posted
I agree, HWW. The Bierbaums got an unfair share of the blame. If one compares their own run with their Giffen collaboration, it becomes much more clear as to who brought what to the table - especially when one adds in Giffen's trends on other books.
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Okay, time for some reviews of the issues I've reread so far...
LSH 37
(Many of these tales weren't individually titled, so I just use the cover blurbs...)
"STAR BOY returns in A League of his own!"
The issue is set on Naltor and is a refreshing change from all the recent death and destruction on Earth that occurred during the battle with the Dominion during THE TERRA MOSAIC.
Basically, the entire issue centers around Thom Kallor, the former Star Boy, who has apprently become a big-time batball coach and is married to the team's Naltorian owner.
Nura Nal, the former Dream Girl, is now Naltor's high seer, and apprently still has a thing for her old flame.
The issue as a whole is fun, and different that what had been going on previously in LSH, with the focus on a batball game and not planetary-wide destruction.
Thom Kallor is portrayed as a real good-guy type, and it fits him well.
Nura Nal's characterization I was less happy with (think "Hedonism-Bot" from FUTURAMA) but Tom and Mary did redeem themselves with her in later issues.
Other stuff: A subplot for issue 42 begins here (Imra's kidnapping), and events for the VALOR ongoing are also set up (SW6 Mon-El disappears into the time-stream). There's also a cute little batball scenario with Kono winning mucho credits from Kent, Jo and Rokk.
Oerall, not my favorite Tom and Mary issue, but certainly not a bad comic book.
So, TMK ended their run together in the previous issue, which featured the horrifying destruction of Earth and formation of New Earth.
So the real T/M era begins here.
I's a definite "aftermath" type issue, the tried and true followup to a massive, powerful storyline that marks the real point where the series can begin to continue past said storyline.
Much of the issue is in flashback to the mass evacuation of Earth, with heartbreaking moments for Celeste Rockfish, Laurel Gand and Brainiac 5. You can really get the sense that they will never, ever get over this tragedy.
There's a touching scene between Vi and Ayla and a tense scene with the SW6 Legionnaires on the still-deserted New Earth.
A demonstration of Giffen's ability to change his art from awesome to awful is also included, along with the resolution of the Kid Quantum/protean disappearance.
As a display of Tom and Mary's ability to humanize characters, this issue kicks total ass.
The cover features Wildfire, a character missing throughout the entire 5YL era. Only it isn't. It's his never-before-mentioned brother Squire Burroughs. That, for me, was an annoying, unnecessary tease. Why not just have it be the real Wildfire?
That aside, the issue is good.
Still dealing with the aftermaths of Earth's destruction (unlike in current LSH, where terrible things seem to happen and are rarely or never mentioned again), the LSH (and the readers) get a dose of inspiration from seeing the SW6 team help rebuid.
The groundwork for a subplot with Universo is laid, and Danielle Foccart arrives on New Earth, to the delight of her brother.
There's some easter eggs in the form of past LSH characters (now under Dominion mind-wipe) arriving to New Earth for treatment. Among them, Flare, someone who looks much like Quake Kid, Karate Kid (Myg), The Polecat and Cocheta Drisden, apparently the daughter of Charma and Grimbor. These appearances of obscure (new, in the case of Cocheta, but still brilliant) make the Wildfire no-show even more baffling.
Anyhoo, the big focus of the issue is the official first meeting between the Adult LSH and their young counterparts on the SW6 LEGIONNAIRES team, and it is an emotional, stirring meeting.
Plus more subplot setuppage, as the upcoming Mordru 6-parter gets a nudge when Nura asks someone who looks suspiciously like the Martian Manhunter to help Mysa, who is on a quest amid the rubble of the old Sorcerer's World, and Imra's disappearance is made known by Garth.
Overall, despite a questionable choice here and there (Squire Burroughs? WHY?!) this is an excellent issue.
posted
Okay, you guys are talking about the right era, so maybe you can shed som light on this:
At one point during Mordru arc (or somewhere near there) does Glorithverse Andrew Nolan show up and talk to Jacque and Rokk, or am I remembering that incorrectly?
-------------------- "I weighed the odds of this working versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid and, well, I did it anyway,"
- Crow T. Robot
From: The Evil Anti-Moon!!!! | Registered: Sep 2004
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I enjoyed this issue. It features a very different take on an ex-Legionnaire. Thom uses his Star Boy powers only once. In fact, it doesn't seem to be a Legion story at all; with a little tweaking, it could be about any coach who resists corruption in order to "stand for something" other than just winning.
I agree that Nura's portrayal was less than flattering. Not only does she look like an overweight brothel madam, but she also has no qualms about seducing a married man. (Good for Thom for saying no. I just wish we could have seen Nura's face.)
I'm all for heroes who are human and have failings, but I never saw anything in Nura's character before that might suggest that infidelity was acceptable to her. And while I like the idea of some Legionnaires putting on that middle-age spread, she always seemed to take greater pride in her appearance than most.
Nevertheless, the main story was head and tails above the SW6 subplot. There is just something so wrong about Duo Damsel pining for Valor instead of Superboy. This was another contrived example of Lar filling Kal's role.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Kent Shakespeare: I agree, HWW. The Bierbaums got an unfair share of the blame. If one compares their own run with their Giffen collaboration, it becomes much more clear as to who brought what to the table - especially when one adds in Giffen's trends on other books.
I emailed them once and they made it very clear that Giffen was behind nearly everything behind the Legion until he left the book. As you said you certainly see the difference in the early books Giffen wasn't credited or after he left.
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Wildfire's "brother" was pretty stupid I thought. That was just cheap shock value. Emphasis on the cheap.
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Hey, the Bierbaums were there when Giffen was running loose, as were the DC editors. Anyone of them could have, and should have said "Hey Keith, your mangling of these characters is destroying a tradition built up over 30 years. Why don't we try something Constructive rather than Destructive?" Instead, they all stood around and watched the inevitable sinking of what was previously a solid ship.
-------------------- "My dance card was getting fuller than a contestant's at a Jandan shurg-off." - Exnihil, The Lost Klordny
From: Frederick, MD | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
The Bierbaum issues were my favorites among the 5YG era. I was never a big fan of the earlier issues of that era. I didn't like the costume/codename-less Legion, setting up shop in a former brothel. I always felt that it was the lowest point in my personal Legion fandom (at least at that point).
When Keith left, I felt the series take an upward swing. The Legion began to feel like heroes again, and things felt like they were getting back on track. The Mordru arc was easily the best of the era, both writing and art-wise. The Bierbaum stories, married to the Immomen artwork, was incredible. It made me sad to see that title end, as hard as that was to imagine for me at the time.
Add that to their Legionnaires title, and it was some amazing storytelling. To me, Tom and Mary were, to date, the only writers since Paul Levitz who ever really captured the Legion ideal. Legionnaires was everything the Legion should be: funny, heroic, human, youthful and epic, all at the same time. There was no need to reimagine the Legion. They were able to bring the team back to their roots without starting from scratch, which I think is the mistake that has been made by every creative team since then.
I would love to see them tackle the Legion again someday.
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Kid Quislet: Hey, the Bierbaums were there when Giffen was running loose, as were the DC editors. Anyone of them could have, and should have said "Hey Keith, your mangling of these characters is destroying a tradition built up over 30 years. Why don't we try something Constructive rather than Destructive?" Instead, they all stood around and watched the inevitable sinking of what was previously a solid ship.
A couple of points to consider:
1. It would have been unwise for the Bierbaums, who were new to writing for DC, to go up against "star" talent like Keith Giffen and tell him he was "mangling" the characters. He could likely have had them fired in one phone call to editorial.
2. Just because you (and others, to be sure) thought that Giffen was "destroying" the Legion doesn't mean the Bierbaums shared your assessment. They were all attempting to do something new and original. The end result may not have been what they (or even Giffen) hoped for, but you can't always know how a direction is going to turn out until you try it.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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