Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Supergirl and the Legion #30- Spoilers!

The cliques I recall...

1. Mon-El + Shady + Ultra Boy + Phantom Girl

2. White Witch + Blok + Invisible Kid 2

3. Cosmic Boy + Saturn Girl + Lightning Lad

These're just those on the top of my head from Levitz' run, not counting friendships like Sun Boy - Star Boy, Blok - Timber Wolf, Colossal Boy - Chameleon Boy

Not to mention the conspiracy cabal. Hellooo!

Thanks Harbringer!

Well, I hated this issue. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, I'm still conflicted over this issue. When I first read it I was tempted to tear it in half, but for some reason I was in a bad mood that entire day (I didn't really enjoy any of my books that week and there were some good ones). Next day I reread the issue and I still disliked it. So here's my take....

First off, the way I understood the Dominator's plan was that the genetically enhanced shocktroopers would breed throughout the galaxy thus creating more genetic variants with which to eventually attack Earth. First off, pretty weak plan imo, secondly, it was not an immediate threat. In fact, I quote

Sunboy: The Dominators are helpless to press their advantage on Earth now that we've brought the fight to their world....every one of the Dominators sciencities has been crippled...now the bad news...the plan--win or lose this one war--is to SOMEDAY (emphasis mine) seed those shocktroopers throughout the entire galaxy...

Lightning Lad: Sunboy's right...the moment we retreat and return home, the dominators will rebuild and the clock begins ticking on that "someday" plan.

Ok, so the Dominators are unable to threaten Earth at this time and the greatest threat they now pose is somepoint in the distant future, yet the Legion can't stop and think/debate/discuss options, they just rush a decision that does not need to be rushed? Those kids could have gone home, could have talked to the UP, could have done anything but rather they decide to blow up the planet. Weak, sloppy writing to me, Waid wanted the planet gone, and didn't bother to make it believable.

Second thing, murderess Titan says "Then we seal them off. Somehow." Element Lad says "With What?....They'll find a path around any wall." OK, you are the freakin' Legion of Super-heroes, you pull stuff out of your butts ALL the time, that's what Brainy is for for crying out loud! The lack of imagination and effort from the team to come up with an alternate solution takes so much away from this book. Part of the fun with the Legion is that it is futuristic sci-fi so you can have great crazy stuff happening, but apparently the Legion doesn't want to put the effort in so why bother. Furthermore, this is another place where, rather than take time THAT THEY HAD to discuss plans and possible methods, they keep trucking along to destroying a planet.

Need I remind you that that is what the Empire did? Star Wars anyone? that's how we knew they were bad, they blew up a planet.

Ok, rant/complaints over the genocide over. Now on to other things.

The Death of Mon-El, the opening page was a shocker, but the way he went out wasn't great. First let me say I haven't read every issue, I haven't touched the 5YL stuff and don't have many of the early issues, but I do have a fair chunk of Levitz's run and what strikes me about Mon-el in that, and this is just my impression, is that he was still very much a silver age hero. In a way he just seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Superboy (Kal) who would do the simple heroic thing. Maybe its just my association with him and his original orgin story (which I have read reprinted) but I always saw him as the writer's way to harken back to the Silver Age of heroes in any era.

His death lacked this. first off, he knew he wasn't going to die. Secondly, he was used as a payload to, if not kill, at least imprison an entire planet for eternity in a place he himself hated. It just seemed, such a waste. Showing his memorial on the first page took my breath away, but seeing the execution of his death, I felt that Mon-El should have gone out better, even if it wasn't a real death.

Next item, the switcheroo, Waid did the EXACT same thing two issues ago. Where Cos is all mean to Triplicate Girl and then we find out it's all part of the clever plan and Cos isn't as evil as he appeared. Only now he pretends to blow up a planet. Wouldn't bug me as much except the same plot device is used by a writer within three issues, and last issue wasn't written by Waid. It just felt tired and frustrated me because it was so unimaginative.

As for Cos going away, I'm torn. In a way I thought it was a great touch and a nice shout out to the Superboy/Legion connection, but in a way it seems very un-Legion like to me. To me there is no "Greatest Legionnaire." They are a team. I could name off my favorites, but would I every say Timberwolf was a greater Legionnaire than Lightning Lad, or that Lightning Lad is greater than Bouncing Boy? No, because they are all heroic and all work as a team. To me they are not great heroes because of any individual adventures or attributes (like Superboy/man) but rather they are great because they are a part of the Legion, and the Legion makes them great just like they make the Legion great. So to have one singled out from the future as "greater" than the other just seems un-Legion like. Now maybe we learn this is a plot from baddies in the future further down the road, but to me this little homage to the origin just doesn't fit. Again, I'm conflicted, I see what he is trying to do but I just don't think it works.

Last little comments, I don't like this kids for the most part, they annoy me. Nothing seems to have consequences. Orando is destroyed damaging the UP economy, but we never see fallout from this. Terror Firma helps destroy a planet yet no one cares (not even Projectra, now either crazy dude did it on his own and no one else from the team was there *possible* or major plot hole and the rest of Terror Firma does not face consequences, even if they were just accessories after the fact. Either way you think Projectra would care a bit more that Sun boy is hanging with the people who associated with/took orders from the guy who destroyed her homeworld). Wanderers, yeah they helped beat back the Dominators but you think the UP could at least ask them WHY they felt the need to attack the Legion and Earth when all they needed to do was talk to CB to settle things. Couple other things, but mostly minor things that have just gotten under my skin.

Ok, sorry for the majorly long post, but this series has been a disappointment and I think that is why this issue angered me so much because I can't separate it from issue after issue of let downs, of the focus being on Cosmic Boy, Brainy and Supergirl, of the lack of meaningful action, of the simple fact that I really don't care for this characters, in fact I think the only one would care if they died are Dream Girl (already dead), Timberwolf and maybe Karate Kid.

Oh, and a wooden arm for Lyle, ugh...

I agree with you totally, Stephbarton. I maintain the stories on this series are totally haphazard and forgetable. In hindsight, after 30 issues, there is NO GOOD REASON why the Legion was rebooted. It accomplished practically nothing and here we are three years later with the same schizophrenic conundrum we had before - WHAT IS the Legion?

Too bad Mr. Kitson's artwork couldn't have been used on better stories.

What is the Legion? The group guest-starring in JLA and JSA of late.

The more I think on it, the reintigration of Superman into pre-boot LSH lore is just too important to the DCU to be a one-story throwaway. I'm betting Threeboot isn't long for this world, and Waid leaves us not one single reason to mourn its passing.

Had a thought last night about the wanderers being pardoned from the UP - does that include what'er name the Titanian wgho killed the guy in police custody and was busted out of prison?

You're right about that, but this Legion seems to be a lot more divided than past ones. But maybe it's just me.

I agree with a lot of what you said, stephbarton. A lot of things happened whose effects were not dealt with.

And did anyone else here curse out loud when they said Ultra Boy was tied for the lead in the elections?

I mean, I was hoping these kids would have SOME sense