Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion: Archives Volume 21

SPOILER WARNING: This thread discusses plot elements of Tales of the New Teen Titans 55; read at your own peril.


If JLA 240 represents a throwback to a simpler era, Tales of the New Teen Titans 55 is very much a product of its time: an effort to show how mature comics can be by focusing on complex personalities of the story’s two protagonists, Garfield Logan and Slade Wilson.

Wilson (The Terminator) gets an upgrade to protagonist status because the story is half told from his point of view, with Gar narrating the other half (red caption boxes are used for the former, blue for the latter). But while Gar and Wilson agree on the events depicted, each has a different view of what the events mean to him and why he chose to act the way he did.

The story resolves several years’ worth of story lines going back to New Teen Titans (first series) # 2 and involving Wilson’s deceased son, Grant (The Ravager), and the also deceased Terra (Tara Markov), whom Gar loved. Gar blames The Terminator for Tara’s death as well as Gar’s own recent demise (he was brought back by Amazon technology). Blinded by hatred, Gar plots to kill Wilson and, in previous issues, has gone to great lengths to discredit him by impersonating the Terminator while Wilson stands trial.

Wilson is sentenced to a minimum-security prison for a minor crime but released after less than a day. While he is in prison, Gar sneaks in and attack him as a rhinocerous. After destroying Wilson's cell, Gar flees before he can be spotted by guards. In a telling moment, Wilson refuses to tell the warden who attacked him, claiming only that it was dark.

After Wilson’s release, he agrees to meet with Logan, knowing the latter intends to kill him. Is Wilson truly tired, as he claims, and willing to put himself at Logan’s mercy or does he know that deep down Logan can’t kill him? A bit of both, I suspect. The showdown is powerful, with Logan diving toward Wilson as a hawk, talons outstretched. Wilson refuses to budge. At the last second, Gar reverts to human form and falls to the ground, defeated by his own inability to kill a man who does not give him the fight he wants.

At Wilson’s insistance, they adjourn to a diner where they have a heart-to-heart talk. That’s right. In this super-hero story, the climax does not come in the form of a battle but as a sitdown over coffee and Diet Coke. From Wilson's account, Gar learns what Tara really was like--a truths he had denied for so long. What has always stayed with me about this story, though, has been what Gar learns about himself. Tired of being perceived as an irresponsible kid by the other Titans, he gets solid advice from The Terminator: Don’t act like a fool if you don’t want to be seen as a fool. Gar also knows he must put his friendships in the Titans to the test by confessing all he’s been up to recently. But in the final panel, he believes he will be okay.

This is one of those stories that I think shows what comics are truly capable of. The characterizations are dense, and the characters change. Wolfman affords us a glimpse beyond the superficial designations of hero and villain and shows what Gar is truly capable of and that Wilson adheres to his own code of ethics. Wolfman teaches us that the truth is not so cut and dried.

This is also a very densely plotted story. Most pages boast eight to ten panels, creating the feel of a mini-novel. Almost every page is dialogue-heavy, and the dialogue goes through several peaks and valleys-especially in the diner scene, where Wilson confesses he still loves his ex-wife, Addie. A lot of exposition is delivered in this scene, but it all feels natural.

This story has stayed with me over the years. More, it’s the kind of writing I’ve always striven to achieve: something that challenges the reader and pushes the characters and genre to new heights.

. . . so, where did the Legion fit into all this? Somewhere between, I think. The Legion, like the Titans, grew up as a series during the ‘80s, but it couldn’t quite match the narrative and character complexity Wolfman pulled off with Titans. I don’t know if this is because of Levitz’s limitations as a writer or because the Legion’s large cast made it difficult to focus on just a few characters at any given time. Whereas Wolfman was able to develop the Changeling/Terminator arc over several issues, most Legionnaires were relegated to a spotlight issue here and there. Subplots and character arcs developed, but, as we’ve observed, many took a very long time to lead anywhere (the founders leaving, for example).

The Titans featured only seven core characters, which gave Wolfman a lot of leeway in developing their relationships with each other and with various antagonists such as Terra and Wilson. The Legion, by contrast, seemed like a self-contained group of heroes; supporting characters such as Yera and Marte Allon were generally kept at a distance. Shvaughn and Gigi had greater roles, but their ultimate impact on the Legionnaires was negligible. Villains such as the Dark Circle and the LSV are there only for our heroes to do their job; few of them have any lasting influence on the heroes. (One character who did have such as impact was Jhodan in the “exile planet” storyline.)

None of this meant to say Titans was better than the Legion (though, in terms of storytelling, it often was); however, I think some interesting comparisons can be made between these series—JLA and Titans—and the concurrent Legion stories. JLA floundered as its creative team tried to emulate Titans. But what made Titans so successful is that it didn't imitate anything. It was truly an original series built off well-defined characters and their relationships.

This reminds me why that was the period in which I read the Titans regularly. No TItans series since has captured my interest for long.

Working with fewer core characters must have facilitated the depth of their development. I've wondered if the future setting of the Legion could also work against the story. Space is devoted to building the 30th/31st century which may displace character interaction. They aren't mutually exclusive, but a lot of Legion panel time is presenting or explaining things like the Miracle Machine, HQ security, non-Earth planets , etc.

Interesting point about most Legion villains not having a lasting influence. That Titans story made me think of the recently-reread story of Ayla confronting Mekt and standing up to him. It was certainly a different resolution than the Logan-Wilson encounter, but strong on emotion and change. Mekt, as a villain, has the advantage (story-wise) of an established familial relationship as well as frequent appearances. Dr. Regulus might have had a similar effect, but I never got a sense of much emotional charge from his encounters with Dirk.

Legion of Substitute Heroes Special by Paul Levitz & Keith Giffen, art by Keith Giffen & Karl Kesel, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Bismoll has introduced a bill for computerization, which worries Senator Tenzil Kem, citing the Computer Tyrants of Colu. He's called in the Subs since he doesn't want to disturb the Legion on a mere hunch that something might go wrong. The computers appear to be copies of Computo.

Something else else within a star responds to a signal and takes flight.

The Subs prepare to leave for Bismoll. Color Kid shows up as a female.

Gigi Cusimano grumbles as she arrives at the Subs' Clubhouse to be the newly appointed Liason.

On Bismoll, Eyeful Ethel and Tusker prepare to sabotage the new computers in order to qualify for the Legion of Super-Villains. As they approach the machines, Pulsar Stargrave appears, summoned by the computers.

The Subs and Gigi arrive at Bismoll, are not permitted to land due to the Stargrave-induced blackout. They get to the planet surface via Levitzian Decree, although they're separated.

To cut a long silly story short, mishaps and disasters ensue, with Stargrave eventually defeated - and destroyed - by Tenzil, Brek and Dag.

Comments:
At the risk of being banned from the Archives Re-Read, I'll admit that I like this story. It's a series of goofy gags that depend on the incompetence and bad luck of the Subs and other secondary characters. Like a celebrity roast, it's good not to take your heroes (or yourself) too seriously.

The Subs are at their best in stories in which they succeed against the odds through effort, determination and mastery of their powers. A lot of fans deplore this story because it makes them look like idiots. (Everyone looks pretty much like an idiot here, except for Tenzil Kem.) I like to think of it as everyone having a really, really bad day. True to the Subs' tradition, despite everything going wrong, they don't give up. They aren't all able to extricate themselves from holes in the ground or garbage incinerators in time to join the main action, but that's the way it goes some days.

A few tidbits of enduring interest:

- a look at the planet Bismoll
- the return of Tenzil Kem, as a sober-minded Senator AND a hero
- the Grandin Gender Reversal Germ, a favourite of Legion World (and possibly Legion fans everywhere)
- a send-up of the Legion HQ blueprint at the end of the story

Two life lessons to contemplate:

- Gigi took her assignment as Subs Liaison with ill grace. She went grumbling, angry and resentful into the job. It was indicated that this assignment was punishment (or payback, engineered by Dirk Morgna) but she might have been better served to embrace the task with a more open and positive attitude.

- Stone Boy got the award, essentially for being in the right place at the right time and for no direct action on his part. Those who merit are not always rewarded.

And a question:

Urk is on the cover, although he's been affiliated with the Academy. He drops out of the story after page 7 (unless I missed a panel appearance). Was there some thought to send him to the Subs?

>Whew< Glad I didn't review the next Baxter issue last night.

I'll try not to let my 2 pages of recent Ambush Bug reading, colour my view of the Special.

I would like to chip in to say that I have very, very pleasant memories of this issue. Not having access to it right at the moment, I cannot make any more specific comments, but... yes, it was silly. Yes, the Subs and the Legionverse were played for laughs. But there is a reason they were called comic books, before the more serious "sequential art" and "graphic novel" nomenclature.

Also, it was a product of its time.

Subs Special

There’s a menace that is threatening a world! Worse, that menace now has another intelligence behind it! Fortunately, the world’s protector has realised the gravity of the threat. Eight brave heroes split up across the world to combat the villains, but only one of them will succeed!

Giffen and Levitz have layered this book. The spine above is the plot structure of a silver age Justice League comic. It’s subverted at the end, as the heroes don’t all re-join and defeat the foe together. There’s a reason for that final switch too.

Then there’s the Legion Easter eggs from Silver Age Legion comics thrown in, such as the Planetary chance machine. The convoluted explanation as to why Tenzil isn’t poisoned by eating things form his own planet, is reminiscent of previous continuity hoop jumps.

There’s not one, but three A-List Legion villains present. Pulsar Stargrave gave Superboy a run for his money. Here, he takes out the power to a whole planet, and is using new computer systems for his own ends. Those computer systems look just like Computo. There’s the shadow of a third group, the Legion of Super-villains present too. One of them has been recruiting, and two former Legion rejects are on an initiation test to prove themselves. The LSV has a history of including Legion rejects and traitors, so there’s nothing unusual here.

The magic hero group number of seven line up to fight these villains, when contacted by Tenzil Kem, a former Legionnaire.

The issue places the subs up against credible threats. It’s worth pointing out, as Giffen has a reputation of completely undermining the. But there’s a lot of solid, established structure in the setup.
Both Kem and the Subs act as heroically as they can throughout the book. Kem fears for the safety of his people. He has no evidence and summons the next best thing to the Legion; The Subs. The Subs have a good track record over the years in helping the Legion, most recently fighting Darkseid’s minions in the Great Darkness Saga, and easily defeating the Legion of Super Assassins.
Another example of the layering is Tenzil confrontation with Stargrave, where he makes a daring single handed attack, hoping that his powers will be enough to defeat the villain. It’s played completely straight, with the visuals providing the humour of what’s actually going on.

The sniggering of some other Bismollian citizens at the thought of the Subs, gets things off to a bad start. The secret missions of the early Subs may have fostered such an opinion, but they had long since proved themselves publicly. Probably the issues biggest mistake is in not showing us their triumphs, and increased stature. It wouldn’t have interfered with any of the plot, and would have actually added to their long known determination to see things through to the bitter end.

It’s the sort of determination that the Subs need here. They aren’t the A-List celebrities of the Legion. And they’re susceptible to all the things that can go wrong to more regular folks, who happen to have superpowers.

They get caught up in planetary customs. Where changing superpowers could be a big plot for a major hero, it’s an inconvenience here, and one caused by another team member.

In those Silver Age books, teleported heroes end up facing foes that they can overcome, perhaps helping to rescue their colleagues along the way. Here, the heroes are not being directed by anything in particular. There’s no foes to beat and they don’t have the power levels to combat what they sometimes face.

That random placement has pros and cons. On one hand it continues another layer of the book; one where we can see a comedic take behind the scenes of the book being made. Editorial messages; footnotes and barbed creative comments. It’s the sort of thing we’d see in Ambush Bug where the guys would be making up the plot in a bar, arguing over whether Rex was the Wonder Dog or not. It also leads into the type of threat the heroes will face. They’re just dumped on Bismoll with just enough connection to the plot through Brek, Pete and Dag to keep the plot going.

On the other hand, it looks very much as though Giffen had asked for a guest appearance form Ambush Bug and had it denied. The “pop” sound effect used to get the team onto Bismoll, is just the same as the Bug’s powers. Being unable to do anything with the plot beyond a deus ex machina push is a flaw, that they could have got around. A page of grumpy panels connecting things up; a crossover with Bug from a DC comics presents issue could have been done.

Ambush Bug had met the Subs previously, in DC Comics Presents 59 back in 1983. Actually, that issue had a lot of similarities to this one, with a sneezing Fire Lad and a Stone Boy who crashes head first into the ground. While this special gets a lot of criticism, Levitz and Giffen had actually covered similar territory with them before.

With all of the above, it shouldn’t be left out that it’s also about the creators having a bit of fun. Well, Giffen having fun at any rate and Levitz aiding and abetting. There’s a warning on the cover letting people know that this is the case. While the DC Comics presents issue had Giffen going for a Schuster look, here he’s channelling his latest influence. Perhaps the looser, more cartoonish style, also adds to the sense of fun at the Subs expense.

Only Porcupine Pete and Polar Boy land close to Pulsar Stargrave. And Porcupine Pete lands so close, that he’s quickly punched out by the villain before he can do anything. Again, it’s his determinisation even having been knocked silly that provides the humour.

Pete looks to have been a stand in for Night Girl, who is going through a period of appearances in the main book leading up to Cosmic Boy’s future, only some of which would come to pass. I’m not sure how Pete survived Stargrave’s punch.

Chlorophyll Kid is the victim of a joke from Hitchhiker’s Guide. Drura is only there to set up the Color Kid change.

Color Kid could have been seen to use hir powers to defeat the laser wavelengths from the garbage incinerator death trap (this low grade death trap being a stand in for all the ones big status heroes find themselves in when this happens to them).

We’ve just seen Dawny and Querl brings germs onto a planet in Tales. Here, Fire Lad is affected by pollen on Bismoll.

Not following through on the setups is another flaw of the book. A number of the heroes could have had their small victories, rather than it being down to Brek and Dag. But Giffen goes all the way with this approach, not showing us the actual defeat of Stargrave, preferring to show us a diagram in a news report. It’s a more stylistically European take, focusing on effect and editing over continuity driven plot structure. We’d see this further in v4.

It’s not much better for the Supervillains either. Stargrave, caught up in confused plots by previous writers, finds himself unable to execute his plan here. Things go badly for the LSV initiates. They realise Stargrave and get a bit fired, when they have something of a change of heart at the villainy they’ve unleashed. That change makes them a lot more sympathetic than their later villainous appearance in the JLE.

The book also ties into the main books too. We do see Night Girl, but it’s not mentioned that she’s on leave with Cos. We do get Officer Cusimano, possibly there as a result of Dirk Morgna’s interference. She provides an authority figure, but little else. We all ready have a “long suffering” character in Brek, and even Stargrave gets in on the “Why me?” act.

The finale to the book is also a direct lead in to Polar Boy’s appearance in v3 #14. Polar Boy being shown the Academies route to the team in v2 #316 is also part of this arc for Brek. Issue #316 also showed us Stone Boy’s reaction to a crisis. That leads directly into the payoff here, as the falling hero is the one to break apart a Stargrave, frozen by Brek.

Stone Boy got nominated for Legion membership back in the Silver age for doing not much more than he does here, but going in with an equally heroic heart. That goes back to my earlier points about a lot of this special being firmly taken form the Silver Age.

We also get a further look to the future as Brek’s solution here is exactly the one that defeats Tharok all the way forward in v7.

Despite being a comedy vehicle, it’s a story with its roots to the Silver Age, ties with the present books and with seeds that will bear fruit much later on.

Indeed. I don't think it would play very well today, given the reaction to recent Legion appearances such as that in Sugar & Spike. Perhaps slapstick and humour only works for those characters who are set up to be consistently portrayed that way.



You make it sound positively Shakespearean!



Good point. They could have had some wins among the disasters.



The pop! I missed the Ambush Bug association. It would have been a natural, but perhaps they feared over-associating the Bug with the Subs. Or vice-versa.



So they're even robbed of their victory scene.



Most likely to be awarded for standing around, thinking good thoughts. I guess it's something to be proud of.

Subs Special

Okay, I can take an April Fool’s joke as much as anyone, and I don’t mind a sendup of our heroes to keep us from taking them (and ourselves) too seriously. But my beef with the Subs Special is that it’s just not funny. It’s an attempt to be clever. There is a huge difference.

Humor usually comes from the characters and their reactions to the situations in which they find themselves. As a point of comparison, I’ve been re-watching Barney Miller, a sitcom set in a New York detective squadroom that ran in 1970s and ‘80s. Barney Miller is full of humor, but it never portrayed the cops as incompetent or as buffoons. In every episode, they caught robbers, talked potential suicides off ledges, and worked through layoffs and policies that made their jobs difficult. The humor came from their interactions with each other, their own human foibles (Harris’s obsession with writing a book, for example, or Wojo’s black and white view of situations), and their attempts to help the often crazy people who came through the squadroom. There was warmth and humanity in the show. Even though Barney Miller was a sitcom, real police officers—it has been said—regarded it as one of the most realistic cop shows on TV.

The Subs Special simply pokes fun at the characters for the sake of poking fun at them. There is no one to admire in this story, and the characters don’t even like each other. They win by accident as much as by anything else. Virtually everything in the story is a put down. Bismoll, for example, is regarded as an embarrassment of a planet—but why? Why is the ability to eat and digest anything inherently silly? Doesn’t it show the inhabitants’ ingenuity in creating a means to survive when all food on their planet became poisonous? Levitz and Giffen missed an opportunity to show us a way to admire these people whom others regard as a joke.

Instead, they simply play along with that joke—as they do with the Subs. Look, if the Subs were really that incompetent and ineffective, there’s no way an organization like the Legion would support them, encourage them, or ask for their assistance. Some of the situations they find themselves in are understandable—such as Fire Lad sneezing and causing a fire when he finds himself on an unfamiliar planet (but one wonders why he didn’t study up on the planet and inoculate himself first); but what does he do after he causes this unfortunate accident? Well . . . nothing.

On the other hand, Color Kid’s gender transformation happens because Infectious Lass cannot control her power. If her control is so poor, she should not even be allowed to join the Subs.

Cramey’s point about everyone having a bad day is well-taken—and I think this is especially true for Gigi. She has apparently been given a bum assignment as punishment for trying to teach Dirk a lesson. And she approaches the assignment with a negative mindset instead of choosing to see it as an opportunity. Tenz, too, is having a bad day: His peers in the Senate do not take his warnings seriously, so he calls on the Subs—the only help available—only to find out that the situation is much more dangerous than he thought. But even on a bad day, our heroes win and come out no worse for wear. They don’t learn anything or grow from the experience, and even situations which could truly test our heroes—such as Gigi’s encounter with the Kirby-esque monster—are conveniently not shown. As a reader, I feel cheated that situations are set up without payoff.

Thoth also makes a good point about the story subverting tropes of the Silver Age. However, a story should be more than a send-up of past literary traditions.

I’m glad Paul and Keith got this out of their systems. As a reader, though, I feel an opportunity was wasted to be both humorous and insightful.

I think this is the most graceful way of looking at the story. It could be used as fodder to discuss how one's expectations influence one's reality, or how awards do not always represent real achievement.



This is a good point. Silly super-heroes go back to the Golden Age (the original Red Tornado, for example). It might be worthwhile to compare those stories to this one and see if it holds up.



This, too, is a good point. I hadn't noticed that it plays off the old JLA formula until you pointed it out.



I'm not sure about this. Staq does nothing more than cause a fire by sneezing. Ral's only reason for being in the book is to get arrested for being overweight (which, in itself is problematic. People are overweight for a number of reasons besides overeating. Yet the story states that overweight people get arrested because they use up too many of the planet's scarce food resources. Not only does this imply a broad generalization, but it hardly seems logical since Bismollians can eat anything except, apparently, what's natural to the planet).

Drura does nothing but stay on the ship and wonder how things turn out.

The only people who act heroically are Tenz and Brek. Even Dag is just an object used by others.



A subtle bit of irony there: The Bismollians laugh at the Subs just as others laugh at the them. The pot and the kettle.



This "random dumping" reads like a role-playing game, where characters go down dark corners of a dungeon and encounter a variety of creatures and mishaps and maybe eventually find the treasure and rescue the princess. There's a reason why comics are not plotted like role-playing games.

I like the idea of not all of the heroes making it to the final battle--that reflects real life, to an extent. But real life is not what Giffen was going for. Clearly, the editorial asides take the reader out of the story on purpose. The whole point of the story is just to have a laugh. Unfortunately, that laugh seems to come from a mean-spirited attempt to make the characters (and the readers) look foolish.

LSH #13 If You Think the Khunds are Cuddly, You'll Love the Lythyls! by Paul Levitz, art by Steve Lightle & Mike Machlan, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Blok, in a new uniform, greets individuals who wish to try out for the Legion, telling them that Legion procedures will be followed. He's interrupted by Val's lawyer with a message from Brin.

Brin and Sensei arrive on Lythyl, a planet deemed dangerous by the U.P., with other would-be immigrants. All must earn freedom by proving their worth through physical prowess. Sensei whispers to Brin that Val's father became corrupted on Lythyl and that, for justice, Sensei killed him and raised Val. A guard hits Sensei for speaking and is in turn attacked by the old man. Brin joins the brawl; he and Sensei impress the head guard.

At HQ, some Legionnaires are relaxing. As Dirk and Thom play Dungeons & Dragons, Violet surprises Dirk by putting her hands down his shirt. Blok plays Brin's message for Jan; Brin reports what he's doing and says he can use the billions of credits to help kids. Jan decides to send Lar, Mysa and Jacques to stand by in case Brin needs help getting off planet. Jan mentions that Jacques has been cleared of the death of the Khund who he accidently teleported into space. Blok questions why Val would seek vengeance in this way; Jan believes there is some other motive, since vengeance wasn't Val's style.

On Lythyl, Brin and Sensei are separated from other immigrants to be put through further tests which will examine the soul, not just strength. They impress the three judges with their first test, battling a tentacled dragon.

On Earth, Leland McCauley gets an update on politics and business. The snetient who had been observing R.J. meeting with Proteans reports on that and other meetings; McCauley worries that a former pet Protean of his could betray him now that the U.P. has granted Proteans freedom.

Brin and Sensei continue with one judge, a young man named Myg, born on Lythyl. He tells them that Lythyl spins on the multiverse nexus, the source of its wealth and legends. Myg challenges Sensei to a fight.

Lar, Mysa and Jacques approach Lythyl under Mysa's spell of protection. She plans to use Jacques' invisibility in another spell. Lar admonishes Jacques that he should learn to use all his powers, even though he was cleared of the Khund's death.

Sensei appears to have lost the challenge, but after, he and Brin knock the young man unconscious. Sensei carries Myg and decides to train him to be good; Brin uses Myg's control bracelet to access the Sacred Oasis. Here they are attacked; as Sensei battles the crowd, Brin races to Lythyl's Sacred Stones to fulfill Val's last request. He then signals with his flight ring, returns to save Sensei and Myg and all three disappear. Mysa had made them invisible so Lar could carry them to safety. Brin explained that Val asked him to plant a seed by the Sacred Stones since legend told that if anything grew there, Lythyl would grow soft and crumble. In the final panel, a green sprout emerges by the Stones.

Comments:
For a Brin Londo adventure, I'd expect a knock 'em sock 'em story, but this tale has some more depth to it, with its hope for rehabilitation and change.

Lythyl is a strange planet with survival of the fittest immigration standards. I have to wonder why anyone would want to move there, but there appear to be promises of riches if you can fight your way through. It's all about physical strength, we're told - although cunning and intelligence must play a part.

Lythyl is "at the nexus of the multiverse" - I don't know how or if this plays into Crisis. Is Lythyl just there, or does it play some multiverse balancing role? Could planting a seed cause Lythyl to crumble metaphorically, or physically? It appears in Lo3W, so perhaps the legend was no more than a legend.

Sensei kidnaps Myg, with good intention, but aided and abetted by the Legion. Myg hasn't done anything wrong, so this could be legally questionable - although he'll later be free to return to his home planet.

Brin acquits himself well, although I question whether he could have made it without Sensei's help. Nevertheless, this issue restores the character, which has been quite downtrodden since the incident on the asteroid with Imra.

Blok gets Brin's message and kicks it upstairs to Jan, who nicely explains why he's sending that particular team to help Brin get off Lythyl.

Lar's admonition to Jacques about controlling his powers is well-delivered. I get a sense of annoyance from Lar in those few lines. He's a senior member and well-placed to make those comments. As mentioned before, Jacques has been given a lot of leeway with his unknown power set, while others have been refused membership for insufficient control or experience.

As Brin fights a real Dungeons & Dragons game, Dirk and Thom play the holo version in the safety of the HQ. Violet's physical advances on Dirk surprise him - and probably everyone else - although we have no idea how it turns out - or whether she's looking for sex or just having him on, as Yera, Gigi and Gim did. It certainly does show that Vi's personality has changed.

Mysa performs more amazing spells. Although we've seen the Spell of Similarity used before, she piggybacks it onto Jacques invisibility power in a new and powerful twist. Is there anything she can't do?

LoSH 13

The evening sun has rested on the little plastic pockets of the binder this week, making this issue lovely and warm to the touch.

Things are going to heat up inside too, if the cover is anything to go by. It’s Brin against a horde of alien foes. Including a Gordonian at the back.

An excellent opening scene combines the membership drive, with Brin’s solo adventure while adding a touch of comedy. A crowd of applicants have turned up for the tryouts, and Blok is telling them that they will all get their turn. One of the crowd suggests it’s humans only, so Blok is well placed to dispel that. That’s also a nod to Levitz and Lightle’s plan to bring in some non human characters. One of Giffen’s old ones is the applicant sitting in a puddle in the crowd. Of those there, The Skreaks and Energy Boy are two we’ll see again next issue.

Blok is interrupted to be told of Brin’s mission to Lythyl, where he will by now be “extremely wealthy…or dead.”

Blok has practically never looked better than here (Perez drawing him in Crisis and History are also up there) and this is the costume I thin he suits best. The traditional Legion statues have been replaced with wall murals like the Teen Titans Tower. Having Ferro Lad next to the newly costumed Lightning Lass sets a good tone for the applicants to appreciate.

We’re introduced to Lythyl along with Brin as he and Sensai dock. They have both signed released to become slaves there, as that’s the only way onto the planet (without using the Legion espionage squad, but then we wouldn’t have a story. Levitz actually covers this by adding that only Brin can complete the mission with Sensei if necessary to meet the terms of the will. ). There’s immediate physical threat as the guards there insult the group of newcomers as being weaker each year. We see signs of causal sadism as Sensei gives us a little of the back story of Val Armorr, with the addition that his father was corrupted on Lythyl. It’s only a touch of additional information, but it will be key to the story.

Overheard talking, Sensai is attacked and both he and Brin defend themselves. Despite being on a world where physical prowess is considered to be key, Levitz goes out of his way to point out how well suited Brin is for this sort of world. Super agility, strength and resilience are all at his disposal. He seems wary but confident. Levitz doesn’t downplay either our protagonist or the world he’s facing, making both look good.

In addition to his powers, Brin’s shown some smarts this time too. He’s made sure to tell Blok, and through him the Legion just what he’s up to. He tells them that once the terms of the will have been fulfilled he’s leaving the planet as quickly as he can, hinting that having a rescue team would be nice. Element Lad picks power players Lar and (shown most recently through Tales) Mysa with Jacques adding a bit of subterfuge if needed for that rescue team.

This scene picks up a few subplots. Jacques has been cleared of killing a Khund Assassin. He may not have full control of those powers, but Jan is sending him out there again. Vi hits on Dirk.

Elsewhere, Leland Macauley (formerly seen as an arrogant brat even when being rescued by the Legion) receives reports on President Desai and rival RJ Brande. He’s oblivious to anything deceptive around Desai. There’s mention of a Himalayan development. I recall Gim and Ord’s battle there and also an upcoming Manhunters story and wonder if there’s any connection. It seems that, in addition to being a bit obsessed with Brande as a rival, McCauley used to have a protean ”pet”. Levitz has been providing us snippets of the Proteans’ changing status in the UP. Now they are independent citizens, McCauley worries about all the secrets his protean might have learned from him.

Back on Lythyl and Sensei and Brin have fast tracked themselves into an audience with the world’s three leaders. The story is more than the endless series of fight scenes it could have been. There’s a philosophy behind the practices of separating the people of Lythyl. From servants to masters. Mastering a giant lake creature is the test set them by the three judges. Brin could knock it unconscious, but he and Sensei are playing a longer game, positioning themselves to the goal of their mission. Brin is getting some mentoring of his own along the way, and it’s unfortunate we don’t see too much of Sensei following this issue.
The big creature looks scary enough, but it’s really just window dressing for the pair to pass the test and command it, rather than punch it, away.
Of the three judges, Steggus and Gorax look as though they’ve fought their way into their position. Myg, on the other hand, tells them that he has been “blooded and born on Lythyl.” He’s something different.

Connector Kid: Hi! It seems to me that Levitz’s reveal of “blooded and born” on page 14 is linked to the Sensei telling Brin that Val Armorr’s father “came here and became corrupt.” Back on page 4. For those who think Myg looks a bit young to be Val’s brother, note Sensei pointing out that Myg has “mastery of skills that need a life time” and Myg’s “age isn’t everything” retort on page 15. Myg is older than he seems.

Despite many travelling to Lythyl for riches and power, it’s wealth and status that they will only get to use on that world, as no one gets to leave (well, Val’s father aside presumably). As Myg gives Brin and Sensei the tour, there’s the reveal that Lythyl spins on a multiverse nexus. There’s a mine of possibilities there, that would vanish as soon as Crisis came about no doubt.

Before the main story’s finale we see the rescue team approach. It’s been nice to see that side of the story built up in parallel. It makes a change from a deus ex machina rescue seen in other stories. Mysa is using Jacques powers as part of her spell to keep them all invisible. I wonder what she could do with the powers of other Legionnaires, or combinations thereof?

Lar is firm and fair over Jacques acquittal. He feels that Invisible Kid should know all his powers. I’m surprised the Kid hasn’t been benched. Lar’s use of “got you off” is telling of his views on the matter.
Having finished their tour Sensei and Myg spar. Alone, Myg doesn’t realise he’s been set up and he’s knocked unconscious by a double attack. Sensei chooses to bring Myg with them. He sees a young Val or Val’s father in the boy’s youth. Except that Myg has already stated that there may be more to him than meets the eye. It’s another unfortunate dead end. Myg would later become a Legionnaire, but only in the five year gap. He would make a more prominent appearance before then in an upcoming annual.

Presumably Myg’s tour enables Sensei and Birn to know the spot where they can fulfil their mission. They exit one of the portals only to find a crowded outer courtyard. There’s lots of action as Sensei hold off the mob, while Brin enters the inner courtyard. Fighting along the way, we see a lot more of his bestial face, complete with glowing red eyes. This is probably my favourite depiction of Timberwolf.

As Brin stands alone in what has to be the quietest spot on the planet, Sensei is overcome by numbers. Brin uses his Legion ring to summon help and goes back to help Val’s mentor. Wihtout the need to put up a pretence, we get more of a showing of Brin’s super-strength as he holds the crowd at bay. The rescue goes without a hitch, and Brin reveals that the will asked that seeds be sown at the sacred, rocky heart of Lythyl fulfilling a legend that such a deed would break apart the stony, barren hearts of the people there. Again, it’s not an issue where violence was the point, or the solution. There’s plenty of action but directed towards a purpose, which raises this issue far above so many other books, and makes this a very good Legion issue.

Much like Kol, it’s a shame that not many of the other seeds in the book were picked up on again. Myg would be underutilised. Looking at him here, he should be among the last Legionnaires to be mind controlled by the Dominators. There’s also hints about his age and possibly heritage. Myg would represent Lythyl in the UP in Lo3W, which seemed a bit pointless considering the ethos of the planet, and the secrets it held.

Sensei gets a mention as late on as before v6/7 when there was a sudden, brief flurry of Karate Kid’s about. He’s named appropriately enough to join Doctor and Engineer of the Authority in a group somewhere.

There’s no doubt that Lightle’s art in this issue really raises it up too. He deals with large crowd numbers, and makes them all look interesting and threatening.

LSH 13

I don't have a lot of time to do a full review, but I want to say that the Lythyl story is one from this era I've remembered most over the years. The last image of a plant growing out of solid rock has stayed with me, and I've found myself using a similar metaphor in my writing. This powerful visual illustrates how hardness and physical strength are not enough to live a good life; one also needs softness and nurturing, the green stuff (plants) as well as the brown (rocks). A self-sustaining culture cannot be built on just one value; it needs balance. Otherwise, it becomes as corrupted as Val's father apparently was.

I'm fine with not knowing how the growth of the plant affected Lythyl culture; it would probably take several years or generations for its effect to be noticed. But the seeds (hah) of it success were indicated by the mythology surrounding Lythyl's sacred space. If the people believe a plant will cause their society to soften or crumble, it will likely become a self-fulfilling prophecy . . . and one that may challenge them to grow in new ways.

This story is probably the only time I've really liked Timber Wolf as a character. From the first time I saw him back in Superboy 197, I always liked his dramatic wolfish appearance; however, his powers were too mundane on a team with other characters who were strong, fast, and agile. (To be fair, his powers were rarely depicted to their full potential.) Personality wise, he drifted from a non-descript Legionnaire to a loner who felt uncomfortable around people to a boob upon whom his teammates heaped their distrust and disdain. Brin filled this role especially well in Levitz's stories, but here we get a different side of him: one that displays intelligence, honor, and compassion. (I'm not clear on why fulfilling KK's will was necessary for "billions of credits" to be available to help orphans, though. Surely, KK wouldn't have withheld help from children for the sake of a quest. Or maybe it was Brin who decided to use the money now in his possession to help orphans. If so, it really gives us a glimpse into his compassionate side.)

Brin's relationship with the Sensei reminds me of any number of young hero/old mentor stories (especially--and fittingly-- the Karate Kid films), but these two play well off each other.

I'm not so sure about the Sensei's actions regarding Myg, though. By his own statement, Myg was "born and bled" on Lythyl; this is the only world he's known. To remove him against his will is kidnapping, whatever the Sensei's motives. (This story reminds me of an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," in which the Enterprise encounters a young man raised in a similarly harsh culture who turns out to be the grandson of a Starfleet admiral. Picard must make the difficult choice of returning the young man against his will to his natural family or allowing him to remain with the only father he has ever known. Picard chooses the latter.) The Sensei's decision--and the Legion's complicity--is a symptom of arrogance: *of course* their culture is better than the one Myg leaves behind, *of course* they should try to save this young man from life on a corrupt world, *of course* they should do the right thing. These "of course" assumptions are self-serving and judgmental. No one asks Myg what he wants to do.

Lightle's artwork is outstanding. This is one of several issues I have signed by him.

The subplots move the story lines forward without distracting from the main story. The focus remains on Brin and his quest, as it should.

Comments







It's not stated how people stay in power once they have attained it. On Khundia there’s the challenge courts. Since you can bump into someone and challenge them, I imagine that the more powerful stay off the streets. So smarts certainly play a part even there. On Lythyl, the 3 judges presumably aren’t constantly fighting off challengers. Their number may not even be limited to three.

It may be a rank, and it looks as though Brin and the Sensei would reach it fairly quickly. “The role they assign you is the one you shall play all your days on our world until you die,” said a guard. That does seem to undermine all the fighting we see. If there’s no moving form your role, are you just fighting to maintain it? Perhaps the guard simply has never ,oved form his role, and doesn’t see the larger picture.



I hadn’t thought of the seed having an impact on the multiverse itself… snatches back “You’re a hero badge” from Birn and replaces it with a “You’re a destroyer of the universe badge” instead.

I had thought that Lythyl has a number of gateways offering access to various parts of the multiverse. Challenges or access to creatures from other realms times and universes. My thinking was that the folks form Lythyl had built a culture around this nexus. Sort of if a civilisation came across a Reed Richards experiment in exploration and taken something different from it.

Endless adventures, not to be seen again in a Legion book. The Multiverse comes and goes in the main DCU, and the Legion shouldn’t really be beholden to the whims of it.



Really good point. We never get to see Myg’s reaction to any of this. We see him later at the academy and in a Subs annual. But there, he’s shorn of all the mystery he has here. The mastery he has to teach others and self confidence that this, and possibly ageing secrets, is lost. It’s replaced by a kid with an arrogance about him, if only to keep him young enough to get possible future admittance as a second Karate Kid. Such age limits go with Polar Boy and are definitely out, when Harmonia comes along.



Brin would have failed the challenge of the creature. He may have been provoked into doing something rash too. Sensei was good for Brin here and it would have been nice to see a little more of him.





Dirk must have been completely distracted by Gigi to not have REJECTED! Jacques. Mysa and Jacques do return to the academy for additional training, and I’d have liked to have seen Drake continue in a mentor capacity to them both, and those to come. Instead, Mysa has been put into the power house league already and Jacques is allowed to continue despite having no more control over his powers than he did before.



I was trying to recall if this was Vi testing the boundaries of her assertiveness, or if there was something more going on.



It is a concern, although I was less worried about a spell we saw used in a framework before than the ones she pulled out during the Dev-Em story.



Well put.



And you also get this Fun with Puns Prize, Sir! Congratulations!



I see it as a culture change. The end of the system of judges perhaps, but one that will take any number of bloody cycles to progress.



I was wondering if anyone would think along those lines, because it made me give it a second glance. I was imagining that KK would have found other altruistic means of routing the money. The kids thing is what Brin wants to do with it once it’s his. To make it his, he has to go on a quest. Had Birn failed it would be up to Accountant Lad to take on Calculon, The Infinite Machine! In order to get his hands on the money as per the next bit of the will.



Ah, I see you reached the same conclusion. That’ll teach me not to read the full paragraph. We never hear from those kids again, and we’ve not heard form them before. Could it be Brin has really invested in an android factory, where all the kids see him as their father figure, in a creepy reprise of his own origin? Could he also have blown a lot of the cash on Lotus Fruit? Mind you, it’s well known that excessive Lotus Fruit consumption turns you into a giant werewolf creature, and that’s not what… hey…



I think Myg’s headband is the essence of Karate Kid’s from across the multiverse. Myg uses Lythyl to harness in preparation for his ultimate task; to defeat The Giffen, killer of many Karate Kids in their childhood.







It was one where there was more than enough in the main story to drive the issue. A bit more depth, of this kind, in some recent issues would have raised them up to this level.

I suspect Lythyl's growth as a culture would indeed be bloody. Historically, most culture shifts usually have been. Your reference to judges is interesting--a reference to the Biblical judges? Lythyl, too, may experience periods of division and diaspora as it strives to figure itself out.

Come to think of it, I wonder if Brin could be charged with violating the Legion Code for instigating rebellions that will certainly lead to massive killings. Of course, since Lythyl is quarantined and any such change may be decades in coming, he may have nothing to worry about.

Here's how this issue ranked on my "Comics Survey" of May 28, 1985:

1. Zot! # 9 -- Eclipse
2. Star Trek # 17 -- DC
3. New Teen Titans (Annual) # 1 -- DC
4. Crisis on Infinite Earths # 6 -- DC
5. Legion of Super-Heroes # 13 -- DC
6. New Teen Titans # 11 -- DC
7. Tales of the New Teen Titans # 57 -- DC
8. Dreadstar & Company # 3 -- Marvel/Epic
9. Nexus # 12 -- First
10. Squadron Supreme # 1 -- Marvel

11. Fury of Firestorm # 39 -- DC
12. Justice League of America # 242 -- DC
13. Amazing Spider-Man # 268 -- Marvel
14. Action Comics # 569 -- DC
15. Dalgoda # 5 -- Fantagraphics
16. Captain America # 309 -- Marvel
17. Megaton Man # 3 -- Kitchen Sink
18. All-Star Squadron # 48 -- DC
19. Infinity Inc. # 17 -- DC
20. Jonni Thunder, A.K.A. Thunderbolt # 4 -- DC

21. Ambush Bug # 3 -- DC
22. DC Comics Presents # 83 -- DC
23. Flaming Carrot # 6 -- Aardvark-Vanaheim/Renegade
24. Batman (Annual) # 9 -- DC
25. Gargoyle # 4 -- Marvel
26. Flash # 348 -- DC
27. Mask Prevue -- DC
28. World's Finest # 317 -- DC
29. Saga of the Swamp Thing # 38 -- DC
30. Masked Man # 1 -- Eclipse

31. Marvel Tales # 178 -- Marvel
32. Aztec Ace # 10 -- Eclipse
33. Avengers # 258 -- Marvel
34. Shadow War of Hawkman # 4 -- DC

So, that's the second Top Ten in a row for the Legion--and in month with so many varied offerings!

Li’l thoth in Elsenwhen

Justice League 241 has the new League up against a very old foe in Amazo. The Tuska art underwhelmed me compared to Patton and Perez before him. It’s not that there weren’t good points (Mera is stunning for example), and I certainly appreciate it more now.

Of ex leaguers…

The Sword of the Atom #2 special keeps Ray firmly in his miniature John Carter world in South America. It’s an okay story too. This one has the plot seed that Jean Loring’s new husband is given the size altering belt, that he uses a few times throughout. Yet, it’s Ray who pops up in the Crisis. Perhaps this guy could have received a push through Crisis?

The Shadow War of Hawkman comes to an end with those behind it hoping for an ongoing series. They’d get it and Hawkman would disappear even further form the spotlight. In being away form the post crisis push, it would take Hawkworld (and some silly editorial) to bring him back.

Red Tornado’s mini hits #2. I don’t remember it fondly, and I first read it years after it was published. Flicking through it now, and I see that the big plot point of #1 was Tornado being told to stop being a super hero. This issue, the Construct pushes him to leave humanity as it mind controls everyone. So, that’s not bad and there’s a demented Superman who dismantles Reddy too in this one.

Atari Force comes to an end with #20. It seemed to be heading for this for several issues. Even then, it has some good points and plot seeds for more adventures. Keith Giffen must have loved doing the back-ups. If you like Ambush Bug, then you’ll find some fun here.

The Force’s former artist Garcia-Lopez was pencilling Kole’s origins in Teen Titans #11

Another title coming to an end was J’Emm. Just in time for him to make a big splash in Crisis and find a niche in the DCU. Except neither of those things happen. I think he was pencilled into Crisis as something of a crowd filler, and once, I think, right beside J’Onn who he had failed to replace. Considering the difficult beginnings for this book, DC missed an opportunity with it.

It’s a month of Mini-series. Roy and Dann Thomas’ Jonni Thunder comes to a close. I hadn’t realised form her other appearances that she no longer required the statue to activate her powers. They had transferred within her. I’m surprised we didn’t see more of Jonni in Infinity Inc, but there was quite a cast there already.

There’s a really good story in Superman #410. Kent has a story of Superman’s exploits. Except that there’s now doubt over its veracity. Superman weighs up the panic it would cause if people thought he wasn’t in control against Kent’s story credentials. And his decision gets Kent fired in a multiparter. Lovely Swan art throughout. It didn’t take a Crisis to provide some hard hitting Superman stories.

The Black Mask is introduced in Batman #386. In the Crisis #2 we see the Joker, but I hadn’t seen him in the Batman book, where they seemed to prefer a different, newer rogues gallery. Detective 553 would also have the Mask. I remember Morrison going for a similar effect in his stories to this, as well as seeing some Joker subplot to do with his face. Nothing that’s not covered here.

The trial of the Flash is about to come to an end. This month has Crisis #5 so a fair bit about the Flash is already out there.

Omega Men #29 looks moody, dark and has difficult choices for many of its cast. I read the recent revamp of them. As dark as that was it was par for the course in the old books, from what I’ve seen.
Firestorm fights the Weasel. This issue shows that there’s some merging of the Stein/ Raymond minds resulting in Raymond getting better grades and Stein perhaps becoming a bit better socially. It’s a fascinating subplot, but one that didn’t get used too much in the end.

The Best of DC Digest #63 was Plop!. The framing sequences contain Cain, Abel and Eve well before their Sandman days. Skeates, really good Ditko, Aragones, Alcazar (Batman as a Vampire gag well before Red Rain) and Wally Wood work too. Although I’d read a fair bit of Mad, this was probably out of my field of interest at the time.

Something else else else I wouldn’t have appreciated was that Kirby and Toth did the pencils on DC Presents #84 featuring the Challengers.

I always liked the Tales of the Teen Titans #56-57 story where Victor goes for a new body only to run across a revised Fearsome Five. I think this one has a Crisis lead in next issue. I see that’s it’s drawn by Chuck Patton, so that’s a big reason I like it. But it’s just a nice, compact superhero tale.

Nightwing guests in Vigilante #20. Someone, possibly Adrian Chase, has become something of an urban executioner, and Nightwing arrives to shut him down. Chase is having plenty of issues coping with his past here.

Before I knew about DC’s long history with giant Gorillas, one appears on the cover of Blue Devil #15. It’s the only Blue Devil issue I owned for many years. Coincidence or does the cover gorilla thing actually work? Blue Devil was too fun to be a normal super-book and not wacky enough to be something like Ambush Bug. So, not for me at the time. Mind you, I don’t remember getting the option of picking up other Blue Devil issues. So, if it was there, it might not have been there for long.

Helix make their appearance in Infinity Inc. That dead Kanga is upsetting, and it only gets more so as you realise that their background would go with Pre-Crisis. McFarlane’s art really compliments Thomas’ writing.

Swamp Thing #39 is a little like Salem’s Lot on steroids, and there’s a hint of just how powerful Swampy is here. There's a Crisis link to red skies and storms here.

I’d love to think I got Ambush Bug #3 the month after #2. But I think #2 stand out in my mind because there was a bit of a gap. I must have got it around the time of Crisis as I remember having some fun at the things like Egg-Fu that were going at the huge relief of Jonni DC.

So I got: Batman, Justice League, Superman, Tales of the Teen Titans and Blue Devil at the newsstand with Crisis and Who’s Who at the comic shop around the same time. I’d get Firestorm and Ambush Bug around that time too.

Myg does really stand out. His size alone would suggest that he's got a power or particular skill set that enables him to survive at the top of the heap. He seems pretty sociable, which is strange.



Grievously unexplored! The portals also could have been connected to the Controllers' Sun-eater factory. After the multiverse collapsed, did Lythyl become a simple planet which survived by hiring out thugs for security services?



I got the impression that it was Brin's idea to use the money for needful children, because at the initial meeting the lawyer just stated that Brin could be very rich. Could Val have left the bequest to the entire Legion (or a particular team) to perform the task of planting seeds on Lythyl? It might have ensured greater chance of success, although Val himself liked to take on solo challenges. Something else else about teamwork and Lythyl don't seem to go together and possibly that was how the quest succeeded - it was unexpected for two "slaves" to work together, so Myg underestimated them. This really was the stand-out issue for Brin - the next one that stands out for me isn't until 5YL, when he's dying as Furball.

LSH #14 by Paul Levitz, art by Steve Lightle & Mike Machlan, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza



Legion try-outs for new members. Power Boy is first up, but is voted down. Comet Queen follows and is told she'll advance to the next round. Then, Comet Queen, Tellus, Magnetic Kid are called to join Brainy and Lar on a mission to the California Coastal District, where the drains have failed and the cities are sinking and flooding.

The try-outs continue as Mentalla presents herself, with Legionnaires following on monitors or in person. Energy Boy's demonstration is interrupted and ruined by Polar Boy, who asks that the Legion waive the under-18 rule for new members so he can join, now that he's disbanded the Subs.

On Restaurant Row, R.J. discusses the changing Legion with the departing founders.

On the California Coast, Tellus has picked up thoughts of a saboteur. The team investigates and finds Dev-Em, who's trying to repair some damage. When he sees Comet Queen, he says the Legion must be desperate so perhaps he should apply; Lar tells him that offer was made and has passed. The ICC suspected remnants of the Dark Circle are the saboteurs and the team finds an Ontiir clone. Ontiir uses a device to create a tidal wave, knocking out Comet Queen and Tellus. Suddenly, a very small vessel arrives; the monitoring Legionnaires are baffled until Tinya pulls up the dossier on Quislet. Quislet's energy takes over Ontiir's weapons chair, turning it into an animate form which fights and defeats Ontiir, then disintigrates as Quislet's energy returns to the vessel.

The Legionnaires meet to discuss and vote on six candidates: Comet Queen, Magnetic Kid, Quislet, Polar Boy and either Tellus or Mentalla. Imra interrupts to ask that an open vote be held on her personal recommendation, a masked Sensor Girl. Wildfire is annoyed but the vote proceeds. Magnetic Kid, Tellus, Quislet, Polar Boy and Sensor Girl are admitted as new Legionnaires.

Comments:
This was a well-done issue. Gone are the days when applicants were ridiculed and rejected. Good thing, since there's no longer a Subs group for them to join. We see a variety of would-be heroes demonstrate their powers, some familiar, some not. The comments by active Legionnaires watching the try-outs add a lot of flavour to the proceedings, as does the active mission to coastal California.

Although we got to see Power Boy, Mentalla, Energy Boy and Comet Queen in some detail, none of them made the cut. There were also a number of applicants whose powers were never demonstrated, which does generate interest in what might yet be - will they return? As heroes or villains?

It doesn't say much for the Academy, if only two of the newbies trained there. As Jed Rikane leaves the room, Chuck suggests the Subs - indicating that news of their disbandment hasn't reached him, or even the Legion. After their recent mission to Bismoll fiasco, it's no wonder that the Subs are lying low. Only the ever-optimistic Polar Boy applies to the Legion now.

The mix of new Legionnaires is a good one. Two truly alien beings, one mystery girl, one old standby and one nod to nepotism (in my opinion). Would Pol have gained admission had he not been Rokk's brother? I'm not a fan, so my evaluation is biased, but he has and will be far too timid for the Legion.

Imra also pulls rank by encouraging a vote on unknown Sensor Girl. Did she use her mental powers to sway the vote? As readers, we only have her word that the applicant is worthy - no explanation or demonstration of her power. I believe this issue is concurrent with Crisis #7, in which Supergirl dies, so fans will surely have jumped to conclusions and approved of Sensor Girl.

The enthusiasm of the applicants is understandable, but it does make me welcome Dev-Em's snide dismissal of the Legion's self-importance (in favour of his own self-importance).

Lar has been a bit outspoken lately, which I think suits him perfectly. He's in a position to speak frankly, as he did to Jacques last issue. Here, he gives Dev-Em the brush-off, telling him the Legion doesn't need him.

I like to see more of Earth than Metropolis, so the California Coast scenes were welcome. The water problem makes sense as do the technological solutions. Floating cities have already been proposed in our time; to have built them supports the bright and shiny future we like to see in the Legionverse.

All is not sweetness and light, of course. The Dark Circle lives on.

I did find it a bit curious that Jed didn’t make it through. His power display was competent, and he even recovered well from Timber Wolf’s test. Some more reasoning from the team would have been nice. Perhaps his powers were too similar to current Legionnaires’?

Re Pol, I agree it smacks of nepotism. Even on the last page, someone says so. “He’s Cos’ little brother so we know he’s alright!” sigh, Legionnaire self importance indeed

Re Mentalla. while I do agree she’s second rate in terms of thought casting, I thought her power display quite impressive. Being able to take down someone as powerful as Ultra Boy is quite good

There was definitely a lot of subjectivity here. I got the sense that Legionnaires were judging each applicant according to personal, ill-defined criteria

I remember when Jacques joined. Wildfire objected, saying several Academy Kids like Nightwind and Lamprey were closer to being ready. We don’t see either, or Crystal Kid, here. Why? no mention, no explanation

Mon-El may not have gone about it the right way, but he was right in sending Dev-Em away. He would have wrecked the Legion’s teamwork.

I fully agree, Cramey. Not unlike the almost equally good Brin spotlight which immediately precedes it, it's fully accessible, it never feels padded out or under-plotted (if anything, Levitz compresses even more bits good stuff in Baxter 14 than in 13.) Most importantly, it manages to stand on its own as a self-contained story, while still moving some plot threads forward and introducing new ones. And even though the very next issue won't be nearly as good story-wise, I've come to see Baxters 13 through 15 as something of a loose Back-to-Basics Trilogy. Not to get any further ahead of myself than I already have, but the good times wouldn't last too far past 15. And I place the blame squarely on Crisis on Infinite Earths.

And, oh, yeah -- TASMIA HAS LONG HAIR AGAIN! Thank all the Gods (and Steve Lightle, whose initiative it was!)



(Looney Tunes voice) Mmmm...COULD BE! Tee hee.



Even though Harbi coined "glory hound" as the perfect phrase to describe Brek, I've always had a sentimental spot for the little guy -- his ideals, his dreams, his tenacity, and, most of all, his underdog status until now. Yes, even at this stage his behavior can be downright awful, but I really wish things had turned out better for him in the long run.



Pol is "Brek Lite." And I agree about the nepotism. But then, anything that makes Rokk look bad makes me happy.



Given some of Imra's more cold-blooded behavior in both the distant past (that horrible Bronze Age cloning story) and the not-too-distant future (Conspiracy, my personal bete noir of this Legion era,) one does indeed have to wonder about her. Shame that subsequent writers would tend to either ignore the implications or deal with them in questionable ways.



The Dev sequence is awesome! I love the way Lightle draws him, he's so handsome, but neither too much of a pretty boy nor too rugged. Lightle's Dev looks like how I've always wanted Hal Jordan to look (at last the young, Silver Age Hal,) but most of the actual GL artists have never quite captured it. And, yes, this is one of the few times Lar has ever come across to me as something more than either a powerhouse with feet of clay or a smug, condescending Alpha Male. I don't have any older siblings, but I've known enough people who do have them to know that it often falls to them to say what needs to be said.



Nice observation. Gives me hope, especially as I am all too familiar with Real Life flooding. Thanks, Cramey

Legion v3 14

What more do you need from a cover? The newsstand version I picked up first was the same. Bright, shiny, youthful new characters eager to get into the foreground and with the promise that there would be five new members of the Legion.

I’ve bought Avengers comics on the back of a cover filled with members’ faces and the promises of a reshuffle. I couldn’t have passed this book up with the promise of the new.

With Giffen we had clean lines and detailed backgrounds, and that was picked up through Jurgens and Shoemaker. Lightle gives us a brighter, youthful cast brushing off their years.

We go straight into the tryouts. There’s a reminder of those Silver Age issues that started with a couple of recruits being rejected. I look to see if Sun Boy will be around, as he’s one of the most likely to shout “Rejected!” He’s there on the second page. Other Legionaries are either present to participate in the tests (Lightle choreographs all this very well) or appear as little Computo globes, extending Giffen’s in house major-domos.

The changes have been well prepared for. From Wildfire spending time with some recruits; Blok and Dawnstar at the academy through to the heated discussion over membership in #304 and the Academy interludes including Laurel’s shooting and the Comet Queen back up. We had a further teaser that the try outs were imminent when a group assembled outside Legion HQ. There’s also been the subplot involving the gradual retreat of the founding members into the background.

Despite that, I’d still have liked to see more of Wildfire taking a look over a few more of the candidates. It’s become something of a role for him, and his character could do with something more positive. He gets to sit with Element Lad and say “All the kids I rounded up are good candidates,” but he could have had a back-up story as Bouncing Boy did with Comet Queen.

We start off with Power Boy. He’s been at the Academy a while, although we saw Nightwind, Lamprey and Crystal Kid before him. Jed has a very distinctive costume and seems comfortable being around the Legionnaires. He holds up an enlarged Colossal Boy and keeps his wits during a surprise manoeuvre from Timberwolf. Power Boy can control his own density. This means that his powers are duplicated by Phantom Girl on one side and the likes of Blok on the other.

Comet Queen’s distinctive voice reminds Power Boy that he’s not the only one to have waited a while to get a try out.

She’s next up, as Power Boy is told he didn’t secure enough votes for the next round. Interestingly, Bouncing Boy consoles him by trying to interest him in the Subs. This indicates that Jed’s time at the Academy might be at an end because of the result here. I’d imagine that this would be different depending on the student. Some may need to hone their skills further. Others simply might not have finished the Academy’s curriculum while some could look for specialised training at the facility. It seems Jed was still at the Academy waiting for a shot at the Legion. Even if Jed had been eager about the idea of the Subs, it would have been a short term thing as we’ll find out.

Perhaps it’s because Bouncing Boy found her, but Drake is firmly unimpressed by Grava’s ability to fly. She can adjust the composition of gasses she can generate, to put people asleep or to hide ships in. Or perhaps the putting people to sleep is always a side effect of the gasses. It takes Element Lad to dispel the smoke from the area. As Drake pointed out, all Legionnaires can fly. Her ability to create dark gas clouds is duplicated by Tasmia and any control over composition by Element Lad. I’m surprised when she makes it through to the second round.

A couple of the other candidates are interesting to watch. As Power Boy returned to his place to await the result, Energy Boy came across as a very confident applicant. As Comet Queen returns, he can be seen making a snide comment to Mentalla who laughs along. More than anything else, that makes them stand out as unsuitable candidates, and it’s a nice touch of forewarning by Lightle.
Compare that to the words of support from Magnetic Kid and Tellus. These applicants, Tiger Girl and Skreaks are all also on the cover. We don’t see many of the crowd that were previously outside, making me think that this isn’t necessarily the first round.

Despite her personality, I liked Mentalla’s powers. As Magnetic Kid is a newer version of Cosmic Boy, Mentalla is a variation on Saturn Girl. Even to the extent of wearing the colours of an early Imra costume, having blond hair and being from Titan. Her powers being more about mind control would have got away form Ira accidentally picking up thoughts (a lot) or having such a powerful telepath on board.

As they continue testing Mentalla, a mission is called for those that have already qualified for the second round. Now, it might be that they were really going to have to go through tons of applicants even at this point. But had they waited five minutes and allowed Mentalla to go with the group, she might have shown herself to be far more capable than other applicants.

Giving Tellus, Magnetic Kid and Comet Queen an extra chance to prove themselves seems a little unfair on those who are left behind.

Those three get to help in a disaster area, as artificial constructs have collapsed into the sea. Brainy and Lar go along to ensure there’s plenty of support on the mission. This isn’t the usual recapture of zoo animals as a test.

Magnetic Kid lucks out in having abilities well suited for keeping together structures. It’s a lot of mass for him to affect with his abilities, and he’s hesitant for a moment. Tellus gets points for pitching in (as does Levitz for showing us that Tellus is telekinetic). Lightle’s page 7 has a really good balance to it.

As Comet Queen also gets pints for rescuing civilians, Tellus hurriedly tells Brainy and Lar that the disaster was sabotage. Both Brainy and Lar are direct, patient and helpful as befits very senior members of the team. It’s a good snap shot on the three second rounders. Magnetic Kid is powerful but needs a bit of confidence; Tellus is quite childlike in his eagerness to share what he has found, and is really keen to help; Comet Queen is the most comfortable in her powers, showing grace in her flight that doesn’t relay on a flight ring.

Back to the try-outs, Tasmia asks if the Legion has ever picked members in this way before. I’m surprised she doesn’t know all this, so it must be for the benefit of the reader. Tinya says that the Legion hasn’t needed so many at once before. As per recent reread comments, this might have been the case a number of issues ago, but by the time the try outs happened it’s no longer quite as desperate.
Blok looks good with his recent costume change and there’s that lovely sequence of Tamia getting a new hairstyle that runs through the issue. It’s that sort of writing/artist collaboration that made the Legion such a popular book. Lightle also had a hand in the design of the applicants too.

The team seem to have already voted down Mentalla. They do hint that she has some telepathic ability in addition to the control she exercised. But Tinya felt she was “second rate" Perhaps they saw her laughing along with Energy Boy.

And its Energy Boy who is up next. He claims to already be a hero on Ventura. Remember that Energy Boy didn’t come through the Academy system,. He was one of the group outside Legion HQ looking for a try out place. His confidence and previous practical experience are at odds with the relatively inexperienced Academy students.

We don’t get to see much of Energy Boy’s Nuklo Globe, as it’s suddenly encased in ice. There’s a lark “Flunk!” sound effect signifying the effect that Polar Boy’s entrance has made on Energy Boy’s chances. Considering Brek’s own sense of rejection at the try outs, it’s disappointing to see him treat another applicant with such little respect. Even if it does make for a nice entrance. We’d seen a few costume tweaks for Brekk of last, but Lightle gives it a complete makeover. It signifies a new start for the hero, and he tells the Legion he’s disbanded the Subs. I can picture Jed’s shoulder slump again as he finds out he can’t even join the Subs. In order for Brek to join, the Legion will have to waive their under 18s only rule. Actually, the suggestion is that the Legion have already offered to waive it, and that Brek is just taking them up on it. One of the other candidates (looking like one of the Power Pack) asks if this is fair. It’s hard to tell what Skreaks reaction is.

Brek has been prepped for this moment for a while. Cosmic Boy’s comments when they were trapped in a jettisoned space capsule put ideas into his head and those have carried on right through to the Subs Special. Like the membership changes in general this has been a long running arc form Levitz, and shows the value of having writers with extended tenures on a book.

We cut to RJ Brande having a meal with the three founders. For the final time, it once again removes the original three from front and centre action, or even being at the tryouts. NRJ Brande wonders who will replace his three grey lions. And that’s an invite for the three to tell him. Garth sees his sister as his replacement. Cos is hoping that Pol will make the team. The Academy students certainly thought Pol stood every chance. And Imra has something else in mind…

Before we can find out more, it’s back to the coastal rescue operation. Dawnstar already has some resentment for Mysa duplicating her tracking abilities. Now, Tellus can do it within a planetary atmosphere by tracking familiar thought patterns. Ouch. Tellus is also unsteady when using a flight ring, which reminds me very much of Blok using it. Magnetic Kid helps his fellow student while Comet Queen rubs her extra grace in flight in their faces. No doubt Lar and Brainy assess each student’s reaction accordingly.

Tellus picking up thought patterns turns out to be a set up for another meeting with Dev-Em, and some classic comic misidentification. The reader is led to believe that Dev-Em might be behind the attack. He’s just been a prisoner of the Dark Circle over in Tales after all. But the tone shifts immediately as Dev tells Lar he’s trying to prop up the structure before it collapses. Dev also gets in a remark after seeing Comet Queen. If the Legion are desperate he kids, he might take them up on their offer of membership.

Lar reminds Dev that the offer was made a long time ago, and may no longer be open. It’s a good exchange between two people who know each other well, and have not formed any close bonds of friendship. The conversation of the offer sits nicely in the middle of Brek’s position earlier and of the mystery Legionnaire to come.

Dev brushes it off and is the one who then leads the Legion towards the source of Tellus’ telepathic tracking. While the Legion wouldn’t have got there without Tellus, Dev is already ahead of them. Where the applicants are unsure of themselves, Dev is a confident professional. But a lot in this try out issue comes down to personality. The Legion simply don’t like Dev-Em enough to want him to be their teammate. The same extends to Mentalla and Energy Boy.

Behind the group, Magnetic Kid can be seen focusing his powers from his head, which harks way back to Rokk using his eyes in the Legion’s first appearance. Despite having travelled down with Magnetic Kid, Tellus is noticeably absent. This is so that he can now appear to probe Dev Em’s mind, in case the Kryptonian (it’s still pre-crisis here!) is the culprit. The intrusion is painful and Dev doesn’t take kindly to it. Tired of “a pack of amateurs” he races off to find the person who’s really behind the destruction.

That person turns out to be a clone of Ontiir. You’d think customs would just spot an Ontiir coming in and detain him. Everyone knows they are all Circle clones and villains now. Tellus’ tracking draws the Legion closer, although Dev is already there. The tracking seems to have the same story effect as Mwindaji’s way ahead in v7.

Ontiir fires a small device past the legion group and out into the sky to cause even more destruction. For a moment I thought it was the trail of Quislet before I read the dialogue. Dev must race after it, rather than continuing his attack on Ontiir. It’s a shame that Tellus didn’t use his telekinesis to stop it, or Comet Queen her speed to catch it up or her gasses to confuse its guidance, or Lar to turn up, or Pol to turn up and use his abilities against its metallic shell or Dev to use superspeed to smash it or Brainy to capture it within a force field…

Still, it gets Dev out of the scene so that Ontiir can attack Brainy and the two “kids”. Ontiir does pretty well and Tellus and Comet Queen are knocked out. I still think of this as an example of as Levitz habit of having successful candidates getting knocked unconscious as a sign that they are to be successful Legion candidates. It would continue as far as v7.

As Brainy faces off against Ontiir another energy trail appears in the room. It possesses the battle chair Ontiir is operating from and turns it against it’s owner. The chair takes on a humanoid torso. This form is actually on the cover as one of the applicants and I was quite keen on it, before I read the story and found out it was an expression of Quislet.

Ontiir is defeated by his own device, which crumbles as Quislet has to return to his little ship. As this has been going on the watching Legionnaires in HQ give us a breakdown on what is known on Quislet. “Could we induct a Legionnaire we could never see,” wonders Salu. She’ll no doubt have a similar question over another applicant shortly. It’s a nice touch that she tells the others not to rule it out on size. Her new hairstyle revealed, Tasmia considers Comet Queen to be “superficial” and Tellus “so uncertain.” Both she and Tinya seem to be impresses with the newcomer and its power.

“Quislet the Legionnaire yet?” shows that this creature isn’t short on confidence either. But it seems to get away with it more because of its peculiarity than Dev, Energy Boy or Mentalla did.

The mission over, we get a lovely group shot as the nineteen active members decide on the applicants. Lightle adds in lovely holos of some of them to remind us of who they are.
Lightle has grouped the Legionnaires together. Gim and Cham are close friends; Salu and Dirk got closer last issue and Ayla is sitting in a confident pose next to Vi; Drake and Dawny are together with Jacques next to Drake after their recent adventures together; Jo and Tinya are together as are Tasmia and Lar (and the four together in their clique); Nura is with Thom and Mysa next to Blok who is also next to his close friend Brin. Only Brainy sits alone and Jan as leader stands apart. Although I wonder who he’d be grouped with if he wasn’t leader.

The personality aspect rears itself again. Element Lad enquires about Dev-Em, but no one seemed to particularly want him in the team. They support Polar Boy. “The guy’s waited so long,” says Thom who also spent a lot of time with Brek in the Subs (off panel). But so had Jed. With Brek you do get the distinctive powers on that comparison though.

As Thom has allegiances, so does Drake. He feels that lots of the applicants would make better members than Dev-Em. Since he selected all those other applicants, he would.
Magnetic Kid gets support. Brainy tells them that Pol uses his powers responsibly. After his instruction from Brainy in supporting structures earlier on. Pol was seen working on his own initiative later on. So, he’s a good learner.

“He’s ‘Cos’s kid brother, so we know he’s okay,” says someone of Magnetic Kid. Rereading this, I would have taken this as a plot seed for Pol to go off the rails under the weight of expectation of him on the team. It reminds me of a Titans story where Wonder Girl deferred to Robin, even though it was a young Jason Todd in the costume, and she was just falling into a familiar role. Rokk’s shadow could prove to be a burden for Pol, especially if he’s not as ready as everyone expects him to be.

Element Lad announces the six finalists: Polar Boy, Quislet, Comet Queen, Magnetic Kid and either Tellus or Mentalla. It seems the Legion see the tactical advantages of having a telepath as crucial. Or that the creative team didn’t want to stray too far form the Rokk, Garth, Imra triumvirate in some form. There’s some longer term logic there. It’s a way of recycling some of the Silver Age magic into new forms, that will in turn become more senior parts of the team.

I don’t remember seeing the Legion advertise for five spaces. The cover tells us there will be five, but was it in story. There is a mention that the Legion has never needed so many before, so they seem to be recruiting in bulk; the main limit being the one that restricts them for tax purposes (Hi Wayland!). If so, then the only decision to be made is whether to accept Tellus or Mentalla. If not, then there’s some further voting to be done. One reason this is worth mentioning is that there’s a chance Comet Queen got bumped for someone in the next scene.

In a final twist, Saturn Girl appears and asks the Legion to accept mysterious, masked person to the team. “Sensor Girl has the best of reasons to deserve Legion membership,” she tells them. It’s no coincidence that Levitz and Lightle show Element Lad on the same panel as Imra’s entrance. This is a reprise of the vote that got him elected into the Legion he now leads.

Wildfire may object citing the Academy system, but those Silver Age roots are deep ones. Besides he moans about Imra no longer being an active member, which would have alienated a number of his colleagues. Their bonds and traditions are a lot stronger than that.

Those traditions see five new members inducted (in a scene with Pepsi advertising) under the Legion flag we saw the founders salute on election day. Those bonds have Lu and Chuck appear for the induction. And to see their Academy students make the team. It’s traditional that Star Boy be forgotten about. He’s in the group shot, but not in the active members roll on the right-hand side of the page.

Way back, Cosmic Boy told Drake they should talk about some of Rokk’s plans. Drake worked with the academy students and organised the try outs, including rounding up at least some of the candidates. In the end, only Pol and Ganglios came from that academy system. Both are partly chosen because of the continuity of their powers. They fill the Cosmic Boy and Saturn girl spots in the team. Instead of three others form that system or even, more broadly, the tryouts, he’s watched Brek make a scene on arrival and announce his candidacy; Quislet appear during a side mission and Sensor Girl be voted in at the last moment. I can’t recall if we ever see a reaction from him to all of this, but it’s a missed opportunity if not.

Of the new guys, the Legion finally distinguishes itself as embracing non-human forms. Blok has started off as a changed resident of the Super Assassins planet. Quislet and Tellus are something different. Their personalities have been decently established too.

Polar Boy finally gets to live his dream of being a Legionnaire. The disbanding of the Subs creates a vacuum. Cosmic Boy said he didn’t know what he and Lydda would do when they got back from their vacation. And Chuck mentioning the Subs turns out not to be a coincidence.

It’s one of the stand out issues of this volume. There’s considerable change in the team, with a mix of familiar, new and downright mysterious powers added to it. It’s the end to a few long running subplots which will open up more space in the book. We saw a glimpse of lots of interesting other candidates, not to mention wondering what disappointed applicants would get up to next.
The art is as bright and fresh as the future the changes hint at.

I suspect the biggest strike against him is that he was *fated* to be a member. Levitz was still trying to drive home the point that the Adult Legion story wasn't in continuity.

This may be one of my Top 10 covers in the entire 8-decades-plus history of comic books!



Yeppers. Lightle also tweaked Tasmia's collar so that she would no longer have to strain her peripheral vision.



We don't see one, and, you're right, it is a missed opportunity. Hmmm...I'm getting inspired to write an untold tale of the Legion vignette starring Lamprey and Nightwind and friends...

Again with the fan-wank. LEVIIIIIIIIITZ!

LSH 14

I'm glad to see Annfie, Ibby, and EDE chiming in on this re-read. It tells me that this era of the Legion--the fresh start with so many new faces--means a lot to the *cough cough* younger generations.

My reaction was somewhat different. Knowing how the story turned out negated much of the suspense for me on re-read. However, I enjoyed reading the reviews above, which pointed out a number of things I'd overlooked (such as Energy Boy's apparently snide comment about Comet Queen and Mentalla's apparent complicity--though perhaps she just nervously smiling. On Page 2, she doesn't seem impressed with his apparent come on).

I believe the last open call for membership we witnessed was waaaaay back in Superboy 201. That one didn't turn out so well. This time, we get a nuts-and-bolts look at the procedure of selecting new members; none of the Legionnaires are in any real danger, and a lot of suspense was created (the first time I read the issue) about who would make the team. There are several surprises; some work better than others. I liked Mentalla; she came across as forceful and confident, and her variation of mental powers would prove especially useful. Tellus comes across as awkward and not so much in control of his powers (e.g., his "assault" on Dev-Em); bringing in an alien-looking Legionnaire just for the sake of having one is as bad as excluding one for being alien looking. I would come to admire Tellus a bit more in subsequent issues.

I never warmed up to Quislet, though. He reminds me of Herbie on the old FF cartoons--a robot created to replace the Human Torch, who was deemed too dangerous an influence for young viewers. Quislet seems child-like in both appearance and personality. His power was not unlike that of Jericho in New Teen Titans (though Joey could take over people, not objects), so I didn't see the originality, either.

And then Comet Queen gets bumped in favor of a mysterious new Legionnaire admitted at Saturn Girl's behest. I'm fine with Grava not making the cut; I think I'd go mad if I had to read "starshine" dialogue for the next 50 issues and beyond. However, I'm not thrilled with Sensor Girl or the mystery that follows. Here's where I feel that Levitz's love for Legion history starts to unduly impede the Legion's progress. Sensor Girl is admitted--as the story reminds us--in the same way Element Lad was: at the request of Saturn Girl, who alone knows her true identity. Earlier in the story, we get a recap of which Legionnaires have joined in the midst of battle. I really don't need these many nods to the Legion's past. It would be like people standing around the water cooler, saying ,"Gee, do you remember when we all applied and interviewed for our positions? Only three of us applied through Monster.com." By telling us things the Legionnaires would likely already know and introducing a new character in the same way as an old character, Levitz is attempting to recreate the good old days of the Legion, it seems to me. Yet the book is already so steeped in its own traditions that more become distracting.

However, the story provides us with a realistic look at how organizations function and make decisions in ways that can hardly be described as fair. Imra essentially pulls rank to get Sensor Girl admitted. Cos, it can be argued, does much the same to get Pol the job, even though he doesn't say anything on his brother's behalf. The Legion doesn't want to upset its founders. Those bonds do indeed run deep.

Polar Boy making the team was probably the aspect I found most surprising the first time around, along with the news that he had disbanded the Subs. It's always great to see someone finally achieve his or her dreams. However, Brek doesn't come across in the best of light here. He truly is a jerk for interrupting Energy Boy's audition (that EB himself seems to be a bit of jerk is irrelevant). I was also left wondering if the other Subs had any say in the disbanding.

I guess my main complaint about this issue is much the same as I've had for other recent ones: There isn't anyone to root for or even care about. The Legionnaires themselves simply go through the business of selecting candidates; the applicants themselves don't really stand out either--except Jed, whose dreams are quickly crushes as he is shuffled off to the non-existent Subs. I found myself feeling no sense of elation or achievement even at the five who make the final cut. Emotionally, the issue feels flat to me.

Plot-wise, it's densely packed--as Levitz's Legion stories usually are--and Lightle continues to delight with his facial expressions, character designs, and layouts. Legion 14 is like a beautifully designed wedding cake that tastes bland.

I felt distinctly underwhelmed by Comet Queen too. That she displayed her powrs just after Jed Rikane did made it worse; I felt like Jed showed much more poise in his tryout. Requiring Element Lad to clean up her comet gases also made me think that CQ could be a liability in a battle. I do agree that CQ's powers on the whole are more distinctive than Jed's, but she failed to impress me enough.



Ditto.



I get easily lured by covers promising new team members



Same here! That's one reason I was always fascinated by Mentalla. Another reason is her future storyline, which I will definitely be commenting on when it comes up in the reread. For such a minor character in the grand scheme of things, Mentalla sure made an impression.



razsolo has Brainiac 5 make that exact point about Quislet in his fanfic: Quislet is incapable of learning from his/its mistakes!



You describe it perfectly. Realistic, but not fair. This aspect of Levitz's writing disappointed me though; I hold my hero teams to a higher standard, and the Legion has always seemed like a standard to aspire to. I expected more from them.



Indeed. At the end of the issue, Polar Boy was the only new Legionnaire I found myself rooting for. But that was also only because I knew his long history; and because I had always felt his initial rejection should have been reversed once he had proven himself. He led the Subs to several key victories early on in the Adventure Era, and he definitely had a useful power.

After Polar Boy crashes EB's audition and takes a seat, an applicant near him comments, "Is this fair?" Took the words right out of my mouth!

On EB: it took him so long to power up that globe of his. He would have been a sitting duck in battle. His rather unimpressive power display helps ease the sting of "what could have happened if Brek hadn't disturbed him?"



You hit the nail right on the head, HWW! Couldn't have articulated it better myself. That's one complaint I have with Levitz in general. His Legionnaires are realistic; but along with that realism comes the negatives. These heroes are petty, often shallow, have plenty of infighting... They make snide comments at each other and are blind to their own faults, reducing them to the level of annoying and unpleasant people I meet in my daily life. This definitely wasn't my favorite era of the Legion.



Ah, that's a good point. I wish there had been a better in-story reason though.



A good point, and one I forgot to comment on. Now, Imra at this point had built up a solid reputation with me, so I never considered that she used her telepathic powers to push anyone. But I did feel like the Legion was being too cavalier with Sensor Girl. How could they go into battle with someone, and not know her powers? I think Levitz needed to have Imra mention Jan-as-Mystery-Lad in order to sell Sensor Girl's joining to the new batch of readers. Otherwise, too many questions. Plus, Jan's whole mystery was cleared up in a single story. Sensor Girl was meant to be a long-running mystery. And boy, do I have thoughts about how that one ended too!