Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes "The Terrifics", co-starring (a) Phantom Girl!

So we can begin the countdown to the temporal paradox created when Tinya's ancestor gets killed before bearing children?

Why a duck? Why a no chicken?

Sadly killed crossing a space lane. But why? Why?

Alas, someone had to get to the other side.

Darkseid.

There goes another chicken.

It's a cockup

The spread of puns on another thread is sure to ruffle a few feathers.

Would that be pun pate?

Of course

The book is out today and we now no it's not Tinya.

I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I'll see how it shakes out. I was hoping it would be less of a direct Metal tie-in, but maybe that's just the opening story. I admit my initial enthusiasm has been somewhat dulled by realizing that this entire line seems designed to be a dark, gritty counter to Rebirth. But I'm struggling to go back to judging the book on it's own terms. Lemire is a good enough writer that I don't think he will let editorial politics control the end product too much.

While they establish what Phantom Girl's deal is right out the gate, we don't get much of a sense of her personality since she's the last member of the team to appear, and she is in the midst of the plot when she appears. The other members have well-defined pre-existing personalities that show pretty clearly here, so this new PG is the wild card. I'm in for the short term, reserving judgment on the long.

It's a quirky team, like Red Hood & the Outlaws. I enjoy Lemire's work, so I'll stick with it for a while at least.

The thing that surprised me was

So, now that we know it’s not Tinya... does discussion of this book belong here? Or should we take this thread to the Cultural Rarities?

I liked the second issue quite a bit. It feels like the concept is really coming together. Aside from Mr T. being a jerk, the established characters all behave on model. I suspect the Phantom Girl plot will end with her getting an extra, more traditionally offensive power. More shades of Sue Storm.

I was afraid that we’d get a six issue Metal epilogue arc, but it looks like we’re done with Metal except for the physical after effects that drive the team’s formation. I know some people were irked by the “random FF analog” cast, but in my mind it’s resulted in one of those quirky random crews that I loved so much in the Bronze Age. Instead of FF, think Champions, Defenders, or Forgotten Heroes. Or a little later, original recipe New Warriors. That’s how I’m viewing it.

So far I am not that invested in this new book. I will give it a couple more issues and see from there.

So, is anyone reading this book? I haven't posted here in years, but just for excoriated on one of the Facebook Legion forums. Thought I might try for a sympathetic ear here among the generally longer-serving fans.

Anyway, I was just now getting around to reading TERRIFICS #4 and was aghast to see the team traveling through space to get to Bgstl. Apparently, it not longer exists in the same time and space as earth, but is an entirely different planet within the same dimension.

My first reaction was that, clearly, the creators had not bothered to do even basic research on Phantom Girl and her homeworld. It was suggested that perhaps the planet will be moved to its traditional other-dimensional place as a result of this story (which I suppose might explain why Bgztl is the one multiverse Earth to have it's own name end not be Earth-Pick-A-Number). Still, I opinion, if this is true, it would be an approach disrespectful of all previous creators to work on the character as Phantom Girl (and in this case, her ancestors) have always been said to get their power as a result of phasing part-way between dimensions. But here they already possess the ability to be intangible.

Anyway, I was called "bitter," "hateful," and even "disgusting" for thinking this change, no matter how hypertimed or flashpointed, is, at best, ill-advised.

Now, I did say that THE TERRIFICS is a good example of why I would almost prefer the Legion stay in limbo rather then risk DC completely bastardizing the characters with any re-launch.

What do you guys think? Am I over-reacting.

Hi Portfolio Boy. Good to see you back!

Considering the admitted rip-off of the Fantastic Four concept, I'm surprised Bgtzl isn't now called The Negative Zone.



Flashpoint/ Rebirth really is a get-out-of-jail-free card whether the plot move was deliberate or not. In the revised Universe, this Phantom Girl may have powers already, while the rest of her planet do not. Her planet may then get shunted to another dimension. This Phantom Girl, by virtue of having her powers, may be the only one able to transverse between the dimensions. That's just one of many possible examples.

It has the two key pillars of Phantom Girl having phantom powers and Bgtzl being in another dimension. Is everyone having Phantom powers on Bgtzl before/ along with Phantom Girl more important than those two? Does it have to be there for the premise to work?

The above scenario is almost post-crisis (rather than going back to huge groups of people falling over themselves with the same powers) in that it makes Phantom Girl unique among her people. It gives an origin as to why Bgtzl is so similar to Earth (if it is in The Terrifics?), yet not an Earth-A to Z.

That's a fairly solid cause and effect storyline. You can later add wrinkles such scientists from Bgtzl managing to duplicate her powers on Stehve Rohgehrs (following the Terrifics Marvel fawning premise), and viola, you have a new Phantom Lad, etc.

The writers may well have looked into Phantom Girl's history. They may be thinking that it's not Tinya, it's not the universe that was and that the vacuum created by the lack of a Legion book allows for others to chip away characters. So, this is what they wanted to do with it. A lot then rests on how well they do it. I always thought that Bgztl was simply forgotten about when Crisis came round, so it wasn't as though the creators at that time were hugely concerned about its place in the DCU either.

You'll have a better idea than me form other bits of the plot if it looks as though the writers bothered to look back or not.



That seems overly strong, not having seen the conversation. In the end, if the book doesn't meet your expectations, for whatever reason, then vote with your wallet and tell them why. I've no doubt that there was expected to be a few sales of the back of a "Legion" character being in there.

I'm going to give the book a seven issue try. My lcs is grabbing the issues for me now. But it's only got seven issues to wow me. DC used to get a much longer tryout, but lately not so much. I'm trying immortal men by Lee and crew, but it reads and looks too much like the other universe stuff he did after marvel, and it's not grabbing me at all.

I'm not that impressed with the Terrifics. one thing I dislike is another is

That first bit sounds terrible.

How long do the rest of you give books the chance to impress? I used to go with three, or lower if it was a complete stinker. With the post Flashpoint, I took an average rating and if it dipped below that, then it was gone.

Like EDE, that reasoning sounds poor.

Well, I used to say three as well. But honestly, I'd stick longer on a lot of books trying to give them a chance because I liked the character or I liked a writer or artist. But then DC went stupid and I dropped so many books. Now, I give it a seven issue. That's one story arc for the trades and an issue to see if they improved or not.

Good point about that being about the right issue number for a trade, or the end of a conversation of talking heads if it's a Bendis book.

Okay, just got issue 4. Missing 2, my lcs can't seem to find one. But so far, it isn't bad. I liked the fact they got the hell away from Simon Stagg and Sapphire. That backstory always seem to weigh the character down. Great character but bad backstory. Hey, not every one can be a winner.

Terrific seems colder than he did in his JSA days, and plas, while annoying, seems to fit well. Linnya...still kind of a cypher to me. Is she fourteen or 24? Looks childlike but seems more adult, until she went home to Big Its Ul. Still have a few issues to pick up for my seven. But it's holding interest. Not really driving, but holding. Which, I have to say, is more than I expected.

While I was looking up something for Black Hammer, I noticed that Lemire is leaving The Terrifics with #14.

Well, that’s not good. Considering that this is part of DAn Didio’s pet line, it’s shocking that it was as entertaining as it was. I can’t imagine Didio appointing a successor that will capture what’s good about it.

Issue 5...fun and starting to show a pattern. Kinda like Hawkman in that each issue seems to jump from spot to spot, seemingly disjointed but actually with a purpose. I like it, but as a whole they haven't meshed yet. They still seem like strangers that interact when required to.

Up to 12 now and they did a 180 and went right back to Stagg and Java. Good story but I hate those two characters.