quote:Originally posted by Kent Shakespeare: Overall, I enjoyed the issue. My quibbles were small.
Despite the Lightning Saga euphoria of seeing the Levitz Legion back, there are more and more clear differences emerging, but that's okay. It is still ringing truer to LSH than most recent versions, and not just because of costumes.
Gary Frank's Superman does not look as robust, as demigodlike as others; the KC Superman appearing in JSA is a striking contrast to Frank's. That said, despite Frank's odd eyes, I do enjoy his style.
I was glad when the mild/meek Clark was nixed (the single best thing Byrne did), and am not a fan of the shy geek (having been in the biz myself, I cannot imagine such a person being a successful journalist at all, let alone one of a major urban paper's top journalists). But I can accept it; it's been part of the mythos so long. I have no idea what the current CK portrayal is like, and outside of All-Star Supe I'm not likely to find out.
The Brainiac robot intro seems a bitover the top to attract Kal's attention, but it made for an action-y visual, rather than just being summoned to a remote time bubble (or whatever they were calling it this issue).
I liked the flashback; since there was no secret ID, the whole secret-ID name-calling bit wouldn't have worked (the best they could have done there is imitate the scene in Foundations pt. 1 anyway).
So the first meeting was not that 247ish, but it worked, and it was enjoyable. Just as the Action annual with Mon-El was not 100% true to "Superboy's Big Brother," it worked - with enough linkage to the past and enough differentiation to offer a new take as well.
The Silver costumes are now Retro enough to work in their own right; whereas the new (post-)Levitz costumes intro'd here also worked (much better than advance art suggested). The feel of this LSH's world hints of TMK bleakness, which is appropriate for a post-Levitz-ish era as it is. You have a team that grew from teen to young adult together, and defended the galaxy against an array of threats and menaces; sooner or later one can't simply "top" the previous menace (be it Darkseid or the ultimate Trapper scheme), and eroding the socio-political support base is a logical next step in the story: How does a now-matured team fight to uphold a good that is no longer an institutional one?
A presumably artificial red sun makes perfect sense given the Lightning Saga: how else could the future truly not be safe for Superman? Obvious but clever. So why did Brainy send for Kal? Based on L-Saga comments, clearly the sun was already red... did Brainy have a way around this? Was he compromised before his disappearance?
I'm enjoying the story thus far, and look forward to more.
Kent, I have to admit that this sums up beautifully what I think of the issue. Even with the differences, it feels more like the Legion than what we've been reading with the Archive Legion and the Waidlegion.
I can understand the differences in the first meeting. We don't know how New Earth impacted the story. For all we know, this Legion could come from the future of the pocket universe created by the Time Trapper. After Crisis and before Zero Hour, that was the universe that the Legion was linked to to explain Superboy's existence in SATLSH. How about a plot reversal on New Earth? Or something similar?
-------------------- Ze Frainch Legion fan
From: Edinburgh, Scotland | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
While a Pocket Universe angle could make sense, I don't think it's likely.
Those who follow DC "continiuty" more closely than I have pointed out that one of the recent crises eliminated the Pocket Universe all together. If so, I can't see them restoring the pocket universe just for the Legion - especially in an era where we presumably have (and will continue to have) several dozen Earths (in other words, a Pocket U on top of the 52 woulsd be an unneccessary complication, especially since TPTB are not faithfully recreating Levitz).
Since the Pocket U is even more linked to Superbot than to LSH, I think DC is going to shy away from any usage at all (until Post-Final Ultimate Zero Crisis comes out in 2014 or 2024!)
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
According to Geoff Johns, (and forgive me if this has been mentioned already), the Lightning Saga Legion is the pre-crisis Legion picking up "at the close of the Baxter series" and "at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths". When they question him about it further he says "Basically its the Legion right before Superboy was removed from their continuity".
Obviously, there's some things that won't fit that. But to me it makes pretty easy sense.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Cobalt, didn't hear about "at the close of the Baxter series".
It's tough. I want the post-Crisis baxter series stuff but it can get confusing. One of the best stories (for me) was the Time Trapper battle and the reasons behind it.
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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The close of the Baxter series was over three years after the end of COIE. So I'd ask Johns which it really is, or maybe a time-warped combination of both.
-------------------- Watching television is not an activity.
From: Freeville, NY | Registered: Nov 2003
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quote:Spinning out of the hit storyline “The Lightning Saga,” ACTION COMICS #858 — the first chapter of the 6-part story “Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes” — has sold out at DC Comics and is being rushed back to press.
“It's been an absolute pleasure and an honor to be working with Gary Frank on ACTION COMIICS,” says writer Geoff Johns. “It's nice to see his dedication to Superman and his unbelievable artwork rewarded. Thanks to everyone who picked up the issue and spread the word. And thanks to DC for keeping it in print!”
ACTION COMICS #858 Second Printing (SEP078123) features a recolored version of the cover by Gary Frank and is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 5.
From: Up a Gumtree | Registered: Jul 2003
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Sold out? Nah, the LS Legion or a Pre-Crisis type Legion can't sell comics?!
I don't know but I just always knew that if they returned to something more similiar to the old/original Legion it would sell like hotcakes.
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Wild Jorge: Sold out? Nah, the LS Legion or a Pre-Crisis type Legion can't sell comics?!
I don't know but I just always knew that if they returned to something more similiar to the old/original Legion it would sell like hotcakes.
Yeah, and what's even more "shocking" is there are young people who love the Legion in Action and got interested in the Legion, in general, because of Lightning Saga and the Action storyline who had never heard and/or cared about the Legion before. Imagine that!
From: Somewhere in the Multiverse | Registered: Apr 2006
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I finally, finally finally got my comics today - and while I usually first read the Previews catalogue and the Wizard Magazine, this time I immediately delved into the Action issue. By sheer luck, TV repeated last weeks game of my favorite club Stuttgart beating the crap out of my most hated club Bayern Munich, so that was a nice feature in the background while reading
I have to say it: I LOOOOOVED this book. Even the Superman part at the beginning - being very iconic in its Clark Kent approach - was interesting, and the flashback, the wonderful two-page spread (with Chemical King missing!!!) and the part in the future were brilliant. I very much liked the surprise ending - the sun being red - thus immediately making Superman a more interesting character. Wow!
I liked Colossal Boys new costume, did not care that much for Wildfires new suit.
All in all: I am very very optimistic that not only will the classic Legion be returning, but that it will be in a very swell storyline which is brilliantly drawn to boot. Excellent!
My special love for dystopian future scenarios seems to get satisfied as well. So... when they HAVE to leave 5YL out of the new continuity, why not just do a new 5YL or 10YL - it's a logical conclusion.
I am very happy to hear that this issue has sold out, by the way. Makes me even more optimistic that the classic Legions return will not just be for one event... but maybe... for a permanent stint a la JSA.
Just happy. Going to read the rest of my comics now...
From: Bamberg, Germany | Registered: Feb 2007
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I knew you'd love it, Chem! A regular series with that Legion has GOTTA be around the corner!
From: Somewhere in the Multiverse | Registered: Apr 2006
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Okay, well, then, let's try a little mental exercise.
Let's say Geoff Johns and Brad Meltzer wrote the Lightning Saga, and Johns wrote this arc of Action Comics, using the threeboot Legion instead of the revival version we're actually getting.
Would it still be as good, or not?
How well would the following people like it, compared to how well they like what we did get:
- you? - someone who's never heard of the Legion before? - someone who's heard of the Legion but never actually read any Legion comics? - old-school Legion fans in general? - younger Legion fans?
When we're dividing up the credit for how well this comic has succeeded, how much should go to: - the fact that it's any Legion at all - the fact that it's *this* Legion - the fact that it's Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Action Comics?
posted
I know I'd buy it, I'd definitely like the art and if the story was similar (not sure how that would work, red sun and all) I'd also like the story. It's not the same though, because the Legion appearing in Action is not the current one. Different dynamics, different premise, different characterization, that may appeal to different groups. I hope people who never read the Legion before would pick it up too. Would it be a sold-out if the current Legion starred in it? That can't really be calculated, can it? Personally, I'd be happy with any Legion book being a sold-out, anyway. But yes, I believe older fans who clamor for the return of "that" Legion bought Action because there was "that" Legion in it. Maybe fans who also buy comics for their possible collectability got Action for speculative reasons, if they felt it was some sort of "first appearance blah blah".
From: Somewhere in the Multiverse | Registered: Apr 2006
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I'm going to think about your questions, Matthew, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that there actually WAS a crossover with the Threeboot Legion recently - Brave and the Bold ##5-6 - and as far as I know, that book, even with art by Mister George Perez himself, didn't do half as good as the Action Comics issue...
So we have a little bit of a comparision coming. Of course, the BatB storyline was half over when the Legion appeared, but still, it should have commanded a similar demand... or shouldn'tn it?
It did not... so what does this say about Threeboot vs. Classic Legion...?
[ November 16, 2007, 07:32 AM: Message edited by: Chemical King ]
From: Bamberg, Germany | Registered: Feb 2007
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