding Nexus, the race has many. And more importantly, they remain a threat. One of their Nexus sites appears to be a cloning station of Lobo. It looks like we are going to see a brawl soon. Hopefully we will get to see the whole R.E.B.E.L.S. team in action.

It is hard to know how I feel about this particular issue. On one hand, it is another issue where we didn't see the characters which founded this book. On the other, it was a powerful story which showcased Starfire and her place in the team nicely. Her own history mirrors the atrocities we saw on the Psion world. Can the R.E.B.E.L.S. make cultural changes on the worlds within their grasp? With the team taking on a bigger role in the galaxy maybe we will see the whole team shine soon.

Claude St. Aubin does his usual solid stuff on art. But Kevin Sharpe does a  nice job on some fill-in pages. Lush stuff by Sharpe here.

Overall grade: B

Review: Adventure Comics #520

I am sort of sad to see this run of Legion of Super-heroes come to an end in Adventure Comics #520. I don't need a primer on the Legion but it certainly has been fun to see the Legionnaires in their youth, in their Silver Age costumes, and learning hard lessons on being heroes in the 30th century.

Much of this run has been focused on the Legion 'growing up' ... moving from curiosity, to questionable ally of the Science Police, to adjunct to the SciPo, to finally mourners as one of their own has fallen in battle. And, I have liked how we have seen those changes through the eyes of Saturn Girl who has had to do some growing of her own. She has gone from shy girl with low confidence to weary warrior in a short time and doing that while making some dubious decisions about the use of her powers. Imra has always been a rock in the foundation of the LSH, certainly a perfect counter-balance to Lightning Lad's irascible nature.

Paul Levitz shines here, building on definite moments in the Legion's history without leaving new readers behind. And Kevin Sharpe's art works well, showcasing a young Legion.

The overall story arc has been the Legion battling raider Zaryan and his battles with the United Planets. In particular, he has been a thorn in Saturn Girl's side as she feels responsible for the death of the Science Police Liason Sgt. Esquival.

This issue drops us off sometime in the near future from the end of last issue. Zaryan has tried to invade Earth and has died. But in that battle, Lightning Lad has been killed by a freeze ray. The opening scene is Garth's funeral and we get to see how that effects all of the Legionnaires.

As if the guilt from Esquival's death wasn't enough, Saturn Girl blames herself for Lightning Lad's death as well ... and we shall see she might not be that wrong. I love her internal monologue here as she realizes that they were simply playing dress-up before, pretending to be soldiers. And now that reality has sunk in.

Throughout the issue, we hear Imra's thoughts as she relives the incident leading to Garth's death. And while she seeps in that sorrow, her teammates mop up what is left of Zaryan's army.

I was a bit giddy when I saw this 2 page spread of the black arm-banded team shouting 'Long Live the Legion'. For one, I liked how some of the Legionnaires aren't ready to beat their chests and scream the motto. Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, and Brainiac 5 seem much more reserved in their reactions. People grieve differently. I thought a varied response was appropriate.

But I also loved how Supergirl is right there, standing next to her cousin, hand raised. Suddenly, the continuity of Supergirl Annual #2, that Supergirl was in the Legion, acting in this time period of the team, is set in cement. I am thrilled by that. I always felt that being in the Legion was an important part of Supergirl's history.

With Zaryan dead, his fleet of ships seems to be in disarray, fleeing UP space to try to regroup. But the Science Police are right on their tail and so is the Legion.

Just when the SciPo are about to overrun the ships, they are told to stand down and let the Legion get the first shot. This is suddenly personal.

I don't know if the Science Police would do this earlier in the run, so it should some subtle growth in the relationship between them and the Legion.

It also shows how much the Legion has grown. There is no hesitation as the rip into the ship and thrash Zaryan's troops.

Okay, maybe it isn't just respect for the Legion that has made the Science Police take a step back. It turns out that R.J. Brande has been spreading coin to let his team have this chance. I like how his checkbook is his super-power.

But it was nice that Sun Boy mentions how distraught Brande is over Garth's death. He always talked about the Legion, and in particular the founders, as his children. So I liked that we at least heard that.

But revenge ... but dismantling Zaryan's fleet ... it isn't going to bring Lightning Lad back. When Saturn Girl recalls that battle, she ends with an image of her holding Lightning Lad's body. This recurring image nicely echoes the emptiness that Saturn Girl is feeling. As always, whenever the art perfectly meshes with the words, it shows how great this medium is.

It works even more when you hear that it was this moment when Saturn Girl realized she loved Garth. How empty and dark she must feel.

In an added bonus, Supergirl actually gets to see some action and has a speaking line!

She is one of the strong advance force of the Legion, there with the muscle of Superboy and Ultra Boy. In theory they are supposed to disable the criminal's ships so the Science Police can mop things up. But the boys have something else in mind. This really is personal, probably the first time a Legion case has felt this way.

Finally we here exactly what led to Lightning Lad's death. And it really gives us a good look at the inner workings of Saturn Girl's mind. Weighed down by guilt over Sgt Esquival's death, swearing no one else will die because of her, and armed with Dream Girl's vision of a Legionnaire dying, Saturn Girl feels compelled to act ... setting herself up to be the one to die perhaps? It is a pretty dark place.

But it gets murkier. She used her powers to nudge the Legionnaires to vote her as leader, the second time she has used her powers on her friends. First she mind-wipes Rokk, forcing him to forget their tryst. Now she 'controls' them? It certainly isn't the characterization of Imra Ardeen I am used to. But this story gives Levitz the chance to tarnish the otherwise glittering Silver Age history of the team. It fleshes out the character a bit.

I am not saying I like it ... I am still pondering it.

Once elected leader, Saturn Girl uses some 'experimental substances' to absorb all the powers of the Legionnaires and goes out to fight Zaryan alone. Unfortunately for her, Mon-El has observed all her plans from the Phantom Zone and let's Lightning Lad know. Garth then flies off to help, dying in the process.

With Zaryan's troops captured, all that is left is dealing with the emotional fallout. Initially Imra decides to quit the Legion, feeling she has betrayed them in every sense.

But Rokk remains the moral center of the team. Yes, Saturn Girl made mistakes ... but they all are making mistakes. They are new to everything and won't be perfect. The team wants her back and they want her back as leader.

She needs to forgive herself for all that has happened. She needs move on. She needs to lean on her team, her family.She says it best herself. She has the best friends.

The last panel of the comic shows just how far she has come during this time of her life. This is a confident Saturn Girl, proudly wielding her Legion ring. The point of view of the panel adds to that feeling; she is heroic and shown in a heroic pose. This really was a coming of age story for the whole team but for Imra most of all. I have to say I liked it a lot.

Even more when she vowed she would find a way to bring Garth back.

That is a clear reference to Adventure Comics #312, when Saturn Girl again tries to stack the deck in her favor.

I hope that every so often Levitz goes back to this time period, doing another retro-arc. This has been a lot of fun. Not jaw-dropping ... not unbelievably fantastic. But fun and entertaining. And that is what comics are supposed to be.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Adventure Comics #518

One of the hard things about trying to run this blog is realizing when something has slipped through the cracks. Adventure Comics # 518 came out 2 weeks ago and here I have been remiss in reviewing it. I think with this review I will finally be up to date on the comics that I want to give an in-depth look. Thank goodness, new comics come out tomorrow!

Adventure continues to turn back the clock and look at the earliest stories of  Superboy and the Legion. As I have said since this renaissance of the title, it is an interesting concept for a number of reasons. I think one of the major problems with any Legion reboot is the fear of isolating or offending the continuity-rabid older fan base of the characters. This title's concept is probably heaven-sent for that crowd, allowing the more seasoned Legion lovers to enjoy a look backwards. But this title also allows Paul Levitz to further define and refine this early period of the team while, in essence, teaching any new Legion fans what the team was all about back in the day. We haven't seen any frank re-telling of Legion stories but we have danced around some of the big events in Legion Lore. And outside of, in my opinion, one major gaffe (having Saturn Girl sleep with Cos and then mind wipe him), it has accomplished those goals nicely.

For newer fans, this book also helps to build a foundation for the team which has a lot of history to cover. And it allows the reader the ability to look at a character closely from where they have been (in Adventure) and where they are now (in the Legion main book). Certainly the Saturn Girl in the main book is different than the one here, so contrasting those portrayals helps the reader see just how much these characters have grown.

My one concern as an older fan as I read this book is that I may not appreciate the context of the story if indeed it is meant to embellish a sliver of the Silver Age. I consider myself a huge Legion fan but my knowledge of their earliest history is okay ... not encyclopedic. So maybe Levitz is hinting at a story I just don't know about.

The issue continues the plot of the Legion tracking down the tech-marauder Zaryan.

I have been enjoying the story's focus on the early Saturn Girl and her growing confidence. She bears a grudge against Zaryan. After all, his men nearly killed Saturn Girl last issue, killing the SciPo liaison instead. Imra feels responsible for that death and blames herself for her weakness in combat.

This issue she seems more confident, less antsy in battle, dropping her enemies telepathically while hounding Zaryan. She is able to procure some information about his whereabouts and his next target. It is a small victory but you can see how proud Saturn Girl is. Now the Legion can be proactive.

I know the polished, strong, self-reliant Saturn Girl the best so it is nice to see these early missteps. It makes me appreciate to current strong Legionnaire more.

Back at the LSH headquarters, Brainy, Phantom Girl, and Superboy are investigating a mystery. Some of the Legionnaires have been hearing voices in the headquarters. With some concern that the voices are spectral in nature, Phantom Girl has been left behind to pursue any ghostly leads.

I am still a bit surprised at how forward Phantom Girl is here in Adventure. I don't recall that being part of her usual personality.

She even invites Superboy to inspect the .. ahem ... personal quarters. Not surprising is Superboy's shyness and his awkward rebuff of her advances. He practically trips over himself to get out of there. It is funny to see Clark squirm a bit here.

And call me crazy, but I've come to like the throwback 'P' costume Phantom Girl sports here.

In what has to be a monumental bonehead play, Zaryan has plans to raid Naltor. Isn't it a bit foolish to think you'll surprise a planet of precogs?

And while the planet might not have a strong army (Zaryan says they are 'only Naltorians'), they are forewarned and therefore forearmed.

Didn't Zaryan realize that they might have called in some muscle?

The Science Police are already there and thanks to Saturn Girl's prior discovery, the Legion is there as well.

Among the Naltorians is a young and very fetching Nura Nal, who already senses where her destiny might be. One day she'll be Dream Girl.

And given the mystical nature of Naltor, I thought it was a nice touch that the Naltorian leader calls the Science Police the planet's dark sword. It is a nice flair of local color.

Dream Girl's premonitions don't end there. She also gets a vision of a dead Legionnaire. Given the whole feel of this story, the emphasis on Saturn Girl, and prior hints, my guess is it's Lightning Lad who will die (and then be resurrected by Proty's sacrifice).

But that is part of the problem here. I don't recall enough of the Legion history to place this story in any concrete time period. Despite some information (Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl not an item, Ultra Boy on the team), I don't know if the Lightning Lad death is historically imminent or not. For all I know, this is a premonition of Ferro Lad or Invisible Kid. Maybe I shouldn't let it bother me. Maybe I should just read the stories. But it is sort of mildly annoying.

Superboy meanwhile has fled from Phantom Girl straight to the Superman wing of the Legion trophy room/museum.

In a nice progression from Dream Girl's vision of a dead Legionnaire, Superboy faces his own death in the face of Doomsday. Here is a destiny he can't escape. I like how he acknowledges that is 'better to go out fighting'; he already has the courage of Superman. He looks away without even learning of his eventual revival.

This idea of destiny permeates the issue. How tough must it be for Superboy to already know how you will be killed.

But Superman can't dwell on the future for too long. He hears the ghostly voice warning him that he can't stay. Why is it warning Superboy to go back to his own time? Is it a threat here in the future he needs to avoid? Or a threat in the past that Superboy needs to attend to?

As for the voice itself, it has to be Mon-El right? Communicating from the Phantom Zone?

With no easy answers, Superboy's visit ends and he is brought back to his own time. When he returns there will be a new Legion leader as Cosmic Boy has decided to step down. Again, the book is building on Legion history, fleshing out older stories. So is this change in leadership something that should be jogging my memory? In some ways a little knowledge is a bad thing. Am I trying to hard?

In the end, Adventure ends up being a 'nice' comic. I am enjoying them for this retrospective look at the Legion. But I'm not floored by them. I really would love to hear how the extremes of Legion fans are receiving this book: the hard-core fans and the brand new readers.

The art by Kevin Sharpe is a nice fit for these stories. He has a pleasing style, organic and rounded, not angular and frenetic, which really works for these stories. I am pretty happy with his work here.

Overall grade: B

Review: Adventure Comics #517

I wish I had a better sense for the overall response to Adventure Comics. The comic has become sort of a flashback title for the Legion, looking back at the earliest days of the team, trying to rebuild and refine the group's history.

Who is this title's demographic? Old timers like me, hoping to rekindle our passion for the team, while updating the early part of their timeline? New Legion readers, who may be having a hard time grasping the current title and might need this book to build up a back story? Both?

The comic market has barely been able to sustain any Legion book for the better part of 2 decades. Can it sustain 2 books? And does having two titles at two different points in time make it more confusing for new readers? I suppose there are a ton of X-books out there at different times so maybe I am overthinking things.

As for me, I am enjoying this title more than I thought I would. I feared that this book might end up reading like reprints of stories I have already read. What Paul Levitz is doing is adding nuance to well traveled Legion stories and themes, bringing new perspective for the older Legion readers while building a history for the newer readers. In some ways it reminds me of Geoff Johns and his ability to reintroduce Silver Age elements of the Superman mythos while updating them enough to feel fresh.

Adventure Comics # 517 continues that 'best of both worlds' feel, bringing us one of the earliest Legion adventures back when the team consisted of only the original three, but adding some characterization to Saturn Girl.

Saturn Girl has always been portrayed as a steely strong and confident member of the team, a leader both by example and in title. When I started reading the Legion, she was already entrenched as a veteran, almost a legend on her own team.

This issue shows a very different Imra Ardeen. With the Legion just having been formed, she realizes that she cannot rely solely on her telepathy. She needs to be able to wade into battle and she doesn't have the luxury of ranged based kinetic powers like Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad. She needs to be able to 'keep up' with the other Legionnaires.

It is an interesting take. In the end, Saturn Girl ends up being probably more powerful than either of them, her telepathy being a better weapon than magnetism and lightning. So to see her sweating in the gym, worried she won't make it as a Legionnaire unless she can throw a mean right hook gives some new insight to her character. And given the time period of this story, it feels natural even though it is 'out of character' for the Saturn Girl we see in the main title.

The Legionnaires are all new though, certainly with no reputation. They are reluctantly enlisted by the Science Police to help stop some technology pirate raids. The SciPo have no love for the Legion, feeling they are kids who don't have the training or the fortitude to do real police work.

And it turns out they are kind of right. We see the Legion struggle against a handful of robots, a clear sign of their inexperience. In fact we see Cos struggle to use his powers throughout the issue. First he can't budge the robots because of their mass. Then he ends up attracting himself to a ship rather than dragging the ship towards him with his powers. I imagine the current Cos would crush these bots like a tin can ... but he is essentially a rookie here.

Saturn Girl continues to train under the guidance of the SciPo, learning weak points and martial arts throws. Again, I am impressed but not surprised at Imra's tenacity in this training. She simply refuses to stop even to take a rest. She needs to be the best. That sounds like the Saturn Girl I know.

It seems like she is doing the right thing. With a couple of targets for the pirates discovered, Garth and Rokk try to keep Imra at home ... for her own protection of course. Saturn Girl will have no part of it. She is coming along.

And she recognizes that the Legion has a supporter in the Science Police.

I wonder how ostracized the sergeant is within the force for helping the Legion as much as she is.

Unfortunately, we will never know.

As if confirming Saturn Girl's lack of confidence, the Science Police officer needs to save Imra's life by jumping in front of a laser blast. The officer dies in Saturn Girl's arms.

It both infuriates and saddens Saturn Girl. Intensifying her resolve, she swears that no one will die in her place again. If anything, it explains how driven Saturn Girl is as a character in the future. She is traumatized by this tragedy.

But Saturn Girl also needs to deal with the realization that, in essence, she is responsible for the death of a friend. Cosmic Boy thinks she needs a drink ... something harder than Kono juice.

And then we have the big reveal ... something dramatically new for old time readers.

After a few drinks with Rokk, the two fall into each other's arms. That's right! Imra and Rokk slept together! Now that is news.

Fearing that this tryst may endanger the future of the Legion, and therefore somewhat regretful of this romantic escapade, Imra takes matters into her own hands. She cannot have this episode 'happen' and so she mindwipes it from Rokk's memories.

I have to say, while Rokk cannot remember this having happened for 'current continuity' to remain intact, this just felt wrong. Even if she ends up thinking this was a mistake, it doesn't give Saturn Girl the right to manipulate Rokk like that.

Making another ethical stand, Saturn Girl states she will keep her distance from other Legionnaires in terms of romance. The team is bigger than her feelings. It is another way to show how the activities of a young Saturn Girl led her to become the leader and hero she is today.

I did like the ending of the story, as Imra bemoans meeting her school girl crush Superboy just as she swore celibacy. I like when life throws curve balls.

So, I don't know where I fall on this. As a Legion fan, I don't know if I needed to see Saturn Girl sleep with Cosmic Boy. While the story leading up to it made it feel natural for them to have slipped into bed together, it is something of a big speed bump in the character's histories, especially since Imra has carried it alone. In my mind, I don't want them to have slept together. It brings up the old 'When Harry Met Sally' argument ... can't a man and a woman simply be friends?

The art by Kevin Sharpe was good this issue. The Legionnaires 'feel' young. His art has a sort of organic aspect, everything rounded, nothing sharp or angular.

In total though, I have liked this look backwards at the Legion. It is interesting to compare how Levitz feels they would be then as opposed to how he wrote them back in his heyday and how he writes them now. It isn't flooring me ... but it is entertaining me. And I can't say that about every comic I read.

Overall grade: B/B+

Review: Adventure Comics #516

With a new Legion of Super Heroes comic out, reverting the team's history to the Baxter series continuity, it would make sense that DC would want to put out a comic that would review some of the team's history ... something to get the new readers up to speed. Writer Paul Levitz has said that he is picking up the team's continuity after his 'Magic Wars' arc from way back in 1989. That's a many years and several reboots ago.

Adventure Comics #516 tells R.J. Brande's story which intertwines with Legion history pretty closely. There is a lot of exposition here, Brande appearing after his death as a holographic story-teller, retelling his life story to the Legionnaires present. Of course, they all know this story or most of it.

In fact, that was one of my own selfish concerns here. I know most of this story too. Would this issue be worth my time? Luckily Levitz throws in some new flourishes that I enjoyed. And the overall theme, that Brande is as big a hero as any Legion because of the changes he brought to the universe, is a nice one.

The issue starts on Durla, Brande's home planet. The world has been devastated by their race's "6 minute war" (makes the Earth/Krypton 100 minute war seems like a drawn out siege) and the few survivors have adapted shape-changing abilities just to survive in that environment.

The Durlan Brande discovers a small cache of books which opens his mind to the possibility of a life off-planet. In a nice little addition to the Legion Lore, Brande is inspired by Superman to try to get off the planet. Trying form after form, he finally stumbles onto a shape that allows him to survive in space and simply leaves Durla behind.

There were a couple of nice touches in these early scenes on Durla as well. One, it is hinted (and later confirmed) that Brande laid the egg that is Reep Daggle. Brande is the mother and father. Interesting. Second, Brande discusses Durlan shape changing - sometimes you get the attributes of the creature, sometimes it is simply changing the outer form.


Brande contracts Yorrigan fever and loses his shape-changing abilities, becoming stuck as Brande.

He is able to use his knowledge of Durlan technology to create his star-starter missiles, becoming one of the richest and most influential men in the universe.


Despite leaving Durla behind, he wants to bring them into galactic community. In another nice touch, it is revealed that the usual shape we see Durlans in (orange skin and antennae) is Brande's idea! He hired xenologists to find a form that wouldn't frighten outsiders.


And he also hires more people to try to and find a role model/spokesperson to help fight the xenophobia and isolationism that is rampant on Earth. That person is Superman. Ironic, since it was Superman that led him off-world too.

What better way to get Superman to spread the word than to bring Superman to the future. Suddenly Brande finds himself sponsoring Professor Circadia Senius and Braniac 5's time travel experiments.

So this piece of the puzzle, Brande working hard to help elevate his people on Durla is a nice little new wrinkle to his back story. He could have never looked behind. But instead he tried to do what was right for his world ... his son.

When Brainy makes a breakthrough, Brande is off-world. The only way to get back is to jump on a packed flight back to Earth, the flight that Rokk, Garth, and Imra are one. The one where they foil an assassination attempt on Brande and become the Legion.

This another nice new addition ... explaining something I have always wondered. At least now we know why Brande, one of the richest men in the universe, was riding coach on a space cruiser. Still, you would think he would have a private ship.

I love it when oddities in origin stories from the Silver Age are able to be explained away by good writing. This is like when Alan Moore explained why Abin Sur was in a spaceship to begin with.


Of course, the Legion is formed, Brainy's time bubble works, Superboy is added to the roster, and the rest is history.

It is nice that Brande says that he hoped to change the universe a little at a time and that the Legion was able to help him accomplish that. He also tells Chameleon Boy just how proud he is of him. It is a personal touch added to the bigger story.


And with that there is nothing left to say but 'Long Live the Legion'.

So, it's a nice story ... a retread with some new beats for an old time Legion fan like me. Kevin Sharpe's art is fine. But the book felt a little bit like seeing a repeat on TV, or a movie remake. I would love to hear what someone hearing this story for the first time thought of it.

Jeff Lemire and Mahmud Asrar's Atom back-up story is a solid story with Ray Palmer seeking out the Calculator. I have never been a big Atom fan but this was pretty good.

Overall grade: B-

Review: Adventure Comics #12

Like many old school Legion fans, I was very excited to hear that Paul Levitz was coming back to the title after being away for so long. But I have to say that there was a tinge of trepidation mixed in as well. Any time a beloved creator comes back to a title that they starred on, I always fear that the outcome will be a pale shadow of the initial run. Throw out whatever platitude you want ... maybe 'you can't go home again'? But as excited I was to see Levitz writing these characters again, I wondered what sort of Legion we would see from him in 2010.

I have to say I had mixed emotions about Legion of Super-heroes #1, a comic I meant to review here but never got up to doing. That issue just felt heavy to me, heavy on drama, heavy on dialogue, heavy on angst. It seemed like so much time was spent on Earth-Man that I didn't get enough of the Legion. My reaction to that issue was 'meh'.

I had the exact opposite response to Adventure Comics #12 where Levitz goes way back in time to one of the first interactions between Superboy and the Legion. Yes it was nostalgic and hearkened back to a simpler time ... but at least it was the Legion. Much like the new Legion comic picked up from Johns' Legion story in Action Comics, this book picks up after Johns' Legion issue of Superman Secret Origin. Frankly, for a cranky old fan like me, it was great to see the Legionnaires in their classic early outfits acting like heroes and generally being happy. I know that a comic like this could never last long term in the current comic market, but for one month, it was like a breath of fresh air.

The cover by Scott Clark shows a nice group shot with the Legionnaires striking heroic poses that nicely highlight their personality. Cos with the classic hands on hips. Garth with his arms cockily crossed. Invisible Boy small and in the background. That said, Phantom Girl looks way too skinny, especially her legs. But I love that outfit with the big P.


As I said, the story takes place shortly after the Superman Secret Origin #2. Superboy decides to 'play hooky' from his Smallville duties and take a trip into the 3oth century again.

For Clark, it is finally a chance to cut loose with his powers and be himself. Between the rules Ma and Pa have set up as well as his own self-discipline, Clark is feels hampered in Smallville. Here, in the wondrous 30th century, he can wear the costume and push himself.

In fact, he has made a list of all the things he wants to accomplish on this little jaunt.

The use of a list as an anchor in the story is a nice motif as it echoes back to the earlier Connor Superboy stories in this run of Adventure. It somehow makes the link between the Connor Superboy and the Clark Cuperboy that much closer, that they both use a list as a way to organize their thoughts.

The first item on the list? See the city. He knows the town of Smallville down to it's last crack in the sidewalk. He wants to see the city.

After a brief tour from Saturn Girl, the two run across a group of Legionnaires trying to rescue a Science Police cruiser which has crashed into a city building. The Legion is able to rescue everyone but the news gets worse. The cruiser was carrying an anti-serum for an epidemic on Mars. It needs to get to the planet as soon as possible. The quickest mode of transportation is Superboy.

The second item on his list is to test his powers. He has never flown in space before. Now is the time to test it; lives are on the line. He streaks up and out of the atmosphere, zooming to Mars in time to drop the vaccine off with the physicians.

And then a nice throwback to the Silver Age. The third item on the list is to play a ballgame without holding back. What better way to do that then by taking the whole Legion on by himself in baseball. It just reminds me of those covers from the 1950s where Superman and Batman are playing baseball, or some little kid is striking Superman out with a loop-the-loop curve. Silly? Yes. But for someone like Clark to finally swing the bat ... well it felt right.


Of course, even Superboy can't hit a fly ball that Colossal Boy can't catch. Superboy is even tagged out by the invisible Invisible Kid.

One thread running through the book is the fact that the girl Legionnaires all seem somewhat smitten with Clark. Here, in the pre-Ultra Boy days, Phantom Girl bets Superboy a kiss that he can't beat them. With such a reward on the line, who would bet against Clark?


The game is momentarily put on hold as Superboy needs to rush to the Legion headquarters to help contain an explosion in Brainy's lab. Again, it nicely reminds me of all the great older Legion stories where Brainy is always pushing the limits of his intelligence and his lab.


The next two items on his list are also so gooey sweet I had to smile. The first is 'have fun at a party'. With each of these items, there is a sepia colored panel showing Superboy as Clark in Smallville showing how he needs to hide who he is. In this one, they show a shy Clark alone at a school dance. Here he is dancing and chatting with the girls.

The next item is 'kissing a girl without his glasses'. Remember, in Superman Secret Origin, the adrenaline rush from a kiss ignited his heat vision. Only his Kryponian-lensed glasses were able to stop the beams. Here, after Tinya plants a kiss on the lips, he can't hold it in and blasts the wall. At least, Phantom Girl is able to dematerialize and save herself.

Despite this ... umm ... emission from Clark, the female Legionnaires are still interested in Clark. Here 2 of the 3 Triplicate Girls smooch his cheeks and make the great hero blush.



And on the way home, Saturn Girl says she wanted to kiss him and Superboy he'd like to but maybe they should wait.

Wow ... Superboy is a wanted man in the future. For me, it was fun to see these young women flirting with Clark since they have been tied so tightly to husbands and boyfriends in continuity for so long.

Of course, the Legionnaires know that Superboy can't remember all the things that he saw and did in the future. His memories are blurred so he only has a vague sense of all that he learned. Despite feeling like a dream, Clark knows it was a good time.

Still, the last thing on the list is to be himself and he can do that both in the future and at home. For some reason, this reminded me of the end of the Wizard of Oz movie where Dorothy says something like 'I know that if I go looking for my heart's desire, I should look in my back yard.' Heck, who wouldn't want a slice of Ma's apple pie?

So I loved this issue ... but I tend to like these stories looking back. This one worked on so many levels. You can't help but contrast the easy going Legionnaires holding parties in this book to the angry and persecuted group in their current book. And, with the use of the list motif, the reader has a nice issue to compare the two Superboys and the similar issues they dealt with in their adolescence.

Like I said before, I know you can't have an ongoing series of ice cream parties and baseball games. But you need to know where these characters came from to understand where they are now.

Kevin Sharpe's interior pencils is perfect for this issue. His style is solid and economical without too much flash, the right feel for an issue like this.

I loved this. But I am an old timer.

Overall grade: A