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Brave and the Bold # 198 Terrorists of the Heart! by Mike W. Barr, art by Chuck Patton & Rick Hoberg, letters Todd Klein, colours Adrienne Roy



HWW did a fine recap and review of this issue in his Karate Kid Series review.

Comments:

Karate Kid is the only Legionnaire appearing in this issue. His fight scenes are classic, but his behaviour with Iris is sad. Not deplorable, he really didn’t seem to catch on how devoted she was to him. You can just feel the floor falling out from under her as he invites her to his wedding to Jeckie.

Val shouldn’t be entirely clueless; she kisses him when he first appears, which does surprise him, but should have been a tip-off. He doesn’t do anything to disabuse her, like shake her hand or say he’s happy to see an old pal.

Iris is a positive character in this story. She’s the good samaritan to Katy, warns Batman about an attacker behind him, subdues Katy by herself at the end and, although she totally misread or imagined Val’s feelings for her, doesn’t hide her emotion, but speaks out and tells him the truth.

The story depends on a number of highly convenient events: Katy is in the shower when Val appears, Pulsar is on the television when Val is looking at it, Katy is on the television when Iris isn’t looking at it, Val takes the handkerchief that Katy had left.

The bad guys are revolutionaries, not terrorists (although Val calls them terrorists). My tendency, when writing these notes, was to call them terrorists, which just goes to show how much the public rhetoric has changed in 34 years.

Batman has changed a lot in 34 years as well, a little grim, not very gritty and no stranger to emotions. This was the era when I read Batman comics regularly and it left me a bit nostalgic for that more everyday human version of the Bat. He's had some previous contact with the Legion and willingly works with Val. It does remind me how much I'd like to see a Legion which was inspired by this version of Batman, rather than Superman.

Pulsar meets an ignoble end. The motor within him burns up, and he burns with it. There’s no follow-up to this; his family is gone and nobody asks about him, let alone mourn him. It's not much of a finish for a guy who graces the issue's cover.

The ending struck me as really abrupt. Iris tells Val off and he just says, “Okay.” and leaves. Then Batman plays agony aunt and tells her she’ll get over it.

So does Val, like the cover suggests, wear his high collar costume in this issue? Seems a little odd, because he'd basically abandoned it in his last several Legion appearances to this point.

I had a feeling I didn't have this one to hand. I'll take a look to see if I have it in storage, but it will be weekend. Just as well, as I'm sure they had to send a rescue party into my Wall Of Text last week to find people lost in it

I recognise the villain from the Karate Kid series. I was just moving some of those out of the way to find another book a few minutes ago.
Also looking forward to the Chuck Patton art.

Thanks for linking to my review on the KK thread, FC.

I have nothing new to say about the issue, though I note that I also referred to the Black Heart as a group of terrorists. Organizations of this ilk often think of themselves as revolutionaries, so I'm not sure the terms are mutually exclusive. Perhaps it depends on who you ask.

The ending does seem abrupt, but I guess there was nothing left to say. I would like to have seen Val come to some revelation about how clueless he had been about Iris's feelings or to learn something from the experience, but this doesn't happen. As it is, he comes off as more of a jerk than he should.

LSH #301 Different Paths, Different Dooms by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, art by Giffen & Mahlstedt, letters by Costanza, colours by Gafford



Reep and R.J. sit among the radiation-infested rubble of Durla, recapping the history that led them to this point. R.J. grumbles about the tribe mentality of Durlans, just as a number of them emerge from the landscape, in a variety of threatening forms.

Val and Jeckie head back to Orando to prepare for their wedding. At Legion HQ, Imra thanks Proty for recording the recent Legion festivities and is reminded that Proteans are now “sentient potential citizens” and Proty II will not be returning to the Super-Pets. She takes the holo to the rec room but the viewing is interrupted by a message from Dream Girl, who appoints Brainy as temporary leader while she’s away to assist with the Daxam refugees. This upsets Deputy Leader Jo, but Thom claims that Nura is within her rights.

Back on Durla, R.J. and Reep are imprisoned in a globe, as the authorities remind them of their duties to the tribe and say they will be forgiven for leaving if they promise to remain. Since Reep refuses, he and R.J., still in the sphere, are thrown into a high-radiation pit which was the site of missiles landing in the Six-Minute War which damaged the planet. R.J. explains that the radiation is intended to take away their powers but will kill them eventually. Reep wonders if Ol-Vir’s x-ray vision was what caused his power loss and if this radiation might restore him. R.J. smashes the sphere with his ring.

Back at Legion HQ, Shvaughn introduces fellow officer Gigi Cusimano to Jan. Gigi is a bit starstruck; she has done some research which Jan begins to examine. Just then, Dirk comes in and charms Gigi, but is called away to join Brainy’s mission.

On Durla, Reep and R.J. have escaped the sphere but must scale high cliffs to leave the pit. Reep’s flight ring no longer works, so they climb. Reep fends off an attacking creature as R.J. comments that his money spent on Legion training has paid off. Two SP officers, orbiting above, await a signal to pick up Reep and R.J., baffled why they went to Durla in the first place. Reep and R.J. approach a mysterious structure called The Temple, which radiates heat and should restore their powers. R.J. demures, saying he’s used to his body by now and only came along to keep his son company. Reep enters a column of light and appears to be painfully blasted.

Brainy takes a team to Durla since he observed that Reep’s flight ring had stopped functioning and suspected trouble. As he’s enjoying Kara’s company, Brainy issues a course correction after passing Weber’s World. Suddenly, ships fire on them, damaging the cruiser. They destroy the attacking ships and Gim grabs one of the attackers, a lizard-like humanoid, then sees another who apologizes for the misunderstanding and reminds them that he is Ontiir of Tsauron, newly appointed as SP Commander of Weber’s World. He invites them to Weber’s World to ensure that all is well.

On Durla, Reep’s powers have returned, but he and R.J. face the authorities anew, who condemn them to death unless they remain with the tribe. Reep refuses and is attacked, but evades his attackers and asks who else wants to challenge him. The First Speaker asks that he remain to help them, but Reep replies that they should accept the help of the United Planets and his home is with the Legion.

At Legion HQ, Blok and Brin receive word from Val that the Legionnaires are invited to his and Jeckie’s wedding. Brin is a bit dejected, wondering if he should have let Ayla leave.

Comments:
The main story with Reep and R.J. is primarily interesting for its details about Durla. It also ends with an admonishment to cooperate with the U.P., just as we are introduced to a new storyline involving Weber’s World, the administrative source of that potential cooperation.

While the history of Durla is fascinating, Reep’s battles with various residents don’t strike me as much more than an opportunity to illustrate peculiar monsters.

That R.J. does not want his powers restored shows us another aspect to this character. For such a wealthy person (it appears that he has rebuilt his fortune after it was stolen by President Boltax), who can have any material thing, he’s pretty philosophical and content with the status quo. Or did he fear that he might not survive the experience?

Proty II enjoys a few panels along with his new sentient rights. He manages a gentle put-down of Imra (and implicity the other Legionnaires) by reminding her that he’s no longer a super-pet.

This issue also introduces Gigi Cusimano. It’s odd to see her initial wide-eyed reaction to meeting Legionnaires, since I remember her as very familiar with the Legion and eventually surpassing Shvaughn in rank.

Dream Girl astonishes in one-panel by bypassing the chain of command and naming Brainy acting leader, leaving Jo out in the cold. There’s no explanation for this in the Lee Iococca tradition of “Never complain, never explain” management. I’m curious to see if there’s some fallout from this decision in the issues ahead.

Supergirl’s still here, which not only pleases Brainy but must give readers some hope (if they like the character) that she’ll be back on the Legion roster for good.

Ontiir is back; last seen communicating to some royal personage and letting the reader know that he’s on the other side. The Legionnaires, of course, don’t know that, so we have a set-up for trouble ahead. At this point, it appears that Brainy’s team is off to Weber’s World, forgetting that they were going to rescue Reep.

There's no big cliff hanger in this issue, but if thre's a Legion wedding on the horizon, one expects trouble.

The cover is quite detached from the story; apart from Reep, the other characters don't play a significant role; Mysa and Shady aren't even in the story.

The Cover is a direct homage to Adventure #300 (Cham takes Superboy's place in the centre), and also servers to show off the new costume designs for all of these characters.

LoSH 301

The cover is a reimagining of Adventure Comics #300. I wonder if this was supposed to be the cover for LoSH #300? Although the Legionnaires on the cover have changed, it’s faithful in that their poses are the same as the original. The backgrounds are solid tones, and perhaps it’s this basic look that put them off making it the anniversary cover. I was going to say that it’s as much about capturing new readers as rekindling fond memories in old. But then, the whole of that anniversary issue hinged on old Adventure Comics. This issue’s cover continues that theme. I don’t think Levitz goes as far as to reintroduce Matter Eater Lad in a couple of issues though.

In Adventure 300 we had Sun Boy, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Triplicate Girl and Mon El with Superboy in the larger centre panel.

This time round we have Element Lad, White Witch, Shrinking Violet, Colossal Boy, Shadow Lass and Timberwolf with Chameleon Boy striking a Superboy pose that’s a bit out of character for him. With the DC logo having to appear, Giffen does well in choosing Violet at the bottom left. The revised HQ and the inclusion of the clouds around Timberwolf also add to the enjoyment of seeing the update.

But would it have been even more fun to have more recent Legionnaires on the cover? Cham, Gim and Jan have been around for a long time. A cover with Wildfire, Mysa, Vi (for reasons to come), Dawnstar, Jacques and Blok might have been nice. Hey, even keep in Superboy for some sales.

The characters on the cover are the ones to be revamped with new costumes by Giffen, which is the reason that they’re there.

That applies to Cham, but he’s also front a centre as the story is something of a spotlight issue for him.

He and his father RJ Brande have returned to Durla, in search of a way to restore Cham’s powers. Following their reconciliation, their relationship has changed again. Cham takes a few pot shots at RJ having abandoned him all those years, and for RJ not revealing his identity when he was financing the Legion. The conversation is as much for exposition purposes as it is to move the plot along. But rather than say “It was a verdammit retcon!” Brande cuts Cham off. He’s trying to make amends through his actions and support. You can see his steely business face, when he shuts down anything that contradicts his approach.

Levitz has a good handle on the character. It would have been easy for Brande to be overly guilty about his past. Likewise, it would have been easy for Cham to go on moaning about it. But the conversation changes the direction for both.

Durla looks to have been a technologically advanced world at one point. Cham is searching for The Temple, a surviving energy source that’s supposed to have been behind the Durlans shape changing abilities. Unfortunately, it only took a six minute war to wipe out that earlier civilisation. Brande and RJ are captured by the tribe they left behind. When the pair refuse to re-join the tribe, they are abandoned in a crater where missiles apparently hit back in the war.

Giffen draws the Durlans as having tentacled faces hidden well within purple robes, also made by their powers. It’s a very distinctive look. It’s also one that reminds me very much of the Time Trapper. Today’s throw away theory is that The Trapper is a Durlan who caused the six minute war. His hatred of the Legion comes form it being so closely connected with RJ Brande and his son; Durlans who have betrayed their race by leaving their heritage behind.

Levitz also gets points for having both characters take share of the responsibilities in driving the story forward. While Cham rejects the tribe, it’s RJ who frees them from the crater in a very direct way. While Cham prevents them form being monster food, it’s due to the training he got at the RJ funded Legion. RJ also provides plenty of moral support to Chams’ quest.

RJ is clearly not there for himself, as shown when he chooses not to regain his powers. He’s there to support his son. It’s a touching bond, although RJ is beginning to get a tearful as Sodam Yat or a post Crisis Superman.

Today’s second throw away theory is that RJ didn’t enter the energy stream in The Temple because he’s not actually a Durlan at all, and it would have killed him. He has no shape changing abilities to restore. See previous RJ appearance as a bald arms dealer and the clearly fake retcon in the Secrets mini series

Cham has realised that it’s the radiation from the Daxamite Ol-Vir’s X-Ray vision that has stopped his powers, back in the Great Darkness saga. He correctly surmises that the radiation from the temple will restore them, rather than just kill him. If there’s one thing that tells me that the Durlans are always wearing body shapes like clothes, it’s the seam that runs down Reep’s foot on page 14 as the pillar of energy in the temple warps him. We’d later see Cham in a robe in v4 and, thanks to this issue, it seemed fitting.

On leaving The Temple, the pair face off against the chief of the tribe; The First Speaker. It’s Reep’s Legionnaire training, and all the missions he’s been on, that wins the day for him. Actually, it’s more than that. It’s the perception of a wider world that wins the day. It’s that curiosity that made him leave Durla and it’s that trait that made him remember the creatures to imitate to defeat the world bound Durlan leader.

Father and son depart Durla, back to their homes and the wider galaxy they come from. But Levitz does put some extra effort into the story. There’s nothing to suggest the Durlans are wrong in their viewpoint, just because they lost out to Reep and RJ.

It’s a world of precious few resources. Population control may have to be vigorously enforced. Certainly challenges to the order are also quickly and lethally resolved. Form a resource perspective, this prevents huge rifts and a drain on what’s available.

As they got older, each would have a function within their tribe to support the whole. The departure of RJ and Reep would have destabilised this to an extent. It would have certainly been a waste of valuable effort and commodities. What of others who had wanted a child, but were passed over for Reep’s parents? It’s shown in v4 that Reep had to kill his brother in a Durlan ritual. Form the tribe’s perspective, it’s better that Reep had never been around so his brother, or another, could have taken that place.

On one level the story indicates that the fabulous technology of the United Planets, as amply illustrated by the Weber’s World subplot this issue, is something to strive to be part of. But there’s the Durlan side to this. The Tower contains an almost mystical energy source that was sufficient to keep the survivors of a global disaster alive. When it comes to advanced technology, the Durlans have already had it, and have clearly paid a heavy price as a result. A rejection if it generally, while keeping some untouched through ritual, seems like a legitimate stance under the circumstances.

Their rejection of visitors may also stretch back to their origins. But there’s a clearer message shown in this issue. Why would the United Planets go out of their way to quarantine a world that no one wants to leave? I doubt it’s for any benefit of the Durlans, and I doubt very much if the people that do get to visit are there to study the ruins in any archaeological way.

Subplots in this issue include one that lasts a whole panel, as Jeckie and Val’s ship depart for Orando. Later I’ll get a feeling of Déjà vu as a similar return of Jeckie and Val leads to the beginning of the Baxter volume.

There’s a nice payoff to the cover and the poster from #300 (what other title does that?) as Proty II passes Imra the pics. I wonder if this is the last Super Pets reference? When I started reading the Legion they were a bit of an embarrassing discovery. But that was before I’d read any of them, and I found I enjoyed them a lot.

The Proteans are mentioned as “Sentient potential citizen[s]” and in Imra’s thought bubble no less. I am therefore obligated to provide it as evidence of the sentience of the Protean that was later revealed to inhabit her husband. Possibly, even that such sentience shouldn’t be considered as a complete surprise for her to know about.

Imra carries the piccies into the rec room, where a number of Legionnaires are waiting for a look at them. They are then disturbed by the Mission Monitor and a team depart. Ultra Boy gets to be on it, even though he should have stayed behind as Legion deputy. It’s a lovely combination of Legion administration lore and the subplot concerning Dreamy’s leadership.

The whole thing is a well done transition, as we pick up some morsels on the characters in the rec room; a catch up on Gim’s fight against Duplicate Boy; Tom and Dirk as gaming buddies and the continued closeness of Querl and Kara.

Nura isn’t in the rec room with them. She announces the mission, and its team remotely. That distance reinforces the separation some of the cast feel about her tenure. More points for the creative team there, for not showing something.

Seeing two of the founders relax in the rec room, while the Legion continues around them, shows that the team moves on. It continues the trend of the founders to be removed a bit from the team missions.

The mission involves a trip to Daxam, continuing its recovery very much off panel.

Elsewhere, the investigations concerning Vi continue. We don’t get much movement here, except that they are looking at Science Police Files (classified ones too if you can read upside down. Or just turn the book around if you prefer. ) Gi Gi Cusimano is introduced to Jan. I’m not sure if this is her first appearance. I’m distracted by Jan saying “meet’cha” Perhaps his new costume came with some new vocabulary. Gi Gi also meets Sun Boy and this will develop into a subplot too.

While Dreamy is away, Querl launches another mission once Cham’s flight ring is rendered non-functional as a result of Durla’s high radiation. En route, they are attacked by Ontiir. Suspicious of him, they are led to Weber’s World.

We get a further reminder of how close Kara and Brainy have become, as well as how joined at the hip Gim and Vi are too. Both Gim and Kara get some rally well drawn panels during the attack. Kara seems like such an easy, natural part of the team.

Aside: Having had a pop at Bendis for all the “… the hell.” panels he writes when his name came up as a possible Legion writer, it’s only fair I point out the “What the--??” dialogue here

Poor Cham’s plight is easily ignored showing that Levitz just wanted to give the characters a reason for leaving HQ. Rather than provide any sort of cliff hanger this issue, we get a light hearted page closing of the Brin on the town set up and a reminder that Val and Jeckie’s wedding (and an annual) is approaching.

There’s the glimmer of a Teen Titans/ Legion crossover in the letter column too. As its 1983, and Marv’s idea, the villain could well have been the Anti (Mission) Monitor Board! Or Terry Long hypnotising the female Legionnaires with his Mayavale Medallion and chest hair! Deadlier than that Scarlet Plague story!

301:

I think this is one of the issues I've remembered most over the years. I love Cham and R.J.'s relationship, and the fact that the latter came along just to show his love for his son--not to regain his own powers. This actually puts a lot of things in perspective. As a teenager, I thought having super-powers would be the greatest thing. But R.J. Brande has lived longer. He has very different priorities. Yet he's also human (so to speak). He's made mistakes, such as not acknowledging his parentage to Reep all these years.

In the real world, fathers abandon their children, leaving a void and a lot of unexplained behavior. I experienced this in my own family. Yet one of my relatives now has a close relationship with the father who abandoned him when he was so young. I can't claim to know all the particulars, but I love the idea that the bonds of love survive past transgressions. I also love seeing the Legion characters as fully rounded human beings whose faults have unintended consequences.

It's also fascinating to watch the First Speaker be defeated by a simple hummingbird--a creature most of us take for granted but which remains unknown to Durlans. This is a powerful message of why isolationism doesn't work.

As for Nura, I can't help but see Ultra Boy's reaction as sexism. In previous stories, Legion leaders made similar calls (I'm thinking of Mon-El ordering Duo Damsel on a mission during the Action run, but the issue number escapes me) , and no one questioned them. But now Jo harbors ill feelings toward Nura, just as Element Lad does. It's a shame, really, to think that sexism hasn't died out in a thousand years.

I also loved the cover. It accomplishes two things: 1) It ties the current Legion series to the Adventure tradition, and 2) it moves that tradition forward by displaying new costumes for certain characters. There's a wonderful sense of the characters being open to change while adhering to the structure which defines them.

I found, and still find, Cham's new costume completely bland. The red and purple just popped so much better, I didn't get the impetuous to change it. As much as I really liked Giffens artwork up through this period, I don't think there's a lot of his costume re-designs I ever took to completely. Of course when he returned at the end of the Baxter and redesigned everyone, it was far, far worse.

Oh, I missed the whole new costumes on the cover thing.



Much better than entropy, Rokk Krinn or that bald guy in Takron Galtos when Darkseid attacked. Of course, being Durlan, he could have impersonated all three, depending what entropy looks like.



That would explain why doctors couldn’t detect R.J.’s Durlan blood type. So what exactly is R.J. and did he pay off Cham’s aunt to go along with his story, because he wants a Legionnaire son and heir?



I guess Brainy could have figured out the radiation connection if he hadn’t been so busy with Danielle, Tenzil and Douglas. The robes were also used by Durlans in the reboot; it’s as if their forms are so fluid that they agree to a common look for “clothing”. I wondered why Cham wore that robe in v.4, in the privacy of his own home; it’s maybe like a comfortable old sweater although it could be a Durlan pride sort of thing. Missed the seam on p.14. My, what good eyes you have!



This appreciation of the wider world would be picked up in R.J.’s v.4 origin story. It appears to be an exceptional trait among Durlans and I wonder why it wasn’t attributed to Yera as well.



Durla is truly one of the stranger planets in the Legionverse among those which have been developed by the creative teams. It’s distasteful at times (the kill-your-brother ritual, the ruins, even the forms adopted by some residents), truly alien visually and quite foreign to our majority’s contemporary culture. Tribes can be threatening, they’re a separate, unified group within our society and often don’t conform to or respect the rules of the greater society. Is Durla quarantined for their own good, or for the rest of the United Planets? Durlans have often been hostile players when interacting with the U.P.. Their rejection of U.P. technology may be fear-based, given their past, or rational, they don’t need it and perceive that it might destroy the tribe. So there’s a bit of protective power play in that stance as well, that the powers that be want to preserve the status quo. In that sense, some might be glad to get rid of the likes of Reep and R.J., since they’re like infections. (This happened to Gates and Quislet, IIRC: kicked out of their societies for being too different.) In any event, a lot more could be written about Durla. Time for a mini-series!



Untold story: Proty II explains to the Super Pets why he’s too good for them now. Hurt feelings all around, but they still stand by him because animals are better than us humans and kinda-like-humans. You betcha!



It’s a lot for a comic to get into, but this does open up the whole question of sentience and consciousness in everything from animals to trees and plants, or the planet itself. Those ideas were just beginning to bubble around this time, but if the story were written today, Imra should have had some sense of a more complex mind in Proty II (because we know she’s reading everyone’s mind, even if she says she’s not).



For some, she’s the general on the front with the troops. For others (and we know who they are), she’s a glory hog.



It’s great how they manage to keep the sub-plots going with as little as one panel or one sentence.



Sigh for what might have been....



This could be like those Bible Code stories, or Dan Brown novels, or Nostradamus, in which we find that Bendis taking on the Legion in 2018 was predicted back in the 1980s.




I liked this glimpse into R.J.’s character. I think it goes dormant, however, until v.4 when he winds up on Yolu and Cham goes looking for him.



It was never followed up, but one can’t help but think that First Speaker and the other ruling officials might have made some changes after this encounter.



It may be sexism, although I didn’t see it that way myself. There was a lot of friction with Wildfire as leader, although I forget off-hand who were the most offended. I took it more as a bit of sore-loser feeling but it could be they’re reacting worse to her than they would have if they’d lost to someone like Shrinking Violet (who one wouldn’t figure for leader, but hasn’t been portrayed - or let herself be seen - as a ditzy dame).



Odd man out here, just don’t like that cover, homage be hanged. Too static and, like Dave, I don’t think Reep’s (or Jan’s) costume is very appealing. And, yes, the big shoulder pads will be worse.

Isn't Shadow Lass hot in that full-body black outfit? Seeing as how she's essentially been wearing a bathing suit since we first met her.

And by this point in the plotting arc, the writers are perfectly aware that despite the caption, that is not Shrinking Violet.

Which is fitting since he's really a supporting character.



I doubt it.: Sentients who are entrenched in their worldviews don't make changes; they make excuses.



Good points. The Legion does seem to have chafed against the yoke of their leaders as time went on. Pre-Wildfire, there wasn't much if any dissension in the ranks. In the real world, this reflects distrust of authority, I think, which became prevalent from the '70s on. In the Legion's world, maybe it's a sign of the characters maturing and no longer accepting things at face value.

And you're right: Nura promoted an image of herself as a ditzy dame. It's quite a shock to see her come around and portray herself as a ballsy (so to speak) commander. I wonder if Shady, whose warrior clan status was already well established, would have been perceived the same way had she been elected leader. Alas, we will have to wait until Projecta is elected leader to get our next glimpse of a woman in charge of the Legion (and one who was literally born to rule, at that). Alas, it is only a glimpse.




I was reflecting on Dave's comment, and, while I agree with him that the red and violet costume with the headpiece is more striking, I came to realize that, at this stage in the Legion's development, costumes were the least important aspects of the characters to me. When I was younger, or because the personalities were so ill defined, the costumes and powers were the characters. But now much has changed. The last several issues have really let us get to know Cham as an individual. To me, that's much more important that what he's wearing.

You know, I think so, too. A full body suit was totally unorthodox from what Legion women had worn since the early '70s, yet Shady makes it work for her. Sexiness comes more from attitude and confidence than how much flesh is exposed.

I'm still not sure what to make of Shady's Caucasian skin--is it a mistake, or is she continuing the guise as a fashion statement? In any case, I can totally see the warrior side of her, as well as bit of mystery, than in any of her previous costumes.

By which I meant, naturally, that as Tasmia has been consistently portrayed as comfortable wearing a one-piece bathing suit and short cape for some time, this footie-pajama and heavy cloak outfit might be making her feel uncomfortably over-warm. Not that I expect anyone would take it any differently.

Ah, I see. "Hot" can mean different things.

Considering that the Legion women have worn bikinis in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of worlds, it's never really been an issue as to whether they are too cold or too hot. Somewhere along the way, in a lettercol, perhaps, it was explained the garments are made of materials that keep people warm regardless of how skimpy they may be. The 30th century equivalent of unstable molecules, perhaps?

I think Giffen was given lots of space to play. That probably helped Levitz’s writing about the tensions between isolationism and the loss of culture in joining something larger not become preachy.



Did we see him depart with a group of Legionnaires just after he lost his fortune? More star building wasn’t it and they met the Engineer. It was before the Reflecto Buffer Zone that blocks a lot of my Legion memories



And she ended up being the one to bring the news about the end of the Legion in v7. I wonder why Erin wasn’t … oh yeah…



It's all she needed for Element Lad to have someone to whine to



I didn’t see it as that. I just think they didn’t like her. They wouldn’t have done it to Imra or Jeckie after all. I think a lot of it is to do with Nura’s actions being so much at odds with the personal that the others thought she had. They forgot what she was like when she ran them out of the Legion in her first appearance. They got used to the flirting and the passing out when her powers kicked in, and stopped thinking about just how determined and focused she could be.

I think there’s still some lingering confusion/ self-recrimination over how she played the boys and girls of the team way back when too. Perhaps a little bit of jealousy that she ended up with Thom and not her, despite how much they all wanted to spend time with her.



I think that there may be off panel things going on. Perhaps after the GDS it was Nura who received a lot of the acclaim as the Legion leader. Despite being heroes, maybe it has rubbed a few of them up the wrong way. So, when we see her getting on with her job, which is ordering mission teams, the others just see themselves as soldiers in her Legion campaign.




Polar Boy had problems. Lightning Lad had a breakdown. Imra did well enough, but fittingly off the back of a story where you couldn’t trust your leaders at face value. The volume ended before we really got to see Jeckie do much.



:nods: although I do think she had shown her commander personality previously.



I think having their butts handed to them would have changed their views rather sharpish. Shady wouldn’t put up with it. And besides, no one is going to push Lar too far. Arguably, even including the conspiracy, you know you’re on the wrong side of heroism when you’re not on Lar’s side.




And it looks like the TV show thinks that it’s a great match too.



Kara: Brainy? Why are we going to Webers World? What about Cham?
Querl: We just remembered the Khundian Asteroid mission. He’s probably responsible for getting himself stuck. Yeah, it was a bit too convenient a side track.




It’s a sign of the maturity of the writing that can provide such strong characters as just one layer in a story involving trying to get super powers back.



Unless you are trying to get past the quarantine around the Plague Planet.



The First Speaker will have found a way to convince the others that Reep cheated and the others will have found a way to forget their invitation for Reep to replace that Speaker before RJs anti radiation treatment even begins.








This was the costume I’d first know Cham in, so I preferred it to the red one probably on that basis. But in hindsight, you’re probably right. Although, perhaps he felt that as the head of the espionage team that his costume shouldn’t pop. Not that this one is any less conspicuous.

I liked a lot of the Baxter costumes. Brin wearing an animal pelt was a mystery though.




I like that. Finally a decent reason as to why there are so many different looks for the Trapper!



I don’t want to give away my Bits stuff … but it’s the Proteans




And what did that story involve? Proteans!



Now he’s got to be wondering why his flight rings are conking out at just the wrong moments.

Querl: It’s like someone is making it happen deliberately. Some sort of creator, using us as strands of a story…
[ONE RETCON LATER…]
Querl: Gosh! Kara’s back visiting. Keep it cool Querl. You’re not some green Legion recruit now… well…



Reep: It’s a keepsake from home. If you look closely you can still make out the blood stains form the first fight to the death I had there.
Rokk: Umm… Is that Lydda calling me? I’ll be right back…




Why thank you ma’am! I created them from my Durlan protoplasm just this morning.



She fell into the Flaky Actress stereotype Besides, if she was that astute she wouldn’t have run around as Vi for so long without starting to ask some questions. A bit self-absorbed in her role?




Good spot about the similarities to other Legionnaires. There are lots of interesting takes on Durla keeping it as shifting as its inhabitants




Comet: There he goes, little protoplasmic nose in the air.
Krypto: Did he show you the pictures again? The ones he took of the Legion?
Comet: You mean his Legion
Beppo: >sigh< Imra’s never going to fall for him. Proty I died finding that out.
Krypto: We’ll be here for him. It’s what loyal friends do.
Streaky: I’m off to see if his room has comfier snooze spots than mine…




Imra?! reading minds?! Oh yeah, every issue… Except for her Proty husband, of course. Oh, she knew all right.

Personally, I’ve never seen man as any different from any of the other animals. Who can say about plants and everything else?

But the next time Chlorophyll Kid talks to them, perhaps we shouldn’t chuckle quite so much.



The art, captions, main plots and dialogue are all really pushing the book forward.



>sigh< I can see a few comments about certain events in the future. I must be Naltorian! >faints< see told you! >faints again<




Giffen’s next art shift into those extreme shadow/ faces would have made a Bendis issue of endless talking heads more visually appealing.



But so fitting for the ‘80s Dynasty.




I do remember being blown away by Perez’s Legion work in both Crisis and the History of the DCU a few years from this issue. Costume-wise they were so far ahead… just as it should be for a 30th century team



I read Klar’s post in just the same way. I prefer Shady’s less revealing outfits too.

Although Durla was quarantined, the story makes it clear that the inhabitants could have received UP assistance or even been relocated if they wished but wanted no outside interference. I got chills as I read some of the First Speaker's dialogue: "Rights cannot be rejected. Birth cannot be denied" (p. 5); "Those who would go forth cannot eat at our fire, cannot share our peace" (p. 6); "Apart from us, you are better dead" (p. 19). This is a very narrow-minded and rigid worldview. It clings to tradition and rejects the uncertainty of change (which is ironic, considering the Durlans' powers).

(As a political aside, I couldn't help hearing in the First Speaker's dialogue a lot of Trump's rhetoric about focusing on America first, keeping American jobs safe, and protecting Americans from Muslim extremists. There's a similar rigidness of identity and fear of the unknown in his speeches.)




Glad I wasn't the only one.

Actually, by "Plague Planet" I was making a quip about somewhere like Infectious Lass' homeworld, but was too lazy to try and spell "Somahtur".

On your point, we don't know what strings come with the UP Assistance. We only have to look at the foreign policies of every nation of our own world to see that everything comes with a price. And that's not even including active meddling. In the last half hour I've heard quotes form half a dozen countries that fit perfectly with "clings to tradition and rejects the uncertainty of change." There was another where change is what they think they're getting, but it's going to be more of the same, with a different face. There are a number of arguments to illustrate that the alternative to that, isn't exactly designed to be in the best interests of anyone other than those who push for the change.

Durla: Where political discussion groups prevent them from ever rebuilding their shattered world.

Good point about UP help coming with possible strings attached. I was still thinking that the UP, like the Legion itself, is an altruistic organization that only wants what's best for everyone.

However, the First Speaker is willing to kill others for leaving Durla and bluntly states "Apart from us, you're better dead." This does not sound like someone who would consider help from any source under any circumstances.

I blame the Rereads for moving me away from that!



With Durla being resource poor, any drain on those resources isn't good. Worse, one might lead to more and then the whole thing could break down and they would all die. So, from the First Speaker's position it's better to kill a couple than to lose everyone, I guess. A mix of ideology and those strings cynical 'ol me sees all over the place would cover the last part. - Conspiracy Kid

Thank you for your thoughts, thoth. You added a different perspective I hadn't considered.

It's always helpful to see things from another's eyes. I still don't agree with the Speaker's views, but I can see where s/he might be coming from.

DCCP #59 Ambush Bug II by Keith Giffen & Paul Levitz, art by Keith Giffen & Kurt Schaffenberger, letters by Ben Oda, colours by Carl Gafford



Superman encounters Ambush Bug in Metropolis; since Supes is en route to the 40th century, he decides to save time and dump the Bug en route with the Legion in 2983. The Legion’s not home, however, so he reluctantly leaves Bug with Polar Boy, the only Sub available.

Ambush Bug escapes and the chase begins. Superman, returning from his future errand, discovers that Bug is on the loose and learns that Polar Boy had put him in an old aquarium tank rather than a secure holding cell.

Although Superman traps Ambush Bug, the Bug escapes, along with Superman’s cape. The Science Police arrive, raising Superman’s hopes for some competent help.

Meanwhile, Bug is creating mayhem in Metropolis, harassing a Drakian (aka Purple Eyestalk Creature), as Color Kid and Antennae Lad try to seize him. Bug finds the Superman Museum.

At SP Headquarters, Chief Zendak grills Porcupine Pete and Infectious Lass, as Superman looks on. The two subs explain that they’re working with their Auxiliary members, people who haven’t qualified for membership in the Subs. Zendak notes that Shvaughn Erin has failed to contact the Legion (and readers are advised that we don’t know where this story fits in LSH continuity). They learn that AB is at the Superman Museum; Supes flies off, concerned that Bug will discover his secret identity.

At this time, Chlorophyll Kid and Fire Lad are stumped as to how to remove Stone Boy, whose head is implanted in concrete.

AB is finallly enticed into a room marked by a “Do Not Enter” sign and turns on what he believes to be a special effects machine with a “Do Not Push” button. However, it’s a Phantom Zone Projector, so Bug is safely put away until Superman can deal with him.

The Subs say goodbye to Superman, who asks where their other members are. Chlorophyll Kid and Fire Lad are still contemplating how to free Stone Boy from the concrete.


Comments:

So light it almost floats away.... it’s an enjoyable story and worth a few smiles. The Legion itself stays wisely out of the picture, whereabouts unknown. Perhaps Dream Girl had a vision and they all agreed to lie low and just watch the shenanigans. (I note that Night Girl is conspicuously absent; no doubt Rokk warned her of the coming fiasco, hoping to spare himself the embarrassment of a girlfriend who is a member of such a group as the Subs.)

The Subs have become synonymous with joke (apart from their 5YL rehabilitation). I’m wondering if this is Keith Giffen’s doing. Although I didn’t take the time to review the Adventure era stories, I recall them as weak, not masters of their powers, earnest, well-intentioned, but not idiots and goofballs. These guys could star in a teenage stoner movie.

It’s an Ambush Bug story as well, so logic goes out the window. Of course Superman doesn’t drop Ambush Bug off with the Science Police, or delay his time travel and settle the situation in the 20th century. Of course there are many far-fetched coincidences which move the story along.

Supes was headed to the 40th century. Was his errand explained in a previous or later issue of this series? It’s a fairly popular time period in DC Comics, even being used in the 3boot with the Knights Tempus from the 41st century. Something else else about those multiples of 10 appeals to writers.

Gigi Cusimano, introduced in last week’s issue, is mentioned here, as Chief Zendak’s gofer.

There are no lasting consequences, in terms of Legion timeline, from this story, but it does set the Subs up for future stories as the laughing stock of the 30th century.

Likewise HWW.



That's what I was always taught. But now the police are here, I wonder if taking all those people's eyes makes me some kind of bad guy - Corinthian Kid




Oh heck. I had pulled out #302 for a read. I'll need to go into storage for this one. I picked up the second annual, so at least I have that handy. But I didn't find the B&B issue. I'll have another look for that, but it could be it's one I don't have.

Do you have a receipt for those eyes?




I always admonish my students never to take credit for someone else's work, so . . . it was actually FC who wrote the above.

I have or had DCCP 59, but I couldn't find it while rummaging through my collection. I may have to sit this review out.

After reading FC's review, I don't think I want to revisit this issue. Polar Boy is not so stupid as to put a criminal in an aquarium instead of a locked cell. The other actions of the Subs are equally ridiculous.

I believe the Subs-as-humorous-foils aspect did begin here. Previously, they were treated as FC describes: resourceful, brave, and smart, just not powerful enough for the Legion.

This story is a mixed blessing for the Subs. Previously, they had been treated as very minor characters--so minor that when three of them were given new costumes back in S/LSH 211 or so, those costumes were never seen again. However, this story did give them a specific and recognizable identity--a "brand," in business parlance. The reader now knew what to expect when the Subs appeared--for better or for worse.