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

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Mostly I'm just happy that for once, I get to offer an original opinion on a new publication that's right in front of me. It's been long overdue.

I just want to hang around long to see if there are a few respectable issues as the Big Lantern Events die down, and before Whatever The Next Big Event I Won't Care About gets off the ground.

<span style="font-size: 11px;">(I also want a million dollars. And a pony.) </span>

I'm not sure if this second sentence also refers to the stuff I was talking about, or is just an unrelated thought...

I also don't want any 'Tragic Heroes,' which is I presented a variation on Jacques that could be *fun,* with the snark and the mocking of his teammates behind their backs and running around crashing in the HQ without the team really ever knowing whose responsible for the stuff they sometimes find in supposedly empty rooms.

He might even end up reminiscent of the Lazlo character from the ancient movie Real Genius, a smart guy who lives inside the walls of a college and nobody knows that he never left after he graduated a decade or so ago...

Well, I don't mind a little snark, but that's what seems to have soured a lot of people on Threeboot, yes?

I guess? I never heard the threeboot described as snarky, so much as people complaining about the 'youth movement' anvils and political pseudo-philosophy...

I don't remember much snark at all in the threeboot. More grumpy old people acting curmudgeonly, really (particularly Brain, Cos and Cham, although Dirk and Garth seemed humorless and overly serious as well), which is probably the opposite of what Waid was attempting to portray with a 'youth movement...'

I'm not for Jacques having a Lemnos-level power boost, however, I'd like it very much if Jacques' invisibility were not so easily penetrated. Basically, he should be pretty much undetectable when he uses his powers. He should leave no heat signatures, fool motion detectors and maybe even leave no footprints (not sure about that). Maybe he could even fool magic spells designed to detect intruders.

It's a minor upgrade in a way but at least makes him the most stealthy Legionnaire, which is what he should be. Maybe a downside would be that he's inaudible and can't use the telepathic plugs and wireless communication devices while invisible. At least the primary problem of his being easily discovered too often would be solved.

Here\'s a link to a Paul Levitz interview that ran in my local newspaper about a week ago.
No new info really, but it was nice to see the cover of Legion #1 in my daily paper!!

The best part of this issue was that it just picks up and GOES. No beating around the bush, no long exposition on who they are or why, long-time reader or no, if you've been following the Legion any for the last 2-3 years, this issue just rolls with it.

His little essay at issue's end says it all. He appears to be having fun writing these characters again and to me, it showed on every page of this issue.

I very much enjoyed this first issue. It gets going quickly and never lets up. It has cataclysmic events and powerful characterization. The destruction of Titan harkens back to that great story where the Legion evacuates a planet threatened by the Fatal Five. Saturn Girl is a panel hog (what a surprise), but when she is written this well, who cares? I felt like I was reading about a real person, estranged from her husband, straining under the responsibility of parenthood and reaching back for her authentic, private self. She is determined, relentless, never gives up, in the face of the loss of her homeworld, she stays focused on finding her sons. That's iron butt Imra if I ever saw her, and she was glorious. What I LIKE about the Legion is that the large cast actually allows for more well-rounded characters. No character has to be the perfect hero. It should be a true ensemble, and this was. The other perfect scenes -- Brainy striding insouciant (thanks, Matt Fraction!) through the destruction of Titan inside his force field. Brilliant. It seems obvious, but how often have we seen the supremely confident Brainiac 5 display the kind of fearlessness you would expect from an impenetrable force shield? Sun Boy and Cosmic Boy were good supporting players here. Paul proves himself again the master at relating key facts (Sun Boy's torture/exploitation by Earth Man) through dialogue. The events with Earth Man, Sodom Yat and the GLC are mysterious, which is good, especially if the unexpected twists keep coming (as Earth Man's recruitment to the GLC was).

This was like reading an episode of "Lost" in many ways -- running start, surprising twists, big events, a focus on strong character interraction. Keep it the good work, guys! Oh, and never, EVER draw Ultra Boy again with the page boy haircut! I am unanimous on this!

Imra couldnt be Phoenix even if she tried...Phoenix power levels are on a cosmic (god) scale. Imra's just Marvel Girl with more leadership ability and no fainting.

My sense of the Imra TK thing is that it's a combination of artistic flourishes and our imaginations. When Imra enters the school(?), she kicks the window in with her knee while trying to contact the twins telepathically (hence the fingers to temples). I think you can come to similar non-TK interpretations for all the other panels.

It's also VERY possible that Yildiray is a little sketchy on what Imra can and can't do, and that the details of these panels didn't come up between the editor, Paul and Yildiray.

The one that made me think twice was the small panel where Imra is helping people at risk of being crushed by a falling wall. An alternative, non-TK explanation for this panel is that Imra is using her mental strength and willpower to use her flight ring to slow the crumbling wall and give the civilians time to escape.

I have a feeling that, at some point, Paul will lay this controversey to rest.

I know I didn't use smilies when I presented the page as a "smoking gun", but really, this is all the biggest non-issue to me in the world right now. I LOVE, however, how we Legion fans dissect each issue for stuff like this. So I play along for fun, add a little fuel to the fire and bug Paul about it on his Facebook for shits and giggles!

I guess I'm just a wee sadist!

heh!

Good for you, Otie!

I for one find the anal continuity-cop syndrome to be rather tedious.

let the story unfold! if it was a one-off error, so what? if it was an accidental beginning of something, let's see where it goes - without shouting "Jean Grey!" left, right and center.

I agree.
And every time a point is backed up with a continuity story, it's called a mistake or a bad story that should be dumped from existence.
sigh

How is one story more valid than another?
And what difference does it make, anyway?

This ISN'T the original Legion.
There are going to be more changes.
Geoff made some.
Robinson made some.
Paul has already made some.

The idea is to STOP the inaccessable continuity stuff, permanently.
The idea that every word and action from 30, 40 or 50 years ago has to be followed without fail or objection is just silly.

I'm glad Imra is an orphan now.
I miss her reboot family, but I knew they wouldn't be here, anyway.

By making her an orphan, when we clearly saw her parents before, tells us clearly that this is a slightly different Legion and continuity nit-picking is a sham.

I'm done.

Oh, and however it happened, the idea of Imra with TK is fun.
Whether it is built upon or not.
To me.

agreed. keeping limits on LSH powers can be easier for some writers, but a good writer can make development of powers work. I liked Reboot Tom's ability to use heaviness and lightness, rather than the either-or compartmentalization of original or Threeboot Tom and Ayla; in imaginative hands it worked quite well. (I also liked giant Reboot Vi, but I realize I'm in a minority on that).

Development of powers can make for interesting stories (I loved "War Makes Us Weapons" in Legion Worlds, for instance). And if it leads to out-of-control power escalation, a writer can add repercussions without going all Phoenix.

I don't necessarily mind Imra having TK (I like the cartoon version, for example), I just don't think it's necessary, and it kind of makes Tellus even more redundant.

I don't know if this is in reply to me or not, but I referred to her as Jean Grey, not Phoenix.

I know Imra ain't all THAT!

Oh, I agree. I'm not trying to get personal or argumentative about it. Just presenting my point of view and trying to back it up with what I consider to be canon. Not that canon means that much anymore but still . . .

I think even if Saturn Girl turns out to be a telekinetic in this "new" Legion that power won't come anywhere close to approaching Jean Grey's yet alone Phoenix's for that matter.
I think Paul might write the TK (if it is in fact TK) as just an "add-on" to the powers we're used to seeing from Imra.

One thing funny yet tragic that will come out of Imra having TK is that eventually Tellus will get killed off and we can place bets on Legion World on when it will happen.

Sad yes, but it will at least make for two good threads! (One for the betting, the second for the subsequent condemnation of the betting posters when Tellus actually dies).

And, depending on the manner of death, we can revive the "Ways to Prepare Tellus" thread!

Saturn Girl having TK is a win-win situation all around!

And then I can blame all the posters who said Imra had TK for killing Tellus even though I secretly know that is a pretty unfair accusation!

One of the best things about Tellus is that he carries his own methane supply with him -- he's the main course and the gas grill, all in one!

Why does LARDLAD hate Tellus?

"Imra has TK" = "I want to see Tellus dead"

Hating Tellus = hating diversity in the Legion = closet racist

Wanting someone dead = murderous killer

Well, I'm sad that so many posters on this board are racists and murderers!