LEGION OF SUPERHEROES: WEEK FORTY THREE

SINCE YOU BEEN GONE...

I’m a little bit lost right now, myself.

I’m currently without employment. Thousands of miles from home. Hardly much left in the cupboard and my car won’t start. Nothing but a few comic books and this friendly blog to see me through each day. Yes, things are looking a mite grim for your old Mekdinosaur these days. But, there’s nothing saying I won’t bounce back somehow. The path out of this recent turn of bad luck will soon become apparent, I’m sure. Who hasn’t gotten lost in their lives, every so often? There’s nothing to panic about. The tide will turn eventually…right? Right?!

Oh, well: at least I’ve never been known for having a loss for words. Let’s go stuff hands in our pockets and get rolling with the Legion. This is…

LEGION OF SUPERHEROES: WEEK FORTY-THREE

Lost Legion Roll Call:

Brainiac 5-super smart, Chameleon-shape changer, Kid Quantum-energy manipulation, Live Wire-electricity, Monstress-super strong, Saturn Girl-telepathy, Shikari-tracking, Ultra Boy-multiple powers, Umbra-darkness, Wildfire-energy blasts.

The story so far…

After a disaster occurred at the final remaining stargate near Saturn, a handful of Legionnaires fell into the resulting space-rift. While presumed dead by all, these intrepid heroes of the thirtieth century were merely displaced to a strange “other” dimension and preserved in crystal by Element Lad. After an indeterminate time in this strange universe, these Legionnaires were awoken during a fight between the Kwai tracker, Shikari and a relentless unit of death-dealing Progeny. The surviving heroes beat back the Progeny and helped their new friend escape back to her home-world. Eternally grateful, Shikari vowed to help the Legionnaires find their way back home.

After many fruitless voyages through the strange new universe, the team began to lose their spirits. Umbra cracked under the weight of hopelessness. Apparition was revealed to be nothing more than an illusion created by Saturn Girl. Just as the Legion seemed doomed to end their lives drifting through unknown space, the Progeny show up again and capture the team. Once they are all brought before the leader of these mass-murdering bugs, the Legionnaires discover this supreme warlord is actually…Element Lad??

The LoSH is now more lost than ever...

Legion Lost #11-12 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Art by Olivier Coipel and Pascal Alixe

“Sprock, I don’t believe it…!” utters Ultra Boy as he gazes up at the familiar figure seated on the Progenitor’s throne. As Wildfire more aptly put it: “Ho-lee squaj!” Yes, it was Element Lad all along: leading his armadillidiid army to wipe out all “impurity” in the universe while the Legion slumbered away in their crystals. He explains it all to his friends, in some rather lengthy, yet necessary, exposition. It turns out: Element Lad has been outside the normal universe for centuries after the space-rift event. During the cross-over, he turned himself into living crystal to survive the experience and then cocooned his friends to protect them from the eviscerating journey. Once in null-space, Element Lad set toward finding a way to return home. After an indeterminate time-period, he eventually surrendered to the fact that a re-entry was impossible to achieve. So, instead, he just built one of his own. Ho-lee squaj: Element Lad managed to create a whole entire universe for himself?! Talk about having too much time on your hands…

So, the guy is a virtual at this point. After explaining his lengthy past adventures to his old team, Element Lad continues to blather on; exposing all his plans for future conquests. He explains that he found a dimensional doorway holding some matter-eating creature in stasis. So, he pulled the beast out of its prison, and decided to use the doorway as a means for returning to the original universe. When he found the Legion running around his own creation, he nabbed them up, so that they could all return together. After hearing all this squaj, the Legionnaires are willing to accept Jan’s story but are skeptical of his motivations. Element Lad assures his friends that he only has good intentions for the universe. Knowing that he had been busy purging his own creations lately, the Legionnaires decide to test their old friend’s intentions. In response, Element Lad murders Monstress.

Oh, my Grokk…Jan Arrah killed Monstress! That sprock-head!! Once recognizing their old friend had gone completely insane, the remaining team-mates find a means for escape and release the matter-eating monster on Element Lad. Returning to the Outpost, Shikari and Brainiac determine the correct path through the dimensional door, to reach Earth. Before they can arrive at the portal, however: the matter-eater monster, now fused with Element Lad, sets its eye on them. Live Wire, figuring they will be overcome before exiting the dimension, jumps out the back of the Outpost and blasts the beast with all his force. Bzz-zappp! The last thing he sees, is the Outpost gliding through the dimensional doorway behind him. The end.

I know it’s super-nerdy, but I love all the fake-swears in this series. That and all the techy mumbo-jumbo from Brainy. Bringing back the matter-eater from issue #5 is an unexpected treat. Then, having Live Wire meet the beast with his lightning blasts at the end…such a cool moment. All these little details add up to a very enjoyable read. Although Element Lad’s wildly imaginative explanation of events slows the pace down in issue #11, you can understand how he slowly went off his rocker over the millennia of lonesome existence. Yes, it does seem rather unrealistic for the team to escape a being as powerful as Jan had become, but it was fitting that there would be at least a few casualties. The pacing and architecture of the whole story is magnificent, to say the least. Also, the artwork in the final two issues is spectacular. Legion Lost is highly recommended for Legion fans and non-Legion fans alike.

Grade A+.

What in the Worlds is going on…

Back in the real universe, only a single year has passed since the space-rift event that took most of the Legionnaires from existence. Although there were no bodies to bury after the special fissure consumed them, a statue was erected on Earth to memorialize their selfless achievements. While the Outpost was enveloped by the event, the combined efforts from Element Lad and Kid Quantum caused an eventual mending of the reality-tear.

During the past year of their absence, things have become very different among the United Planets. The Legion of Superheroes has been officially disbanded and its remaining members, scattered throughout the galaxy. Interplanetary travel is much slower since the star-gate system was destroyed. A new “foot-step” drive was created to help speed up transportation efforts, but it still takes weeks instead of hours to travel between planets. A new threat in the universe has also risen to the fore. Robotica: the sentient machine-collective (first seen in Legionnaires #78) aims to eliminate all other life forms and assume control of every world in its path. Their first target: Earth.

Legion Worlds #1 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Drawn by Yvel Guichet and Olivier Coipel

Earth: United Planets headquarters and cradle world of the human species. Far above the planet, M’onel battles a cybernetic being known as Tharok. This one-time leader of the Fatal Five has seen some upgrades to his mechanical side and gives the valiant hero a tough exercise above the planet. As they fall to the ground, in their tussle, M’onel finally knocks the Tharok out and presents the villain to Science Police officials. Before the mechanical mad-man is taken, however, a small robot-creature crawls off his back and attempts to escape. M’onel apprehends the skittering mecha-bug with a blast of his chilly ice-breath. Brrr-rr. After further investigation, M’onel finds out the mech is an agent of Robotica: beaming a signal of coordinates to alarm its masters of carbon-based life-forms. Then, a giant warship appears just beyond the moon, with its armaments trained on Earth. M’onel races off to the moon and blasts the warship to pieces with his superior strength. M’onel: 1, Robotica: 0. On his way back home, the super-powerful ex-Legionnaire finds another, smaller ship heading for Earth. It’s the Legion Outpost. The lost Legionnaires are back!

This main story mostly serves, to show many of the conditions and challenges the galaxy now faces in the time since the space-rift event. The tussle with Tharok and the Robotica menace, are just routine punch-ups, but they are presented in an entertaining and visually pleasing manner. In a secondary feature, Triad comes home after a long day at work and watches the news on television. There, the girls narrate their disdain for all the depressing articles featured, and only manages to swoon a little when M’onel is mentioned. A page is provided for each news article: detailing information about Tharok, M’onel, the previous Legion incarnations and other bits of recent history. The artwork by Coipel in this vignette is superb. He captures every nuance of the triplicate-girl’s personalities in every panel and the Legion roster splash-page looks amazing.

Grade B.

Legion Worlds #2 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Drawn by Enrique Breccia and Darwyn Cooke

Winath: home to the twin-Legionnaires: Live Wire and Spark, as well as their brother, Mekt. After the LoSH disbanded, Ayla Ranzz (aka: Spark) decided to return home to the family farm on Winath. It took six months for transit from Earth, using a ship with footstep drive. Finally, she has returned to her place of birth. Hoping for a pleasant home-homing, Ayla unfortunately first faces her elder brother, Mekt, at the threshold. Her parents explain to Ayla that Mekt has reformed and has rejected his previous villainous ways. She remains uncertain of this, but manages to share a meal with her family, despite misgivings. In the following days, Ayla investigates an extortion ring that she is sure Mekt is involved with. While taking down the criminals, she finds herself in a precarious situation that Mekt arrives to save her from. Finally acknowledging his reformation, she embraces her elder brother in the end. Then, news of the lost Legionnaire’s return arrives at the farm…and Mekt does not appear to be pleased…

Although this is a bit of a throw-away story, I enjoyed the deep exploration of Ayla’s character and relationship with her family. Mekt is always fascinating to me. Anytime the old Lightning Lord shows up, there’s bound to be some tense drama between the Ranzz siblings. The artwork by Breccia is fine but does not enhance the story much. This seems like just an expansive re-affirmation of the Ranzz family dynamic, while foreshadowing some further conflicts ahead. In a secondary feature, drawn by the incomparable Darwyn Cooke, Ayla’s mother is visited by her sister at the farm, just moments before her daughter arrives. There’s no real dramatic conflict here: just some more extensive development for some characters we rarely get to see.

Grade C+.

Legion Worlds #3 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Drawn by Paul Rivoche and Rick Burchett

Braal: home to the illustrious Magno-ball champ: Rokk Krinn (aka: Cosmic Boy). Dyrk Magz is a new Science Police officer assigned to Braal. On his first day, he takes on an ugly bruiser who intends on sending Dyrk back to Earth in a body bag. Dyrk takes the big boy down even without any sort of weapon of magnetic powers. He’s kind of a bad-. Dyrk is also a stickler for the law, though, and that doesn’t win him much favor with his co-workers on the force. The Braal SP chief briefs Dyrk on some of the recent criminal activities on the planet, including a team of vigilante’s mucking about. Dyrk is up for the challenge. On his first encounter with the masked vigilantes, he captures one of them. Upon unmasking the rogue, however, Dyrk finds his captive to be Rokk Krinn: the Magno-ball champ himself! Dyrk is conflicted but hauls Rokk off to a holding cell regardless. Once a transport ship arrives to raft Rokk off to the prison-world, more trouble occurs. A giant ball comes flying toward the SP headquarters and damages the transport ship. Reports of engine integrity going critical cause the SP to jettison the ship into space. Dyrk, discovering Cosmic Boy was not extracted from the transport, races onboard to save him. There Rokk meets his apprehender and explains it was all a ruse to get him free-passage back to Earth. There has been news that the lost Legionnaires have returned, and he can’t wait to reunite with them.

I found this story to be a little bit silly and unrealistic, but it’s the LoSH, so it’s alright. You just got to stretch your suspension of disbelief a little bit farther when reading this issue, that’s all. Yes, Dyrk is a very cool and believable character at the start. You get engaged with his quest for justice and intrigued by these mysterious vigilante characters…all the way up to the Cosmic Boy reveal. What in Grock’s name is Rokk Krinn doing in that stupid outfit and why does he need such an elaborate plan to get off his home-world? He’s the famous Cosmic Boy and sprockin’ magno-ball champ for grife sakes! Get the man a ship. Any ship. The Legionnaires have come home!! Oh well. I liked the artwork, anyway. In the secondary feature, Vice President Wazzo negotiates some stuff with some other-world representatives on the Titanet. It’s all very dull.

Grade C.

Legion Worlds #4 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Drawn by Duncan Rouleau and Rick Leonardi

Xanthu: one of the most distant human colonies in the galaxy and affiliated with the Khundian empire. Four months ago, Robotica attacked Xanthu. The perimeter world-defense system was defeated in only twelve minutes. Most of the planet was decimated in the following days by a powerful onslaught wrought from these mechanical overlords. Of the small resistance that remains, Legionnaires XS, Dreamer and Starboy lead the charge. Together with remaining native survivors and a handful of Khund warriors, Starboy organizes a planetary exodus at the last remaining protected city on Xanthu. XS races through the battle-torn ruins to inform all who continue to fight. Fall back to Xanth Prime. There, transport ships have become ready for extraction. The only problem left is time. Robotica is coming. Harder than ever, these mechanized death-bringers thirst for the extinction of all life on Xanthu. With Dreamer’s help, the resistance captures a Robotica AI and programs it to ward their ships away from the transport’s trajectory, off-planet. As the Robotica ground forces crash into Xanthu Prime, Starboy and XS stay behind to fight while their kin escape into space. Dreamer is sad.

The early 2000’s saw the height of techno-paranoia in popular western culture. You had the aftermath of the Y2K debacle, proliferation of internet connectivity, and the Matrix was super-popular. This Robotica threat fleshed out in Legion Worlds epitomized this fear of technology run amok. This story is akin to all the sci-fi movies like Terminator or the Matrix where humans are ground to dust beneath the cold, heartless heal of technological advancement. Having XS zip around the devastated landscape at a breakneck pace, only adds to the sense of urgency throughout the tale. Starboy never looked so heroic as he does here; bashing around these machines. Duncan Rouleau is an excellent choice for depicting the action and carnage presented in the story. His style reminds me of Chris Bachelo’s more recent stuff. The secondary feature provides some insight into how Dreamer has developed over the past year. In previous incarnations, she always seemed like such a wilting lily. But here, she’s battle-hardened. Her term with the Khunds, learning their battle skills and improving her self-discipline is a refreshing take on the character. Thrilling action. Pulse-pounding drama. Dynamic adventure. This one has it all!

Grade A.

Legion Worlds #5 (2001)

Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Drawn by Steve Dillon and Jamie Tolagson

Steeple: a place for peaceful meditation and contemplation of higher conceptual experiences. Val Armorr (aka: Karate Kid), and his teacher of meditative arts, harness a couple of floating jellyfish for a journey through Steeple’s deep terrestrial canyons. While gently whisking along the swirling air-current, the two friends discuss Val’s imminent decision regarding his future on the planet. Due to an unstable singularity near the planet, Val must leave soon or be trapped there for a decade until the event subsides. Val weighs his choices carefully. At the transport platform, a ship arrives for a final retrieval of all parties who wish to escape the “ten-year desolation” period. Instead of the normal unloading, however, a terrorist bent on destruction arrives from out of the ship. He reigns havoc on the peaceful population of Steeple. Ferro, also accompanying Val on the planet, provides the only resistance to this maniac. Even while in his metallic form, though, Ferro is ruthlessly chopped down by this furious foe. When Val finds Ferro near death at the platform, he immediately takes the maniac on with his expert martial skills. The monster swats Val away, though, and trains his weapon on the karate master’s friend. Before he can get a shot off, though, Val smashes the weapon, causing it to explode and knock the out. In the end, it is assumed that Val has rejected the peaceful ways of Steeple…but he decides to stay there regardless.

Steve Dillon is probably best known for his extensive collaboration with Garth Ennis on books such as Preacher, Hellblazer and the Punisher. He had worked on a few other titles over the years, but never achieved the stature on his own without Garth at his wing. Some may say Steve’s approach to comics did not mesh well with typical superhero flamboyance. His panels often featured little more than taking heads and sparse backgrounds. So, what; he drew similar looking faces on all his characters (except for -face, that is). I say Steve was a subtle artist who knew how to tell a good story with pictures. In this issue, Steve brought all his skills to an otherwise mediocre look at the whole peace versus aggression dilemma and made the whole thing special. I love the look of the jellyfish-flyers, the alien terrain, the peace-loving inhabitants and the way he depicted the action sequences. This is a showcase of what great work Steve Dillon could provide any comic story: be it sci-fi, wartime drama, horror, or super-heroics. Sadly, Steve passed away on October 22, 2016. He is a sorely missed talent.

The backup feature in this issue is nass. That is all.

Grade B.

Now, if only I could find my own way back home…

Next: The lost Legion members finally return!

Long Live the Legion, and…

                                       …keep on Rokk Krinn in the Free Worlds!