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

What do we know? Maybe all androids have that feeling. There must be an are-you-an-android test in the future a la Blade Runner.


Good comparison. I doubt either of them had the self-awareness to realize it.


I assume at this point they must have known that Zero Hour would wipe out the Legion. K.C. Carlson discusses this in the Legion Companion interview ("(McCraw's) was kind of a thankless job"), but I was surprised, when checking, that there was no interview with McCraw himself. (I'd really appreciate a Volume 2 of Legion Companion, but not holding my breath.)

Legion of Superheroes #53 "A Moment in Time" by Tom McCraw, art by Stuart Immonen & Ron Boyd Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Timelost K.C. Carlson, Assists Mike McAvennie

Mid-battle with Glorith, things are not going well for the Legion. She's aged Brainiac 5 into an old man as other Legionnaires battle time-displaced opponents. As Glorith attacks Ayla, Devlin intervenes and Glorith disappears into a starfield.

Jacques and Drura discuss the allegations of Legion treason with Relnic. Rond discovers something surprising on his time beacon viewer.

The Legion arrives on Baaldur and find easy entrance into a weakened Glorith's domain.

A sub-story begins (in black & white at the bottom of the page): someone recounts Glorith's history to her.

In the main story, Glorith unleashes baddies from different eras to fight the Legion. She's aware of Brainy's plan to limit her power.

Mysa, Jo and Wildfire prepare to implant Brainy's power-dampening device when Glorith appears, disables Mysa, taunts Jo that she took care of Tinya and threatens to kill Wildfire but hesitates.

Celeste, Sussa and Rokk work on a second device. Glorith shows up and kills Celeste for her "betrayal".

Glorith returns with Celeste's corpse to the team fighting time-displaced villains and turns Kent into a child.

Jo and Wildfire rescue Mysa, telling her they'll make Glorith "change you back". Sussa rescues Rokk who tries to use power-magnifying gauntlets with little success.

Glorith ages Brainy, attacks Ayla, is intercepted by Devlin and disappears into a starfield. The sub-story ends, with the speaker claiming Glorith's position and Glorith collapsed or dead.

Ayla feels weird, Brainy is very old, child Kent weeps over Celeste's body, Mysa has changed colouring, Jo vows vengeance for Tinya.

The U.P. council argues over Legion's alleged perfidy.

The final page, with some very different looking Legionnaires led by Violet, tells us that the Legion in on the run once again.

Comments:
The story moves quickly. It gets mildly confusing as it restarts after a few pages due to Devlin reflecting Glorith's power back on her, but it's the Time Trapper/reboot the universe trick we've seen before.

I probably read each page fully the first time, with the main action and the sub-story, although it's a lot easier to read them separately. The sub-story is possibly a bit of a gimmick, but it fits well: wheels within wheels, layers of fights for control. The speaker in the sub-plot mentions Glorith's destruction of the original Time Trapper and talks about her squandering "our power" as he destroys her and claims the universe for his/her own. Is this another Time Trapper, Mordru or somebody else? It's left unclear.

There are some familiar races among the U.P. delegates debating the Legion's alleged treason. Ambassador Jeryl supports them, Talok questions the evidence, Titan wants to help sort things out, Tyrraz expects them to attack again, Rimbor and Starhaven condemn them. There's also a Dominator in the group - what's he doing there? Universo has not mind-wiped everyone, perhaps he's refined his technique enough to target the opinion-makers and let the process take its course.

It's not specified how Brainy's devices were going to control Glorith, but appeared to be a combination of science and magic. He's gotten very open-minded lately about the benefits of magic and the supernatural; it's disappointing that we won't get to see further stories, long term, in which this is developed.

A fair bit has gone on in the background, unseen. Rokk has Brainy-designed gauntlets which are supposed to amplify any latent power he has, although they barely work. Celeste is shown to have had a prior connection to Glorith and to have somehow betrayed her.

Something to do with death in Wildfire surprises Glorith. The reader knows that there are questions about Wildfire's return - this adds another. One might suspect that Glorith does not consider an energy being alive, but she should know what he is, so that leaves... dead?

Brainy's changed, Kent's changed, Ayla's changed but not visibly, and Mysa at the very least looks different but her change is not evident. Glorith is gone and the changes remain: it's a big shake-up for the team. McCraw might have been told, do what you want, the book is toast within the year regardless. Nevertheless, there's a vitality to the story that has been missing for quite a few issues.

v4 Issue 53

This was an interesting issue in both structure and plot. McCraw continues to look back at the volume before him, updating plots and building on subplots left behind. Across the bottom of the pages the issue emulates The Monitor Tapes from Crisis #10. This takes the meta-plot of the Legion's relationship with the Time Trapper (and the Trapper to Glorith) and updates it further into the Post Crisis Universe. The Big reveal is that the SW6 Legion are temporal duplicates of the Legion in this book, rendering the issue of which ones were clones moot. The Legionnaires themselves don't know this yet, and it's a revelation that will have a pay off in issues to come. TMK had to implement changes very quickly in the face of an angry Super Office. I can imagine McCraw's pitch for the book offering to clear this up, which basically means tying up some loose ends left by his predecessors. It works perfectly well and, as a separate narrative form the main plot, doesn't hog the plot. In fact, the narrator of The Trapper Tapes is waiting for Glorith after her encounter with the Legion, resulting in the launching point for something else to take over her position.

McCraw is confident enough to break away from a direct temporal narrative, fitting for an encounter with Glorith. We start with the lead up to the finale to the battle. Then we step back to its beginnings. It expands in space too, moving outwards from Glorith's palace and interacting with the other Legion groups on the planet. I wasn't too impressed watching yet another Legion team directly enter the palace of one of their most powerful foes. McCraw anticipates this by having that approach be only part of the plan.

McCraw also gets lots of points by having a proactive villain. A huge amount of Mega Foes are happy to stand and taunt, from Mordru through Darkseid to the Anti Monitor. The heroes bounce off the foe until a plan is concocted for a victory. McCraw subverts this. Glorith initially does seem to follow this path. Glorith is weaker, and this dovetails nicely into the Trapper Tapes plot. Far from powerless, McCraw at least makes that lack of full power reasonable to explain why she can't just kill everyone in sight. But she doesn't stand to wait for her foes to ensure her defeat. McCraw moves her around the battlefield, using her powers on a more personal basis.

As she encounters the subgroups, McCraw gives lots of subplot hints. Rokk's powers might be returning. But his reaction to being saved by Sussa, is not the Rokk we know. Sussa becomes a useful member of the team, finally seeing some action.
Jo learns of Glorith's machinations regarding Tinya. That will drive him until the end of the book, and provide one last, tortuous piece of editorial interference that has defined the volume.

McCraw isn't finished in taking standard devices and changing their impact and approach. The Trapper Tapes show us Glorith's earliest encounter with the Legion, with them reduced to children. The Legion escaped and defeated her and everything was returned to normal. McCraw does a little TMK retcon to ensure Glorith's survival. But the main impact, is that the Legion is unable to return things to normal at the end of the issue. Glorith's redirected powers, courtesy of Devlin, transports her to her encounter with the Trapper-like foe that finally defeats her.

A shell shocked and altered Legion are left behind. Glorith has used her powers as more than a maniacally cackling villain. Brainiac 5 has aged, and he's cared for by Laurel. Her concern picks up from their supressed feelings for each other. Elsewhere in the issue, Laurels husband, Rond makes a desperate race into a time bubble. The use of time travel, and Glorith as a villain are not accidents here.

Looking back, it seems that McCraw and others had been deciding on the course of events that would lead into the end of this volume, resulting in two fill in issues in #51 and #52. While that was far from ideal, there is momentum in the plotting again.

McCraw had shown us Celeste using her powers more than TMK had managed in 4 years. Now it looks as though Glorith has killed her. Devlin, Ayla and Brin were all close to Glorith when she departed in a burst of chronal energy. There are hints of changes to come. Mysa has been more definitely affected although, we don't see her face. Kent Shakespeare is reduced to an infant, again mirroring the Legion's first encounter with Glorith.

I always thought that Kent Shakespeare with his noticeable glasses and codenamed Impulse was a direct line into Bart Allen, with his prominent goggles as Impulse.

In amongst this, we get a subplot where the UP squabble over the Legion's supposed connections with the Khunds. The footage seen in this issue, moves away from the images we saw as they worked with the Khunds against Mordru, under UP instruction. Here it's Tenzil helping Khundish forces. Yes, Universo is clearly there and they should know better. But as each member, blindly follows what we've come to expect from them, you wonder if her really needs to use his powers at all.

The lettercol page is replaced with a sneak peak of the next issue. My first thought about the preview is that I don't think it impressed me much at the time. Vi in an odd uniform; The gauntlets identified a grim looking Rokk; Spider Girl still being with the team while the likes of Kent were gone. Brin hadn't impressed much since ditching the Furball identity.

On this reread, I was impressed by the amount of work that had clearly gone into it. McCraw has pleased the Super Office, tidied up various loose continuity ends, and given us new information, without trashing what has come before in this volume.

He's presumably already building to what will become End of an Era. I'll need to check the companion to get the timeline correct. We get large (Legion helping Khunds) and small (Jo, Rokk) subplots. All of the above going on while we get a very solid appearance from a villainess who has never lived up to her potential in the volume (partly by deliberate design which was refreshing but later due to missed opportunity). Immonen's art was a treat this issue too. Having a Grade A artist is definitely a plus for the book. The structure of the book, returning to the initial scene and the addition of a narrative across the pages, also worked very well for the story.

She does a great job of staying one step ahead of the teams, while leaving time for a few taunts as well. Then gets over-confident perhaps: she hasn't been keeping tabs on the Legion enough to know who Devlin is and what he can do. Her weakened state would explain this, as well as not knowing that the balance of power had shifted in her favour, as Mysa knew, with the defeat of Mordru.


This is one thing I'm not clear on: she gets reflecto-blasted by Devlin twice. Were those two separate events, repeated, or were the first pages just a preview of the battle to come?


Good point, he was always connected to Clark Kent, with the glasses and invulnerability, in my mind.


Agreed, this was much better than I remembered and actually has me looking forward to the rest of the run. Except for the schmaltzy ending, of course, but that's not the writer's fault.

Legion of Superheroes #54 "Time's Change" by Tom McCraw, art by Stuart Immonen & Ron Boyd , Colours Tom McCraw, Letters Bob Pinaha, Editor K.C. Carlson, Assists Mike McAvennie

The issue opens with a recap, which with brown text printed on black, is nearly unreadable.

On Baaldur, the Legion picks up the pieces. Brainy is old, frail and weak; Ayla's a bit younger, Devlin and Mysa are teens and Kent's a little kid. Jo's furious about Tinya. Celeste suddenly comes to life as a green female form. They head to Quarantine for help and Brainy tells Celeste that her body has been dead since the green energy first hit her and she's just been using it to keep it alive. Brainy, now in an exoskeleton, wonders why Glorith attacked Celeste so viciously, but Celeste knows.

Lydda, Englenna and the children take refuge on Winath.

Brainy wants to run tests on Rokk and his guantlets. Devlin and Kent are left at Quarantine; the rest head back to Talus but are intercepted and, after a battle with the SP and SP Academy students (including some of the Subs), they're put under arrest and taken to Weber's World. New Earth Ambassador Universo presents evidence to the Council, the Legion are disbanded and held for trial. Jacques Foccart follows Universo and sees him reporting to somebody that the Legion will surely be convicted and the agreement to give him control of New Earth should be honoured. Jacques manages to slip the prisoners some escape tools, they break out and escape to a ship Loomis has waiting.

Rokk is angry that Vi took charge. Jo proposes that they head for his Rimbor warehouse, but he doesn't want to be involved. Vi orders them to prepare new identities and uniforms.

Universo informs the New Earth Legion of the situation, declining their assistance.

In disguise, Laurel and Mysa barter some tools for supplies on Rimbor. Mysa flirts with the broker to get a better deal. The others prepare their new uniforms and set up in the warehouse. Sussa stumbles in, saying she lost Jo, then collapses.

Jo lies unconscious, surrounded by gang members.

[b]Comments:]/b]
Another hi-octane issue; it's not the same team by the last page. Vi's calling the shots, they've lost Kent and Devlin, Sussa, Wildfire and Jo may leave the team. It's as if the preceding issues were a coiled spring and the tension has been unleashed. The Legionnaires take stock, dash to Quarantine, head for Talus, fight the SPs, break out of prison, dash to Rimbor, re-establish themselves, barely without taking a breath.

A couple of interludes break up the action: Lydda and Englenna arriving on Winath, strangely peaceful, and Jacques arguing with the U.P. council, not so peaceful.

The Subs are on the front line to arrest the Legion and do a good job of containing them. Not sure if it's Color Kid himself or some tech that launches that paralyzing color burst. If it's Ulu, he really has upgraded. Are they under Universo's influence, just following orders or happy to show the Legion that they're fighting equals now?

Odd that Universo would not ensure that Jacques is under his control because, without Jacques, the breakout doesn't happen.

I don't know with whom Universo is colluding. He demolished his Dark Circle allies, McCauley when last seen was a mess - so I figure it must be someone else. I don't see why control of New Earth would be such a prize but possibly it's just a stepping stone for Universo. The SW6 Legionnaires might fall for his assurances, but Cham should be more suspicious.

I rather like the new sexy, flirty Mysa. There may be some objection to her taking on this personality after her years as an abused wife. It could be the Amethyst influence (wasn't Amethyst a teenage girl?), some psychological break or Mysa's living the youth she never had: she went from being a child to a demanding life of study on Zerox and now's her chance for a do-over.

The cover is a cut-away, which is eye-catching (and maybe supposed to suggest the Legion busting through barriers?). There are four faces on the cut-away cover which I can't identify. In the title "Time's Change", the typeface for "change" looks similar to Shade the Changing Man font, but I don't see any connection, other than the idea of change.

v4 Issue 54

While we got a decent view of the impact of Glorith's attack on the team last issue, this is continued here as the issue has the makings of a mini relaunch. The special cover (still tear free) the summary page and the new approach/ look of the team.

I wonder if a full relaunch was considered for the book. It would have been interesting to see if they had started it with the attack on Glorith or with this issue. The former, has an action-packed battle leading up to the changes. The latter, is more properly the relaunch but starts more slowly, and has to dispense with a lot of the cast.

The launch issue, glosses over the very unlikely set of circumstances that led to the UP turning on the Legion. McCraw mines the Legion's past, in this instance as fugitives, while wanting us to ignore that everyone else in the galaxy would have been aware of such previous schemes. Universo is involved, as Laurel pointed out and as Jacques discovers. This should come as a surprise to no one. In a post boot introduction to Universo, perhaps, but less so here.

McCraw did strongly hint that it's really the UP delegates believing whatever suited them best. I'd have liked to have seen that alluded to more, to make the events a bit more credible. Even a nod to Universo's role in gaining Earth's freedom would have helped. We don't see who Universo is working with. He shot the Dark Circle agent (and Devlin sweater wearer) last time. Have they patched things up?

The whole Universo plot is really secondary to launching the Legion as fugitives with a new look and a new direction for the book. McCraw does get some points to trying to tie that in to what weve seen before in the volume.

As the cast leave Balduur for Quarantine, we get a good look at how big an impact Glorith has had. McCraw gets points for taking older fugitive legion/ infant Legion shorter stories into a prolonged direction for the book. A mix of the familiar with the new.

Ivy offers child Kent a spot on her team. Kent's arc was cut short before he even appeared int eh book, as the Super Office wanted all Super-references removed from a character whose back story was connected to them.

Devlin is now a teenager. McCraw might be pointing out that he was supposed to be 15 to begin with, as per TMK, but whose age morphed as the book went on. McCraw dumps him, with the old his-powers-are-disrupting-the-scanners approach.

Brainy gets a new look, with an exo-skeleton possibly acting as a force field. He's very conscious of his physical limitations, adding a new outlook to the character. Laurel clearly cares deeply for him, and Brainy's plight offers up some issues when Rond gets back from his time mission.

Jo is now obsessed with finding Tinya. His single-minded jerkiness reminds me of him in DnA's Legion Lost series. For some reason he throws Sussa across a room.

I was surprised that Sussa made the new team. With Jo's new focus, she's pretty much superfluous as a romantic interest. Perhaps the hair was considered visual enough to keep her. Perhaps Marvel's Inhumans were doing well at the time, or they convinced themselves that it was the hair that made Starfire popular. Plenty of story potential with her though, away from Jo, so we'll see.

Rokk's use of the gauntlets is strongly hinted to have affected his mind. In what I take as yet another barb at the previous team, he's replaced as team leader. The message of his tenure as not being good enough, a message on events up until this issue. Tension is in place regarding both his condition and the impact the change will have on the team.

Another long-standing plot is moved forward as McCraw reveals that Celeste really died as a result of Roxxas' attack. We've not seen her use much emerald energy, as it was being diverted into keeping her physical form intact. I thought this was a very clever explanation. Her new energy form is certainly distinctive and reminiscent of Steve Yeowell's post humans in Zenith.

Ayla is slightly younger, which sets up a few fun comments between her and Vi. I get the feeling that Brin's condition may have stabilised.

Mysa seems like a completely different person. It would seem that Glorith has removed her memories as well as her age. Glorith's attack on Mysa *was* different from the others, so I do think there's something like that going on here. It would explain her personality change, that is so different from every previous incarnation of the character, as well as those flashback stories in Tales.

Wildfire, like Jo, is also looking to leave the team. He's more interested in ensuring he's physically protected in the issue. McCraw gets points for having a few of the characters look to be elsewhere, before having events forcing them to stay together. The Legion are attacked by the UP militia. Or the Academy as they would know the. It's rashness on both sides that leads to a conflict. Jo is simply too single minded to be distracted from finding Tinya. Quake is simply too inexperienced, and things get out of hand. More fodder for Universo's holo editing pals.

The older Subs are effective in the battle, and it's the often underestimated Color Kid who ends the battle by blinding/ shutting down the Legion. Unfortunately for this plot move, neither Celeste or Drake have eyes as such. We'll later find out that Drake does, but they may not be functioning ones.

Earlier, we saw Alay being electrocuted. That's Lightning Lass, so that's a bit of a plot flub. It was Ayla who pulled the same trick on the LSV way back in the early Baxter issues.

On one hand McCraw takes the time to show us the effect of events on the rest of the cast. But like TMK, he has them do nothing. Imra, Garth, Jeckie and Lydda monitor but don't take an active part. Perhaps this will change as the plot unfolds.

Poor Laurel gets Acme-Plot manacles so she can't use her powers to bust out of McCraw's story plans. Despite being part of the team, when they were accused of crimes against the UP, Jacques is allowed to remain free. In monitoring Universo and freeing the others, he's actually done more here, than in the rest of the volume. I'm a bit surprised Universo didn't take precautions against him though. But then, Universo is always defeated in the end. He may not be the great planner, he thinks he is.

Having escaped, Jo takes the team to Rimbor. We get a cliffhanger, as Sussa returns to HQ battered and telling the others that Jo has been captured. Jo was a smuggler way back in #2 of this volume. Perhaps it's the government and the Khunds the team will be up against next issue.

It's another positive issue. A new direction; a new look and a number of subplots continued or added. Immonen's art is top grade which improves the whole book. McCraw juggles with a large cast this issue, winnowing the team down while providing some Easter Eggs in the UP Militia cast.

It's a book with some momentum. Sadly for T&M, the opening part of their run was undermined from above, the middle was also, with added complications on the SW6 launch and the latter part when they figured their contract wasn't going to be renewed. As decent as I thought their solo efforts were (and their high points were as good as the Legion has been), the new team have added a bit of purpose about proceedings.

Back before they kept restarting with #1, I guess. It would have been good to hear from McCraw himself on the scope of this relaunch.


Indeed, could have been more strongly indicacted that UP delegates were working to their own agendas rather than just mind-controlled/nudged.


Yeah, real bad look - and unnecessary.


The result of Glorith's attack makes the most sense. I'm curious to see if there is some light shed on her change in future issues.


It shouldn't have affected Laurel either.


Jacques wakes up! Universo, the failed planner, I like that. Should be a School for Criminals in which they review project managment.

Legionnaires #7 "Devils in the Deep" by Tom & Mary Bierbaum, art by Adam Hughes & Mark Farmer, colors Tom McCraw, Letters Pat Brosseau, assistant Editor Mike McAvennie, Editor Eddie Berganza

Some of the Legionnaires take an underwater vacation in the Atlantis Dome. They're greeted by a young mermaid.

In the adjoining Marsala dome, a young merboy explores a cave, is surprised by something and screams.

The Legionnaires check in to The Green Lotus Inn, operated by the young mermaid Keiki's parents. They change into swimwear. Laurel's is particularly skimpy. Violet is concerned about the expense, but the others reassure her that it's all gratis, a perk for being Legionnaires. The go off to enjoy a variety of activities, but Kirk and Keiki are hit by a blaster shock. A merman has fired on a devil-fish and missed. Dirk takes his gun and reports to the local SPs. He learns that devil-fish attacks have been kept quiet to avoid affecting tourism, but the citizens have begun arming themselves.

Other Legionnaires get caught in gunfire as Atlanteans fire on other devil-fish. One fish grabs Brainy by the head, another grabs one of the Luornus. Suddenly, Brainy calls out in the language of the devil-fish (which he has just mastered) and explains that they believed they were being attacked by Atlanteans when the Earth broke up; their race had almost been wiped out.

Misunderstandings resolved, the Legionnaires head back to the surface. Violet is upset and tells Andromeda she thinks they were supposed to pay for everything. Andromeda forces Tenzil and Dirk to go back and clear things up or she'll have Cham dock their pay. They find Keiki crying because her parents were going to go bankrupt; they were too embarrassed to ask the Legionnaires to pay. The group pays up, but Tenzil and Dirk have to contribute more since they spent so much. Violet admits she thinks Tenzil is cute.

Comments:It's an aquaromp, with a message. A few messages: too much tourism is bad, guns in civilian hands are bad, don't assume someone's trying to kill you and don't assume your privileged position entitles you to freebies.

A lot of the story, though, is about the kids having fun. We get a lot of interaction between the various personalities, which makes these characters come alive and feel energetic and happy. As we've pointed out before, quite a contrast with the adult Legionnaires.

Violet's apparently the only one with a conscience and an appreciation for others' situations. That doesn't say much for the others in attendance. It's not the full group; I would expect Imra, Jan, Lyle as the more thoughtful Legionnaires to also expect to pay for their vacation had they been along. It's Laurel, though, who's able to lay down the law and get the others to pay when Violet hesitatingly mentions it - and it says something about Dirk and Tenzil that Laurel has to threaten them.

The devil-fish originally appeared in SLSH #202. There the Legion encountered a single member of the species and a similar misunderstanding was also resolved. It's a bit of plot weakness that the Atlanteans didn't know about the devil-fish (no one told them?) and no one thought to tell the devil-fish that the Earth had broken up. I don't believe we've seen Atlanteans before, either, so maybe Earth was just full of surprises. Otherwise, the story makes sense.




Legionnaires #8 "In Heart and Conscience Free" by Tom & Mary Bierbaum, art by Colleen Doran & John Nyberg, colors Tom McCraw, Letters Pat Brosseau, assistant Editor Mike McAvennie, Editor KC Carlson

Cham, Computo and Dragonmage frolic in the Legion pool; Ayla joins in. Garth, still recovering from injuries given by the Empress, says goodbye to Imra. She's headed to Colu with Brainy, Jan and Andromeda to see Brainy receive an award. She also says goodbye to Rokk with a peck on the cheek, leaving Lyle to tell Rokk it's tough to say goodbye to those you care about.

On Colu, the ceremony is cancelled because Brainy hasn't shown up. Imra scans and locates him north of the city; Laurel's very upset, thinking something's wrong, and flies off to look for him. Imra stops her and they go to ask Chairman Audric what's happening. Audric explains that his staff is talking to Brainy about devoting his talents full-time to Colu and he's free to leave if he so wishes. Laurel takes it badly, fearing she's losing Brainy.

Jan gasses some guards and finds Brainy contemplating. They go outside and Brainy explains that he was created by Colugov to serve the planet and has no right to follow his own heart's desire, so it's his duty to leave the Legion. Laurel is both heart-broken and enraged. She lashes out at Imra; Imra's upset but Jan sympathizes with her burden as a telepath.

Imra contacts Brainy telepathically and tells him to think about what he's giving up. He decides to return to the Legion, but when he tells Secretary Yarin, a guard blasts him. When Brainy doesn't show up at the spaceport to go home with the others, they investigate and find he's been drugged and forced to say he wants to stay on Colu. He fights the effect of the drug, however, with Laurel's encouragement. Laurel disables the guards and the Legionnaires leave for New Earth, with Brainy and Laurel all kissy.

Comments:I like issues that give us some depth to the planets of the Legionverse. We do learn a bit about Colu here, but it's disappointingly Earth-like with its city, stadiium, mountain retreat and scheming politicians.

The story itself is a soupy romance comic with a bit of early-Adventure era thrown in, back when people filled stadiums to watch Legionnaires get awards. It would be pretty corny if it weren't for the story of politicians manipulating Brainy and the news that he was essentially created for and owned by the state.

The two leaders, Aurdric and Yarin, differ in their approach to permanently claim Brainy for Colu, but one suspects it's simply a good cop/bad cop ploy.

Laurel is pretty hysterical here, shedding tears, rushing around, beating up people who threaten her guy. Brainy is also fairly emotional at the end as he fights to claim his right to be a free individual. By contrast, Jan and Imra are calm and directed, and I enjoyed their exchange on the emotional challenges they themselves face on a daily basis.

Legionnaires #7

Adam Hughes brings another A-Lister artist to the Legion. The team visit an Atlantean dome (see also Bendis having the Trident in his early issues), in an all-cake issue. There's nothing wrong with the issue. I just preferred the cast on the main book. The team have fun in an unusual aquatic tourist environment. There's plenty of relationships developing including Jo/Tinya, Brainy/Laurel and Vi/Tenzil. The Devil Fish provide a Legion easter egg. The main plot forces the team to reassess their allegiances as information about the conflict with the Devil Fish emerges. It's linked nicely into the events that caused the formation of New Earth. In parallel with this is the plot of the Legion's celebrity status and them making the correct decision not to be freeloaders. All good stuff. I'm a little disappointed after all this time, that the group doesn't click with me the same way as the main book cast does. I'd have the same problem getting into the post-boot.

Legionnaires #8

Garth's "I know I can trust Jan" is a creepy, rubbish thing to say, as it indicates that he doesn't trust his own partner. Like Dirk last issue, Garth continues to be a jerk in the team. Equally creepy is seeing the much older Cham playing with the younger Legionnaires in the pool. The issues focuses a bit too much on Brainy's will he, won't he quit as he's pulled in both directions. But the premise is solid, about him being the property of Colu's gene pool. Laurel's angst and Imra and Jan's actions are solid. Leaving aside the faux spiritual journey of his psychotic older self, this Jan provides situation-relevant advice to Imra. Laurel's rant at Imra is on the nose, but is reminiscent of the ice-queen comments in the old days. This issue shows hints that Cos has feelings for Imra, with Imra being the more mature one of the two.

As it's an issue with Jan in it a fair bit, Coleen Doran has the art duties. I'd like to see her do an issue of the Legion without Jan or romance being key parts of the issue. As it is, you sort of know that you're likely to get a romance/Jan issue on the first page. Colu has lost it's technological feel to it, becoming a generic fantasy/sci fi planet. A darker world might have added a more oppressive feeling to Brainy's conflicts.

The Legionnaires never quite escapes the main book in my mind. I always wondered why Colu didn't just ask the older Brainy back. Since he's now frail, they could have offered to look after him too, or at least put him through the same ordeal. Likewise, the younger version is getting an award while the older versions are wanted fugitives. Since they are the same people, you'd expect a shadow to fall over the younger versions. These aren't thoughts I'm having reading the book. Only at the end. So they don't interfere with what might have been a better book, had they gone with the reboot plan earlier.