Week of 5 January 2011

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

ADVENTURE #522 (2011/03)
"Consequences"


ROLL CALL:

Black Witch (cover only), Dawnstar, Lighting Lass (cover only), Mon-El, Phantom Girl (cover only), Saturn Girl (cover only), Tellus, S.P. Commander Gigi Cusimano, Dyogene, Dr. Harmonia Li, Saturn Queen, Sun Killer, Unknown Blue Critter

CUTE BOYS: Mon-El, Various S.P. Officers

An S.P. cruiser taking Saturn Queen to Takron-Galtos is attacked by a new villain named Sun Killer. His mission is to free Saturn Queen, but the S.P.s aren't carrying the equipment to release her from her inertron shackles. ("Crew carries less than 100 credits.") Green Lantern Mon-El responds, under the tutelage of Dyogene. Mon-El fumbles his use of the power ring, but defeats Sun Killer using his old-fashioned Daxamite super-powers.

During the battle, a little blue baby flies through, prompting Dyogene to say, "The Adversary was here...newborn, but strong...That which the Guardians decreed I battle lives. If there is war among the immortals again, what time have we for less?"

Meanwhile, Tellus and Gigi despair of Dawnstar's chances of awakening from her induced coma. Gigi, ever the soul of tact and empathy, is concerned because Dawny is her only chance of finding Zendak.

At the same time, Harmonia Li is on a ship bound for Earth as it passes through the debris of Titan. (Me, I'd've taken an orbit that went a few million miles away from the debris field. But what do I know?) Little bits of Titan start thunking against the ship's hull, and Dr. Li opines that the universe has a grudge against her. (Her exact words: "The starwinds bring my failure to me, reminding me of what I could have prevented. The cosmos has a long memory.") She seems to be talking about the destruction of Titan, but that "long memory" thing makes me think that perhaps she's referring to something that happened much longer ago.

(I swear, if this all hooks up with that lame, endless "Brightest Day" nonsense, I will get one of them white plastic power rings and flush the damn thing down the toilet. I mean it. Don't think I won't.)

The story ends with Saturn Queen still immobilized within her bindings, but Tellus can sense that her dreams are stronger and are suffused with a blue glow (i.e. the little blue critter) and he despairs. I thought blue was supposed to be hope? (Okay, I guess Tellus despairs pretty easily, so the point may be moot.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

This is the month in which DC comics all have really cool covers -- this one is no exception. Be aware that the cover is iconic; it has no relationship to the story inside. Of the ten boobs on the cover, only two of them (Dawnstar's) actually appear in the comic.

Since this cover features Legion ladies with their bulging bosoms,  is the cover of Legion of Super-Heroes going to feature cute Legion lads with bulging trousers? As if! Take a look:

Okay, Garth and Jo are showing some nice muscle, but what's Imra's arm doing blocking Jo's naughty bits? And I'm sorry to say it, but none of the boys are looking particularly endowed. Meanwhile, of course, Imra and Jeckie are thrusting their prominent chests forward, and Dawny is (once again) absolutely flaunting her bozongas.

Notice how Mon-El's costume reverts to his old red-and-blue when he loses control of the ring. It's a neet effect, but why-of-why couldn't it have left him nekkid? Hey Mon: next time you conjure up your Green Lantern uniform, do it right after you step out of the chem-shower, okay?

This issue announces the return of lettercolumns to DC comics. Does this mean we'll see the return of The Legion Outpost? As far as this blogger is concerned, this is a positive step. (Hmmm...maybe I should put together a list of the titles of various Legion lettercolumns. My very favorite was the lettercolumn from the short-lived Valor comic: "The Letters Part of Valor.") (My husband Thomas reminds me of the lettercolumn from the old Green Lantern Corps: "Written to the Corps.")


CHRONICLER'S ERROR?:

Sun Killer gets the drop on Mon-El by emitting red solar rays. In the olden days, Mon's anti-lead serum also gave him powers under a red sun. It was Superboy who was was always getting knocked for a loop by red-sun radiation. I'm going to charitably assume that Mon was just taken by surprise, not physically weakened.

I think Sun Killer puts his finger on Mon's real problem with the power ring: "It is no stronger than your will." When I try to come up with words to characterize Mon_El, "willpower" is not all that high on the list. Courage, intelligence, strength, endurance, unbelievable hotness...but willpower, not so much. I'm just not convinced that he's such a good choice as a Green Lantern.

I keep coming back to the four Legionnaires who were established as having the greatest willpower: Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, and Saturn Girl. Hmmmm...a while ago Dyogene approached Dream Girl and said she would be a good candidate, but not yet. Is that yet another clue that this woman is not actually Dream Girl, is maybe a Durlan assassin instead?

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