Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #2

Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #2

(April 2021)

title: Future State Part Two
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: Riley Rossmo
colorist: Ivan Plascencia
letterer: Dave Sharpe
associate editor: Bixie Mathieu
editors: Brittany Holzherr & Jamie S. Rich

covers: Riley Rossmo (main); Ian MacDonald (variant)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Overall Summary: 
The scattered Legionnaires come together to track down a threat, and shockingly, defeat it. (That's sarcasm, by the way.....) 

SPOILER WARNING: 

Due to the nature of this story, I couldn't review it without spoiling who the threat is. If you haven't read the story yet and don't want it spoiled, please don't continue on this page until *after* you have read the issue.  

Mission Monitor Board: 
We don't know who the Legionnaires are during this story AND most of the characters who do appear are not all clearly identified AND those characters who do appear are  not following "classic" designs (see Brainiac 5 and Duo Damsel) AND this all might be an illusion. So....your guess is as good as mine. 

Legionnaires identified by name are: Bouncing Boy, Element Lad, Ultra Boy, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon Boy, Lightning Lad, Shadow Lass, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 7, and Superboy (?). Duo Damsel, Shrinking Violet, and Colossal Boy are visually recognizable, but have no scenes. There are a handful of other characters who I don't recognize and who are not named. One acts like Lightning Lass, one looks like Monster Boy, and another has a green glow ala Green Lantern, but those are just my guesses. Various other past Legionnaires (such as Mon-El) appear in flashbacks. 

Supporting Characters:
Various unnamed "Substitutes"

Opponents:
bad writing, bad art, bad editing

Summary:
On Planet Trom, the assembled Legionnaires confront Element Lad, who tries to escape from them. However, it turns out that what Element Lad is showing us is an illusion planted in his mind by Saturn Girl. Really she and three men (Lighting Lad, Ultra Boy, Brainiac 7, I guess?) are making Element Lad think that he hasn't been captured already. But when Saturn Girl probes his mind more, she realizes that he and all other Trommites who betrayed and destroyed the United Planets were controlled by someone else. She tells them they need Cosmic Boy. 

On Daxam, Shadow Lass appears begging Cosmic Boy to re-join the Legion for their investigation into Element Lad. She tells him that Saturn Girl has found out that Element Lad was NOT responsible. Cosmic Boy sees through Chameleon Boy's impersonation of Shadow Lass, but is convinced to go with him. 

On New Earth, at the Legion's headquarters, Cosmic Boy confronts Saturn Girl, who admits that the ugly helmet she is wearing helps "keep out the loud thoughts." 

Saturn Girl then admits that the people of Titan were controlling the people of Trom, and mentally swayed them to destroy the United Planets. 

When Cosmic Boy demands to know why, Saturn Girl tearfully admits "Because to Titan we are ALL 'impure of thought.'"

Saturn Girl mentally communicates with her mother while Brainiac and Shadow Lass imprison the entire world of Titan in an interplanetary shadow prison sphere.  The Legion decides to reform and create a new normal, where all feel protected and safe. 

Russell's Review: 
I could say something conceptual, about how if you don't take the time to create (show, not just tell) a story, with characters that are as real as you can make them, and following a "continuity" that others know and are aware of, that when you then go and put those characters into dramatic situations the reader won't give a rat's ass because the writer hasn't done his (in this case) job. 

I could say that, but, really, aren't professional writers supposed to know this stuff? An example of what I'm trying to point out is the fatal flaw of this two-part story: Saturn Girl meets Cosmic Boy after some time has passed where they have NOT met, and she says, "I know you never thought much of me" and I as the reader am supposed to just accept that?! Where the hell does THAT COME FROM!?! In lieu of any dramatic conflict that we were all privy to and can understand, we get a line of dialogue to explain these two characters' relationship. Like the illustrations of a Brainiac 7 that looks more like a Poke-Mon then a Legionnaire, with NO explanation this is just BAD. 

So I won't say anything about good characterization or plotting....because, really, this story has nothing to do with either. Brian Michael Bendis is using these paper-dolls to tell a (when you get right down to it) simple story about a Big Bad. But because we don't know why Cosmic Boy broke up with Shadow Lass, their reunion is devoid of meaning. Because we've never had any suspicions of Titan being a paranoid society, the big reveal feels like a cheat. Is this just me? 

Let me just say that if you like the current Legion book, you might like this. It's definitely written in a similar, why-is-this-important-but-that-isn't type mentality that I find infuriating. (Example: half a page showing Cosmic Boy landing on the ground....ONE HALF PAGE. Then later, three pages for a dull conversation but only TWO PANELS for the Legion to decide to reform. Two panels for what should have been the heart of the story. And no, I'm not kidding.) 

If you bought the first issue of this and liked it, by all means buy this issue. 

If you bought the first issue and hated it, please DON'T buy this issue. It does NOT get better. In fact, I would be happy to know that I bought this issue so that you wouldn't have to. 

For a TOTALLY different opinion on this issue, check out our buddy Martin Gray's review here:

 Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #2 review – Too Dangerous For a Girl 2