SLSH #19

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

SUPERGIRL LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #19 (8/06)
(L 2006-8)
A 31st Century Whodunnit!
ROLL CALL: Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Star Boy, Supergirl, Timber Wolf

Most of this issue is taken up with a clever locked-room mystery story starring Chameleon and the Science Police.

Meanwhile, Supergirl encounters Theena and finds that Seiss (the Calamity Kid analog from a few issues back) is nowhere to be found. And Brainiac 5 has vanished, taking both Lemnos and Dream Girl’s body with him.

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

A classic exchange among kids in Legion Plaza as Supergirl flies by: “Looksky! Birdplane!” “Dude, what’s a ‘birdplane’?”

In the same panel there’s a stand for “Morlo’s Fast Food” -- a clear reference to Doctor Mantis Morlo, an old-time Legion adversary.

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SLSH #18

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

SUPERGIRL LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #18 (7/06)
(L 2006-7)
Who’s The Boss?
ROLL CALL: Atom Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Supergirl, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy

The Legion spy within the ranks of the Science Police is revealed as Chameleon. Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 is working on bringing Dream Girl back to life, a process that somehow involves the villain Lemnos. The only problem is that Naltor wants Dream Girl’s body back.

Supergirl continues to settle in with the Legion, although the mystery of how she got there is still unsolved.

And just when you thought things couldn’t get more complicated, Dream Boy shows up....

BITS OF LEGIONNAIRE BUSINESS:

Brainiac 5 makes reference to “these puerile ‘boy-lad-lass-girl’ code names.” This echoes some of the derisive comments that various comics fans have made about the Legion over the decades.

Supergirl’s “ring on, ring off” play with the flight ring’s “secret identity action” recalls Supergirl’s original secret identity as Linda Lee (Danvers) in early Action Comics.

“Dream Boy’s” name, Rol Purtha, recalls the real-life company Ral Partha, which manufactured miniature figures for gaming.

When Rol Purtha appears, he predicts that Brainiac 5 was going to say, “--Wouldn’t take another step if I were you, you ignorant savages!” In fact, Brainiac 5 does NOT say this (thanks to Rol’s interruption) -- it appears that Rol Purtha’s predictive abilities are not very good. Either that, or they are subject to the Uncertainty Principle.

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