Friday, June 29, 2018

New 52 Legion Lost #14

What do you do when you are a creator and your book is about to be cancelled?
Well, in theory you should reward the readers with a decent closure to all the arcs that have been percolating.

What you shouldn't do is add too much new stuff such that old stuff can't be resolved. What you shouldn't do is have a guest star dominate the issue.

Welcome to Legion Lost #14. There are two more books in the series. Each character has hinted at a dark secret they have been harboring. We have been learning about them, finally. But instead of spending time to wrap them up, writer Tom DeFalco brings in some 'Galactus Herald' type baddies from out of nowhere and then has Harvest, Superboy, and the Ravagers all come in and take up page space.

This is basically a brawl issue with a huge fight taking up almost all the space. We don't learn much more about secrets or move closer to resolutions. And it is presented with so many artists I can't list them here (I will below).

There is a panel in the middle which makes me happy. But outside of that, this issue made me sad. There was some potential in this book, ultimately wasted. How many New 52 original titles can we say that about? Too many.


Thursday, June 28, 2018

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #105

Legion of Super-Heroes #105 (June 1998)
title: "Time Won't Let Me"
writers: Tom Peyer and Roger Stern
penciller: Jason Armstrong

inker: Ron Boyd
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw
assistant editor (Legionnaire Wrangler): Frank Berrios
editor (The Real Time Trapper): Mike McAvennie
cover: Alan Davis and Mark Farmer
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Ferro, Gates, Invisible Kid, Kid Quantum, Karate Kid, Kinetix, Live Wire, M'Onel, Monstress, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Spark, Star Boy, Triad, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Violet, XS;
Silver Age: Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Boy (also as Lightning Lad), Matter-Eater Lad, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl (also in first costume), Star Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy;
Bronze Age: Blok, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Princess Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Wildfire;
Levitz era: Blok, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Element Lad, Katate Kid, Lightning Lad, Lightning Lass, Magnetic Kid, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Quislet, Saturn Girl, Sensor Girl, Shadow Lass, Supergirl, Star Boy, Tellus, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire;
5YL: Bouncing Boy, Celeste Rockfish, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy (also as Polestar), Inferno, Lightning Lad, Reflex, Saturn Girl, Timber Wolf (also as Fuzzball), Triad, Vi;
SW6: Alchemist, Andromeda, Brainiac 5, Computo II, Cosmic Boy, Dragonmage, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet;
Older/other: Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Night Girl, Supergirl, Timber Wolf

Guests: 
Athramites, Lori Morning (Dialed identities: Galaxy Girl), Polar Boy (Silver Age), Proty, Tenzil Kem

Opponents: 
Dark Circle (cameo), Time Trapper; evil versions of Blok, Brainiac 5, Celeste Rockfish, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy (2 versions), Dawnstar, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Leviathan, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Sun Boy, Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Violet, Wildfire

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Who's Who: LSV Esper Lass

Esper Lass
by Russell & Siskoid


Real Name: Meta Ulnoor
Super-Power(s): Mind control
Planet of Origin: Titan
Relationship to Legion: Villain

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

TOS: Adventure Comics #346

Adventure Comics #346 (July 1966)
title: "One Of Us Is A Traitor!"
writer: Jim Shooter
layouts: Jim Shooter
finisher: Sheldon Moldoff
letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Curt Swan & George Klein
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Superboy, Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, Phantom Girl, Lighting Lad, Light Lass, and brand-new Legionnaires Princess Projectra, Ferro Lad, Karate Kid, and Nemesis Kid

Opponents: 
The Khunds, Warlord Garlak, traitorous Legionnaire

Monday, June 25, 2018

Superboy's Legion #1

Superboy's Legion #1 (2001)
writer: Mark Farmer
penciller: Alan Davis
inker: Mark Farmer
letterer: Pat Prentice
colors/separatists: Richard & Tanya Horie
logo design: John Roshell
editor: Michael McAvennie
cover: Alan Davis & Mark Farmer
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Roll Call (in order of membership): Superboy, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Sun Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Shrinking Violet, Bouncing Boy, Shadow Lass, Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Ultra Boy, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, Star Boy

Cameo or Supporting Appearances: RJ Brande, reporter Lois Olsen; Triplicate Girl, Princess Projectra, Lightning Lad, Light Lass, Tellus, Karate Kid, Ferro Lad

Villains: The Fatal Five, and......?

Have you seen this mini trade book around at a comic con or at your neighborhood comic book shop, and wondered if it was worth picking up? Well *I* did, and now I'm here to review it for you....!

Friday, June 22, 2018

New 52 Legion Lost #13

There is nothing like a cancellation notice to suck the air out of a title.

When Legion Lost #13 came out, solicits already had said the boo would be canceled. Whatever needed to happen to tie up these stories, it needed to happen soon.

Tom DeFalco does his best to push the story along. We finally hear about the secrets that some Legionnaires have been carrying. The most interesting one is the back story of Yera being an SP spy. She has been a fierce warrior throughout the series so hearing she has a bit more of a military background makes sense. It also elevates her from 'Colossal Boy's wife'. Of all the things in this issue, that one is the one I liked the most. It even dovetails nicely with her history of replacing Vi so long ago. She has always been a bit duplicitous, hasn't she.

But the emergence of a new cosmic threat and the tiresome Harvest talking about time loops and circles of fate just seemed to be plotlines designed to put an end to things.

Even Pete Woods, who has art has been stunning, seems like he is going through the motions here. It is still great art. But nothing jaw-dropping.

Lastly, the big bads are named Daggor and Thraxx. If there were ever names from the Extreme 90s, it's these two. It might be showing DeFalco's age. On to the book.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Reboot: Legionnaires #61

Legionnaires #61 (June 1998)
title: "If I Could Turn Back Time..."
writers: Roger Stern and Tom McCraw
penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inkers: W.C. Carani
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw
assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: Mike McAvennie
cover: Jeffrey Moy and W.C. Carani
adult legionnaire: Carmela Merlo
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Gates, Ferro, Kid Quantum, Kinetix, Monstress, XS; Silver Age: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dream Girl, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Projectra, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Shrinking Violet, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Supergirl, Ultra Boy (Hall of Heroes: Ferro Lad, Triplicate Girl); Bronze Age: Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel (monitor), Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Timber Wolf, Wildfire (Hall of Heroes: adds Chemical King, Invisible Kid I)

Guests: 
Lori Morning, Rond Vidar, Superman; Silver Age: a fire control team, Metropolis citizens

Opponents: 
Time Trapper

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Who's Who: LSV Chameleon Chief

Chameleon Chief
by Russell & Siskoid


Real Name: Jall Tannuz
Super-Power(s): Shape-shifting
Planet of Origin: Unknown (apparently not Durla)
Relationship to Legion: Villain

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

TOS: Adventure Comics #345

Adventure Comics #344 (June 1966)
title: "The Execution of Matter-Eater Lad!"
writer: Edmond Hamilton 
penciller: Curt Swan
inkerGeorge Klein
letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Curt Swan & George Klein
reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Duo Damsel, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Matter-Eater Lad, Saturn Girl, Superboy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El

Guests: 
Blockade Boy, Shadow Kid, other unnamed prisoners

Opponents: 
Nardo and his android security guards, Weight Wizard

Monday, June 18, 2018

Saturn Girl Watch: Doomsday Clock #4-5


There has not been a new Legion series since the New 52 volume (mercifully) ended. They’ve had guest appearances in other comics and received a small, lackluster “Convergence” miniseries, but nothing else.

Way back in 2016, DC started to sow the seeds for… something, involving the Legion, in “DC Universe Rebirth.” Among the many corners visited in the current-day DCU, we were briefly shown a blonde woman being held in police custody. The woman claimed she was looking for Superman, and she was making vague, odd comments about the future. The only thing she had with her was a Legion flight ring. Since the woman had no ID, she was classified as “Jane Doe” and sent to Arkham Asylum for psychiatric evaluation.


The woman was implied to be Saturn Girl, and while she hasn't had a very BIG role in the last couple of years, nor has she appeared very often, her rare appearances have been leading up to her role in Geoff Johns' and Gary Frank's "Doomsday Clock" twelve issue series.

So, for the good people of Super Bloggers I have taken it upon myself to bring us all up to date on what Saturn Girl's been up to and what she's been doing in the DCU.