Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds #3, Part 2

Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds #3 finally gives us readers what we were clamoring for ... three Legions fighting side by side against an army of super-villains. You think it would be a giddy romp, a visual smorgasbord for Legion fans. Well ... it partly succeeds.

One of the issues that I have had with this issue is that writer Geoff Johns is trying to stuff so much story and plot into these 5 issues that at times it becomes an ultra-dense mess of dialogue boxes and leaps of plot faith. In this half of this issue, there is a two page spread with a lot of information about a prior adventure that the Legions have already had together. I don't know about this story. Did it happen? Is this Johns filling in some prior mystery? Either way, I don't think I follow what he is trying to tell me. And remember that I am splitting these reviews up into 2 per issue. This is a big info dump in the back half of one issue. If this is key info, I wish it was explained more.

That said, Johns is probably meting out his exposition in big chunks like this to allow him the space to task artist George Perez with numerous splash pages and double splash pages. Perez goes from many inset small panels to large spreads of grand scale. I have heard rumors that this series was exhausting for Perez and I'm not surprised. I am also not surprised that it shipped on time ... a rarity these days when you get books like this. (That's right ... I'm looking at you Doomsday Clock! You too, Young Animal Doom Patrol!

And all of this is happening without the emergence of the Time Trapper as the puppet master in this miniseries. Will all this wrapped up in a pleasing way? Honestly, I don't remember. So I'm going in fresh.

On to the book.

Last review ended with the arrival of the three Legions.

With the cavalry arriving, it is time to see copies of characters beating up on some bad guys.

Check out the three Ultra Boys bringing the smack down. And look at multiple Tinyas checking their boys out. So cool.

Ferro beats up Ol-Vir. Karate Kid kicks his way through some bad guys.

Meanwhile, the Retroboot Legion, the latest one to team with Superman, are shocked to see members of their own who are dead in their continuity suddenly back.

I think these are the moments I was hoping would be plentiful.

And, of course, we get the snippy repartee between the Brainys. It is hard when you are used to being the smartest person in the room to know that is true when other 12th level intellects are there as well.

In particular, I find the Threeboot Brainy a bit too one note as he continues to rail against the older Brainy for being out of touch with the youth movement the Threeboot Legion represents.

At the very least, the elder Brainy has a 3 part plan. And that Lightning Rod he's wielding looks straight out of Brad Metzler's JL run. Brainy needs the Ranzz clan to bring the lightning.

As for the other plots of the plan, there is another team off in the time stream.

We see Polar Boy, Dawnstar, and Wildfire in 20th century Smallville. Initially I thought they would be somehow going to the Kent's, perhaps to bring this Superboy to fight Prime. But no ... instead they are invading a young Lex Luthor's house to steal a strand of Lex's hair. Why would Brainy need Luthor DNA?

One thing I did like was that the original team was just Dawny and Polar Boy. Wildfire volunteered, probably to safeguard Dawnstar.

Look at Perez ... the master! Only he would put this amount of detail in a panel of Lex's bedroom.

And how could I not include a panel of not one ... not two ... but three Ayla Ranzz's!

I did like this little exchange to show how subtle some of the universal changes are. Even the pronunciation of Winath is different.

And what is up with the blue Garth Ranzz with the powers of Element Lad? So bananas that 10 years of Reboot lore is lost to me!

And then we get that massive info dump from Johns. This is a two page spread, split into three rows.

Brainy talks about how XS's parents, the Tornado Twins, tried to escape the wrath of Professor Zoom. They brought her to a parallel world, the Earth of the Reboot team.

But then Johns says that the Legion of 3 worlds came together to fight Zoom. So did that story happen? Is this mini-series the second time the 3 teams came together? I'm confused.

And then this nearly inscrutable set of panels. Starman used his powers to return the Legions to their worlds. He went mad. Then the twins died. Then Bart Allen and she were raised. But the Threeboot Brainy is confused.

I don't know ... I am just as lost. Hope someone can semi-explain this to me. I suppose my not knowing much about XS doesn't help. But as a longtime Legion and comic fan, I would hope that I could understand exposition.

But let's roll on.

Back out on the battle field, the Legions continue to hammer away at the LSV and Superboy Prime.

I love this panel of Mon-El, Mon-El, and Laurel Gand all trying to hogtie Superboy Prime while the Cosmic Boys rip away Prime's red sun blunting armor.

Unfortunately, while that is happening, Saturn Queen picks up on what Brainy is planning and tells Prime he needs to stop that phase of the Coluan's plan.

I did not know how much I missed Laurel Gand until I reread this panel.

Can't have a Superboy Prime book without him killing someone.

This time it is the poor Threeboot Sun Boy.

Prime isn't happy with being pummeled by Red Sun fire. So he breaks free from his Daxamite captors and  freezes Sun Boy. He then smashes Sun Boy like a vase.

Meanwhile, the Retroboot Sun Boy broods in his room, unable to shake off his depression to join the fight.

Luckily, there are more Legionnaires out there to pick up the fight.

Two Shadow Lasses blanket Prime in darkness. And then Sodam Yat arrives to bring some muscle.

But when Prime is enraged nothing can stop him. He shatters the green energy chains and heads to the Legion HQ to try and stop whatever Brainy is up to.

What is interesting is that Prime knows what Brainy is up to ... specifically who Brainy is trying to bring back. And Prime sounds scared.

I figured it was going to be either a Silver Age Superman, someone of a higher power level even than him.

And then we get a Ranzz family reunion. There are 5 lightning throwers. The blue Retroboot Garth is restored into his human form. The three Garths and two Aylas flood the Cosmic Treadmill with lightning energy.

XS runs at her top speed on the device.

And the other Ayla, still with Light Lass powers, keeps XS mass down so the treadmill won't be destroyed.

Love this panel, especially the inset strip of the Electric Ranzz Orchestra!

And Brainy's plan works.

A rip in time/space/Speed Force opens up and who comes out ... Kid Flash!?!

Hmmm ... why would Prime be scared of Bart? Why would Brainy need him?
Or is this just Johns chucking all his favorites into the blender?

Okay, this issue was just as crazy as the last. But at least we finally got to see three Legions fighting next to each other.

But it is a roller coaster ride of big art and dense text and tough plot twists.

It is gorgeous though! Kudos to Perez!

What did  you all think?