Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Dream Crime 5 - LOTS OF SPOILERS

I really don't have anything to add to your post. I just wanted to take a moment to say that you had some nice insights and that I pretty much agreed with everything in your post.

Only 56 posts, c'mon man, get busy. You've got things to say!

I thought it was another quick read. I think this story could've easily been told in 2 or 3 issues instead of 5.

The writers (I hate the DnA acronym) are making a habit of giving us a huge build up to an anticlimactic ending:

The whole Robotican war just to have Brainy give in and let Computo evolve.

Ra's escaping and running amok, only to have him give up and let himself be recaptured.

And now Universo takes over every mind in the universe, yet he's taken down by Cub and Imra rather easily IMO.

If he's that powerful is he really going to be pacified by a dream about being a busboy? And is the same machine that subdued an ordinary Titan really going to be powerful enough to subdue "the most powerful telepath Titan every produced"?

I agree that Sensor's personality has changed way too much to be believable, but I hated her old personality so I don't mind the change too much.

Dreamer still doesn't seem to be displaying that much control over her power. Her appearance in that issue of Legion World led us to believe she now has TOTAL control over her visions and can summon one any time about anything. In this issue, she again seems to be sitting around, waiting for a vision to hit her at random. How about a little consistency for a change? I would've also liked to see more of her fighting skill. She only got one punch in against Sensor and then Imra waded in to break it up? I'd have thought that with Nura's Khundian battle training she could've swatted Imra away and proceeded to put the smackdown on Sensor without raising a sweat.

On the plus side, I'm still loving Batista's art and want to have his baby. AND Dreamer's FINALLY a Legionnaire! Woohoo. Now, sign up Dirk, dammit.

I think I figured out what the deal is with Cub...

Soneone has been spiking his formula with pureed space-fish meat(it's brain food). This has given him Ultra Mental powers, but he can only use one lobe at a time.

Maybe its just a phase he's going through.

Seriously though... I'll be here all week. Try the space veal. Be sure to tip your Vidars (Vidar is the martian translation for wondering waiter).

Cat fights are COOL!

And... and... a-a-a-and TWINS!!

Oh, SunBoy1



"pretty sneaky sis"

And bonus points for knowing what board game commercial that quote references...

Connect Four

That describes very nearly every 5 issue story arc published in any DC or Marvel Comic for the last 10-15 years.

Dude, I remember whan a 5 issue arc was EPIC!!


I would say that Imra is more than just an "ordinay Titan." Still, your point is well taken.

I took the nosebleed to signify that Universo is struggeling mightily against the machine. To me it was foreshadowing that it is only a matter of time until he breaks free.


Well I would not go quite that far, Batista is the best thing to happen to the Legion art wise in a very, VERY long time.


HERE! HERE!!

I do want to agree with everyone who thinks the arc should have played-out in fewer issues.

I would probably have liked the development better if part four had ended with Universo discovering that Sensor was an illusion, rather than it be the beginning of part five.

I think Sensor's powers post-boot have been used much better than they were used pre-boot. This issue portrays a good example of that.

And, I'd like to open up a question for anyone to respond to: Dream Girl's powers are so often portrayed as seeing the future and being resigned to it. Here we see her predicting an outcome based on whether or not a particular action was carried out. Is that unusual?

I find these two point particularly clever.

It has become cliche, first to show a cliffhanger and second that it be the villian making the play. Showing the hero making a come back would be original.

As far as this use of Dream Girl's power, this may be a first. Off hand I do not recall her using her powers for decision making other than in a hand to hand fight. Anyone?

Can't testify to whether Dream girl has used her power like this before, but when I read part 5 yesterday, my first thought was Dead Zone. She's the new Johnny. Then the pre-cog chick from the Minority Report movie jumped into my head.

Nothing else to say, just stating facts...

It's a mere 2 days after the newest issue came out and this thread has already slipped to page 2?

What's up with that?


BUMP

Some people won't get their copies 'til the weekend.

We still have the "Off the Cuff" & "Duke it Out" threads to come as well (I hope); "Calling the Roll" is already up.

So Universo's name is Vidar after all ... are we going to ever see an explanation for this and a connection to Rond or do they just have the same name? (which in and of itself is no big deal I suppose -- nothing wrong with coincidences)

Jeckie's a tough-talkin' snake woman now --ok, I get it already. She crossed over from abrasive to plain bitch this issue. I hope she gets a handle on herself soon because while I can understand wanting to upgrade or change an unpopular character, I think it's a bit of a disservice to simply sever *all* connections to their previous personality for no apparent reason.

The whole "false happy ending" for Universo was something more than a few of us predicted.

The fight between Nura and Jeckie reminded me of Cham having to trust Saturn Girl at the end of the Blight story when they were at the stem and Brainiac's apparent betrayal during Robotica. DnA seem to like fomenting distrust at critical moments between Legionnaires. There must be other ways to create tension.

I didn't read any spoilers or LegionWorld.net speculation about this issue, so when I read it, I had a pretty open mind. I'll share some of my direct reactions:

I was delighted to learn that Sensor had fooled Vidar with her illusion powers! Good job Jeka!

Jeka was feeling frustrated with Imra and Nura's slow moving, so I excused some of her rudeness, but I was glad to see Nura hit her! I was also glad to see Imra back her up.

I'm quite interested to learn more about Cub and his Ultra Intense Innocence Power!

I cheered during the scene when Imra shouted, "Get out of our heads!" How many times has she heard that one? I was totally surprised that that was when she put in the suggestion that Universo had won. I thought he actually had!

I was glad to see Nura and Jeka's minor make-up scene and have that confirmed by Jeka's vote to make DREAMER A LEGIONNAIRE!!!! YAY!!!!!
Also glad to see her and Thom together. Now we get to wonder about her vision of his tombstone for a while longer...

Tinya and Jo are going the right way for a reconciliation...

LOVE that Imra made Vidar a busser in that cafe scenario! Hah!

In the past I've confessed that I'm rather easy to entertain, but I was readily pleased with the conclusion of this story. I *did* however, feel like the beginning of it was FOREVER ago!

I generally enjoyed the 5 Dream Crime issues, although I don't think it warrants a future TPB like I've seen suggested in previous posts

Applause goes out for:
1) Giving Sensor a main role in this arc. Her character has come far in 2003. Even if some don't like her cranky personna, she has been beefed up as a fighting fem in the group.
2) Some very nice artwork. I particularly like the view of Titan and the outfit Universo wore.
3) Getting Dreamer, Ferro and KK back into the Legion! I say keep inducting more candidates. Sun Boy, M-E Lad, Blok, and Quislet should be considered soon.
4) A story where the Titan wasn't reduced to rubble. The UP has enough work on their hands rebuilding Earth and Xanthu.

Some minor criticisms:
1) I hope this Cub thing plays out soon. I am not interested in a Lori Mourning/Wesley Crusher type situation where panel space is spent (annoyingly) on them while taking away from Legionnaires who could use some.
2) The Cover art was well done, but the order of the characters portrayed was cooky. The last two issues featured Dreamer and Karate Kid, niether of whom appeared that much in their respective issues

I was wondering if anyone noticed the Legionnaires who operated against Universo at the end of Dream Crime 4 and the start of 5? They were the 3 Shooter applicants from way back in Adventure, plus Shikari. Shikari, of course, was there instead of the yet-to-be introduced Nemesis Kid. It was fun to see this group together in action.

Big stretch here - Although Shikari was necessary for their passage thru the Theshold Device, could there also be a foreshadowing of her possibly being a traitor (like Nemesis Kid) in the upcoming battle against the Credo?

The Cub becomes, literally, a deus ex machina. A god of telepathy bursting out of the machine.

I wish that this weren't so, but wishing gets us nowhere: The boys aren't showing much imagination any more in story construction. This was profoundly flat and unsatisfying.

Why, when we get intelligible and gorgeous art on a regular basis, does the storytelling fall flat? Is it that difficult to get both at once?

That's an interesting idea. Especially since I was wondering what would happen in a fight between Val and Shikari. Just because Shikari can see a path doesn't mean she has the skill to react to it, but DnA haven't shown her powers failing her in combat yet, so who knows what the outcome would be.

I dunno -- Shikari didn't fare too well against Ra's al Ghul.

That's true. I remember liking her more after that.

have been reading the boards though new to commenting.

i thought sensor's attitude was plausible as she was in pain or straining to power the crystals that would deter universo's mind control. plus she's still adjusting to her new self. at work, i deal with a lot of good natured people who turn cranky when they are too stressed or pressured.

i enjoy the subtleties of dan and andy's set-ups [teaming up sensor, ferro and val for instance], a nod to the past so long time readers get their wink or value-added in the course of the story [albeit this arc rambled an issue and a half too long. but perhaps it was to allow chris batista's art to shine. he appears to have a cinematographer's eye in mounting his panels.]

I have no problem with Sensor's attitude. I think it's perfectly resonable under the circumstances. What I do have a problem with is her new speech patterns. Speech patterns developed over a lifetime do not disapear just because your in a bad mood.

Agreed - it seems to me that far more than Sensor's body was changed. I miss her regal, slightly imperious nature. Now she's just another sprock & grife-dropping smart-mouth.

I wasn't bothered by the Cub scene, but I'm not sure if anyone else here interpreted it in quite the same way I did:

1. Kid Q's bubble collapses, exposing Cub to Universo's telepathic probes (which Universo is not devoting much of his attention to at that moment).

2. Cub (instictively?) recognizes Telepathy as a power that he can duplicate, and does so. But in his case, it's Ultra-Telepathy, which makes him powerful enough to briefly usurp control of Universo's group mind despite Universo's greater experience.

This does not require Cub to be a reincarnated Highfather, or indeed anything more exotic than an Ultra-powered baby; who, with no preconceived notions of limitations on his use of his Ultra-energy, is doing things that his dad probably never thought of trying (perhaps Cub will turn out to be the reboot's answer to Duplicate Boy!).

If that's the interpretation that DnA had in mind, perhaps they didn't communicate it effecively enough?