LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 (7/10)
"The Scream Heard 'Cross the Universe"
ROLL CALL (Main):
Brianiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Earth-Man, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy, Ultra Boy
ROLL CALL (Cameos):
Blok, Bouncing Boy, Duplicate Damsel, Lightning Lad, Polar Boy, White Witch
ROLL CALL (Supporting Cast):
Aven, Garridan Ranzz, Gigi Cusimano, Graym Ranzz, Lighting Lord, Sodam Yat
CUTE BOYS: Blond Science Police Officer, Dirk, Gim, Rokk, some Titanian cannon fodder
Two covers this time, and it goes without saying that Legion fans will want both.
After 21 years the Legion is back, with Paul Levitz at the helm and the incomparable Yildiray Cinar and Wayne Fancher doing the art. And this old-timer couldn't be happier.
Buy this issue. Buy two copies. Buy the one with the alternate cover. Buy several copies for friends. We want this comic to sell well.
On to the story. There are two major stories, and in true Levitz style they are told in various threads that entwine through the issue.
Story one: Earth-Man (last seen in L3W) is being de-powered by the S.P.s. But wait -- Earthgov, which still has a powerful minority of xenophobes -- insists that the Legion take him on as a member. Brainy, being no fool, makes him a special flight ring with extra security features built in.
Story two: At the Time Institute, which has been relocated to Titan, scientists are testing their new super-duper time-viewer. The head scientist (not Circadia Senius) decides to turn it on the beginning of the universe. Uh-oh...the last guy who tried that was Krona, and it did not turn out well. And it doesn't this time, either...in fact, Titan gets destroyed.
Meanwhile, Saturn Girl has been visiting Titan with the twins. (Lightning Lad is off chasing after Mekt's supposed missing twin.) She gets caught up in the disaster, as does the rest of the Legion. In the confusion, Garridan and Graym vanish, as if teleported away. Imra heads off after them in the Institute's one remaining time sphere.
On Oa, Sodam Yat witnesses the Institute's transgression and is surprised when an entity named Dyogene bursts from the ground and demands a power ring. With Mogo gone, Dyogene appears to be the new buy in charge of handing out power rings. He appears on Earth and names Earth-Man the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814.
Wow!
This is storytelling. This is characterization. This is a good Legion comic.
BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS: Notice the orbs floating in Titan's sky. They are reminiscent of Wayne Boring's classic style in Superman, where odd moons and planets were always floating about. I don't know if this was an intentional homage, but it was cool nonetheless.
Yes, Cinar can draw female boobs to please the fanboys -- both Phantom Girl and Dawnstar are on display -- but don't worry, he is equally adept at drawing cute boys. Dirk in particular is gorgeous in this issue.
I was wondering where the Ranzz twins were. Very nice to see them. Of course, by the end of the issue I'm wondering where they are again. Poor Imra.
Good to see Gigi, too, and she's been promoted to Chief. She and Colossal Boy have quite a history with one another. Watch for some of it to come out in future issues.
Saturn Girl turns her ring insignia upside down to summon the other Legionnaires when Titan is falling apart. That's an emergency signal that dates back to the original Adventure days.
Titan's environment is maintained by high-tech shields. That's a nice touch, and also recalls a similar shield around Ganymede in Robert A. Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky.
CHRONICLER'S ERROR?:
On page 4, the Interlac letters on the right read "Time Institute." On the left, they read "Acacdemy," which isn't really an error...it's how people spelled "Academy" in ancient Titanian dialect.
The story starts off identifying the date as A.D. 3010. Yeah, don't believe it. You think they'd learn by now to stop putting exact dates in Legion comics unless they have a well-planned scheme to back them up. The Ranzz twins are obviously less than 10 years old, and we know they weren't born in the 31st century.
OTOH, Paul Levitz has a great text page in the back in which he says, "Be warned that the phenomenon of 'chronicler's error' lurks in all Legion tales." Truer words were never spoken.
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TINY TITANS #28 (7/10)
"Presenting the Super-Pets"
ROLL CALL:
Brianiac 5, Beppo, Krypto, Comet, Streaky, Ace, B'Dg, Proty
CUTE BOYS: Everyone is terribly cute and enormously pre-pubescent. Tiny Conner, though, should definitely come back when he's older.
Tiny Titans is aimed at the same audience as Jack & Jill or Highlights, and it's just delightful. It exists entirely outside continuity, or course.
There are several stories of various super-pets, ranging from one to six pages. From the cover it's obvious that the Super-Pets are onboard, but I wasn't expecting Brainiac 5. A pleasant surprise.
I'm just surprised that Super-Turtle wasn't along for the fun.
(Who is B'Dg, you ask? He's a squirrel who seems to be the pet of the Green Lantern Corps.)
If you have kid in your life, get them a subscription to Tiny Titans. Expose them to comics early, so they can grow up to be Legion fans.
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3 comments:
Huzzah!!!! How exciting!!!!
Tiny Titans is my wife's favorite comic right now, and I love how they jest with DC continuity.
Brainiac 5 has made a few previous appearances in this book. I'll try to find them and post what they were.
Tenzil: Thanks! I was |-| this close to going out and getting all the back issues of Tiny Titans I could get my hands on, now you tell me Brainy has been in it before. I'm convinced! Back issue bins here I come.
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