Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #15

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #15 (August 2008)
title: "In a Flash!"

writer: Jake Black
pencils: Robert Atkins
inks: Rick Ketchum
letterer: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Heroic Age
editor: Jeanine Schaefer
cover art: Alexander Serra

Mission Monitor Board: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, and Triplicate Girl

Guest Star: Impulse

Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl were given two free passes to John's Virtual Reality Game World in exchange for helping to test some new equipment.

Their separate virtual worlds suddenly stop and they find themselves in the middle of 20th century Keystone City. A young speedster named Impulse appears and accuses them of trying to erase his world. After Bouncing Boy denies that they have done anything, Impulse tells them that someone has been messing with the Keystone City program he lives in and that two strangers appearing out of nowhere seemed too much of a coincidence to be unrelated. Triplicate Girl explains that they were checking out the new VR center when their simulations suddenly switched them to his program.

Bart is not sure what a Legionnaire is but welcomes their help in trying to figure out who is erasing his world. They hear a scream and head towards the Keystone Bank to investigate. Unfortunately, they arrive too late and the building is gone. Triplicate Girl heads to the sky to see if she can spot anything from above.

She contacts the boys and tells them she has spotted another building starting to disappear near a clock tower. Bart knows what she is referring to and takes Bouncing Boy to its location at the corner of Waid and Wieringo. Sadly, even Bart is not fast enough to get them there in time.

Bouncing Boy uses his ring to contact Brainiac 5, who identifies something weird coming from the city simulator that is effecting every VR system on Earth. Brainiac 5 joins them in the simulation to share what he has found.

Brainiac 5 has a hunch what they will find and he is proven right when they run into their old enemy, Tharok. He has connected himself to the entire virtual reality network and he can now create or destroy any virtual object with a mere thought. He expects to soon be powerful enough to destroy more than just virtual cities, and then he will turn his attention to New Metropolis.

While Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl battles the robots, Impulse helps Brainiac 5 get to the computers behind Tharok. Impulse provides cover while Brainy tries to reroute the system to cut out Tharok and rebuild the city. He is successful and sends a signal to the real world authorities to let them know that Tharok is here. 

This was a fun story, but I wish they had given Bart a personality closer to the one he has in regular DC continuity. The name Impulse is not meant to just represent his speed power, but also his impulsive and hyperactive nature. This depiction of Bart was fine, but it feel more like generic young hero than his traditional portrayal. In any event, I did like seeing Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl as the predominant Legionnaires even if they needed Brainy to show up and help save the day. And the nod to Impulse's creators in the street names was touching.

While I may enjoy some issues of this series more than others, they are always good and well worth checking out. Particularly given how this series was able to bring in characters and elements from the greater DC Universe in a way the animated series could not. Next issue is an especially fun one so please check back next week for Legion tryouts and an appearance by Arm-Fall-Off-Boy!