Reboot: Legionnaires #70

Legionnaires #70 (April 1999)
title: "Enter: Domain!"

writers: Roger Stern and Tom McCraw

penciller: Jeffrey Moy
inker: W.C. Carani
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: Mike McAvennie
adult legionnaire: Carmela Merlo

cover: Chris Sprouse and Al Gordon
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Live Wire (flashback), Saturn Girl (flashback), Star Boy

Guests: 
Andrea, Dirk Morgna, Dragonmage, Dreamer, Ewa Krinn, Giselle King, Hu Krinn, Khfeurb Chee Bez (AKA Antenna Boy), Kuniko, Lori Morning (flashback), Magno, Mysa, Pol Krinn, Warden Sur, Zyzan guardian; magnoball players and fans, Science Police, unnamed Braalian reporter

Opponents: 
Alux Cuspin, Domain, Luck Lords (flashback), Xotar (flashback)

Who's Who: Oli 3 Queen

Oli 3 Queen
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Oli 3 Queen

Super-Power(s): None
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: None (once rescued by them)

TOS: Adventure Comics #367

Adventure Comics #367 (April 1968)
title: "No Escape From the Circle of Death!"
writer and layouts: Jim Shooter
penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein (pp 1-10) and Sheldon Moldoff (11-24)
letterer: Milt Snapinn or Morris Waldinger
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover art: Neal Adams
reviewers: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane and Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: Brainiac 5, Sun Boy, Karate Kid, Cosmic Boy, Superboy, Lighting Lad, Duo Damsel, Phantom Girl; cameos by Star Boy and Invisible Kid

Guest-Star: an unnamed Controller

Opponents: the Dark Circle

LEGION TOYS: Mordru (DC Direct 2002)

Mordru the Merciless created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan is a frightening supernatural force to be feared.  His escape from his steel-walled prison in Adventure Comics #369 reminds me of horror icon thrown into Outer Space, Jason X! Even when Mordru shows up in the famous Earth War story line, the  Legion, like horrified teens from a slasher film are like, "RUN AWAY!!!!!"  Luckily, if you want to scare teen kids and get them off your lawn, we've got this Mordru to do it for us in plastic action figure form!

Retroboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #16

The Retroboot Legion rushes to its finish line with Legion of Super-Heroes #16. The Legion of Super-Villains/Blue Entity story-line needed to end so the jumping on of the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #1 could happen. 

I didn't like this issue back then and I have the same complaints now. This whole arc has felt disjointed. And this 'hurry up and end it' vibe killed any redemption. Things are said. Things happen. Things end. But not in a satisfactory way. 

I would love to ask Paul Levitz his opinion of this run (and the New 52 run) because it seemed to limp along without cashing in on the fire of this Legion's reappearance in the Geoff Johns' Superman book. 

So this series is over. And I have to say, looking back at the arcs/runs I have covered on this site, it is certainly a mixed bag. There are some highs. And there are lows like this. Perhaps there is a blog post in that.

On to the review.

Reboot: Legion of Super-Heroes #113

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #113 (March 1999)
title: "The Anywhere Machine!"

writers: Tom McCraw and Tom Peyer

penciller: Scott Kolins
inker: Al Gordon
lettering: Pat Brosseau
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: Mike McAvennie

cover: Alan Davis and Mark Farmer
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5.1, Ferro, Invisible Kid, Katate Kid, Kinetix, Live Wire, M'Onel, Sensor, Spark, Thunder, Triad, Violet

Guests: 
Koko

Opponents: 
Bizarro Kinetix (others hinted), Doctor Deacon, Emperor Goss, Lord Pernisius, a smuggler

Who's Who: Molecule Master

Molecule Master
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: None

Super-Power(s): Able to break molecular bonds and reconfigure them, either into blasts and force shields or into different forms (such as bending street lamps into hand-cuffs)
Planet of Origin: Not known; presumably The End of Time

Relationship to Legion: Villain

TOS: Adventure Comics #366

Adventure Comics #366 (February 1968)
title: "The Fight For The Championship of the Universe!"
writer and layouts: Jim Shooter
penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein
letterer: Gaspar Saladino and Morris Waldinger
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover art: Neal Adams
reviewers: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane and Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Karate Kid, Superboy, new member Shadow Lass

Opponents: the Fatal Five (Tharok, Emerald Empress, Validus, the Persuader, Mano)

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #9

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #9 (February 2008)
title: Bad Ideas
writer: Scott Beatty
art: Ethan Beavers
letterer: John J. Hill
colorist: Heroic Age
editor: Jeanine Schaefer
cover art: Alexander Serra

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

Villains: Brainiac

Retroboot Legion of Super-Heroes #15

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate!

As you read this I am hopefully still nestled in a tryptophan coma!

Legion of Super-Heroes #15 from the Retroboot series is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. How can you both want a story to not end, to end, and to be aware that it is being forced to end? Well, Holy New52, we knew this arc was coming to an end as the wall of reboot was fast approaching.

In rereading this arc I realize that it isn't as tight as I would like it to be. Usually writer Paul Levitz is able to wrap up a story neatly. He often plants hints and threads early on that come to fruition later. Once the arc nears a wrap up, Levitz will reveal the cards so that all the plot points make sense. But we haven't seen that here. There are too many elements just happening here without any 'why' being attached to them. I feel like there are more details that needed to be embedded here for me to truly appreciate everything that has been happening.

And yet, despite more story, I am wanting this arc to be done. I feel if after this long ... multiple issues and a LSV special ... if I haven't loved the plotline, I am not going to love it. It is time to pull the plug.

Add to that the understanding (when this came out) that the New 52 was 2 months away. And I feel like this was undermined by the universal reboot decision. Despite the fact that the Legion continuiy was staying intact post New 52, I am sure everyone at DC wanted all number one issues to be a potential jumping on point. Levitz had to finish this.

This issue is dominated by action sequences and that is usually a good thing in a LSH vs LSV story. Yildiray Cinar lights up the pages with bold seqyences. 

But with so many plot threads still dangling, I was aching for exposition.

On to the book!