Week of 11 November 2009

(SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers. Don't read it before you've read the comics.)

R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 (1/10)
"The Son & The Stars Part One"
ROLL CALL: Adam Strange, Amon Hakk, Bounder, Captain Comet, Ciji, Garryn Bek, Garv, Lobo, Lydea Mallor, Lyrissa Mallor, Lyrl Dox, Rocky, Strata, Stealth, Tribulus, Vril Dox, Wildstar, Xylon
CUTE BOYS: Lyrl Dox, of course. continues to run around without a shirt. Captain Comet lloks cute in some shots, less so in others.

I was very dubious about a Blackest Night crossover, but this one worked. They used the zombies theme very effectively, to bring back Stealth...and she's after Dox.

BITS OF L.E.G.I.O.N.NAIRE BUSINESS: You just know that ever since Dox heard of the Yellow Lanterns, he's been planning what his outfit would look like....

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ACTION #883 (1/10)
"Divine Spark Part 1"
CUTE BOYS: Chris Kent, of course, in a new tight outfit.

Mon-El is mentioned, but there are no actual Legion appearances.

At last, someone has noticed that Jimmy Olsen hasn't shown up for work in more than a month. His girlfriend goes to his boss, Perry White -- to whom the fact that Jimmy's missing comes as a complete surprise. I mean, wouldn't you think the Daily Planet would have a timeclock or sign-in sheet or some method of making sure that its employees actually show up for work?

Anyway, Chris blows up another apartment and is suddenly a decrepit oldster.

You know, Brainiac 5 could have this whole tedious storyline solved in about an hour, including a break for lunch. I'm just sayin'

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ALSO OF INTEREST THIS WEEK:

REALM OF KINGS: IMPERIAL GUARD #1 of 5 (1/10) (Marvel)
(No Title)
ROLL CALL: not-Brainiac-5, not-Colossal-Boy, not-Cosmic-Boy, not-Dawnstar, not-Ferro-Lad, not-Lightning-Lad, not-Phantom-Girl, not-Star-Boy, not-Sun-Boy, not-Superboy, not-Timber-Wolf, not-Tyr, not-Ultra-Boy

Marvel's Imperial Guard is their version of the Legion; call it the Legion of Earth-Marvel. This miniseries is written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, who were Legion writers a while ago.

The art is awful, the story doesn't make a lot of sense, the Imperial Guard is bloodthirsty, and their members don't get along together very well. In short, it's a lot like the Giffbaum Legion, without the nine-panel grid.

The Imperial Guard doesn't show up very often, but they're back in this five-issue miniseries. Is this Marvel's way of capitalizing on the excitement that the Legion is generating in DC circles? Dunno.

Should Legion fans buy this series? I'm a fanatical completist, but even I don't have a complete set of comics featuring the Imperial Guard. I must admit that I've picked up some from back-issue ins, but I haven't been deliberately seeking them out. To me, the Imperial Guard falls into a category similar to Booster Gold's flight ring: I just don't feel the compulsion to own every single issue.

Still, as long as I'm spending good money on Blackest Night and the whole pointless New Krypton thing, it can't hurt to pick up five Imperial Guard comics. Your Mileage May Vary.

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