Just some rambling...There are actually very few Postboot Legionnaires who wouldn't get a YES vote from me this round. Since I grew up with the Postboot, I have a soft spot for all of them. Maybe the only ones I wouldn't give a pass to are Kid Quantum I (who was meant to be a jerk) and Inferno (cause she's a killer).
My picks:
YESesAndromeda
Love this version of Laurel. Powerful, confident, humble. One of the few instances where I prefer a non-Postboot version; I liked the growth of Postboot Laurel but wish she'd come back to the Legion after the Mordru battle. The nun phase was interesting but overdrawn.
Tyroc
Love how Paul Levitz revived this forgotten Legionnaire. The Glorithverse Tyroc got a lot of respect from me, and the current one is also fulfilling his potential. I wish Kinetix could get a similar second chance under Levitz!
Dream Girl
Beauty + brains, classic combination. Love how her vampy personality was partly her real self, partly a cover to make people underestimate her.
Postbooters:
Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl
Have high respect for them as leaders in the Postboot. They had their bad phases (Team 20 storyline, anyone?) but as a former student leader I can empathize with the stress and tough decisions.
Monstress
Legion Lost made me a big fan. Was touched by her origin and cried when she died - one of the few times a comic ever made me cry. I don't think most people appreciate how much inner strength Monstress had, to not just maintain a cheerful facade after her awful past, but to also actively care for others.
Lost was great - I came out of it liking every Lost Legionnaire a LOT more, and it catapulted several (Monstress, Wildfire, Shikari, Umbra, Chameleon, Saturn Girl) into my Top 12 faves of all time. Only Live Wire, Brainiac 5, Kid Quantum II and arguably Apparition were already IN my Top 12 before that. Okay, maybe Top 14 - Kinetix, Gates, XS and Violet are all up there too and I have a hard time ranking them properly.
M'Onel and Spark
These two aren't personal faves, but I loved Spark being the voice of reason and loyal sister to Live Wire. Since he's a fave, I'm partial to his sis. As for M'Onel, I found him a bit boring in comparison to the others, but loved his Legion Worlds spotlight.
Leviathan
The most interesting version of Gim, for me. I didn't personally like his characterization and always felt he picked on Gates and Star Boy too much; but at least he wasn't boring.
NOsShadow Lass
Prefer Umbra A LOT. Preboot Shady I found very emotional (although she had self-control, which I admire). Didn't like her cattiness (with Phantom Girl) towards several others. Hate the current Retroboot version, who seems a bit off her gourd regarding Mon-El and Earth-man.
Colossal Boy and SW6 Leviathan
Sorry, but I've always found Gim a bit boring
Superboy
He's likable and powerful, but I just find him overexposed.
Some musings on the Top 12...
Personal FavesKinetix
My #1 all-time fave. Loved the look; loved the powers (if I had to pick ONE power, it'd also be telekinesis); and fell in love with her after reading her origin. I can empathize with the feelings of being a useless kid, and wanting desperately to self-actualize and "perfect" oneself. I wish she'd been able to fulfill her potential, though. She didn't have as many "moments" as she could have.
Gates
My #2 all-time fave! Love the powers, the look, the snappy sarcasm. Underneath all that he has a heart of gold, though - kinda like Oscar the Grouch. Love that they resurrected him from limbo - he's too great a character to not use!
Brainiac 5
My #3 all-time fave, which makes me really happy. I used to prefer Lyle, but Brainy grew on me under DNA. Fantastic forcefield aside, love how he's intelligent and confident without being too arrogant; and his compassionate side is a big plus.
Live Wire
Haven't really ranked em all yet, but Garth just might be my #4 (contending with Apparition and XS). He grew a lot during the Postboot and ended his tenure as a leader and a hero.
Shikari
I loved her personality, and her powers were always intriguing. Always good to know where you have to go right?
Umbra
She's a bit too cold for my taste - I was hoping they'd have a scene with her apologizing to Monstress in Lost. Still, the latter issues showed she cared - she took time to say sorry to Cham and Jaz, and when Wildfire was in trouble she stood up for him. Awesome look and powers, too.
Triad
She used to be higher up on my list; I wonder why she fell? I loved her origin story and her personality. She was also good under DNA. Maybe it wasn't so much falling out of love with her, as the others just captured my imagination more.
Dragonmage
I actually preferred the personality of his Postboot counterpart, since the Preboot one seemed a bit bland to me. But being Asian (and Chinese!) like him, I'm glad to see more Asian characters in the Legion. Also liked his determined personality.
Karate Kid
Preboot Val was a bit hotheaded at times, but he had his moments. He's not a particular fave, but I wouldn't mind him winning.
Saturn Girl
I prefer the Postboot counterpart, who seemed more accountable for her actions. But Adventure Imra is one of my faves from the Adventure Era, since she was one of the first strong women in comics.
Timber Wolf
He's okay, though didn't really stick out as a fave for me.
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