Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Legion of Super Heroes #18 Preview

Well, back in bland.

Legion is doomed.

Pretty much my reaction as well.

Re: possible death. I really didn't get the whole "He'll have to dig himself out if he can" thing. Could they really not spend the two seconds it would take the guy standing next to the door to dissolve the rubble just to check if he's okay?

Mixed feelings about this whole storyline so far:

Good - we're seeing lots of different Legionnaires; the Fatal Five are back and nasty as ever; the new Legion leadership results.

Bad - the gratuitous bashing and killing of the Legion (Mr Giffen rears his Legion love/hate psychopathic head again with little gain in sales again). Not a lot of heroics lately, just a bunch of youths ducking for cover and looking out for themselves (um, cities burning, civilians anyone?).

BTW - Sales in February: Justice League of America #1 = over 300K, LSH#17 = over 16K. Can someone explain this madness???

Suggested Legion sales gimmick:

Variant covers for each world of the United Planets!

My thoughts exactly. I reason that the Legionnaires want to get off planet as quick as possible because they are the cause of the planet being targeted, with the hope that once they leave, Earth (and Rimbor) will get a reprieve. However, if they leave a living Thom behind that defeats their purpose. It just came across to me that they were all running scared - screw Star Boy, screw Comet Queen (who may still be in the lab), screw any civilians who may be caught up in this mess. It seems way out of character that they would just leave one of their own behind like that without some rescue effort or at least confirmation.

NEW THREAD!!!!!!!

Its too bad they don't have a frickin precog on the team. he he he.

This issue has raised my ire!


shocking.

And that was with the beloved Keith Giffen co-plotting. I guess he was a one issue wonder after all.

*NOD NOD*

This is why I'm having such trouble with the issue. THIS IS ALL SO NOT LEGION. I mean, just a few issues ago Thom QUIT THE LEGION, going against orders, to save Nura and Brainy. And they all just leave him behind?! It's so out of character! Doesn't Nura love him anymore? Doesn't she care?

I'm just...I'm at the bottom of my barrel with what I can take from my favorite comic. I don't think I can reach much further. Seeing them leave Thom behind...just makes me damn sad.

Dream Girl looked beside herself that Thom was left behind. It's the other Legion members with her that I have a problem with. In the Old Days we could assume that Star Boy would probably pull though this, but I'm not so sure anymore.

I hope Levitz resolves this in a sensible manner. Then again what happened to Harmonia and Dragonwing let alone Comet Queen who was pictured in #16 in sick bay? Maybe they will rescue Thom.

Okay, i'll give you that one. She does look rather upset (and poorly drawn).

I guess Harmonia and the rest are on their own. A more likely assumption would be that they'll get forgotten for a while and we'll end up wondering what happened to them. Or they'll get killed off-panel or something.

I'm getting a little jaded. XD

Yeah her arm looked like it grew out of her right breast.

That could be awkward.

I'm pretty sure the HQ and plaza were collapsing, and the rioters were also converging on them. The take away is if they didn't launch right then, they'd all be killed.

EDIT to Add: I actually really like the art in the first three segments, which obviously weren't Kollins work so must have been Derenick. I'm willing to cut Kollins some slack though, only because it would have to have been a quick turnaround if Giffen walked suddenly.

True as that might be, it doesn't make me any less disappointed in the storyline. If true, that's a very pathetic end to a very likable character. Thom deserved better.

*sniff*

I think back to the good old days when Dirk and Thom used to play hologrid Dungeons and Dragons...

It was fun to have a clubhouse then...

It didn't really seem to be in character that they'd abandon Thom. Where's the old "we stand or fall together"? Still, it does create some dramatic tension and eagerness to find out what happens next.

Next issue, Dream Girl justifiably strangles Brainy?

SciFiPulse has an interesting review of LSH #18: http://scifipulse.net/2013/03/in-review-legion-of-super-heroes-18/

What do you think of his review of this issue in contrast to most of the responses that has been given so far on Legion World? What's the difference here?

I think the problem here is we are all long-time Legion fans, and our expectations are colored by our history.

The reviewer is very generous to the story.

Wow! Legion Tech stops working! Except when it doesn’t! Just like in Legion Lost! And in the other Legion Lost! Stuff that happened last month continues to happen this month! Furthermore, villains continue to be villainous, and danger continues to be dangerous, without apparent purpose or motive! Legionnaires in danger!

Legionnaires are always in danger. These are guys who, when they hear “Disaster!”, run towards the disaster.

This issue seems like more set-up for the Big Reveal coming later on down the line. Unfortunately, we Legion fans have gotten used to the series being cancelled, or the Universe re-booting, or Editorial saying “no, you can’t do that”, or current or subsequent writers just plain forgetting there are plot holes or unresolved issues or Big Reveals Waiting To Happen. I could make a list.

Very generous on the art, too, even though there were no specific positives about anything but the cover.

I am actually glad to see the Legion getting good reviews. I hope it continues to prosper and flourish. But I’m getting too old for this.

(I grew up in an age when comic book writers could tell a story in half an issue. Nowadays it takes at least half a year. Sometimes half a decade.)

I actually really enjoy issues that are self-contained. They're usually the ones I read over and over. I don't always have the attention span for a year long plot. XD

When Paladin (aka 'the Artist Formerly Known as Lardy') said something to the effect of 'this is the worst the Legion has ever been' I did not agree with him.

But, having read this last issue, I am beginning to come around. It's as bad as last issue, from a narrative perspective, and the characters are increasingly alien to me. Harmonia is deputy leader? Phantom Girl continues to whine about how all these things going wrong makes her look bad, while the menfolk have to fluff her up? Ugh.

At his point, I'm praying for the Time Trapper to show up and make it all go away.

Word. I shudder to think how long the Great Darkness Saga would last these days.

Speaking of the Great Darkness Saga, although it really isn't fair, I cannot help compare it to this jaunt...

In GDS, there were clues every issue about what was going on. The Dark Servants, for instance. (True, I didn't figure it out from the clues, but still...)

Each issue moved the plot forward incrementally (as well as providing continuing character development).

There was a feeling that something-- or someone-- big was coming.

While it is true I am somewhat closer to senility now, I am not spotting obvious clues to what is supposed to be happening to the Legion's universe. The character development seems forced, and inconsistent. (As mentioned: Look, without their Tech, all the Legion is is a bunch of scared little rabbits)

And it doesn't feel like some super-villain is killing off the Legionnaires. It feels like Levitz is killing off the Legionnaires. And he is a much less interesting villain than, say, Darkseid.

How do you know there aren't clues? As you said you didn't catch them in GDS until they were explained so how about giving this arc a chance before rubbishing it?

Harbinger:

It is not that I could not see the puzzle, I just could not solve it.

I am afraid my crotchety old man cranky curmudgeonliness is bringing a negative vibe to this thread.

I think I will shut up for awhile now.

http://smari.com/news/article/angry-online-comments-can-cause-negative-perceptions-of-corporations

Agreed. And you dont seem negative to me. Just observant. But then I've been accused of negativity in my day. XD