Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Let's talk about LSH #8 (potential spoilers aplenty)...

As always, we'll start with the soliciation:

THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #8

Written by Mark Waid; Art by Barry Kitson and Art Thibert; Cover by Kitson

The war that will transform the galaxy begins — inside Legion headquarters! When one Legionnaire quits the team, it strips away the last bit of civility between Cosmic Boy and Brainiac 5, violently splitting the team in two!

as well as a link to the cover...

http://www.legionworld.net/images/NewLegion/LegionOfSuperheroesCv8.jpg

Haven't bought the issue yet, but if I remember correctly, it was action-packed. But, I'll comment more after I get the book.

WOW!

Anyone know if Mechana (of SNO-CONE Studios ) did the colors? They're much better than recent issues and sort of remind me of her work.

Really miss the Kitson art when it's not there, but this was easily the best issue of this run. Easily

Agreed! The art was okay (not up to Barry's superior standard) but the colors were much 9improved and the story was just...awesome!

Oh, and best line of the issue, though it wasn't really funny:

Element Lad: "I hate pirates."

Yeah, that was a nice nod. I preferred his previous line, though, after explaining his power: "Don't worry. It'll only hurt for a minute."

Art was acceptable, though of course not on Barry's level. But the story was great, and there was plenty of action.

Another impressive power demonstration for Cos, what with making and breaking forcefields. And he showed a good mix of instability, power-trippiness and honest interest in the team's welfare and ideals--it's hard to decide whether he or Brainy are on a better path, as it should be.

Also fun to see the characters bitching about the same traits that may be getting stale for the readers, like Gim's "little people" schtick.

I dunno -- this title is losing me. I'll still buy it for now to see how this war plays out, but I am really losing interest.

I don't know if it's the artist that made it seem like "overacting", but I was not impressed with the Brainy/Coz power play. Mainly because it seemed really jeuvenile. Rokk loses his temper, Brainy tricks him with the open channel thing (I almost expected him to go "nyah nyah"), Jo loses his temper etc... even though the core of their differences are interesting, it played out like a high school brawl, imo. Coz also comes off as a major stiff -- he breaks into Brainy's lab then espouses trust within the team? He deserves to lose the team.

I can understand them acting like teens if that's what they are then fine but having these teens act this childish and having them as major players in intergalactic politics is a harder pill to swallow (well ok, yeah - real life politicians don't really act any better ...).

Projectra had an interesting and cryptic line though -- did she inherit powers of some kind? The veil was a nice nod to the "Sensor Girl" faceless look.

I agree that this is one of the best issues yet, but I also am getting somewhat bored with this storyline and am looking forward to issue #12 when it concludes and hopefully shorter story arcs will start.

The covers to #1 and #7 do seem to be the team division.

It looks like Brainy's team in #1 was:(left to right)
Timberwolf (not Cos)
Element Lad
Phantom Girl
Princess Projectra
Brainiac 5
Ultra Boy
Chameleon
Karate Kid
And off panel:
Shadow Lass

Cosmic Boy's team from issue #7:(left to right)
Saturn Girl
Sun Boy
Dream Girl
Collosal Boy/Micro Lad
Cosmic Boy
Star Boy
Light Lass
And off Panel:
Lightning Lad
Triplicate Girl

Invisible Kid and Shrinking Violet/Atom Girl(WHENEVER she appears) are wild cards, but I would say from last issue that Invisible Kid will align with Cos while Violet will turn out to be spying for Brainy.

Oh yeah, I'm willing to bet that what Projectra "gained" is illusion powers.

Heres hoping that after the two teams duke out and reunite to duke it out with Lemnos and Terror Firma that we will learn some more about the Legionnaires backgrounds and origins.

Lots of little things going on this issue in addition to the big "blowup" finally taking place:

--I really got a kick out of the "I hate pirates" line.

--The Cos unravelling the force field scene was something I've always figured he should be able to do, but never thouht we'd actually see. I was glad, though.

--I hope Lyle's dad actually thinks about what Lightning Lad said and looks into his promotion.

--The Projectra scene was touching. Is her gain just "powers" or something else?

--The Legion "coffers" being full is another new mystery. Lemnos's doing? Connected to Projectra's "gain"? A donation from R.J. Brande? Dare I suggest... Lester Spiffany?

--So apparently there's a limited number of spots on the team (limited by the number of flight rings, perhaps?), and if one Legionnaire quits, someone from the encampment gets a chance to join? Interesting.

--I would have liked to have seen some reaction from the encampment on Colossal Boy's flying through the wall. Would they think it was just normal sparring with Ultra Boy gotten out of control? We've seen walls come tumbling down with those two before.

--Lots of interesting interpersonal dynamics which I'll comment on later. The main thing I want to say is that I'm finding the characters far more realistic than they had been for a very long time.

--And a new big twist on the last page. I wonder how that will play out? We haven't really seen much build up about Cos's homeworld being important to him, so if he gives it up to stay with the team, it won't have much impact. I am curious how this will play out, though.

Actually, looks from the fight splash page like Dream Girl's with Brainy...she was facing off against Micro Lad.

I liked the issue. some observations:

Cosmic boy- I give him my award for worst leadership skills. by the moons of Talok, how was he made leader of the group? given his behavior, perhaps he is being tampered with somehow. or was he always like this? time will tell

Braal- given that planet's decision to drop out of the UP(now the enemy won't attack us) I see where Cos get's some his bad leadership skill.

the whole team- do these people ever have a meeting with all members present?(I don't count the slug fest) Dr. Phil needs to get them in all in a room to finally get real.

art work- a bit of shock to see people looking different, but it was okay.

One interesting bit: "I worked hard to earn my position as Legion leader!"

A change from the tradition of Cos being the leader right from the beginning?

Yeah. I think Barry's art was what I missed most. This was too quick a read for 40 pages. I need more story each issue - lots more.

Otherwise it was a good set up for next issue, but not really an comic in its own right.

It was a good issue, the story's in high gear finally. I agree with Nightcrawler, it was the quickest read of all the issues in this series so far which was disappointing. I've come to expect that LSH is a comic I have to read twice over half an hour to get.

The behavior of the team was very childish, but not unrealistic for a bunch of hormone driven youngsters. Heck I've seen grown men pull stuff like Brainy did in meetings. Fortunatly men in suits don't have superpowers.

I couldn't figure out who's side Light Lass was on from her appearance in the splash panel. I also thought that Dreamy was on Brainy's team.

Haven't had the chance to read the issue yet (ran to the store to get a copy since I didn't want to wait for my order to arrive), but I did flip through it. All I can say is:

<marquee behavior=alternate><font size="6">THANK GOD SNO-CONE IS BACK!</font s></marquee>

What secrets did they find in Brainy's lab? I was kinda disappointed they shunted that question aside. It made Cos's reasons for breaking into the lab sound bogus.

Brainy may be an "egotistical sociopath" but if I had to choose, I'd choose him over Cos in a heartbeat. When Brainy insults someone, at least he does it too his face. Cos is a freakin' hypocrite.

Sun Boy quit, but he's back in costume at the end going mano-a-mano with Element Lad. Maybe now he'll have second thoughts about leaving.

It's pretty obvious from the next two solicitations that Cos will choose exile from Braal. Some cliffhanger.

I don't recall Chameleon ever being "poisonously bitter", but it might be a clue that he'll wind up siding with Brainy.

The treasury surplus no doubt came from Lemnos.

Lon Norg's promotion is probably payment from Lemnos for giving Lyle's blood sample to him.

The sight of Micro Lad flying through the outer walls of Legion HQ made my day.

Interesting characterization of Element Lad, especially in light of Micro Lad's statement "You are not a nice man." It'll be a long time before he forgives Cos for that "pseuduointellectual" crack.

Perhaps the trauma of seeing Orando destroyed awakened some hereditary powers in Projectra.

Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad make an interesting team-within-a-team.

I am not convinced that Saturn Girl will really side with Cos. She helped stop Jo's attack, but that may have only been to quell the violence. She isn't seen taking sides at the end.


Confusing Stuff:

- Why on earth would Cos have made Sun Boy his "field leader" if he doesn't trust him?

- What is Cos doing to Sun Boy when he say's "Because it makes me look like an idiot"? I can't figure out what's grabbing hold of Dirk.

- Imra commands Ultra Boy to turn off his "super-strength", rather than his invulnerability. Strange.


I missed Barry's artwork , too, but I thought the power F/X were quite good, especially for Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy and Shady. And if that's Ronda's coloring - Rao be praised!

What I liked best about this issue is that is brings us closer to #10 and Terror Firma. I've just about had it with these rotten kids quarreling in the sandbox.

Double

Oddly, one of the things I took from this issue is that while Barry's rendering of Garth's new costume is absolutely gorgeous, I'm not sure if anyone else can do it justice. I didn't like it either here or in the JSA Classified book.

I kinda wrote it off in the JSA book because I thought the art was terrible overall, but the art wasn't nearly that bad here.

Edited to add:

I read that this way - Imra says in response to KK's query that she "shunted his powers telepathically." She specifically turned off strength because that's the power he was using at the time (to beat on Cos), but she was effectively blocking his ability to focus his energy in any way.

Roll Call Weirdness:

1) Why is Lyle there?

2) Who the heck are the new weird sillhouettes?

Oh my goodness! Who's that creature underneath Brainy's roll call panel??

I really hope the answer isn't Brin Londo.

Oh, and I just noticed: Ayla smacking action!

Question: Will this cause MLLASH to hate Projectra forever?