A look back ... And a look forward ... At Friday's With Anj

Hello all, it's Anj again.

It is hard to believe but in a couple of months I will be hitting my four year anniversary on this blog.

It was back in the spring of 2014 that The Irreedemable Shag asked me to be on the site and I had to say yes. The Legion has been a near constant in my comic book fandom. How could I say no?

I have been manning Fridays here since then. It is an interesting side truth that since this blog went live, no Legion book has been on the shelves. We have come close to a dramatic comeback. We have seen characters and heard hints of it since Rebirth. We even have a live action Legion on the Supergirl show.

But no comic.

And I recently had the (un)luck of covering the book that was the final nail in the coffin, the New 52 Legion. So what is next for the team? And what is next for Fridays? It is an interesting question. And I will try to answer both, in a way, by looking at what I have done before.

The New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes: A Eulogy

Hey all, it's Anj.

I have been manning Fridays for a while here on the blog, reviewing Legion books and reliving my fandom one issue at a time.

But sometimes it is a hard job.

Last week I finished my retrospective view of the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes. And I can say, it wasn't easy. So allow me a brief post to sort of put together some overall thoughts about this volume. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts about it.

I had issues with the New 52 as a whole. I was not excited for a company wide reboot. I especially didn't like the fact that it was mostly company wide with Batman and ancillary books like the Legion basically unscathed. And I didn't like the darkening of the universe as a whole. This was not a fun or inspirational or uplifting universe at all.

As for the Legion? Well, as a New 52 book which was following its older continuity, it is neither fish nor fowl. Is it a new team? No. Is it a good jumping on point for new readers interested in sampling the New 52? Not really. Is it the Legion that old school fans wanted? I don't think so.

The whole run seemed to struggle with trying to find itself. Was it a darker Legion in a more dystopian future? Was it a new younger team with its rookie recruits leading the way? Was it a classic Legion? Was it trying to be all of those things, ultimately being none of them?

And looking at the book as a whole, did the pace of the run make sense? Were their 'fill-in' issues that seemed oddly placed? Were there arcs that made sense? It seemed to stop and start over the two years. And that sputtering hurt it as well.

On to some moments ...

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #23

On August 26, 2013, I posted this review of Legion of Super-Heroes #23, the final issue of this volume. That is just over four and a half years ago. That was the last time a new Legion book was on the shelves. Amazing.

And, looking back at this issue and this review, I have to agree with almost everything I said. In fact, at times I look almost prescient in my thoughts. 

This is a depressing ending for the team. I point that out throughout the review, characters saying how sad it is that the Legion is finished, wondering if a better version of themselves exists out there, and walking out of their now empty headquarters. It seems like Levitz realized that this was his last issue with the team and so decided to get a little metatextual. 

At least we get Kevin Maguire on art! Love seeing Maguire on anything. So seeing him drawing some of my favorite characters is a treat.

I would love to hear people's thoughts about this issue. Because it depressed me to read it again. How could we get here? And how could DC let it happen?

Legion of Super-Heroes #23 came out last week ... the end of the Legion.

There certainly have been blips and pauses in the Legion's history, some months without stories of this storied team. But somehow this one seems more final. In a New 52 world painted only grimy and gritty, an optimistic future and a team like the Legion seems out of place. Even some creators have talked about the Leigion as if it were toxic, Keith Giffen swearing that JLA3K will be nothing like the Legion and there won't  be visits to Braal (as if the planet's name is a dirty word).

That's right, a darker and grimmer JLA3K will take the place of the Legion.

Perhaps what is sadder is that this title tried to become rougher, filling the last story with meaningless death and destruction, trying to shove the square peg of the Legion into the round hole of the New 52. As a result, this last Legion story is about as un-Legion as you can get. It truly saddens me that this issue is the gravestone for the franchise because there is no optimism, no team spirit, no love in this issue. And for those Legion fans who have stuck it out, we at least deserved that. Instead we got death, despair, and disbanding.

Sure there are some familiar beats and one major continuity wrinkle but the thing that stuck out for me was some of the dialogue here. There are plenty of lines that sound like they could be coming from writer Paul Levitz or even long time readers, lamenting what has happened to this team and, metatextually, this book.

The art here is by one of my favorites Kevin Maguire and he brings his usual panache of facial expression and clean lines. I wonder if he got this gig because he was originally named as the artist for JLA3K before the title was considered too dark for him.

This book ended. The Legion are basically in comic limbo right now. And I didn't even get a 'Long Live the Legion!' Enough intro. On to the book.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #22

The end is near.
It's not good I fear.

The New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #22 is the penultimate issue for the title. The fight with the Fatal Five ends very quickly and rather neatly. Almost too easily. It made me wonder why the team would let the galaxy unravel so much if the answer to beating the villains was so quick to obtain. After all, a bunch of teammates have died! How could they let it happen.

There are some wrinkles here I liked. The use of Sensor Girl's power was nifty. Imra, Ayla, and Brek are big parts of the win. And how the hell is Val Armorr there??

But this was the death knell. The book and the team hasn't come back since. 

And I have to say, I am an easy grader. I think maybe I was feeling bad for the book back then.

Legion of Super-Heroes #22 came out last week, the penultimate chapter of this series which may spell the end of the Legion for some time. With no new Legion book being publicized, with JLA3K taking its place as a future team, and with all avenues of re-energizing the franchise explored (reboots, old boots, bringing the band back together) and having failed, it might be time for the Legion to take a breather.

It is sad for a Legion lifer like me to say that. I have been saying 'Long Live the Legion' since I was in elementary school, since Imra was in a pink bathing suit and Vi had an intricate green/black jumpsuit. But this book has been on a sort of treadmill for a while, probably since Waid's threeboot for me. I can't remember the last time I was excited to read a Legion comic. And that's depressing.

So we come to this issue where the Legion has to fight and defeat the Fatal Five in 20 pages in order to set up next issue's denouement, swan song, finale. As a result, the action is relatively fast with some quick defeats on the parts of the villains who have been destroying the universe unscathed for the last handful of issues. For an old-timer like me, it was great to see some of the original Legionnaires and the original Substitute Legionnaire playing such a big part.

That said, there is a fair amount of stuff left unsaid. Paul Levitz doesn't seem to have the space here to satisfactorily tell the tale of this final battle. And the art by Jeff Johnson is fine but it felt like an understudy playing the lead in a play. Shouldn't the end of the Legion get more than this?

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #21

The end is nigh.
The carnage is high!
Tinya said bye.
Tharok's powers are making me say 'how? why?
And I'm tired.

When the best I can do in an old review, and the best I can do in a newer review, is pick out panels as maybe showing character progression and continuity, you know things are rough.

And now I wonder why Giffen came and left so quickly here. And I wonder if DC told Levitz to just go bananas since this continuity, this Legion, was probably not coming back.

But it is bad. So bad I rant in the intro, so bear with me.

We are nearing the end aren't we.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #20

We knew the end was coming. The feel of the story had that 'last ditch effort' feel to it. And now, around the release of New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #20, the news was official. The book was cancelled.

Now all that was left was wrapping up the ongoing Fatal Five storyline. Unlike prior issues, Keith Giffen's name is nowhere on this. Was there a falling out between Levitz and Giffen? Did Giffen leave the sinking ship before it went down? Did he just have other things to do? On his own, Levitz does his best to keep the story moving along. I was very happy to see so much dedicated to the Black Witch, someone with great potential who was left a bit on the back burner.

That said, there is still the wonkiness of this arc that irks me. People dead are back. Powers that were gone are now back. Phantom Girl continues to not act like Phantom Girl. There are a few 'easy' answers to difficult problems. It just feels a bit slipshod, as if Levitz is careening down a hill.

Thankfully,. Francis Portela is back and the art is just stupendous. In particular, his Validus and Mysa are gorgeous. And the splash page where Mysa reveals the plot to the Legionnaires is just fantastic.

On to the old review.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #19

Hoo boy.

We are approaching the end of the New 52 title and Legion of Super-Heroes #19 continues the funeral dirge of this series and these characters. All the problems I have been having since Keith Giffen rejoined the book - the odd characterization, the senseless killings, the grimy art - are all magnified here. The writing should have been on the wall that this was coming to an end.

My opening comments on the old review hold true. I don't know if DC gave the creative team the ultimatum to shake things up to save the series but it feels like it. And I wonder if Levitz and Giffen thought the easiest way to do that would be to sink into the grim, gross comics of the time. We have on screen deaths, off screen deaths, and on screen loss of limb. It all feels so 'Forever Evil'. It all screams New 52. And I don't mean that as a compliment. Add to that Phantom Girl acting like a coward and Emerald Empress acting like the Joker and you can understand why long time Legion fans were scratching their heads. It might say Legion on this gatefold 'WTF' cover, but that's not what it read like.

The art is a mix of Scott Kolins at his Kirby-est and Jeff Johnson. It is an odd mix of Kolins' rough look and smoother looking pages by Johnson. 

It still amazes me that this book was the last formal look we had at the Legion.

New 52 legion of Super-Heroes #18

Another month, another death, another crazy issue in the decaying orbit of the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes. Like many, I have been clamoring for a new Legion book to hit the racks. But I want it to be the right book. I'd rather have no Legion than the wrong Legion. And when it is clear that people who understand the Legion as well as Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen were struggling, that worries me.

Legion of Super-Heroes #18 continues the insanity of last issue with the Fatal Five attacking, a team stranded on a Promethean Giant, and technology failing throughout the universe. In this older review, I call it the reverse Magic Wars and in many ways that feels appropriate. It is a universal threat with the infrastructure of the universe crumbling. There are Legion deaths that seem superfluous, a way to make the story 'feel' important. And, of course, it marks the end of the book. 

But this comes so out of nowhere, that in rereading (and, of course, knowing all that I know) it reads more as desperate. Sun Boy dying last issue felt like a stunt. Star Boy dying here (crushed by a collapsing door of all things) feels unnecessary. What purpose does it serve in the story?

The art is done by Scott Kolins and Tom Derenick. I have always found Derenick's art pretty plain. And Kolins does his best to bring a Giffen-esque feel to his pages. But it isn't pretty.

So one more step closer to the end ... On to the old review.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #17

How interesting the passing of 4 years can make a comic seem. 

I am here to discuss The New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #17, the first book of a reunited Levitz/Giffen creative team. It is something of a death knell. The book ends within the year. And only the low points stick in my head. I know things that happen that I really don't like. I don't have fond memories. 

That wasn't my feeling when I read this as you will see. I thought this was a shot of adrenaline in a book concentrating on minor threats and even more minor characters. Now it is Kirby Cosmic and a revitalized Fatal Five and even the death of a teammate. It starts with a bang, that's for sure.

The art is Giffen at his crudest Kirby-est. It is as far from Francis Portela as you can get.

We'll see if I think more of the end of the run as I finish re-reading it. But I don't think I will. Sun Boy dies here ... just because. What happens to Tinya in the near future is horrible. I expect a lot more from Levitz and Giffen together. I didn't get it here.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #16

This is the end ...

The New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #16 is the end of Paul Levitz writing the team. And it had been a very good run, several decades worth of excellent stories. It is a shame that Levitz's lend with the team came with a whimper and not a bang. And I wonder how Levitz would look back at this time. Clearly the run from Great Darkness through the Sensor Girl mystery was about as good a run as any. But then came the later Baxter run and then this retroboot.  I doubt he would hold the New 52 stuff as being his best material.

And in rereading this run, I have seen glimpses of the old excellence. But I don't know if what I like is what new fans are interested in. Take this issue for example. We have a Legion election. We have some interesting character moments, in particular Dreamy and Star Boy. But you have more hints about Glorith being something more than she is (which I think never bears fruit) and we have a clunky Validus scene. Perhaps worst of all, you get the hope of Phantom Girl having won the leader election. I say this is the worst because I know how she is treated moving forward.

Anyways, this was a good Legion issue and the character bits reinforced what I think is Levitz's best strength and therefore is an interesting end of his overall run. Scott Kolins is on art and he has a smoother look here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #15

It is hard for me to believe but this set of Legion reviews will be ending in about 2 months. This title is reaching a turning point in the creative team and then will enter a decaying orbit into it's ultimate cancellation. Incredibly, there hasn't been a monthly Legion title since this one ended in 2013. Insanity.

But that said, in re-reviewing this series, I am not surprised.  This book was filled with ups and downs. And Legion of Super-Heroes #15 is a great example of that. This is basically a done-in-one adventure with the new Legionnaire Glorith. I thought Glorith would eventually become ... well.. Glorith the super-villain. Or maybe a new Time Trapper. It never happened. But, as I have said in prior reviews, this book just doesn't have the traction to be doing rest issues or side adventures every 3-4 months. I needed this book to be a Legion book in the classic sense. We just don't get there.

Writer Paul Levitz just seems to be treading water here. And that is a shame. There are the usual glimmers of brilliance and some good characterization. But there just hasn't been the sort of engaging storylines in this series to keep me invested.

This issue also is the last issue for artist Francis Portela and that is also a blow for the book. Portela's art has been brilliant. 

We'll have one more issue with Levitz and then it is onto Keith Giffen's insane ending run. And then ... well ... we're still waiting.

Onto this book and my old review.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #14

The last review I wrote about New 52 talked about how I felt the book had taken a turn for the worse. It seems like the 2012 Anj hit that point with Legion of Super-Heroes #14. As I read this issue now, I couldn’t help but question the need for this arc. With a Fatal Fuve brawl about to happen, this side story of Braalian pirates seemed a bit useless. And the only new story bit which came from this was the possibility of Cos losing his powers.

It is a shame because the pages not involving the main story are interesting. Levitz has an understanding of a broad universe. The Comet Queen reveal, the scene with Tinya (a scene I understand more now in these days), even the Brainy stuff builds up the universe. But the Element Lad plot? Kind of a snooze.

The art is by Scott Kolins. An artist whose work I like much more now. But if only Francis Portela was still on the book.

My grade of C- stands. Hopefully, I like the upcoming issues a bit more.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #13

Legion of Super-Heroes #13 could be the sort of tipping point in my reviews of this title. 

During this reread I have been a bit more forgiving of the book. That might be that I have given it more of a chance. Or it could be that I am hungry for a Legion book again. 

But this issue felt like something of a tipping point. And it is funny how quickly my feelings changed. Because it seems like some of the things that irked me with this issue are things I have pointed out before. Could it be that I have lost my patience?

I also have to point out that Scott Kolins is on art. I like Kolins art, especially on Flash and JLA 3000. But for the shiny future of the Legion? It doesn't work for me. And it is very different feel to the Francis Portela art we have seen here. Could the art change be it?

There are good points, of course. I like Mon-El acting like a leader. And I like the Dreamy/Duplicate Lass scene. But the rest ...

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #0

It was 2012 and we were one year into the New 52. And DC decided to 'celebrate' the victory of the New 52 with a zero month. In theory, it was a 'jumping on point' for readers, a time to maybe head to a book you hadn't thought of reading. It was supposed to be an 'origin issue', time to learn about the new history .And each issue had a character-centric cover, a striking image to grab you.

Legion of Super-Heroes #0 was a flashback issue concentrating on the Brainiac Five origin story. It is a look at Colu and its culture. And it builds on, of all things, Legion Secret Origin, a book I just happened to recently review here. 

My points about this issue stand. I like Phantom Girl here, flirting with Ultra Boy but also still harboring a crush on Brainiac Five. I like Brainy, trying to move past his family's troubled past. And I like a new origin for Tharok, even if it feels a little coincidental. 

But I don't know if I like a semi-Saiyan Cos. I also remain confused about Brainiac and Collector of Worlds and Action Comics and the new origins.

Anyways, while the Legion remained relatively unscathed from the New 52 reboot, this is definitely a new wrinkle to Brainiac Five. And I suppose having this title get a little facelift was worth it.

Scott Kolins is on art and brings his usual grit to the proceedings.

On to the old review!

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #12

Paul Levitz, Francis Portela, and Steve Lightle do the creative heavy lifting in Legion of Super-Heroes #12 and with a lineup of talent like that you'd think this issue would be a huge win. On top of that, the issue ends the ongoing 'Dominator super-clone army' plot which has been rather intriguing to me. I was ready for this to be a big win on my reread.

Unfortunately, the plot points that were bothersome to me on first read are just a bit more grating now. This storyline is end far too quickly. A lot of dominos need to fall just the right way for the Legion to win. And even then, it is only a win because the Dominators pull the plug. And that just weakens the earlier chapters. I can't help but wonder about that #12 in the corner. Was Levitz told to wrap things up in 6 issues to fit a trade treatment? Because one more issue to flesh things out I think would have helped this a ton.

As usual Francis Portela does a great job on art here. His pages sizzle. All-pro pinch hitter Tom Derenick fills in on some pages. Derenick is fine if ordinary. And his pages just can't compare to Portela's giving this an unfinished feel as well.

On to the old review as well as some notes afterwards.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #11

I didn't like the New 52. I didn't like the Legion in the New 52. I haven't reread this series since its inception.

And that is why this review reread has been something of a revelation. For one, reading my old reviews, it is clear that I liked the series more than my memory tells me I did. Second, I am actually enjoying it this time around and my 'overall grades' have pretty much mirrored what I thought back then.

This time, I agree with my old self that this is a fun and thoroughly entertaining issue. I like the rogue team idea. I like Brainy and Dreamy interacting. I like Mon-El knowing about the stealth team. And I love the art, especially the Portela stuff (no surprise there). Outside of a little wonky Brainy stuff, this was a great chapter of a big story. 

Perhaps best of all, I don't remember the conclusion! Why does the team member who betrays the team do it?? You'll find out when I do! 

On to the old review!

Legion of Super-Heroes #11 came out last week and continued a sort of resurgence of the title. The current Dominator storyline has been tighter and more dramatic than the earliest issues of the book. And writer Paul Levitz has concentrated the number of characters being used right now, minimizing scenes 'checking in' on the big cast of the book. This really 'feels' like the Legion right now.

The art on the book is split between regular artist Francis Portela and Andres Guinaldo. Portela simply shines on the book making him one of my favorite current DC artists. I keep hearing his time on the book might be coming to a close. If true, I hope he finds himself on another ongoing title quickly. Guinaldo's work is fine if dark and a bit more raw.

This arc reminds me of a couple of other older arcs. One is the Universo Project where Brainy and Dreamy are kidnapped. The other was the cabal of Legionnaires (including Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel) going against Legion rules and going after the Time Trapper.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #10

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate. But let's skip the chit chat and talk turkey. New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #10 continued to move the mega-plot of the Dominators plot to overrun the UP nicely. We have seen the Dominators using gene technology to engineer super-powered troops. We know they are close to realizing their goals. Now we see the UP side of things.

And writer Paul Levitz does a good job here showing us the factions of the team. We see some Legionnaires trying to take matters sneakily into their own hands. We see others quit the team so they don't have to listen to the UP at all. And we see a lot of interplay between Brainy and Dreamy, the couple I never knew I wanted to see together! But the best thing about this is we have an explanation why the UP isn't engaging the Dominion already. This has been a plot hole that has been bugging me and at least it is answered.

The art for the most part is by Francis Portela and I must admit it continues to dazzle. I want to read a Brainy/Dreamy mini-series drawn by him. Andres Guinaldo does some pages which have a less polished look and therefor stick out a bit. 

What amazes me is that I find myself actually getting caught up in the story more on these rereads than I did when it was happening. I honestly have no recollection of how this whole thing ends so it is brand new to me. Knowing that I don't remember it makes me think I will again be disappointed. But we'll see!

On to the old review!

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #9

Thanks for joining me for my re-review of the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes. It has been fun for me to revisit this series, if only to contrast current thoughts to what I was thinking then.

For example, Legion of Super-Heroes #9. In re-reading this book, I can say that I enjoyed the semi-spotlight on Dream Girl. I liked the group shot at the end. I liked the slow progress of the Dominator plot. But I don't know if I liked it as much as I did in the original review. It is clear, rereading these reviews, that I am aching for a great Legion book. I keep talking about how I keep thinking the book is on the verge of something. That things are simmering and boiling. 

I don't know. I don't know if we ever get to the fantastic stuff I was looking for.

All that said, Francis Portela is just lights out in this book. The art is brilliant.

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #8

The New 52 Legion continues to baffle me as a run because it seems to take 2 steps forward and then 2.5 steps back. The series as a whole has been hit or miss. There have been interesting subplots introduced followed by weird rest issues followed by side missions. Each story has had their ups and downs. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed last issue more on this review reread than I did the first time I read it. And I actually was thinking maybe I had wrongly labeled the New 52 series as being underwhelming. Maybe the passage of time would make me rethink things.

Then I reread Legion #8, reviewed here, and remembered how the engine of this book always seemed to be sputtering. One of the things that Paul Levitz did well, when at the height of his Legion power, was juggle the huge cast. Those stories and issues flowed well. There was always a big plot chugging along with some subplots. And occasionally there was a solo or spotlight issue but because momentum was moving forward they didn't feel awkward.

Here, after giving us a good 2 parter focusing on Dragonwind and setting up some plots, we get another offshoot issue. We get an Invisible Kid solo story with new villains who he shouldn't be able to defeat but he does. Then we get a founders' story, always a nice touch. 

But when these two stories, sort of unnecessary to the main proceedings come out of nowhere, it feels jarring. And that I remember was my big complaint with this title as a whole. There was no flow. The subplot of creating a New Fatal Five would have unspooled in one page teases for years in the old days, slowly grabbing the spotlight. Here Levitz sort of hammers it into place.

The art by Steve Lightle and Yildiray Cinar is very nice. And I never mind seeing Night Girl. But other than that ... well, I'll let you read my 2011 review ...

New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes #7

This relook at the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes has been something of an interesting experiment for me. These books aren't that old. This is a run that is relatively recent. So I shouldn't be surprised that my thoughts haven't necessarily changed too radically. What I have noticed is that the highs seem a little higher. I think that is because there weren't too many highs so when I see them now, knowing the way this title proceeds, they seem brighter. That said, I am also reading this with the foreknowledge of this book's trajectory and as a result there is more a sense of ennui about the whole thing. So higher highs with a lower foundation makes things even out.

Legion of Super-Heroes #7 bucks the trend a little bit. I liked this issue a bit more now than I did then. I think the high points, basically the scenes I comment on here, are numerous. And when you put that many memorable or powerful moments together in one issue, it has to get bumped up. In particular, the shuffling of the roster so we see lots of teammates pitching in is welcomed. And the added characterization to the new Legionnaires is welcomed. 

Lastly and as always, Francis Portela's art is just dreamy dreamy! So onto the book.