Justice League vs. The Fatal Five

"Justice League vs. The Fatal Five" was directed by Sam Liu and written by Alan Burnett, Eric Carrasco, and James Krieg.

Review by: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Spoiler Warning: This post contains significant spoilers! Of course, spoilers are usually present in most of our posts but we are usually discussing old comic books and not newly released films. Under the circumstances, I felt an extra warning is warranted.

The Heroes: Elyes Gabel (Starboy), Diane Guerrero (Green Lantern Jessica Cruz), Kevin Conroy (Batman), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman), George Newborn (Superman), Daniella Bobadilla (Miss Martian), Kevin Michael Richardson (Mr. Terrific/also Kilowog), Tara Strong (Saturn Girl/also Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy), and Noel Fisher (Brainiac 5).

The Villains: Peter Jessop (Tharok), Matthew Yang King (The Persuader), Sumalee Montano (Emerald Empress), Phillip Anthony-Rodriguez (Mano), Bruce Time (Validus/also Two Face), and Tom Kenny (Bloodsport/also Salaak).

TOS: Adventure Comics #378

Adventure Comics #378 (March 1969)
title: "Twelve Hours To Live!"
writer and layouts: Jim Shooter
penciller: Win Mortimer
inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Joe Letterese
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Neal Adams
reviewer:  Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board: 
Brainiac 5, Duo Damsel, Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Superboy

Opponent:
Death, unknown would-be assassin; the Fatal Five

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #10

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #10 (March 2008)
title: House Arrest
writer: Matthew K. Manning
penciller: Alex Serra
inker: Jeff Albrecht
letterer: Sal Cipriano
colorist: Heroic Age
editor: Jeanine Shaefer
cover art: Matt Stewart

Mission Monitor Board: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl.

Villains: The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, and Validus)

Legion of Superheroes S02 E08: Message in a Bottle

"Message in a Bottle" was directed by Scott Jeralds and Brandon Vietti, and written by Joseph Kuhr.

Original airdate: December 1, 2007. Review by Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane.

Mission Monitor Board: Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Lightning Lad, Shrinking Violet, Superman, and Timber Wolf.

Opponent: Imperiux and Validus

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)

TOS: Adventure Comics #353

Adventure Comics #353 (February 1967)
title: "The Doomed Legionnaire!"

writer & layouts: Jim Shooter

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage, Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane, and Jason "Anachronistic Kid" Knol

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Ferro Lad, Princess Projectra, Sun Boy, Superboy; cameos by Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Colossal Boy, Chameleon Boy

Opponents: 
The Sun Eater, The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, Validus)

TOS: Adventure Comics #352

Adventure Comics #352 (January 1967)
title: "The Fatal Five!"

writer & layouts: Jim Shooter

penciller: Curt Swan
inker: George Klein

letterer: Milton Snapinn
editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage, Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane, and Jason "Anachronistic Kid" Knol

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Ferro Lad, Princess Projectra, Sun Boy, Superboy

Guests: 
Cameos of various other-worldly heroes whose names are not given and who are never shown again

Opponents: 
The Sun Eater, The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, Validus)

Legion of Super Heroes S02 E06: Who Am I?

"Who Am I?" was directed by James Tucker and written by J.M. DeMatteis. Original airdate: November 3, 2007. Review by Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane.

Mission Monitor Board: Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Lightning Lad, Superman, and Timber Wolf.

Opponents: Imperiex, Persuader, Ron-Karr, and Validus.

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 #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.

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #4

Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #4 (September 2007)
title: Higher Education
writer: Christine Boylan
art & cover: Steve Uy
letterer: Phil Blasman
editor: Jeanine Schaefer
reviewer: Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Mission Monitor Board: Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Superman, Triplicate Girl.


Villains: The Fatal Five - Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, Validus. 

Legion of Super Heroes S02 E04: Chained Lightning

"Chained Lightning" was written by Matt Wayne and directed by Brandon Vietti, original airdate: October 13, 2007, review by Glenn 'Continuity Kid' Walker. 

Mission Monitor Board: Lightning Lad, Superman X, Brainiac 5, Shrinking Violet, Bouncing Boy.

Opponents: Lightning Lord, Imperiex, the Dominators, Validus, Destructo-Bots, and three Lightning Beasts of Korbal. 

Guest-stars and cameos: Ayla Ranzz (pre-Lightning Lass/Light Lass), Superman (mentioned).

After a brief interlude spotlighting Timber Wolf last episode from the ongoing season-long struggle against Imperiex, we're back in the business of that villain's war, but with a twist of Legion lore in the mix. We finally meet Ayla Ranzz officially, get a rerun of the Ranzz family's secret high voltage origin, and see the return of Lightning Lord. It's a very unorthodox family reunion for the Legion!

Who's Who: Validus

Validus
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Validus Ranzz

Super-Power(s): Giant sized strength and invulnerability, mental lightning
Planet of Origin: Winath

Relationship to Legion: Villain; member of the original Fatal Five

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #271

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #271 (Jan, 1981)
title: "What IS the Dark Man?"

writer: Gerry Conway

penciller: Jimmy Janes
inker: John Calnan

letterer: John Costanza
colorist: Gene D'Angelo

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Jimmy Janes & Steve Mitchell

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Timber Wolf, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Colossal Boy, Princess Projectra, Wildfire, Mon-El, Shadow Lass

Guests: 
Blok

Opponents: 
The Dark Man, the Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, Persuader, Tharok, and Validus)

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #270

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #270 (Dec, 1980)
title: "Who Is The Dark Man?"

writer: Gerry Conway

penciller: Jimmy Janes
inker: Frank Chiaramonte

letterer: Milt Snapinn
colorist: Gene D'Angelo

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Dick Giordano

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Colossal Boy, Shrinking Violet, Shadow Lass, Mon-El, Wildfire, Princess Projectra, Timber Wolf, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Light Lass

Guests: 
Marte Allon, Blok

Opponents: 
The Fatal Five (Emerald Empress, Mano, the Persuader, Validus, Tharok), The Dark Man, The League of Super-Assassins (Silver Slasher, Titania, Lazon, Mist Master)

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #269

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #269 (Nov, 1980)
title: "Who Shall Name the Dark Man?"

writer: Gerry Conway

penciller: Jimmy Janes
inker: Frank Chiaramonte

letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Gene D'Angelo

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Dick Giordano

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Princess Projectra, Shadow Lass, Mon-El, Shrinking Violet, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Wildfire, Timber Wolf, Colossal Boy, Light Lass (not listed on Roll Call)

Guests: 
Colossal Boy's parents, Wynn and Marte Allon

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

Superboy & The Legion #247

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #247 (Jan, 1979)
title: "Savage Sanctuary!"

writer: Len Wein

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Jack Abel
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Glynis Wein

editor: Jack C. Harris
cover: Joe Staton & Dick Giordano (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Superboy, Element Lad, Colossal Boy

Opponents: 
The Fatal Five

Synopsis: 
In outer space, Superboy is flying away from Corvan IV. He is calling for reinforcements after the Fatal Five defeated him, Element Lad, and Colossal Boy.

Superboy & The Legion #246

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #246 (Dec, 1978)
title: "Will The Last One To Leave Mercury Please Close The Planet?"

script: Len Wein
plot: Paul Levitz

penciller: Joe Staton

inker: Dick Giordano
letterer: Ben Oda
colorist: Glynis Wein
editors: Al Milgrom & Jack C. Harris

cover: Mike Grell  (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Shadow Lass, Chameleon Boy, Sun Boy, Karate Kid

Opponents: 
unknown menace killing staff & patients at Medivac-Lab

Superboy AND The Legion #231

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #231 (Sept, 1977)
title: "A Day In The  Death Of A World"

writer: Paul Levitz

pencillers: Jim Sherman and Mike Nasser

inker: Jack Abel

colorist: Liz Berube

editor: Denny O'Neil
cover: Mike Grell (signed)

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Colossal Boy, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Superboy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Element Lad, Sun Boy

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

Synopsis: 
On their way to Earth, the ship carrying Karate Kid and Princess Projectra is grabbed by a tractor beam. Tharok and Validus wanted to kidnap the Legionnaires for some additional insurance as they are heading towards a planet called Mordan.