New 52 Legion Lost #2

Welcome back to my retro-review of Legion Lost. This week I take a look at Legion Lost #2.

As I said before, I have basically forgotten this whole series and so this issue, one you think I would remember, really felt fresh. Wildfire is my favorite Legionnaire and this issue is really something of a deep dive into his character. He is a tortured soul, a ball of energy anthropomorphized by a containment suit who cannot really interact with people in a personal way. And here, he tries to help someone similarly cursed.

The thing here is the new energy person seems a bit too comfortable with his new reality. And also, is the second issue the right time for a Wildfire character study. I suppose Nicieza has to introduce these character to potential new readers brought here by the lure of the New 52.

For me, the voice of Wildfire is dead on and that makes me happy. I still don't like the 'back in the past to fight an epidemic' which, per the Legion's history, didn't happen. Maybe the Legion should do nothing since, to them, it didn't happen. 

And I also have to say that Pete Woods is doing great stuff here. I love his work here.

On to the retro-review.

Reboot: Legends of the Legion #1

Legends of the Legion #1 (February 1998)
title: "Guts"

writers: Barry Kitson and Tom Peyer

penciller: Todd Nauck
inker: Larry Stucker
lettering: Albert T. De Guzman
colorist: Tom McCraw

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: KC Carlson

cover: Steve Lightle
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Spark, Star Boy, Ultra Boy, Umbra; flashback: Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Invisible Kid, Kinetix, Live Wire, M'Onel, Saturn Girl, Triad, Violet, XS

Guests: 
Antennae Boy, Chuck Taine, Color Queen, Doro, Infectious Lass, Night Girl, Porcupine Pete; flashback: Inferno, Karate Kid, Spider-Girl, Emerald Dragons, settlers of the whale, a Rimborian kid

Opponents: 
Flashback: Bone Spike Gang, Space Whale

Who's Who: Interplanetary Bank Beast-Guards

Interplanetary Bank Beast-Guards
by Russell & Siskoid

Known members: the Loud-Speaker Beast, the Asteroid Serpent, the Jigsaw Creature

Super-Power(s): see individual notes below
Planet of Origin: Unknown

Relationship to Legion: none; battled the Legion once when under the control of the evil Apollo

TOS: Adventure Comics #335

Adventure Comics #335 (August 1965)
title: "Starfinger!"

writer: Edmond Hamilton
penciller: John Forte
inker: Sheldon Moldoff

editor: Mort Weisinger

cover: Curt Swan & George Klein

reviewer: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage

Mission Monitor Board:  
Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Element Lad, Invisible Kid, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Sun Boy, Superboy, Ultra Boy

Opponents: 
Starfinger

Legion of Super Heroes S02 E05: The Karate Kid

"The Karate Kid" was directed by Scott Jeralds and Brandon Vietti, and written by Eddit Guzelian. Original airdate: October 27, 2007. Review by Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane.

Mission Monitor Board: Chameleon Lad, Cosmic Boy, Karate Kid, Lightning Lad, Nemesis Kid, Superman, and Timber Wolf.

Cameos: Blok, Brainiac 5, Colossal Boy, Duo Damsel, Shrinking Violet, and Tyroc.

Opponents: Grimbor the Chainsman

New 52 Legion Lost #1

Hey all, it's Anj again. 

Fridays for the next several months will be a look back at my New 52 Legion Lost title. I reviewed this over on Supergirl Comic Box Commentary when it came out in 2011. But I haven't thought about it much since then. My overarching feelings were one of disappointment. That much I do remember. But specifics? I don't recall many.

As a result, these reviews will be a bit retro, like my recent reviews of the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes book. I will post the old review but I will open and close with new thoughts as I reread the book. I must admit, this will truly feel new to me. I don't remember it at all.

As I say in this review of Legion Lost #1, I am not a fan of the "Legion trapped in the present" storyline, whenever it happens. So to have a whole series based on that is already disappointing. To then hinder the characters by making them weakened just by the present day atmosphere is another downer. If I am reading Dawnstar, I want her to be Dawnstar. I want her to have her powers.

I am a bit harsh on Pete Woods art in this review. In retrospect, it is pretty slick. I like the look of the Legionnaires. Even Wildfire's new look is pretty cool. What I don't understand is this team's makeup. Lots of hotheads in this group.

Anyways, onto the book.

Legion Lost #1 came out last week, the second Legion book in the DCnU.

Reboot: Legionnaires #57

Legionnaires #57 (February 1998)
title: "Troubled Minds"

writers: Roger Stern and Tom McCraw

penciller: Jeffrey Moy

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

assistant editor: Frank Berrios
editor: KC Carlson
adult legionnaire: Carmella Merlo

cover: Jeffrey Moy and W.C. Carani
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Apparition, Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Cosmic Boy, Ferro, Gates, Invisible Kid, Kinetix, Live Wire, Saturn Girl, Sensor, Spark, Triad, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Violet, XS

Guests: 
Admiral Everett, Andromeda (flashback), Ar'by, Aven, Bertor Ardeen, Dr. Gym'll, Jancel Ardeen, Koko, R.J. Brande, Science Police Commander Hagbard, Sydne Ardeen, Winema Wazzo, Winema's aide, Xamuel Ivar, Titanian border guards, U.P. representatives

Opponents: 
Dark Circle, Sklarian Raiders; Dr. Psycho (flashback)

Who's Who: Immune

Immune
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Dr. Murleen Dreeu

Super-Power(s): Immunity to disease
Planet of Origin: Xorma

Relationship to Legion: Villain

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #86-87 Point-Counterpoint

Jimmy Olsen #86 (July 1965)
title: "The Team of Olsen and Brainiac!"
writer: Jerry Siegel 
penciller: Curt Swan 
inker:George Klein
editor: Mort Weisinger
cover: Curt Swan and George Klein

and 
Jimmy Olsen #87 (September 1965)
title: "The Arena of Doom" 
writer: Jerry Siegel 
artist: Al Plastino 
editor: Mort Weisinger 
cover: Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff 
reviewers: Russell "Bilingual Boy" Burbage and Mike "Nostalgic Kid" Lane

Synopsis
While covering a story, Jimmy sustains severe brain damage. Brainiac offers to help but secretly replaces Jimmy's brain with an electronic one. Now programmed to serve Brainiac, Jimmy lures Superman into a trap. The Man of Steel quickly defeats Brainiac. The villain agrees to restore Jimmy's brain in exchange for his freedom, but places him under hypnotic control. Now teamed with Lex Luthor, Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, and Saturn Queen, Brainiac forces Jimmy to steal kryptonite from the Fortress of Solitude and lure Superman into another trap. Weakened by the kryptonite, Superman offers to help the villains if they would agree to spare him. Lex and Brainiac want to accept, but are outvoted by the Legion of Super Villains. Jimmy executes Superman by exposing him to the kryptonite, but the moment Jimmy realizes what he has done, the villains are encased in transparent globes. It turns out that thee kryptonite is not real, but merely a container holding the bottled city of Kandor. Superman's cowardly behavior was so that he could bide time until the citizens of Kandor could activate a special machine to entrap the villains. Whew!

Karate Kid #2

Karate Kid #2 
"The International Dooms of Major Disaster"
script by Paul Levitz and David Michelinie writing as Barry Jameson,
art by Ric Estrada, and inks by Joe Staton,
cover by Mike Grell,
cover date: May-June 1976,
review by Glenn 'Continuity Kid' Walker. 

Editor's Note: This is the second of three reviews of the 1970s Karate Kid series that Glenn Walker completed for the Legion of Super-Bloggers before his untimely death. Glenn was looking forward to reviewing this entire series, and had enthusiastically written up and prepped three posts before he passed away due to illness in December of last year.  
We present the review to issue #2 to you today and will present the review of #3 next month. We do this not only as a  memorial of sorts to our friend, but also because they are so well written. To not use them seems like a monumental waste. We hope you agree. ~Russell  

This issue was actually the first issue of Karate Kid that I purchased off what was then a spinner rack in the Anning's 5 & 10 (now a specialty ice cream shop) in my home town. First I was stunned to see a comic titled Karate Kid. I think it was a sudden move from DC Comics, and they'd kept it a bit on the down-low from Legion fans unless you were really paying attention (which I must not have been). But here it was, a beautiful Mike Grell cover with Karate Kid protecting the United Nations and a redhead (always my favorite, so much so I married one) from the despicable and dangerous Major Disaster. The Legion fan in me had to have it.