posted
Per Lad Lad’s request in his “Roundtable” thread, here is a “Revisited” review of Legion of Super-Heroes (4th series) # 5, March 1990. Lardy considers this issue to be one of the most significant in Legion history. It’s difficult to argue with that assessment, as much of what came after—the post-Superboy “reimagining,” two reboots, and a current attempt to restore the Legion to some semblance of its pre-Crisis glory—has roots in this story.
In LSH # 5, writer-artist Keith Giffen and his collaborators (dialogue writers Tom and Mary Bierbaum and inker Al Gordon, all of whom are also credited with “story assist”) attempted to work around the restrictions placed on them by DC. These restrictions mandated that Superboy and Supergirl be removed not only from present Legion stories, but also from the Legion’s past. That is, the super-cousins could not be referred to in any future Legion story, and the Legion’s entire history had to be revised to exclude them. This would be a Herculean task for any creative team, as Superboy and Supergirl had not only served as the thousand-year-earlier inspiration for the Legion, but they had also been the “star” members of the Legion for years. Excising them from Legion history was like rewriting United States history without George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Nevertheless, the deed had to be done. In the post-Crisis universe, Superman never had a career as Superboy and Supergirl (or at least the original version of her) did not exist. So Giffen, the Bierbaums, and Gordon were sent on a suicide mission: Anything they did was bound to infuriate long-time fans, for whom the Legion’s history was as sacrosanct as the 30th century or any of the Legionnaires. Indeed, some fans argue that DC permanently crippled the Legion in 1990, and that the franchise still struggles, 18 years later, to replace or reinsert the elements that once made the Legion one of DC’s best-selling titles.
My goal here is to offer a sort of literary interpretation and evaluation of LSH # 5. By examining the story in depth, I hope to shed light on what Giffen, etc., hoped to achieve and how successful they were in this effort. As I’ve done before, I’ll be discussing my original impressions of the story from when I first read it, so far as I remember them, and comparing them to how I see the story now. How does the story hold up after all this time? Have time and changes in my own life (or yours) yielded a different perspective?
As with my previous “Revisited” threads, this article has three sections: a summary of the story, a discussion of general impressions (which is further subdivided into discussions about the plot, characters, art, etc.), and, finally, a verdict. Be forewarned that SPOILERS are freely spoiled.
Please add your own insights and interpretations as the thread progresses. Alternate views are always welcome.
[ June 11, 2008, 10:36 AM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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In a universe ruled by Mordru, Andrew Nolan and Rond Vidar are part of conspiracy with Mysa, one of Mordru’s concubines. Mysa tells Nolan stories she has learned from Mordru about a previous universe in which his desire to rule was kept in check by “the Puppet Master.” The demise of the Puppet Master caused that timeline to unravel and enabled Mordru to emerge as absolute ruler of this universe.
Nolan, in turn, passes these stories on to Vidar, who becomes convinced that the previous timeline can be restored. Per his plan, Mysa taps into Mordru’s mind as the emperor sleeps and relays elements of the old timeline (such as the role of “the Durlan Knight” and his “mercantile powers”) to Vidar through a mindlink. However, Glorith, the emperor’s first wife, has been spying on Vidar and secretly helps him tap into Mordu’s mind, though the effort nearly kills Vidar.
Glorith, who wants to grab power for herself, convinces Vidar to let her complete the ritual so she can take the Puppet Master’s place in the restored timeline. Meanwhile, Mordru’s servant, Mano, learns of the plot and arrests Mysa, but Nolan intervenes. While they struggle, Glorith completes the ritual. As Mordru awakens, the universe “whites out” of existence.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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1. When this story appeared in 1990, I experienced the worst “wtf” moment (although that euphemism wasn’t used then) in my seventeen years as a Legion fan: LSH # 5 was so different from everything that gone before, even from the first four issues of Giffen’s “Five Years Later,” that I was confused, annoyed, upset, and frustrated. Bad enough that Giffen had already made such abrupt changes to the Legion—how did this story fit into it all? It was too much for me to take when I picked up issue # 6 and realized that this new “reimagination” was permanent. Issue # 6 was the last Legion issue I would buy for four years.
2. Looking back on it now, and in light of everything that came after (the rest of 5YL, two reboots, and L3W), I must admit that LSH # 5 accomplishes its purpose quite well. It serves as a bridge between what the Legion was and what DC mandated it become: A Legion free from any Superboy influence. LSH # 5 not only accomplishes this purpose, but it does so in a manner that remains true to the previous history of the LSH. That is, it follows the Mordru/Time Trapper cosmic balance set up by Levitz to its natural conclusion. If the Legion’s old history had to be jettisoned, it’s reassuring to note that Giffen did so the most loving and respectful manner possible.
3. Perhaps the most impressive feat of LSH # 5 is that it accomplishes everything it had to in a single issue. Giffen and his collaborators establish a well-thought-out fantasy world in which magic rules. Oppression caused by an absolute dictator permeates every scene. (This is even more impressive since Mordru doesn’t appear in the story except briefly at the end.) Surveillance is everywhere, and Mordru’s enemies live under the constant threat of being caught. Nolan and Mysa carry out their clandestine meeting in a cathedral. Nolan himself is a substitute for another agent who has recently been captured. Even Vidar’s secret meetings with Nolan are observed by Glorith. All of this is shown through several interweaving scenes that build suspence: Will Vidar succeed? What is Glorith up to? What is Mano’s role in all this? Will Mysa get caught?
4. Although the build-up is very successful, the resolution falls flat. Nolan’s climactic battle with Mano remains unresolved, missing the opportunity for an emotionally satisfying ending. Yes, the universe ends, we get that. Yes, Nolan goes back to being the deceased Ferro Lad (who never marries and has children, as his counterpart does), we get that. But it would have been nice if Nolan had become fully aware of what he was giving up. Perhaps he could have realized that Mordru’s tale of “the sacrifice [of] the knight with no face” was his own story. One might suppose that he realizes this anyway, but it would have been great if we’d been allowed to see it. After all, he remains skeptical of Vidar’s plan throughout the story and may not have realized what restoring the old universe would mean for him and his family.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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1. Another aspect of this story that I found jarring when I first read it was the absence of current members of the Legion’s cast and the focus on relatively minor characters. Giffen had only just dismantled the Legion and was starting to rebuild it with Cham, Rokk, Jo, Violet, and a few others. They are not seen in Mordru’s universe, however; instead, our heroes are Rond Vidar (heretofore Brainy’s intellectual sidekick and son of Universo) and Andrew Nolan (the long deceased Ferro Lad). Mysa (the White Witch) appears in a smaller role, but that’s it. (A few other Legionnaires are mentioned in passing, however.) As such, this doesn’t feel like a Legion story. The tight focus on a small cast of characters is almost antithetical to Legion stories and something I would expect to find in a back-up tale instead of book-length feature. Giffen obviously has very good reasons for doing this—the smaller cast highlights just how “alone” they are in opposing Mordru—but the effect is still jarring, lo these many years later.
2. Fans have showered praise upon this issue for its portrayal of Andrew Nolan, and justifiably so. The twice-doomed masked man comes off as the issue’s most fully realized character and someone we can easily identify with. He is skeptical of Vidar’s plan and reluctant to go up against Mordru, yet he does so because he sees no choice. He has a wife and family to protect and must toe the line between trying to keep them safe and doing what is right. This decision is forced upon him when he must chose between sparing his family and saving Mysa from Mano. As a hero, he makes the right choice. (Incidentally, it is never made clear if he retains his mutant ability to turn himself into iron in this universe; we are given no reason to think that he doesn’t, particularly since he remains disfigured, as he was in the old universe, but he is never shown using this ability.)
3. Rond Vidar, too, displays heroism, but it’s harder for me to accept him as the main hero of the book. Although he appeared in numerous Legion stories and had often acted heroically (in helping the Legion against his villainous father, for example), his personality had never been fleshed out enough that I could identify with him or where he’s coming from. For that matter, this story does not fully establish who he is in this new universe. In the old universe, he was a scientist, but science has been defeated by magic. Is he a folklorist (i.e., someone who would recognize “the myths, the rhymes [. . . the] internal consistency” of Mordru’s tales), a fellow magician, or something else?
4. Mysa, as I said, has a minor role and is not fleshed out as a character. One telling exception is her going back to the cathedral where Mano arrests her. There was no reason for her to go there (i.e., she didn’t have to meet with Nolan), so we must conclude that she went there to pray (as she is seen doing). It is somewhat ironic that the White Witch (a term associated with paganism) would be shown as Catholic in this story. But she’s not the only convert. (See Section D.4 below.)
5. The villains also serve purposes of the plot, but do so in unexpected ways. Glorith is well cast as Mordru’s treacherous first wife and a power-hungry schemer in her own right. It is telling, I think, that she “wins” in the end instead of the heroes. This is in keeping with Giffen’s practice of having the Legionnaires face overwhelming odds and being only partially successful in overcoming them. In this case, the heroes can only succeed by accepting help from someone who has her own “evil” agenda but also the power to accomplish their goal. The Legionnaires would frequently have to make “deals with devils” during 5YL, and this serves as Giffen’s metaphor for growing up and accepting the complexities of life.
Mano, the other main villain, is seen here in a context outside of the Fatal Five. Interestingly, he is drawn without his bubble helmet, but his face still appears as a black void.
Mordru, as mentioned previously, appears only at the very end, but his presence is felt throughout the story. This device has literary antecedents (Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, for one, relies on a major character who never appears), and it is used to great effect here.
C. Evaluation of the Art
1. Except in rare instances, I’ve never been a proponent of nine-panel grids. For the most part, they slow the story down and focus the reader’s attention on minor details. (Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons did this effectively in Watchmen. They used details such as a chewing gum wrapper as important links of continuity between scenes.) Nine-panel grids tend to work best with “talking head” scenes, and there are plenty of those here. The scene in the church on page 3, for example, repeats the same panel five times, changing only the dialogue. This effectively shows how still the two characters must be in order to avoid being seen talking to one another. Another effective use of the 9PG is found on page 4, when Mordru’s tale of “the Knights of the 30” is related through symbolic images and poetry.
2. Unlike most of Giffen’s 5YL output, the images in this story are fully rendered and immaculately designed, a welcome reminder of his early Legion work (“Great Darkness Saga,” etc.). Particularly effective is Nolan’s mask, which preserves the basic design of his old Ferro Lad mask, but is apparently made of cloth or leather, colored grey instead of white, and contains a protruding nose bar.
The cover of this issue also stands out as example of Giffen’s creativity. No characters are visible, only an hourglass with a scene of typical 30th century buildings in the top glass. As snow (not sand) sinks into the bottom glass, we see medieval structures—a clearly symbolic indication of how the old universe has been replaced by Mordru’s universe.
3. I would love to say something specific about Al Gordon’s inks, but I cannot—save that it doesn’t’ draw much attention to itself. This is a good thing, as inking, like dialogue, should serve the story instead of the other way around. In this respect, Gordon does an expert job of finishing Giffen’s vision.
[ June 10, 2008, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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1. Tom and Mary Bierbaum have been praised as the best dialogue writers the Legion ever had, and this issue fully supports that assessment. The issue opens with a full page “Proclamation” that reads as if it were pulled straight out of a medieval fantasy novel: In four short paragraphs, it tells us everything we need to know about the setting, how much freedom (or lack thereof) people have under Mordru’s reign, and how they should give thanks for being so “wisely and benevolently ruled” (a wonderful touch of irony there).
2. The Bierbaums also demonstrate their knack for poetry by distilling the Legion’s old battle against the Sun-Eater (Adventure Comics # 352-353) down a to nursery rhyme with cryptic references: The Knights of the 30, under the sign of he Jewel, united they stood ‘gainst the death-cloud so cruel.
3. Another noteworthy aspect of the script is how those cryptic references are used to recast familiar Legion characters into half-remembered and not-so-precise terms. As mentioned ‘the Puppet Master” is the Time Trapper (because, presumably, he had created the Pocket Universe and been pulling the strings of the Legion from the beginning). “The Durlan Knight” is R.J. Brande, the Legion’s benefactor, who in the post-Crisis universe, was a 20th century Durlan (and member of L.E.G.I.O.N), who had been pulled from his own time by the Time Trapper to use his “mercantile powers” to bankroll and organize the LSH.
(It is interesting, incidentally, that Giffen chose to focus on the Time Trapper and Brande as the key figures in the Legion’s founding and, therefore, the preservation of the old timeline. The Legionnaires themselves seem almost incidental; truly, they are “puppets.”)
4. Not to overlook the Bierbaums’ normal contributions: Dialogue works best when it flows so naturally that it does not draw attention to itself. This was their particular strength. Look, for example, at Nolan’s monologue on page 14:
“How did I get mixed up with him? Sure, he can afford to believe. All he stands to lose is his life. A husband—a father—doesn’t have that luxury. . . Merciful God. He did it. He really did it. Welcome to walking dead, Andrew Nolan.”
In a few short sentences, we learn an awful lot about Andrew Nolan. We learn that he deeply distrusts Vidar despite their alliance. We are reminded that he has a family. We are also reminded that he’s a practicing Catholic (as was suggested by his making the sign of the cross in the cathedral). And then we have the wonderful irony of “walking dead”—a reference to Andrew’s past and future fate.
But if Nolan distrusts Vidar, it’s interesting to note that the latter is also wracked with self-doubt. Whereas Nolan seems to rely on a strong belief in God, Vidar (who does mention God twice), seems to have nothing else to believe in but restoring the old timeline:
“I must be a lunatic. I’ve got to be crazy. But so help me, I do believe it. . . . Listen to me! How can I believe in this fantasy?! . . . Because if I don’t, I’ve got nothing” (8).
Dialogue conveys interesting contrasts between these two men, how they believe in different things, and their different motivations for fighting Mordru. One might assume that if it weren’t for Mordru, these two men would have nothing to do with one another.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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1. The major theme of this story is faith. God, as noted above, is mentioned various times by different characters. It would be easy to dismiss these references as mere swearing (“Merciful God!” “Jesus!”), and that is how such references are commonly employed in the story. But the sheer number of times God is mentioned along with the setting of key scenes in a cathedral suggests that Giffen has another motive for including them. Is he casting himself in the role of God and asking us to have faith in him and his efforts to restore the Legion’s timeline? Or is he saying that belief in God is what people (including heroes) turn to in times of overwhelming oppression?
The latter is, of course, historically verifiable. Parallels can be drawn between the depictions of faith in this story and those of early Christians, for example, who suffered persecution in Rome and elsewhere. What’s interesting, though, is the inclusion of this theme in a mainstream super-hero comic book. DC and Marvel typically avoided discussing faith in their comics or showing their heroes adhering to particular beliefs in order to avoid offending potential readers with other beliefs. (The Legion’s large cast afforded one notable exception, however, when Colossal Boy was established in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s to be Jewish.) But in this story, Andrew Nolan appears to be clearly Catholic, as does Mysa. (Rond’s affiliation, as noted above, isn’t defined.) Giffen can “get away” with this depiction because LSH # 5 is a one-shot story featuring temporary depictions of these characters that will never be seen again. But the real question is why did Giffen choose to use such overt depictions of faith in this story?
(Another interesting question is why would the all-powerful Mordru allow a cathedral, where people can worship a God other than himself, to remain standing?)
It’s hard to speculate on Giffen’s motives, but I think it is not unlikely that he was asking fans to have faith in him as he reconstructed the Legion’s timeline to accommodate DC’s mandate. It is interesting to view the heroes in this story (particularly Rond) as stand-ins for Giffen and his collaborators (Andrew and Mysa=Tom and Mary), while Mordru serves as a stand-in for the all-powerful DC, which bends fictional “reality” to its will. (You can draw your own conclusions as to who Glorth is supposed to be.)
2. A secondary theme has to do with death and rebirth. Just as the present Legion universe has to end for the old one to be reconstructed, so, too, does Glorith have to die in order to be “reborn” as a powerful deity in the restored timeline. Her agonizing death is analogous to the feelings of many fans as we went through the death and rebirth of our beloved Legion.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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1. The term “Knights of the 30” (used cryptically to refer to the Legion during its battle with the Sun-Eater) apparently refers to the pre-Mordru 30th century and not the number of Legionnaires. There were only 24 Legionnaires at the time of ADV. # 352-353, and even if one counts the Fatal Five (who aided the Legion in this, their initial appearance), that’s still only 29 “Knights.”
2. The story is surprisingly self-contained, although it does rely on plot points and scenes from other stories that are not explained. For example, the scene of the Durlan (future R.J. Brande) being yanked out of the 20th century while in mid-conversation with Garryn Bek and being replaced by the amnesiac Phantom Girl (henceforth Phase) is taken from an issue of L.E.G.I.O.N. ’90. Not only are we not told who these characters are but it’s not clear what is happening. (Some sort of “sunburst” lines drawn around Tinya might have indicated that she is suddenly materializing.) The effect is confusing even to me, who read the L.E.G.I.O.N. story. What effect might it have had on potential new readers?
[ June 10, 2008, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: He Who Wanders ]
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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LSH # 5 is a well-crafted and lovingly executed story. It strives hard to deal with the landmines placed in the Legion’s path by the mandated removal of Superboy and Supergirl. Giffen, in typically abrasive fashion, does not sidestep those landmines. Rather, he dives headlong into them, killing off what is left of the old Legion universe in order to reconstruct it anew. This approach is not meant to satisfy every Legion fan (and Giffen has frequently expressed indifference towards the feelings of fans), but it is meant to salvage the best of what the Legion was and to lay the groundwork for a new direction.
LSH # 5 succeeds in this purpose quite well. Fans may debate whether or not this story constitutes a reboot or a retcon, or whether such drastic measures were even needed. But Giffen (for whom “drastic measures” should be engraved on his business card) wanted to get people talking about the LSH again. He did this by shaking things up in the most radical manner possible—though arguably not as radical as the actual reboot that would occur a mere four years later.
I would argue, however, that Giffen assigned for himself the harder task by not wiping the slate clean and starting over. His own “reimagining” required more thought and care in deciding what to preserve of the old timeline. It required a keen understanding of the LSH as a concept and a thorough knowledge of its characters and history in order preserve the ideals, personalities, relationships, and settings of the LSH as much as possible. Many of these ideals, personalities, etc., are still recognizable in LSH # 5, embodied by Andrew Nolan (who symbolically represents every other Legionnaire), in spite of its radically altered universe.
Though many fans dismiss 5YL for various reasons (darker storylines, aging heroes, incomprehensible art), there should remain little doubt that the balance of Giffen’s run on the title (through # 38) and its continuation by the Bierbaums (through # 50) built on the rich tapestry of Legion history that they lovingly, respectfully, and skillfully preserved in this story.
-------------------- 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 Reboot: You seem to have missed B. out somewhere
Thanks. It's fixed.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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I was going to refrain from rambling further, but the review compells me...
I too remember the feeling of "WTF" after # 5 (and, in fact, after issues 1-4 as well). I didn't really get "INTO" (as in really enjoy) the 5YL era until about issue # 24, the intro of the SW6 team... my interest spiked and soon blossomed into... well, the LSH fan I am today. But the fact is, with the exceptions of issues 11 and 13 (which were and still are ass-shatteringly hilarious), the first 2 years of the 5YL relaunch were VERY hard for me to enjoy for the most part.
Nowadays, of course, I feel quite a bit differently (except for the "Quiet Darkness", which might be my least-favorite LSH story EVER) and most of the "Legion on the Run" crapfest.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I remember realizing that #5 *had* to be a bridge between Mon-el's Prime-like punch and whatever changes were ahead.
To me, it read very much like an annual, or WHAT IF/ELSEWORLDS entry.
That said, I loved it to pieces. Aside from some Nura/Glorith confusion, I think of this as one of the most fully realized single-issue tales in the LSH's history.
I recall being disappointed that Andrew wasn't going to be featured in the 'rejumped' team when it started back up in #6 and looked in vain for the character for many months thereafter.
Thanks for the review, HWW!
From: Knoxville, TN | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Hats off to HWW. A quick review of the review: This is your best so far, and they've all been excellent. Well written, insightful, detailed, informative, balanced, with definite opinions, and a heck of a lot of fun to read. You have a real talent for this. Somebody, somewhere ,should be paying you tons of money to this. In the meantime, we're lucky to have you here.
What a special issue this was. I remember being so confused when I read it, but realizing, at the same time, that I was holding something very profound in my hands. It was a strange and beautiful package. I had to go back and read it again and again trying to make sense of it. I remember being confused by Glorith, at first. I thought she was Nura. The most amazing part is how well Mordru's universe was established in a single issue. When you relaized at the end, or at the beginning of #6, that the universe was gone already you just wanted to go back again. Isn't that what they tell musicians - always leave the audience wanting more?
Thank you for pointing out the care and respect with which Tom and Mary treated the history of the Legion, and just how difficult that must have been. It's the quality that I love best about the 5YL stories. The care they took to honor the history is just so obvious - unprecendented really. It's something that too many 5YL critics don't see or don't acknowledge. This issue is probably the best example of it.
Mysa's appearance, here, changed my opinion of her forever. She was always one of my least favorite Legionnaires. I connected with her. for some reason.
[ June 10, 2008, 11:25 PM: Message edited by: Jerry ]
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: I too remember the feeling of "WTF" after # 5 (and, in fact, after issues 1-4 as well). I didn't really get "INTO" (as in really enjoy) the 5YL era until about issue # 24, the intro of the SW6 team... my interest spiked and soon blossomed into... well, the LSH fan I am today. But the fact is, with the exceptions of issues 11 and 13 (which were and still are ass-shatteringly hilarious), the first 2 years of the 5YL relaunch were VERY hard for me to enjoy for the most part.
Nowadays, of course, I feel quite a bit differently (except for the "Quiet Darkness", which might be my least-favorite LSH story EVER) and most of the "Legion on the Run" crapfest.
I had a similar reaction to the first two years of 5YL, Lash. As I mentioned, I didn't start reading the LSH again until four years later, around # 40, but I later went back and bought everything I'd missed.
For me, I really start to feel "connected" to the 5YL with Dirk's tragic fate and the arrival of the SW6 Legionnaires (an idea I initially detested, but some wonderful scenes were done with it, such as old Jo encountering young Tinya, and young Jan and Vi pondering how they would "turn out").
I loved the adult depictions of the LSH, and I think that's what's missing from the first two years of 5YL: Giffen spent so much time rebuilding the Legion and establishing new characters that the familiar relationships got lost.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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