Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Brave and the Bold

I found the lack of action disappointing. The Inferior Five didn't really get to do anything. I only found the story mildly amusing, not downright funny. And thinking about the story, I find it is out of character for the Subs to think of the Legion as gloryhounds and wanting to get some glory themselves.

The art was very good. I wouldn't mind seeing an Inferior Five mini-series.

Just got it, and, not being terribly familiar with the Inferior Five, I wonder if they have super-powers or are just idiots in costumes. (Although Blimp seems to be able to fly...)

If I didn't know the Subs, I'd wonder if they had super-powers, too. It's not like they used any.

Other random thoughts;

Night Girl being the smart and responsible one was a nice touch, 'though.

With as much exposition as went on, some characters just didn't seem to get as much play (Stone Boy, for instance).

I kinda got used to a heavier Chlorophyll Kid, so seeing him all svelte again was a bit of a double-take.

Inferior Five;

Dumb Bunny: Super strength
Blimp: Can fly as long as there is no headwind. (his father was a super-speeder)
AwkwardMan: Super Strength & ability to breath underwater, but very clumsy
White Feather: Master Archer, but cowardly
Merry Man: no powers. Kind of a weakling, but the brains of the group. Forced into superheroing by his superhero parents.

Further Info:

Dumb Bunny: daughter of Princess Power (a Wonder Woman analogue)
Blimp: son of Captain Swift (a Flash/Johnny Quick analogue)
AwkwardMan: son of Mr. Might and the Mermaid (Superman and Aquaman analogues)
White Feather: son of the Bowman (Green Arrow analogue)
Merryman: son of the Patriot and Lady Liberty (Uncle Sam and Miss America analogues)

like the prior LSH/DP story, some of the characterizations were a bit out of sync.

it was neat to see the two stories interwoven as they were; #34 certainly didn't feel like a complete story on its own.

it was fun, with a few neat moments/gags.

I didn't mind the lack of action; it fit the bumbling nature of this story.

The panel where Dumb Bunny's hand is resting on Blimp's moob and he's like, "Not that I mind, but that's not an air valve..." was hilarious.

Loved it. For me, the whole point was that no matter what they did, nothing was going to go right for them. Plus, the I5 are in the here and now...

Technically Dumb Bunny and Blimp were before the others.

Future B&B team-ups according to JMS at Comic Con -

* Pa Kent & Jor-El
* Metal Men & Challengers of the Unknown

Still no word on that early-mentioned Two Face & Hawk & Dove team-up I'm dying for.

Pa Kent and Jor-el! I wonder why nobody thought of that before. Ma Kent and Lara might have been funnier, though.

They smack-talked my girl Infectious Lass!!

Hmm.. I found it not as funny as, say BOOSTER GOLD # 34, but funnier than say, your average issue of ARCHIE.

Nobody really did much of anything.

I think the one thing that was VERY VERY cool was that this story firmly established the I5 in the present-day. Nice.

They came pretty close back in 1979 with a story called "The Shadow of Jor-El". It was published in Superman Family #196 and reprinted in a Best of DC digest printed at the end of the year. It was a sweet story told by Legion alums Cary Bates and Joe Staton. Jonathan Kent worked through his feelings inferiority related to great scientist Jor-El. I hope the new team up manages to recreate the tone.

I'm with Rhino in my view of the story. I found it very charming, even if it wasn't the funniest comic of the month.

I think for LSH fans who tuned in only for these stories, it might be dissapointing. But JMS is really writing the B&B stories in the frame of mind of making them different from all his other B&B stories. So this was a 'nothing happens story' because he hasn't written one of those yet for B&B. It's the same reason he picked only the 3 founders--he doesn't care if the last 100 Legion stories featured heavily the 3 founders, he just hadn't used them yet in B&B.

I think the real rising star in this series is Jesus Saiz. His artwork was excellent from the get-go but its just becoming one of my favorite things in COMICS. I love that he can make the characters look so attractive without making it all T&A. Dumb Bunny seemed very sexy in a more subdued way which was refreshing. He also nails it on facial expressions and cosmic events. JMS and Saiz just feel so in sync right now.

I think it says a lot that JMS would use the Inferior Five in the first place. This is a grouop that was actually eliminated from continuity by Crisis and DC editorial had no use for, for decades. It was a sweet way to end the issue to have them firmly in the present DCU. Prior to this issue if someone asked me if I'd care to see them in a comic, my response would have been: "I guess ". Now it's a definite "sure!"

Both sound beyond awesome as does the upcoming Adam Strange / Lois Lane story! I hope B&B under JMS and Saiz continues in perpetuity!

I think the I-5 thing has GOT to be leading somewhere. Hope so. I'd love to see it.

Maybe Superman will meet them in his trip cross-country!

That, of course, would put Princess Power, et. al., in the 60s or 70s or so!

Allies of the Justice Experience!

Just read this issue and *LOVED* it! I totally agree with rhino and CK - the fact that the Subs and the I5 didn't get to do anything was the whole point of the issue. In contrast to the Legion last month who were completely successful and skilled in everything they set their minds to, the two teams this month were so inept and chaotic that, even though their hearts and intentions were in the right place, every plan they came up with kept making the problem worse. That was totally charming and funny IMO.

As was a whole lot of the rest of the issue too! Much funnier than anything I read by Giffen in any of the Metal Men back-ups in Doom Patrol for example.

Totally agree about the wonderful Saiz art too! He's not big on backgrounds (which is normally a critical point in my judgement of an artist), though when he does do them he does them well, but his character work is just fantastic. He would SO rock on Adventure Comics instead of Kevin Sharpe but he will only be leaving this book over my cold, dead body!

Broken record Blacula has said it before and will say it again - JMS and Saiz are delivering one of the best titles on the stands today with this book. If it gets cancelled before its time I will personally hunt down everyone who didn't support it and cry on their doorstep!

Quick change of pace -

I love creative comic blogs and this one is a pretty fun one IMO.

SO fab seeing those old Aparo/Adams and others pictures again and I love a lot of the interesting pairings this blogger comes up with -

http://braveandboldlost.blogspot.com/

My favourites are the Batman/Avengers one (because Batman so would be arrogant enough to kick off half the members of that team and take over ) and the Batman/Sugar & Spike one (for the sheer hilarious absurdity of it).

^Those were great! Loved 'em all!

The Sugar & Spike one was awesomely hilarious.

They were great, and most of them were pretty serious (barring company crossovers). Still missing: Batman and Krypto.

I love the covers he picked. Batman and the Beast and Batman and the Avengers looked awesome.

And I'm strangely intrigued by the idea of someone dusting off the Blue Falcon and making a real super-hero out of him. (Dyno-mutt, not so much...)

Same strange intrigue here ... as a kid, I thought the Blue Falcon was cool ... the rest of these are great ...

anybody planning on picking up the JMS B&B hardcover?

I've got all the individual issues, so no.

I only buy the hardcovers in case they have extra features like deleted pages and character sketches. I doubt this one will.