Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Re-Reading the Legion Archives: Volume 31

I think you're all being much too lenient on this awful story.

And I hate issue 50 even more. I think it's one of the worst comic books ever published.

EDIT: To be clear, I do respect your opinions, as I always do. I'm just really seething right now. And I still think Mordru should have been killed.

Now, now Annfie, save some annoyance for when we actually get to #50. And beyond....

Mordru might well have deserved execution as a war criminal but the Legion wouldn't/shouldn't do that. Since he messed with both U.P. and Khundish worlds, it points to a lack of a galactic court like our International Court in The Hague. The Khunds might take him out with no second thought, the U.P. would have a big trial and then execute or sentence to life, I suppose. As it stands, it looks more like a "we'll handle this internally" cover-up.

Oddly, if you look at the second to last page (Jan's story, on Pasnic), there's a white-haired figure in a purple cloak slinking away from the hospital. Just a throwaway figure (why?) or left as possibility of escaped Mordru? (There's also an odd reference to R.J. Brande by Devlin, which makes me think someone had plans to bring him back into the picture.)


Jeckie might have made some comment about the galaxy being better off without him or "On my planet...." Error of judgement for sure. The Council of Teachers has proven to be too soft - trusting Mordru to begin with, giving up on Sorcerers' World. Darn hippies! And Imra -indeed, just wasted in this volume.


I figured that was Firefist at the end, but wasn't sure. The Legion assumed he was dead, so either they didn't bother searching for him afterwards or the Khunds beat them to it.


Ah! of course, I forgot about Jungle King. Figured Immonen was just having some fun.

Other options...

- Once of the Tromites managed to use their powers to stay alive after the spell wore off. It needs the life of Arrah to ensure it can exist.
- It *is* an altered RJ Brande. He'll switch form this form to his weapon dealer one in the face of another UP/ Khund conflict, before going back to his usual form. Don't believe all that plague stuff keeping him in one shape for a second.
- It's Jeckie. "I'll kill off another Legion villain in this storyline, one way or another..."

Legion of Superheroes #49 "All Matter Eater Lad Issue" by Tom & Mary Bierbaum, art by Darryl Banks, Stuart Immonen & Pam Eklund, Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Catering K.C. Carlson, Assists Mike McAvennie

The issue opens with a page of nine Tenzil trading cards.

On Tartarus, Eve Aries/Saturn Queen tries to reclaim her family's hypnostone from the safety deposit box of a Mr. Gaterra, but Evillo snatches it away from her. Tenzil dreams; Eve calls for help in his dream. On Tartarus, she calls for help as Evillo buries her in something. Tenzil grabs a flight to Tartaras to confront Evillo, but is thrown into a dungeon. He's rescued by Styx and Stiletta, who take him to Brek Bannin. Brek has assembled a group of Tartarun heroes: Policy Pam, Sugyn, Echo Chamber Chet and Spaceopoly Lad. Tenzil learns that Evillo regained power with the hypnostone and plans for even more power with his Annihilator, a gigantic skeleton under construction. Evillo recaptures Tenzil along with Brek's group and puts them under his control. He announces that he lured Tenzil to Tartarus to extract the Miracle Machine energies from him and turn the Annihilator skeleton into the most fearful creature Tenzil had ever encountered. This turns out to be a gigantic Eyeful Ethel, who rampages through the city.

Evillo's daughters grab the hypnostone, breaking Evillo's hold on Tenzil and the others. Tenzil eats through everyone's shackles, then they end Ethel's attack and destroy Evillo's annhilator. The She-Devil statue, which Tenzil had seen on arrival, has collapsed, revealing Eve Aries inside. She had been forced to use her mental powers to amplify his commands. She embraces Tenzil warmly. Styx returns the hypnostone to her. Evillo is taken into custody, the Council of Wives resumes power, Brek stays on Tartarus with his team.

A text piece explains the history of the Hypnostone. Mr. Gaterra is the thief Magpie, who stole the stone from Earthgov, who had taken it from Universo, who stole it from the Museum of Mystic Arts, who had it on loan from the royal family of Titan, the Aries. Gaterra had been trying to sell the stone to Evillo, got in a dispute, left the stone behind, and Eve found it. Then this story begins.

Comments: A mostly silly issue, with a few consequences. Brek has a new group to guide, Tenzil and Eve appear to be starting a relationship. Eating the Miracle Machine left Tenzil with some of its energies, which was a fine twist that could have been exploited much earlier and with more seriousness.

The "edible cover", calling editor Carlson the caterer, the characters, the gags, etc. - it's a well-integrated issue. I got a laugh out of the various characters in Brek's group of misfit heroes, but a little Tenzil goes a long way. Evillo was never an A-list villain, but this story is sort of a repeat of the earlier Tenzil on Tartarus tale. Both make Evillo look silly.

The story makes more sense with the text piece, which I found quite interesting and imaginative. That and the Tenzil trading cards were the spotlights of this fluff story.

In the letter column, the Bierbaums announce their departure from the LSH book with issue #50.

I thought this Tenzil issue was great.
Spaceopoly Lad and Policy Pam was very amusing to me.

The third and final Tenzil issue isn't bad at all, but it is lacking one vital character from the first two:

v4 Issue 49

Tenzil's adventures have become a mini series within a series during the TMK run. Since Giffen was going to have something serious in mind for Kem, a lto of this is the result of T&M, with Giffen support. As a result, it outlasts Giffen's departure from the book.

It gets early points for having page 1 actually match the bottom right of the edible cover. There's lots of nice little plotting touches. Kem's dreams being reinforced as he's travelling combined with the poor ignored guy next to him on the flight. It's that layering of ideas within scenes in this volume that, despite the volume not achieving its potential, is sorely missed.

Remember all those Mission Impossible Legion stores. A group sneak onto Talok. Or in v7, use distorters to check out an outpost. Not hear. Tenzil's reputation is galactic. He's a selfless Zaphod Beeblebrox, with residual miracle machine energy taking the place of improbability drives. Tenzil arrives on the planet of his foe with full fanfare and a scrum of supporters. His long coat is reminiscent of an Eastwood High Plains Drifter, facing off against a foe at high noon. Like a lot of Westerns, the townsfolk are nowhere to be seen when it really matters. Tenzil is easily captured by Evillo, who uses the power of the Hypno Stone (nicely prologued by Saturn Queen in this issue) to control the planet (yet not that crowd for some reason).

Hypnotic devices are also the ballpark for Universo, and this is one of his. When that villain controlled the Earth there was a resistance movement. Tenzil is saved from unspeakable horrors by such a group. Because it's a long running plot, we're already familiar with Evillo's daughters and know that they were going to be trained by Brekk Bannin. So it's not surprise to see that Brek has formed another group of Subs. Tenzil's version of Sub Subs was seen in one of the trading cards, as the Bismoll Bicuspids sports team. These are the Sub-Sub-Subs, putting the parody of Arm Fall off Boy (also a Bismoll Biscupsid) into a main book plot. I can't recall how much I rolled my eyes at the time. Probably a bit, but the strength of the plotting makes the book work. It's even more evident here. All good resistance movements need to create a distraction for the main villain to deal with, while they put their plan into motion. Here, that's Spaceopoly Boy, and with those powers, we know that Evillo is going to be tied up for quite a while. It works really well for a normal plot as well as adding comedy, which this volume has done solidly throughout (and which nearly every other comic fails miserably at doing at all.) While the rebels divert Evillo's attentions, they still have to bypass the Hypno Device. Styx and Stilleta are immune, but they are keeping an eye on their father. it's the powers of Echo Chamber Chet that work. He creates a sonic barrier, which disrupts the signals from the stone. In true subs and Legion style, it's the application of the powers that make the difference.

We don't see the enormous struggle Evillo makes, to tear himself away from Sapceopoly. But he's alerted by his new wife to the rebels. He captures Kem and his group. But not the mighty powers of Spaceopoly Lad. Although, like Stone Boy, he's immobile when his powers have been activated. Evillo reveals that he was behind the dreams summoning him to Tartarus. Having encountered Tenzil in previous issues in this volume, the villain has done his homework. He now forces Kem to put the residual miracle machine life into the statue that has been seen throughout the issue. There's a little parallel with the just finished Mordru story, where it was also the villain behind all the set up.

Fans of Ghostbusters, T&M, have Tenzil summon the thing he fears most, and it's Eyeful Ethel. Also as per Ghostbusters, Saturn Queen is contained within the statue.

Further backing up my idea that Brekk can set up a group, but only take them so far, it's Tenzil's plan that saves the day. It's nice that Brekk and Sugyn show their stuff. Only Evillo's daughters haven't showed powers, although they did grab the hypno stone. In true Silver Age we-have-limited-space-to-wrap-this-up, Annihilator Ethel falls on the palace, containing the equipment that gives her a semblance of life. Like the Damage Control series, there's plenty of opportunities within a comic book to show the need for various forms of insurance, and Policy Pam adds that extra plot layer, mentioned earlier, to all the panels that she is in.

The comedy continues to parallel the heroes getting their rewards. One of the undead wives hands comes off, threes a crowd Brekk, and Evillo having abolished the citizen rights he now depends on. Tenzil leaves in the same manner he arrived. Less of who was that masked man, or a mysterious traveller riding off into the dust. More a galactic, feted super star never more than a few panels from his next adventure. That approach to the character sets him apart from nearly everyone else this side of Jimmy Olsen.

So, it's a comedy toned issue starring Matter Eater Lad and some third level Subs. It's a bit of light fun and that can divide readerships. But, it's based on some very solid plot tropes, that are subverted and strengthened with the comedy paralleling the action. Everything from Spaghetti Westerns, Star Wars (western in space) franchises and the Japanese films they rip off, when they are at their best, are all underpinning this one. Added to that are the lovely Legion Easter Eggs from the Hypno stone to Questar in the text page. T&M's dialogue has always been a huge plus int his volume. Despite the eye rolling I might have had at Spaceopoly Boy and Chet, it's a really well put together issue. Take a bow T&M.

Legion of Superheroes #50 Pages 3-26 by Tom & Mary Bierbaum, art by Darryl Banks & Rich Faber; Pages 1-2, 27-47 by Tom McCraw, art by Stuart Immonen & Ron Boyd; "Brainiac Adventures" story and art by Stuart Immonen & Ron Boyd, Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Blue-Pencil Lad K.C. Carlson, Assistant Editor Mike McAvennie


"This one's got it all!" the cover announces. It may not have it all, but there's a lot. A short summary:

Rokk & others bury their undead at Shangalla, but after they leave, a human shape approaches Wildfire's helmet.

On Titan, Eve returns with Hypnostone and Tenzil in tow to claim the throne. She needs to marry, produce an heir and he's selected. He agrees; the Legionnaires on Talus receive a holo of the proceedings.

On Pasnic, Jann remains comatose. SPs take Roxxas away. Jan goes through a near-death experience, visiting the people who were important to him, reflecting on their joys and sorrows. Sean Erin feels Jan's presence, rushes to his side and implores him to live. Jan, told by the spirits of Trom to return to the living, revives.

On Talus, Brainy works on B.I.O.N. as other Legionnaires continue with their daily lives. B.I.O.N. revives, attacks, defeats most Legionnaires, splits into two. Wildfire appears and with other Legionnaires holds off B.I.O.N. The two B.I.O.N.s take off to pursue the SW6 Legionnaires.

Universo shows Relinic and King John a holo of the Legion collaborating with Khunds. Of course, they immediately agree that the evidence is unquestionable.

A shadowy figure watches the SW6 Legion, satisfied with how events are unfolding.

In a short story, Brainy dreams of being Legion leader and defeating B.I.O.N.

Four pin-up pages are included from various Legion artists.


Comments:Resolution and acceptance, finding peace in everyday life, are what Jan experiences in his near death experience. Prior to the fight with B.I.O.N., we see Imra overjoyed to discover her twin girls are telepaths, Brin and Ayla resolve their differences and extinguish the bitterness between them, Kono join her mother's Sklaarian pirate crew, Brainy sigh over Laurel and consider talking to Rond, Tenzil agree to marry Eve, Mysa apologize to Nura, Sean stay at Jan's bedside, Dawnstar return home in her parents' care. It's a wrap-up of many of the emotional plots of the series, written by the Bierbaums (except for Dawnstar's parents scene). It's their farewell to the series; unlike Jan, they won't be back. I thought it was a very good send-off. Not everyone is happy, but people are moving on with their lives as best they can. Their final text is Tenzil saying "Bye bye, everyone".

The tone changes with the McCraw story. Rokk is depressed, Jacques feels blamed, the B.I.O.N. fight breaks out. Trouble on the horizon with Universo and what looks like the Time Trapper.

Personally, I would have liked to see the Bierbaums' story as a separate issue because of that tone change. That sense of evening peace, of things winding down to quiet contentment, is immediately upended by the B.I.O.N. tale. (I may be influenced by the knowledge that, for myself, the series runs quickly downhill from here and ends badly.) The letters page is replaced by a lengthy and enthusiastic two pages of news: creative changes to this book, the Legionnaires and Valor series along with some previews of team changes and stories. So much hope!

As if to lighten the impending gloom, the short story is fun, silly, giving Brainy a gentle comeuppance to his own arrogance.

I believe your interpretation of the B.I.O.N. fight is slightly off - I don't think that the B.I.O.N. being examined by Brainy woke up and split into two. I think that B.I.O.N. had split into THREE before leaving Earth to mistakenly pursue the adult Legionnaires, only one actually fought them and was then defeated, and it's the other two who attacked the Legion at this point, and they flew off with their inert "brother" at the end of the fight.

Kono's departure from the Legion is a shame, because she's the most fun new character the TMK era introduced. I was happy to see her return in Legionnaires a few months later and that she got a nod in the reboot, however briefly.

LSH v4 Issue 50 (Lead Story)

Blok died for THIS?

I mean, it seems obvious to me that this was the whole reason T + M kicked up such a fuss about K's original plans to kill Erin. Whatever else might be said about them (and I've had, and still have, plenty to say,) T + M do seem like they planned things long term (even if they'd often change their minds in a New York Minute.)

This comes across to me as a load of hands-across-the-universe hippie horse-sh*t. Trying to make Roxxas semi-sympathetic is like looking for hen's teeth, and I, personally, find Jan and Erin equally repulsive (FTR, this ongoing Re-Read found me hating both of them long before the start of this volume.)

What I'm about to say will probably disturb some people, but I'm gonna say it:

The only ending I'd have been satisfied with would have gone like this -- 1) Jan dies; 2) Roxxas pops his cork again and, in an uncontrollable rage, accidentally (?) kills Erin; 3) The SPs burst in, all guns blazing, and shoot that rotten, stinking, worthless, mass-murdering piece of excrement dead, dead, DEAD!

Is it depressing? Sure it is! But lots of Legion stories, going all the way back to the early Adventure era, had tragic endings. This back-and-forth of light and shade was one of the things that's made the Legion special.

Furthermore, it seems to me that T + M actually BELIEVE this crap that they're writing. They MEAN IT, Maaaaaaan! Just like they meant to let Mordru off the hook and allow him to survive.

It's not just that I think these are crappy stories -- I actually believe these are BAD ideas that T + M are spreading, potentially harmful to impressionable readers!

Think what you will of me. I don't care. Giffen wasn't the worst thing to happen to the Legion after all. T + M were. I'm happy to see them go, and only wish they'd gone away much sooner.

v4 Issue 50

It's tough to get into the legion these days. All the good powers and names have been taken. That could be one reason T&M saved themselves for issue 50 to introduce us to...Astral Lad. Jan Arrah's powers of astral projection are something writers can use more effectively that his transmutation abilities. They also act as a handy device for checking in on the entire cast, as used throughout this issue.

Unfortunately Jan is completely full of himself, as he has been throughout this volume. He visits his Alt+Self and moans about how "your burden is so great. The solitude so profound." Alt+Jan has ben out the chambers for all of 5 minutes. So they're the same person. Jan's ridiculous attitude could have been sorted by a quick chat to one of the more down to Earth members.

The opening scenes on Shanghalla were fine. J'Onn has to come up with some nonsense not to join the team, possibly surprised that the teenagers of the future now have an open-door policy. Too soon for him to have realised he could change and join as Miss Martian! But apart form that it was a good close to the last story, and introduced us to a dark plot development. The reflection of the corpse rising always reminded me very much of a similar pose in an issue of Micronauts heralding the birth of a similar darker figure, and the end of that series.

Two scenes into listening to Jan's deep-as-a-puddle rubbish and the issue is already wearing a little thin. Next up he stalks on his stalker. Officer Erin is now Chief. "...And you're doing a hell of a job" is the tell-and-not-show sentence that Bendis clearly relentlessly mined for v8. The Levitz run had them getting on just fine. But now Officer Erin lives a successful independent life... well after just one more rush to be with Jan.

More irritating than Jan's lack of depth, the guy who just confessed to keeping his partner at arms-length is suddenly a relationship expert. Brainy's pain at hearing Laurel reunite with Rond didn't need the voice over. Tenzil already complained about this in an opening scene. If only someone had listened. Brainy, of course, has positioned himself there to witness the reunion. So, he's more than a little clingy here.

It's a shame Imra couldn't be there to complete the set of decent supporting cast, reduced to holding babies for a volume. Jan mentions that he'll miss Legion HQ. I barely remember him ever being there,. He scooted off to Earth, at the first opportunity, somewhere in the Terra Mosaic.

T&M make sure to use the oversize issue to at least get their own character clear, before the next team takes over. 15 year old Kono complains that she hadn't got naked shots of all the guys in the book, as her mom and friends steal everything in sight. "But mom, I've nearly finished the Krinn course in sitting on my butt in HQ doing nothing course," she complains. Even the character mentions how dull it was. We get a glimpse of a plot with the cannister as even Kono's mom seems to fancy Jo. My guess is Nabu gave Jo pheromone powers as a gag when he shuttled him back from the past, earlier in the volume. Or this Jo is really the clone of Polecat, who got lost in the SW6 chambers.

Realising that he can offer nothing of real substance to someone actually suffering, Jan skips past Dawnstar, to a Brin and Ayla reunion. If seeing Jan with deluded levels of self-knowledge was bad, it's nothing compared to Brin. He's basing his new self-awareness on his recent, and very creepy, relationship with a small girl trapped inside a woman's body. With our recent sex offender, Jamm, being seen as cool and cutting edge by the team, this Legion volume went off its tracks somewhere along the way. Brin's thought bubble also got in the way of Jan's farewell tour (Tour Jackets available to buy on page 24).

Well that's about it for Jan. We put up with 20 odd pages of it and ...oh noes... pushed aside Officer Erin is determined to stay by Jan and bring him back. That right. The message here is that it's fine to be emotionally destructive to those around you, as they'll always be there for you when you get an ounce of common sense. Thankfully, I learned all my life lessons from Rex the Wonder Dog and DC Romance Covers. I'd hate to have picked up any of this.

Having touched all the character bases, T&M depart the series (but opening the door for Astral Lad to meet the spirits of the dead Tromites in a future series, surely.) But it's another issue of the team not doing much of anything, with cast members shuffling on and off stage. Nura and Mysa share another hug and some plots really didn't need closure.

It's not a dramatic closure, and I guess T&M wanted to leave Jan to future writers rather than let him die, which definitely seemed the way it was going, only for a not terribly dramatic reprieve.

Their run on the book hasn't ended terribly. T&M have played to their strengths, which are the emotional relationships between the cast. I'm not at all convinced by some of the cast, especially in this issue. But there's the sense of transition into the next phase of the book, rather than anything clumsy and over dramatic. Besides, Giffen already blew up the Earth, when he left.

I still think that there are scenes in the volume that use the previous volumes to stand on the shoulders of, to produce some of the Legion's great moments. Sadly, the writing (not TMK's) was on the wall as early as the end of the third issue and the book was shot top bits behind the scenes. That it continued on, while testament to the commitment of the writers, became painful to sit through on the Terra Mosaic. There were still some really good Legion moments, but the spirit and direction of it was long since ground down, reduced to sitting at a Mission Monitor board, wondering where it all went wrong.

But we'll see in future reads of past comics, if that makes sense, if Legion readers were actually seeing the end of one of the better runs on the book. There was so much potential in the series. Seeing that unrealised, irked enough that Giffen was setting the scenes for a reprise at the end of v7.

As with a lot of new directions, there's a bit of energy back in the closing half of the book. Energy (before it was knocked out of them on at least this title) T&M started off with, way back in the opening issues.

Brainy's multi-tasking is interesting, especially as his distraction is impairing his ability to get anything done. The clich? of having Brainy's project wake up (again) and go on a rampage is used. It's a little eye rolling, in a not-again fashion, but it's not quite what it looks like. BION has been using its SW6 Carrgite power. Brainy does seem to see the Computo matrix as a child. Perhaps because there's so much of himself in it.

New (literal) pet favourite, Brin, gets to cause most damage (usurping T&M's Devlin & Jo as battle winners) and we get the return of Wildfire! Since this is the same guy we saw doing the Shanghalla Shuffle earlier on, this isn't what it seems either. He strides past Lydda, who would use her Kryptonian (sorry Super-Office), her Daxamite strength to beat up BION, if only she was allowed to leave the room her kid is in once this volume.

The new writer gives us little hints at what's to come. Rond is installing a time beacon at HQ. Rokk's days of chair sitting may be coming to an end. As with Kono, when the team leader has a moan about being pointless, something has gone wrong. It's not helped when Jacques agrees. Looking back, a lot of the inactivity was at the hands of the editorial nonsense going on behind the scenes, grinding it to a halt. Perhaps the criticism this drew from some quarters has resulted in this cry of resignation. But as this bit isn't written by T&M, it's really a swipe at the previous team by the new writer.

Rokk and Jacques were pretty useless in the battle. Rokk bemoans the state of his own team, compared with the success of the shiny Legionnaires. That success is also brought up by Universo. He's showing the UP footage of the Legion dealing with the Khunds. So, this is a master villain, who should be fooling no-one, using a panel from the time the UP sanctioned the Legion to work with the Khunds to fight Mordru. Not nearly as overwhelming as Universo thinks.

Dawny is returned to Starhaven, following one of the most needless waste of a good character in the volume. Brainy gives her parents data. Is it related to Bounty, or perhaps even Kol? Brainy says that it could be dangerous if not handled properly. Sadly, we'll never know.

The final page of Acme-maniacal-shadow-villain is a bit clumsy looking, but is the shape of things to come.

Thoth,

This was one of your best reviews. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we agree much more than we disagree on this issue. And the laughs (intentional laughs ) kept on coming.

Thank you. This is exactly the stuff that makes the Re-Reads worth continuing indefinitely.

Thanks for pointing that out. I rushed through the B.I.O.N. story and missed that.


I wonder who's idea is was to take Kono out of the picture. Her prankish nature was overdone at times, but she had a very effective power and a distinctive personality.


Can't say you didn't warn us....


Or Roxxas, in a jealous rage, kills Erin first, then does a murder-suicide with Jan... Roxxas came close to the Joker-Bats relationship here, which I've found uncomfortable to say the least. (At the time this was published, I don't think the Joker had such a personal fixation on Batman, or expressed the "we're the same/we're deeply connected" story that has since developed, but my memory may be faulty.)


I'll cite this sentence as a summary your Jan critique. Admittedly, it was all very sentimental, Hallmark movie stuff. There are times I've read this issue (and others) and found them tiresome, then enjoyed them on a different occasion. This didn't strike me as ridiculous or particularly shallow on this reading, just very emotional. When my husband had a heart attack, he started telling me emotionally-wrought things that I never expected to hear from the tough guy. Fear of death and/or the brain gets a little scrambled in those situations... so Jan's blather struck me as realistic, but I appreciate your and Ann's reactions to it. I wonder if the Bierbaums read up on N.E.D.s to write this.


Lydda and Imra really do get short shrift is this series. Moms can't fight? They should be on the front lines defending their offspring. (Abnett had a scene in Hypernaturals in which one of the characters, a cold soldier type woman, rushes to the aid of her child, claiming "Mommy hears everything". Mama bears, that's what I would have liked to see from Lydda and Imra, not tears and hiding in nurseries.)


Yeah, everybody trusts Universo to not use his powers now (because Eve Aries has the hypnostone?). Relnic and John should have had a "no Universo near our offices" policy in place and checked their water supply daily.

Amen to that!

AND


Craft does go into the issue. Jan's v4 arc of choosing a solitary path, yet finding that his personal growth comes from support, is closed off. It's not the first time I've seen the near-death experience used a framing device, and there are worse ways to tell a story.
Brin's realisation that he has to be mature in order to be part of a relationship is a bit more recent, taking a situation in his mini, to close a loose end from the Levitz era. Brin's main v4 arc had been drinking from the toilet to not drinking from the toilet.
T&M have looked to add an emotional level to the book throughout, and have looked to leave their run with some condensed closing messages and "teachings".

But both subplots have the same message. Both Jan and Brin were selfish tools to their partners, both of whom are forgiving and understanding here. Actually, Officer Erin runs to Jan's bedside, such is her level of forgiveness for being pushed away.
Mysa's story was also one of emotional abuse, and physical abuse too. As with the others, it's the victim who has to remember her love for her tool of a partner, to prevent him gaining possession of her again. Knowing what a scumbag he was, and having strength of will to get shot of him, wasn?t enough.
Mysa's story showed, in comic short hand, how important support from family and friends can be for someone caught in such a situation. Which was appropriate for that story. But Ayla and Erin are just sounding boards for their emotionally stunted counterparts, and this reflects badly back on the Mysa arc. As it?s comics, the road being travelled is the male character and the endlessly forgiving and understanding partner is a woman.

Jan goes off on a new road, thinking he's extra deep; Thanks to a chat with a small girl, Brin now thinks he's mature and Mordru survives to crush and humiliate opponents once again. For a volume that hangs its hat on being more mature, they are very similar storylines.
For me, it's less the framing device that was a problem for me than the characters in it and the message given in this one.


Titans went through a spurt of titles around this sort of time. From the main book you had Deathstroke, Nightwing and Team Titans. Later, Terry Marv would reveal that he agreed to pretty much any suggestion due to the writers' block and some personal issues he was going through at the time. He hated nearly every minute of it.

Tenzil: No ma'am! Those two piles of wreckage aren't the results of a Bismollian with projective indigestion! Those are the remains of DC's two biggest sellers of the early '80s, run into the ground by their own company!

Her highlight was probably in the first half dozen issues. With the larger cast formed around her, and the book's varying direction, she never really got a chance after that. I remember her being colossally bored in the Annual, and finding the place dull in #50.


And


I do think the sentiments were meant to be heartfelt closing comments about personal growth, and the support of friends and family. It just has the feel of two characters giving testimony to a jury, before the verdict is given. In appropriate and hollow. It?s all about them. No real sympathy for their partners. I was hoping to have learned something more about Mysa after recent events, but TM don't stray there. Hallmark cards don't have a section for that. So she and Dawnstar are out of luck. I imagine Dawny's scene replaced one of poor Ayla leaving look-who's-a-big-boy-now-Brin and walking right into Rokk who wants her to stand there and listen to how much he's grown from the days he used to hit her.

Rokk: "I couldn''t hit Lydda. She'd drop my baby, that she's been holding for the entire volume!"
Ayla: "It's her baby too, Rokk and she would break your stupid neck. Now get the hell out of my way, before I fry your brain. If I can find it."

Sometimes the introvert, quiet guys or the silent, strong types really just don't have much to say or contribute. Or in Jan's case, because he just about has enough self-awareness, after the candy floss incident, to know what others would think of his outlook.
Having Jeckie so close to Mordru and not kill him off, was an error. The Legionnaire who *would* kill to protect her, and others' worlds, would be a decent step. Instead we got them falling over themselves over how cool Sade was, and not jettisoning Jamm into the buffer zone. Ugh!


Perfectly valid. Jan was near death anyway (T&M set that up). Roxxas would just have had his redemption stolen from him by the SP Officer who just barged in when Jan died. Roxxas was a Joker/ Two Face stand in, in this volume (TMK set that up in first year). That reaction would be very much within his character.
For extra closure, Officer Erin could hold Jan's hand. Jan's eyes open slightly. Realising that he's with the person he should have been with all along, he says "thank you" to her for being there, before he dies. Jan has also discovered that none of the Tromites are beyond contact (T&M showed us them in this issue). He's seen them when he was close to death. He's not the last survivor of Trom after all. He goes to be with his people once again, and waits for the day when he can offer Officer Erin the chance to join him once again.

Hopefully, Erin will tell him to sod off. That will be the story where we find out that Jan was the only one who didn't transmute themselves into a spiritual form. He was off world during Roxxas' attack, due get treatment for some behavioural issues that prevented him being a full part of tromite society. Issues that explain the personality and behaviour we saw in the Legion.


I do think that the opening arc or two of v4 could have been spectacular. But it needed wider DC editorial to leave it in peace, while having a strong editor on board to focus the book. If that had happened though, we'd not have got the Mordru issue or Laurel Gand. So, perhaps leaving at the end of the first year and a bit would have been better all round. TB choosing to go full time as a comics writer may have forced their hand on staying. It was certainly a dream assignment for T&M. It's a shame it didn't turn out that way for anyone involved.

Preeeee-CISE-ly.


And again, total agreement.


I know I already said it a few posts above this one, but after all the disagreements we had (in good fun) during v.3 and most of v.4, it's very pleasing that we're so much of the same mind on the v.4 wrap-up. Now, if only I could somehow get you to change your mind about Sarya's mass-murdering rampage and final surrender to death...just kidding.


Another Titans parallel: Devin Grayson & Jay Faerber on the 1999-2003 Titans series.

I went into the v4 rereads, kind of thinking that you'd see my view of it shift as we went along. Not which details, but the shift as the book got derailed. It's always good to get your perspective on things, whether I agree with them or not.


It *is* good! It *is* >stamps space boot< I already still have to pretend not to notice the gaping holes in Who is Wonder Girl, thanks to you! I am *not* rereading Sarya's last story again. I'm *not* >stamps space boot again...puts foot through asteroid...falls into space...



I think I have some early issues of that, but I don't know details on what happened, both in the book or behind the scenes.

Thank you, and likewise. And I did sense a shift fairly early on. As early as the Mon-El vs Time Trapper issue, really. That was a particularly good exchange we had there.





At last! Incentive for us to start a new discussion in the Titans forum! And we already have a ready-made thread on that era just waiting to be reactivated. And...uh...just as soon as I *find* my copy of Titans Companion Two...

Legion of Superheroes #51 by Tom McCraw, art by Christopher Taylor and Wade Von Grawbadger, Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Babysitter K.C. Carlson, Assists Mike McAvennie

Cocheta uses her male-control power to break out of Takron-Galtos but is stopped by females SPs. She will be moved to Quarantine. Grimbor is angry when he hears the news.

Quarantine is now home to Kent, Celeste and Mara (a young woman turned speedster by Dominator experiments) as well as the children previously seen. Ivy wants to join the Legion but Kent says she's too young. Celeste and Mara are working on mastering their powers. Mara in particular has trouble controlling her speed, but Dr. Grafe fits her out with a synchronizing device to control her metabolism.

Cocheta arrives, bound; a ship has followed the SP ship into Quarantine. While Kent and Ivy are talking, an alarm sounds. Grimbor has broken in. Kent fights him but is disabled by energy-sucking shackles. Ivy gets the news from a plant.

Celeste and Mara attack but are also defeated. Grimbor's devices shatter Mara's speed control device as she collapses.

Ivy assembles the kids to rescue Kent: Garridan Ranzz, Spunge (energy absorber), Lynk (Hyrkarian telepath) and Scales (shapeshifter). Spunge dissolves Kent's shackles, which make him giggle.

As Grimbor tries to leave with an unconscious Cocheta, the kids fight him. Despite their best efforts, he disables them. However, Kent has revived and joins the fight; Mara also revives and rapidly disables Grimbor's devices. Kent knocks him out cold. He's sent to Takron-Galtos.

Grimbor's energy attack stabilized Mara's metabolism, giving her natural control over her speed. Kent is impressed with Ivy's abilities but she now wants to stay in Quarantine to train her own team.

Text piece: notes from Dr. Grafe regarding Mara and the synchronizer device, which was adapted from the work of Circadia Sensus (sic).

Comments:
A direct and uncomplicated story: heroes fight villain, win in the end. It's not without its unanswered questions, however.

Generally, I don't like super-kid stories, but these juniors weren't overly cute. Apart from Garridan, we don't know what they're doing in Quarantine. The "L'il Legion" doesn't appear again and I can't say I missed it. The letters page is absent from this issue, as well as the rest of this series. A pity, I would have liked to read the reactions to this and later issues.

Garridan is shown to have lightning powers, not from his hands like dad, but from his forehead, like Validus. He wears a Colossal Boy uniform, so maybe he can grow as tall as Validus as well.

Grimbor must figure Quarantine is an easier target that Takron-Galtos, or he would have tried to free his daughter before. It's really not clear how much, if any, security Quarantine has: they hid Burrane Jr. there and were open to attack by the Persuader, now the SPs have dumped Cocheta there. Quarantine appears to function as a treatment centre for super-powered individuals, studying them for treatment (Garridan and Cocheta) as well as for mastering their powers (Mara and Celeste).

Grimbor is working with energy weapons/restraints rather than the specific power-targeted ones he used in his first appearance. Makes sense that he'd go for something that would affect a wide variety of sentient opposition. Either Grimbor served his time and was released, or escaped. In his original appearance, Grimbor did state that he served both criminals and kings, so he must have a tidy business selling to criminals as well as the wealthy.

The original Grimbor/Charma story had more feeling to it. She was manipulative, emotional; he was in thrall to her, determined, angry with the Legion but devoted to his craft. There was a sense of tragedy about their relationship. Apart from stating that he needs to rescue his daughter, I don't get much sense of emotion. He could be a hired operative doing a job.

A pitfall in story logic is the fact that Cocheta wasn't assigned female guards/SPs in the first place. Perhaps she'd been getting depowering treatments and Takron-Galtos thought they'd succeeded. Or it's just another example of bureaucratic fumbling. It's not clear why Cocheta was unconscious when being carried out by Grimbor; she arrived on Quarantine bound, but walking.

The art wasn't great in this one, mostly because the kids look strange, very stocky.

v4 Issue 51

An issue into the new creative team and this is a by the numbers action issue, with a couple of highlights. SPs are a bit lax when dealing with their prisoners. No explanation why Cocheta wasn't fitted with a power damper. Later in her escape, Cocheta has an armed guard next to her. She could have ordered the guard to shoot the female newcomers.

News of her recapture, brings in her father, Grimbor who smashes a monitor. The text would have you believe he did this as an in depth interview with the warden was something he doesn't want to let happen.

Kent telling Ivy that she can't be with the Legion ties up her appearance in the promotional poster way back. "It's no place for a kid," says Kent. By which he means child, rather than the young teenagers the original Legion were. Ivy uses Kono as a defence, unaware that Side Swipe McCraw has already got rid of her from the cast, even if it was written by T&M.

The issue introduces the Li'l Legion. I've no idea if this was McCraws bid to emulate the X-Babies. In fairness, I prefer this lot to them. All the kids have a part to play, with Ivy and Garridan in leading roles, and Sponge having powers of Plot-Convenience.

We're also introduced to Mara Williams: Rush. It's a compact appearance. We're introduced to her condition, and her feelings about the Dominators treatment of her. But soon that has past and, with her handy metabolism modulator fitted, she's raring to cut loose. Grimbor's devices handily merge the modulator to her system (because...comics). This means she can control her metabolism and not fall foul of the Legions dependence on devices rule (although she could cite Wildfire).

We also get more on Celeste working on her powers (green dragon in globe reminded me of Dragonmage) more than we've seen in the whole volume. McCraw gives us a Flash/ green Lantern team up. Kent could even count as a Superman stand in. They all have to be saved by the Li'l Legion , so it's not the best of team ups for them. Despite her training (and Brainy getting doctors to snoop as he did in an earlier issue), Celeste didn't manage to do much.

At the time I probably wasn't too impressed with the issue. A lot of that is down to it being another fill in issue following a volume with more than it's share of them. While the art still isn't my favourite, it's less a problem than in previous reads. McCraw could look at the issue and shown that he's mirroring some big DC characters and trying to introduce a new Legion franchise opportunity with the kids. He could probably say the art was trying to capture that Image look of the time.

But it was a little flat. Cochita was really a device to give us some opening action and to provide a reason for Grimbor to appear. His acme devices, led to some okay, but not particularly choreographed scenes, as he didn't have much of a plan. Mara seemed to be the only point of using him specifically. She pops up in some later issues, but doesn't get to join the team.

It's a far cry from those opening issues of the volume. The plot, along with the dialogue, with T&M's departure has very quickly become another super-book. In this reread, Garridan stood out and you could see a future Legion leader in there.

Comments


T&M's run started with something a bit more depth with the Glorith revenge plot. But that tied up things that really didn't need to be and this one brought up the question of another sudden appearance of unlikely offspring.


I generally feel the same. Had they made the odd appearance as the new Super Pets or Tenzil? Probably not, but they weren't terrible.


I had caught the costume, but not the reason why he might be wearing it. Good spot.



McCraw had Shakepseare try to activate the increased security put in since the Persuader's attack. Some credit for at least addressing that.


Fair enough. I thought they were a bit too generic and useful. But that is what he does, and he has been up against super types before.



I like to think that he escaped, knowing how all the security devices worked. One day he will use that money he has earned to buy arm and leg coverings.


That was the thing with this issue for me. Mara talks about the suffering she felt under the Dominators; Celeste tells the doctor about her powers; Ivy shows how hurt she is by Kent's actions. But they are either lifts form TMK scenes or seem a bit flat. Not terrible, but not in the same bracket as T&M dialogue.

I thought the stocky kids might have been a nod to Giffen. Ivy always looked like that. Mara ha some Giffenesque panels.

True, and that might have developed into a more interesting story: Cocheta on the run, joining up with Grimbor. She's a grade B (or lower) villain, they treat her as such and she doesn't have the cleverness to have the men shoot the female guards. Would probably have been rejected by the Legion of Super-Villains at their try-outs.


Good point, they did get a lot of the character details into a few pages.


Agreed, it was a disappointing issue in that regard. Garridan as future Legion leader, or future superhero, could have been developed if the series had continued. How much of the Validus experience might he subconsciously remember? All that fighting, even as a mostly mindless beast, might provide a foundation for dealing with supervillains in the future. We never saw Graym exercising any powers, or trying to be anything other than a normal kid. He may or may not have the ligthning power, but not the drive that Garridan has.

Since Darkseid works on longer timescales, perhaps his curse comes into effect when Garridan is a member or leader.

Legion of Superheroes #52 "Soothing the Savage Beast" by Tom McCraw, art by Stuart Immonen, Christopher Taylor, Ron Boyd and Wade Von Grawbadger, Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Groomer K.C. Carlson, Assists Mike McAvennie

Brin dreams of working out with Val, who chided him for impatience. Tired of being kept in the lab, Brin walks around Talus HQ with Ayla, remembering incidents from his life: his father's death and Karth Arn convincing him he's the android, the asteroid incident with Imra, his mother and father arguing about how he should be raised, breaking up with Ayla, his addiction problem and Black Dawn.

Black Dawn has been long referred to, with no details other than it was a disaster resulting in the death of Wildfire. Here we learn that Dr. Regulus, working as a Starfinger enforcer, has channeled power from the sun and threatens to shut it down if Earth fails to pay its debt. Brin and Blok attack Regulus, who mistakenly releases a detonator and the sun begins to cool. Brin is badly burned by solar radiation, triggering his change into Furball. Wildfire plunges into the sun to restore it and presumably dies.

Meanwhile, Jacques, Drura and Devlin welcome Kent, Celeste and Mara to Talus. Mara is en route to the S.P. Academy. Sussa chases Jo. Laurel and Lydda care for their children. Wildfire needs a new suit. Vi simmers over Khunds' advances into former U.P. territory. Mysa announces that power has shifted to Glorith with Mordru's defeat, but Glorith doesn't realize this yet. A team departs for Baaldur to try and contain her. Jacques remains behind with Drura and Mara.

Comments:Mostly a recall of Brin's life, with some new scenes (his mother) and some changed details (addicted to Zuunium instead of Lotos Fruit). The biggest bit to get one's teeth into was the Black Dawn memory. An event that deserved two full issues is given three pages - as remembered by Brin, so possibly it didn't happen exactly as portrayed. Close enough, however, to give some satisfaction to this long-unfulfilled bit of Legion history.

The story opens with Karate Kid, a bit of a surprise in a Timber Wolf spotlight, but it's Val seen through Brin's eyes, establishing that all flashbacks are his own perception. Val counselled him against impatience and it was impatience in attacking Regulus, as Brin saw it, that led to his current state.

There was a one page scene with Ayla visiting him on Medicus One, during which she fills him in on the Legion gossip. He learns that Imra is going to have twins again, Nura is High Seer, Thom's engaged to someone else, the Legion disbanded after becoming a group of misfits led by Brek - the timeline seems off (it would place the disbanding of the Legion close to the start of the series) but this again could just be his recollection. Possibly I've got the timing wrong in my own mind, thinking the Legion had been disbanded for several years when the series began.

Not being a big Timber Wolf fan, this issue didn't exactly captivate but the Black Dawn details were appreciated and the closing pages set up the rest of the series for a return battle with Glorith.

v4 Issue 52

Ayla had to sit and listen to Brin drone on about his own growing maturity in issue #50, blissfully unaware he could do worse than stop having the united planets revolve around his ego. While it?s a nicely drawn cover, it?s a throwback to a relationship from another era. Where?s the coverage for how Ayla is getting on?

The powers that be knew that T&M would be leaving the book quite some time ago. A second fill in issue isn?t great, although it has a few subplots dropped in along the way. The art, other than Immonen?s doesn?t do much for me, so it?s not a great splash page.

Brin clearly has a distorted memory of his relationship with Ayla. He remembers her asking him about dinner and dancing. We remember him sulking off to be alone or standing on balconies out of his pointy hair on Lotus Fruit (briefly available in cans from Del Monte V).

There was a lot going on in science fiction around androids when Brin made his debut. It?s a shame some of that wasn?t tapped to make Brin?s time as an android a little better this time out. Here we have him thinking ?something?s not right! I can sense it!? Something like a bowel movement perhaps, giving the game away in stories where Legion robots have gears inside.

To the stories credit, there is an underlying theme that touches on him developing. There?s also a parallel with Dirk Morgna?s life, where the son was very much a product of his father. This does lend some weight to his early adoption of an android persona. We reach pretty much the same scene with Ayla at the end, that was done in #50. So it?s still a re-tread, with McCraw picking out more parallels form his predecessors to run with.

As people come and go from the Legion team, Brin?s tour around HQ with Ayla, gives us yet another holding issues. We had a hint for what would run into Zero Hour in #50. It could be that energies were again being spent elsewhere behind the scenes (as in a lot of the TMK era) impacting the actual book. I read that McCraw spent a lot of time trying to find ?solutions? to the Legion at this time. Perhaps having less editorial mucking about resulting in endless holding issues might have helped. That, far more than any of the TMK basic plots, was the real issue I have with this volume.

TMK established that the legion were formed by the Trapper to prevent Mordru ascending to control the galaxy. Now the team are trapped in what could be endless plots in maintaining the balance between the Time Trapper/ Glorith and Mordru. Had Jeckie killed Mordru at the end of the last story, this upcoming one would have some extra possibilities. There?s a short debrief from Drura! and next issue may have some of that action and adventure that helped put the book on the map in the first place.