Week of 13 April 2011

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

ADVENTURE #525 (2011/06)
"First Tests"


ROLL CALL:

Chemical Kid, Comet Queen, Cosmic Boy, Crystal Kid (cover only), Dragonwing, Glorith, Gravity Kid, Lamprey, Mandalla (cover only), Night Girl, Power Boy, Shadow Kid (cover only), Variable Lad, Visi-Lad (cover only), Westerner (cover only), Dr. Gym'll (cover only), Father Jamik, Alchemical Girl, Black Mace, Shagrek Look-a-Like #1, Shagrek Look-a-Like #2


CUTE BOYS: Chemical Kid, Gravity Kid, Power Boy, Rokk


Alchemical Girl and the rest of the Taurus Gang have the Academy team on the ropes, but Glorith receives a transfusion of power from the Black Witch, and turns the tables. We learn that Chemical Kid's father sold the secret of his gene-mod to Taurus to repay gambling debts.


Meanwhile, Cosmic Boy and Night Girl bring Lamprey and Power Boy to Metropolis Starport to respond to a crisis -- and to give the cadets a final test. The mission is to capture some smugglers without damaging their cargo, a priceless elephant stolen from a biological preserve. Lamprey and Power Boy handle the mission well, but Cosmic Boy is against having them in the Legion. The senior S.P. officer says that he will recommend the kids for the "new Takron-Galtos security team."




An interesting exchange between Lydda and Rokk.

Rokk: We don't all get our dreams, Lydda. 

Lydda: Or know how to hold onto them...but maybe these ids are smarter than you.

There's obviously some history there. Sometime during the missing years, Rokk and Lydda seem to have broken up as a romantic couple -- and it had something to do with Rokk's devotion to the Legion. I'm betting that we'll learn the full details in due time.

Meanwhile, my advice to Mr. Krinn is, get down on your knees and apologize. Maybe she'll take you back.

On another topic, does anyone else think Jed and Tayla are getting a raw deal? Sure, their powers aren't in the same league as Lighting Lad or Mon-El -- but the Legion has never been about having great powers, it's about teamwork and devotion to duty and the ability to contribute. Besides, why is Cosmic Boy the one who gets to decide whether they can be Legionnaires? Shouldn't the whole Legion get a vote?

This story was well-done and all, but I wound up feeling a little frustrated.

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ADVENTURE #525 (2011/06)
"The Darkness Within"


ROLL CAL:

Black Witch, Blok, Chemical Kid, Glorith, Harlak, XS, Mordru


CUTE BOYS: Harlak


On Sorcerer's World, Harlak sends another letter to Glorith. Meanwhile, Mysa has descended into a deep pit, leaving Blok to brood above. Mysa gets a recharge of magical energy from across the universe, but she sees that Glorith and the cadets are in danger and sends the power her way. In the process, Mordru almost escapes from within Mysa, but Mysa triumphs and contains him once again. She stumbles to the top of the pit and embraces Blok, saying she can rest now. It's all over...at least for now.


A nice backup story, tying in with both the Legion Academy storyline and the goings-on in the main Legion title.


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BOOSTER GOLD #43 (2011/06)
"Endgame"


ROLL CALL:

Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Karate Kid, Lighting Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Proty II, Validus


CUTE BOYS: Booster Gold, Brainy, Brin, Dirk, Garth, Gim, Jo, Mon, Rip Hunter, Rokk, Thom, Val


Booster, in the throes of "chronal leprosy," winds up in the future with the 1970s-era Legion, who are fighting Validus. After much misunderstanding, Brainy comes to accept Booster's story and cures him of the leprosy. Booster goes back to his home time, while Brainy talks with Rip Hunter, who has apparently arranged everything for some reasons of his own.


BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:


At the Time Institute, Brainy partners with a scientist who looks like Circadia Senius but is called Dr. Tsuris. We've never seen this guy before...unless he really is Circadia Senius and the writers just didn't remember his name.


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THE FLASH 10 (2011/06)
"Case Two: The Road to Flashpoint Part Two"


ROLL CALL:

Bart Allen

CUTE BOYS: Barry Allen, Bart


Bart's origin in the 31st century is briefly recounted. Barry refers to Bart as "my descendant from the future," which tends to indicate that he does't know Bart's his grandson...and possibly explains why he isn't all that aware of Jenni.


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R.E.B.E.L.S. #27 (2011/06)
"Starstruck Part 3"


ROLL CALL:

Adam Strange, Amon Hakk, Bounder, Captain Comet, Lobo, Lyrl Dox, Starfire, Tribulus, Vril Dox, Xylon, Smite, Starro

CUTE BOYS: Adam Strange, Captain Comet, Lyrl Dox

On Psion, Lobo and Smite fight to the point where they've bonded enough to have drinks together. Starro and Vril Dox return to Rann, which is overrun by Starro face-huggers. Meanwhile, Lyrl Dox is working to heal Tribulus; instead, he "reboots" Tribulus and sets him against the Starros. Meanwhile, a L.E.G.I.O.N. team of Starfire, Comet, and Adam Strange ride a zeta-beam back to Rann to join the fray.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

In his rebooted form, with exposed brain, Tribulus looks an awful lot like Validus. Could it be possible that the two are the same? Now that would be pretty cool. But how does it tie in with Darkseid's curse? Maybe it will all work out -- Darkseid turned Garridan Ranzz into Validus, then later turned him back. Then, somehow, Tribulus 2.0 goes into the future and takes the place of Validus/Garridan.

Time will tell.

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There was no actual Legion content in Superman #710 (2011/06), but there's a plot that concerns Vandal Savage and deals tangentially with Nanda Parbat. Just makes me think...the current storyline in Legion is all about immortals, and we haven't seen Vandal Savage in the Legion mythos, have we? At least, not lately.

Worth thinking about.

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