Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Legion Of Super Heroes #1

Honestly, when I saw the scenes in question the possibility of Imra having TK powers occurred to me, but there was no solid evidence. I didn't give it more than a passing though until I read this thread. I've a feeling from Paul's responses on Facebook that he didn't intend for her to be shown with TK. So far it looks like he favors the transuit explanation. He said:

"I like the transuit explanation. Or tough 31st century fabrics (the Legionnaires don't have a big tradition of battle-damaged clothing, so something must be used that's pretty tough...)."

I wonder if this is all Cinar's artisitc interpretation of Paul's script. Does anyone know if Paul wrote or writes full scripts (with detailed panel-by-panel descriptions)? I have to believe that when he collaborated with Keith, Paul probably gave Keith a lot of creative freedom in his layouts. I'm not sure if he did the same with Lightle, LaRocque and the others.

I'd guess that it would depend on the artist and Cinar's novelty might make Paul more prone to write very detailed scripts. I've assumed that full scripts are a more recent phenomenon overall and that many writers from the '80s and prior had looser scripts. If that is correct, and it's how Paul wrote them--has Paul's style remained the same or changed to the more panel-by-panel super-detailed approach?

Has anyone ever seen a Paul Levitz script?

in the 80s, the looser style was called 'Marvel stiyle,' a trad that began with Stan giving artists the gist of what he wanted, and then dialoguing to fit the art.

DC was always famous/notorious for scripts, but some teams dabbled with looser styles from the 80s onward. I'm not sure what Paul prefers, but as far as I know he came out of the full-script tradition that DC expected in the 70s.

Many thoughts on this first issue:

1) I also loved seeing the 80's masthead again - it still looks good decades later.

2) Lots of stuff going on, which is good. I like the fact that Mr. Levitz didn't try to cram all the Legion members in one issue. There's plenty of time to see all. The variety of Legionnaires on the next two covers is evidence of this.

3) Imra was definitely the star here. Paul seems to have no trouble writing for this character, which I image would be tough to depict a character with telepathy effectively and consistently. In regard to her new found telekinesis, I would prefer that be left to Tellus alone. She put herself in harm's way with the column falling, so she must have used something. As mentioned earlier, Dream Girl used her Legion ring and will power previously for limited TK. Maybe Imra had heightened abilities due to her proximity to Saturn's rings?

4) Earth Man will make things interesting, so I'm ok with his presence, although I would have rather had Double-Header a member before him. As far as GL's go, many are selected who are indigenous to their sector, so an "Earth Man" selection is not out of that precedent. I had actually hoped Dyogene would be a new GL/Legion member, since it looked like a cool alien.

5) The Brainy5 panels was the only thing that bothered me this issue. Recently, he has been depicted as motivated to be not only smarter than his ancestors, but to have outgrown them morally (and maybe spiritually) as well. His reactions to his teammates was condescending and to Titan's plight seemed out of this character and was disturbing. He actually did look a little crazed and out of control in spots, so maybe something is up...?

Overall, I enjoyed the story and art, and of course will be sticking around.

I wonder if the tv character "House" has had an impact on Brainy's behavior this issue. He too is a genius and treats his "lackeys" with disdain and contempt.

I'm thinking if Imra didn't have telekinesis then she and those other 2 people should be squashed like bugs by now.

And I agree that she used telepathy not telekinesis to strike Quicksand down in that old story.

The Dynamo Boy story cited should, IMHO, be stricken from the canon, for countless inconsistencies and illogical, ridiculous, and downright ludicrous actions and behaviors exhibited by all involved. I have tried to blot it from my memory and that's probably why it didn't occur to me.

I would have preferred seeing at least one 'teamwork' scene, where two Legionnaires used their powers together to do something that they couldn't do individually. Having Dawnstar carrying Jo, while he scanned ahead with Ultra-Vision, for instance.

These people have supposedly been working together for *years,* and yet all we see is a bunch of people doing their own thing, instead of any hint that they are (or have been) friends, teammates and / or lovers.

That might be interesting, but I suspect she was just meant to be 'random girl #23'.

Sun Boy being serious and grim, and Polar Boy being in bed with someone is quite the characterization switcharoo!

I kinda hope that the rumors of Shady and Mon breaking up are scandalous lies. The Quesada concept that 'married couples are boring' needs to be taken out back and shot.

Legion and Avengers my all time favorite teams both come out with a #1 on the same week and both with rosters I approve of...finally!

I've read everybody's responses and I agree with most of them.

Saturn Girl. I also understood that the Legion flight ring was like a toned version of the GL ring. Depending on willpower members can use "force" type of powers...like TK and forcefields.

I liked how she shone and I like when her kids disappeared she was ALL business. I liked that Brainy didn't question her.

Xenophobia/Earth Man and Aliens: Mr. Levitz laid lots of interesting groundwork here. By moving everything off of Earth (UP, Time Institute, etc) hopefully we see lots of other planets involved with the Legion! I like a less earth-centric Legion.

But by having Earth Man join it really makes it interesting. I hate him just as much as everybody else but I have to say I am interested in the politics of having him on the team. I almost see the earth Legionnaire's as "american" and the rest of the Legion the rest of our world.

I like that Mr. Levitz didn't throw in generic aliens as new characters. He used Harmonia Li & Adajpu. These two characters interest me and they are diverse human beings versus generic aliens. Good. Usalus "useless" is the generic token alien. I do miss ROND VIDAR. I became a huge fan of his in LOSH #50 and his recent appearance was awesome. So many people want him back...I hope they do bring him back.

Regarding the continuity comments...i don't care...as long as it's close enough.

As many already said...Gigi!

Cinar is a good artist and I think he can become a great artist. His Legion pinups looked much better than the interiors but I think he will improve. It always takes a new artist (even veterans) a good 3 to 4 issues to get into it. I'm sure Cinar wishes he had more time and it would be amazing but that's the game they play.

And as someone said...it felt like a Levitz comic. He didn't miss a beat...same beat 20 years later...and I hope he doesn't change it. If it ain't broke...

With that said there are some things I didn't love and it wasn't a perfect issue...but I enjoyed it and I know it will get better. (Brainy was a bit annoying)

i thought it was a really solid issue!
just like the cover, it didn't feel like a first issue at all really. not sure if that's a good thing or a bad. ideally, i would have liked a bit more of an intro to the 30th century and a visual recap of the Earth Man story. you had to hit the ground running, which is a good thing. it felt much meatier than most comics these days.
Brainy seemed way out of character even from his appearance in the Superman books. Walking calmly past people fighting for their lives, taking his time on his way to save Imra (one of his closest friends btw) was inane. Brainy is not Vril Dox. i hope Levitz can show us how they are different. Imra, however, was totally in character and shining. The tk issue really just looks like a misinterpretation by the artist.
i have to say i did not enjoy the art very much. it felt very awkward in too many places. the scenes in the clubhouse seemed cramped. the futuristic designs seemed dull. both Brainy and Earth Man seemed overwrought.
although i enjoyed seeing Gigi again, i thought it odd that the Science Police was giving the order to enlist Earth Man rather than the UP or the Prez of Earth (whoever that is now. Marte Allon anyone?)
it'll be fun having Earth Man for a member for awhile. will he use Green Lantern powers, or Absorbancy Boy powers, or both? can't wait to see Tyroc's reaction since he was framed way back when by Absorbancy Boy. I actually can't wait to see ol' Tyroc period. I hope they keep his big afro and his all white uniform.
overall i like the set up for the first arc.
in one issue we got characterization and action, glimpses of many legionnaires and existing plotlines, confirmation of the twins existence, Aven re-introduced, the Time Institute, and a Green Lantern tie-in (hello new readers!). bring on LSH#2!

Thank god for that! When I read Who's Who in the Legion and saw Tharok I was appalled (as a 12 year old). Half-man/half-robot? No way! I loved the recent Fatal Five and I gave Mr. Levitz props for not using the original. Mano on the other hand I like because of his name and hidden face in the helmet...but Caress was fun.

(pls no Tharok...pls!)

Gorilla Nebula makes a GREAT point about Absorbancy Boy and Tyroc's connection! I hope Troy punches his lights out!!

That seemed strange to me too. Forgot to mention it. The Legion falls under UP jurisdiction, not the SPs.

Why weren't the 21st century Legionnaires summoned to help save Titan? Doesn't that take priority over "guiding" Superboy and Mon-El to become heroes or whatever they're doing? Besides, with time travel, they could be in both places at once anyway.

Heck... why not summon Superman?

Random conspiracy theory time;

To the average Titanian survivor, it's gotta look hella suspicious that Earth went from hating all aliens and wanting to blow them up, to 'giving' Titan the Time Institute, which, 10 pages later, *blew them up.*

"Yes, let's bury the hatchet and be friends! Here's this lovely fruit-basket (made of plastic explosives...) as a token of our friendship!"

"Huh, it's a big wooden horse, left behind by the people who were trying to kill us. Let's just wheel that puppy into the city!"

While we can safely assume that the 'gift' of the Time Institute *wasn't* a deliberate attempt to rid Earth's solar system of alien worlds, to the traumatized survivors of Titan, I could see this conspiracy theory gaining legs...

I said 350<span style="font-size: 18px;">+</span> because all of Jim G's examples were 350 and later.
(She DID become bug sized in one issue that I saw, early on, which is smaller than a mouse, too, just not microscopic, that I could find, anyway.)

And you're right, Shooter did a few earlier issues, but he didn't do #350, or #351, so that's why I put it that way, perhaps not the best choice of words.

Citing his earlier issues is a good point, though, since Shooter might have had an influence on those two issues, even if he was uncredited.
Which might make me more right, which I like!

[replying to Set]

...except that as telepaths, they'd be able to spot a conspiracy, if it existed. Given recent hostilities, there would probably be plenty of Titan's best agents already on Earth, looking for retaliation by the xenophobes.

It does seem like the destruction of a fellow Legionnaire's homeworld would be worth pulling out all the stops for. And a founder's homeworld, no less.

True, although we have now established that telepathy *can* be blocked, leaving the possibility that the only earth agents who knew about the Time-Institute-as-alien-killing-bomb conspiracy were somehow shielded.

It's pretty much impossible for the earth to be flat, the moon landing to have been faked, 9/11 to have been an inside job or for the president to be a Manchurian candidate and yet there are people who believe that nonsense. In the wake of the loss of their entire world, and, in most cases, at least some friends and family, I could see not every Titanian being entirely rational, and be as prone to casting around for someone to blame for this tragedy as a human would...

Technically, it's could be either TK or TP depending on what the 'knockout punch' was, mental or physical.

But, I agree that the blow was probably mental.
Only, why would such a simple TP act for Imra make her pass out?
hm

Boy, do I NOT want Tyroc to have an afto and open chested bathing suit for a uniform.

He's another Legionnaire (like Chemical King) that I have never really read new adventures of (the one exception be was when Marzal left this dimension, taking Tyroc with it)

I assume it must take alot to actually shut another person's mind down to an unconscious state.

With TK, you'd have to actually pick up some object and hit her with it, or pick her up and batter her against something.

perhaps. but if Titanians are culturally used to assuming that someone will sooner or later slip up on underhanded dealings, they might be more inclined toward taking things at face value unless there is reason to think otherwise.

If you or I hear an unfamiliar sound, we can look at use our eyesight to make sense of it, and it will usually turn out to be something mudane that just sounded odd; a sightless culture but take it more suspiciously because they lack what to us is a pivotal sense in processing information. Similarly the range of senses a Titanian regularly experiences would provide an even more informed view. Even the rare blocking of psi abilities would have context.

In short, it's hard to see how a psi-adept civilization would be so quick to emulate some of our behaviors. It just seems that cultural foundations would be that much more alien to our approach to things; having them reach as you suggest just eradicates the differences that should be there.

Very good points, and I'm a big fan of the alien cultures not acting or reacting exactly like humans would.

what happened to Aven? did he die? I hope he gets shown being with his Braalian partner....eh?

Tyroc! he's back?!? I really hope so!

Chemical King...hmmmm....he does have the potential to come back alive from dead.

where the heck is Dream Girl? that s one plot dangling too long!

who will be on the cover variant #2? Tryoc? hmm I hope so! LOL! yeah the one with white costume!

no mention of XS and Gates?

That's not surprising. They only had about 3 to 5 adventures each and none in the last 20+ years.