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View Full Version : THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 REVIEW


Mike D'Alfonso
January 3rd 2005, 11:30 PM
Reviewer: Mike D’Alfonso Spike_149@Hotmail.Com
Quick Rating: Great!
Title: Legion

The super-team of the 31st century is reimagined!

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/351/legion1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/351/legion1.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>Writer: Mark Waid
Pencils: Barry Kitson
Inks: Barry Kitson & Mick Gray
Colors: Chris Blythe
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: Barry Kitson
Publisher: DC Comics

Review: I have to admit one thing to you folks before I start my review: I’ve never read a single issue of the previous incarnations of these heroes prior to the start of this mini series, so I’ll be going into this with a new perspective.

Fresh from his run on the Superman: Rebirth maxi series, Mark Waid reinvents a team that is one- thousand years removed from the modern age of heroes from the DC Comics lore. In a time where all of Earth’s nations and other governing planets are amalgamated into the United Planets, The Legion of Super Heroes – a collective of teenaged super powered beings have formed a unified coalition to defy the edict of authority that is thrust against them by the United Planets, but at the same time they are embarking upon the values from which their predecessors had set forth so that they can protect the innocent that are not able to fend for themselves.

The interesting thing about this book is that it is a study of the inherent trait of most teenagers to defy any type of authority figure, whether it is a parent or anybody affiliated with the law. In the case of the United Planets, this organization is supposed to be the personification of universal peace and they continue to try to reach far beyond the boundaries of the known galaxy to maintain that mandate. It is implied that they may have reached most of their objectives, but the question that begs to be answered is: do the Legion pose a threat to abolish any future peace initiatives, or are the United Planets afraid that the team may uncover a dark secret that’s been hidden from the public?

The questions that are posed above are the impressions that I had received upon reading the first issue and I really like where this series might be going; however I would prefer that this team would be a closely knit unit that be paired down to at least seven people. I feel that the smaller the group, the easier it would be to focus upon fleshing out individual character traits.

I have always been a fan of Barry Kitson’s work ever since I laid eyes on the JLA Year One Maxi series of the late 90’s (also written by Waid). The clean line work springs forth in each character and brings very unique perspective from one person to another. The architecture of this future gives it a kind of utopian feel and at the same time it also shows how far that humanity can actually progress if they are will to pool their resources together.

This version of the Legion seems to show a great deal of promise; hopefully it will live up to its hype.


<b>ART:</b> <img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"


<b>STORY: <img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"


<b>OVERALL:</b> <img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="35" height="35">




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Bad_Monkey
January 4th 2005, 07:36 AM
Originally posted by Mike D'Alfonso
however I would prefer that this team would be a closely knit unit that be paired down to at least seven people. I feel that the smaller the group, the easier it would be to focus upon fleshing out individual character traits.

That's pretty much never going to happen.

The Legion books have always been big cast books, mostly because the word "legion" pretty much requires large numbers.

Short of their initial run of just Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, I think the smallest the team ever got back down to was during the Legion Lost series which was a team of nine or ten.

Symphony of Six
January 4th 2005, 09:38 AM
Originally posted by Bad_Monkey
That's pretty much never going to happen.

The Legion books have always been big cast books, mostly because the word "legion" pretty much requires large numbers.

Short of their initial run of just Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, I think the smallest the team ever got back down to was during the Legion Lost series which was a team of nine or ten.

Didn't Mark Waid say that he's going to stick with 18 core members on his run so that there won't be confusion on who everyone is?

Blake Petit
January 4th 2005, 09:51 AM
Waid said that this book will focus on the 18 or so core members of the team, and that each member would have a chance in the spotlight during the first year.

Mike D'Alfonso
January 4th 2005, 08:38 PM
Originally posted by Bad_Monkey
That's pretty much never going to happen.

The Legion books have always been big cast books, mostly because the word "legion" pretty much requires large numbers.

Short of their initial run of just Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, I think the smallest the team ever got back down to was during the Legion Lost series which was a team of nine or ten.

Well call me old fashioned. :D

Blake Petit
January 4th 2005, 08:48 PM
Dude, old fashioned Legion is about 20 members. :p