Back Issue Box: Legion of Super-Heroes #283

With Wildfire being prominently featured as the opening splash Legionnaire in Legion of Super-Heroes #7 and with some hints about old continuities and histories put in there, I thought it would be fun to review his history. It doesn't hurt that Wildfire is my favorite Legionnaire. So why not let him into the spotlight here a little.

 

So today I will be reviewing Legion of Super-Heroes #283, a spotlight issue for Wildfire reviewing his history and adding some elements to his back story not seen prior to this. I have to say this is a little bit of a weird and interesting issue for a couple of reasons.

First off, the cover is done by art legend Jim Aparo! Aparo is best known for his Batman work. I don't think he did any other Legion work outside this piece. So getting to see his take on Wildfire alone makes this issue worth it.

 

Second, Roy Thomas is the writer. Now Thomas has some Legion credits but he is more a WWII kind of writer. I never really cozied up to his Legion stuff. And he oddly inserts a lot of romance (or impossible romance) into this story. Most of Wildfire's angst comes from his failed relationships with women ... which feels a little off. I suppose it plays into his 'not being human, am I truly alive' angst. But weird.

The art is by Howard Bender with inks by Bruce Patterson. I like Patterson's inks and he does a good job here with the visuals which move from college romance to high stakes super-hero action.

Overall, this is a good primer on Wildfire including all the things mentioned in that LSH #7 splash - his failed first attempt at joining the team, his being a hothead with a loud mouth, his concern about not being a 'thing'. 

On to the book.

Supergirl Show: Masked Supergirl Theories

One of the biggest mysteries from the Supergirl Season 4 trailer was the appearance of an armored woman in S-shield armor.

Is it Supergirl?
Why is she wearing armor?
Is this protecting her from something?
If it isn't Supergirl, who is this woman?
Is she a hero? Or a villain?
Is someone co-opting the S-shield for their own purposes? Is this Angel Parker-Jones' character Colonel Haley working for Agent Liberty?

There is nothing quite like a mystery to stoke the fires of anticipation!

Now on line we have seen the outfit in the day. It's brighter than I thought!

So who is this? Or why is Supergirl wearing this?

Here are my early thoughts!

Review: Justice League United #7

Justice League United #7 came out this week, the middle chapter of The Infinitus Saga. This arc is re-re-introducing the Legion into the New 52 DCU and so far I have little to complain about. This is a great League. And this is a Legion I wouldn't mind reading on a monthly basis (hint hint to DC).

Writer Jeff Lemire has done a great job since the inception of the JLU title to give it both modern storytelling sensibilities while infusing it with a more classic feel. It is one of the things I like the most about the book. Whether it is banter between Green Arrow and Animal Man or the inclusion of Silver Age characters like Byth and Ultra, Lemire has walked that fine line with great results. In this arc, we get a team crossover that has the feel of the old JLA-JSA crossovers, with the teams joining together to defeat a common enemy, meeting and mingling. And, frankly, after the last Legion series which ended roughly and abruptly, it is great to see Lemire bring back a familiar LSH.

Neil Edwards continues on art here and is bringing his A-game. I don't think he has a choice. With around a score of heroes and a handful of villains, he has to! There is action sequences and some character moments that are great.

Does anything say 'classic team-up' like the head-shot roll call! This reminds me not only of the JLA-JSA crossovers but even some Legion books were we saw this on the opening page.

And there is my second favorite character, Wildfire, blasting into action!

One thing of the many things that confused me about the last Legion was the placement of the Legion Lost on the main DC world while the Legion itself was hinted to be on Earth 2. I am glad the Lemire seems to settle that question, putting the team on Prime Earth.

The book starts with a brawl. The JLU and Legion are fighting Byth, his Cadre, and the energy Wraiths flying out of the rift that Ultra has opened in the vicinity of Thanagar.

What is the rift? What are these wraiths? Why did Ultra do it? How will Infinitus manifest in Ultra? I can't answer any of those questions.

I have always been a fan of Dawnstar. Nice to see her in action again and Edwards' take on her is great.

Byth grabs Ultra and takes off in his ship, trying to get Ultra into the rift. And before they are overwhelmed by Wraiths, Sardath and Brainiac 5 teleport the heroes back to Earth.

Wraiths? Dire wraiths like in Rom?

As I have said, Lemire brings some nice light moments in the book. Usually it is some friendly ribbing between Buddy and Ollie.

But I laughed at this moment. With 20 heroes stuffed in the League's headquarters, the place is crammed. And Phantom Girl tells Animal Man he should be happy that Duplicate Girl isn't there.

Again, things have been dark in the DCU over the last couple of years. So some fun moments are welcomed.

Now I am used to seeing Byth simply as a sleazy shapeshifter. But in this book he has stood up to Supergirl in battle. That says he is something more and we see that again here.

J'Onn tries to telepathically find Ultra and calm him. But there, on the telepathic landscape, is Byth. And Byth is able to fight off J'Onn, kicking the Manhunter out of Ultra's mind.

I liked this panel with Ultra literally being pulled in opposite directions.

So what is Byth?

I will stick by my guess that he somehow gets stuck in a timeloop, destined to relive this arc over and over.

This is my second favorite moment of the book.

One thing I haven't liked in this storyline is the Legion coming back in time to kill Ultra, trying to undo a galactic cataclysm. A little too bloodthirsty for me.

Here Courtney states the obvious. No one in the League thinks killing Ultra is the way to go. Settled! Lemire has said from the beginning that Courtney represents brightness and optimism. I am not surprised that she is the one who lays it on the line here.

Hurray for heroism!!!

This ends up becoming a multi-front battle. The team has to fight these energy wraiths pouring out of the rift. But they also need to stop Byth from getting Ultra to the rift where he will ascend to Infinitus.

Again, we have a funny GA/Animal Man fun here. But I liked the bestowing of the flight rings to the League. Welcome to the Legion!

Now you might be wondering what could be better than that Courtney moment.

Well you know Supergirl is my favorite character. And you know Wildfire is my second favorite character. So seeing them fly into battle together? That's like chocolate and peanut butter!

This is my favorite moment, a sort of comic dream come true for me!

Lemire has called Supergirl 'bull-headed' in the past. He does like her as the 'punch first, ask questions later' muscle of the team. When Mon-El says the team needs to be on the defensive, she ignores him and flies into the fray, hoping to stop Byth directly. And Wildfire, always a bit of a hothead, likes her style. In this instance, I agree with Supergirl. Stopping Byth from getting Ultra to the rift has to be the primary goal.

Can you name the last time Mon-El, Wildfire, and Supergirl streaked into battle together???

That's right! As part of the assault team going to the Anti-Monitor's fortress in Crisis on Infinite Earths #7!

The two teams try to mesh as much as possible as they fight the wraiths. Some gel easier than others.

'Space wolf pack'? I hope this Sabretooth form isn't one we keep seeing in Buddy.

But this sort of stuff is fun! A rare commodity these days.

Byth is streaking to the rift in a ship piloted by the brainwashed Hawkman. Ultra is closer to becoming Infinitus. (Is it possession? Evolution?)

Despite her physicality, it is nice to hear Supergirl say part of this mission is keeping Ultra safe. The heroes can't just blow the ship out of the sky.

While they can't, someone else can. A Thanagarian in hawk-armor blasts the ship from the sky with some sort of rifle.

Nice cliffhanger in a mostly action issue. The overall plot wasn't moved forward too much in this issue. Instead we have a lot of battles and a lot of small moments. But this feels like the right pace for this story. We know enough to feel like this can be wrapped up satisfactorily in 2 more issues.

While the action scenes are fine, it is the character moments that I like in this issue most of all. The humor. The team's interacting. The courage of Courtney to state the obvious. All great.

I would love for Lemire to write a new Legion book!

Overall grade: B+

Review: Legion Lost #16

'It all ends here!'

The cover says it all as Legion Lost #16 marks the end of this troubled title. And while the issue is certainly filled with insane action, the title ends with something more akin to a whimper than a bang.

This title has never really grabbed me. Even though it had Pete Woods art and starred Wildfire and Dawnstar, two of my favorite Legionnaires, the book seemed to struggle from the beginning. The initial plot of a mutating virus let loose in present time, the Legion trapped in the present, was never one that I thought had legs. We have seen the concept of marooned Legionnaires in the present before - from the 1970s solo Karate Kid title, to the Cosmic Boy mini-series in the 80s, to the Timber Wolf book in the 90s. None of those floored me either. And none seem to address the idea of people from the future dealing with backward world of the past. I can only imagine what I would do in 1013 other than go mad. These Legionnaires seemed to adapt easily, driving cars and using phones without a hitch.

Once the virus plot seemed to fizzle, the book took a left hand turn, morphing into an intrigue book where each Legionnaire was harboring a secret that weighed on their individual souls. It was more interesting than Hypertaxis, giving a new twist to the actual words Legion Lost. But before those could breathe, the book became mired in The Culling, entwined with The Ravagers, and the plug was pulled.

With little time left, would we get a decent ending, an understanding of the secrets, and most importantly, the lost Legion back in the 31st century? This is the New 52 ... what do you think.

You might recall that the plot has some powerful beings called Thraxx and Draggon coming to Earth as the vanguards of some universal threat. The Legion, the Ravagers, Superboy, and even Harvest and his crew try to stop them.

About 3 months ago, I guessed that the SciPo Captain Adym would end up as Harvest. Looks like I was right. It is practically spelled out in some heavy dialogue between the two. Adym goes off into the time bubble to set of a singularity bomb to stop Thraxx and Daggor before their plot even starts.

With Adym's fate set up, Harvest and his cronies leave.

Thankfully, Gates, who had a lapes in conscience last episode, finally realizes he's a Legionnaire. He can't just live out his life in a tropical paradise in the 21st century. He has to head back.

Now I don't know if I quite follow, but when Gates does arrive, he is confronted by another him from the past. You would think the current him would remember this but time travel logic is always iffy.

As if things in this book weren't ridiculous already, Thraxx and Daggor are dispatched by Gates, sent to a black hole. It seemed too easy for a number of reason. But there it is. We have to wrap up this whole thing in 20 pages.

And as for Adym, he has been given a null field device by Harvest, a way to protect him (them?) from the bomb.

Sure enough, Adym detonates the bomb within the Daggor/Thraxx force field as they are being whisked into space. I guess that Adym is some mishmash of all three of those beings. I guess we'll see before the issue is over.

Oh wait ...

Nope. We don't get the payoff here. Just like that, after several issues brawling, adym, Thraxx and Daggor are simply gone. And with no real closure about anything. Who were they the vanguard for? What happened to Adym? Where will these guys show up again to wrap up these stories.

On top of that, in their last issue, a lot of time is spent on other characters. First Harvest. Then Adym. And now Superboy.

I wonder how Superboy fans feel about this. He spent 2 issues yelling 'Kill. Maim. Destroy.' Then he has this moment where he realizes that he isn't free of Harvest's control.

So will we see that again. I don't think Harvest is done. He probably is going to torment the Titans and/or the Ravagers. So will this power over Kon be revisited? I suppose, in theory, he is as much a Superboy villain as he is for those teams. But we have seen the post-H'El Superboy book is a new start in a new city. Maybe all the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. business is behind us.

Still, this is a Legion book, and this team's last issue. I would rather have seen some time spent on Tyroc, Yera, and Tellus than these guest-starring characters.

Now there is a lot not to like here. But as a Wildfire/Dawnstar fan at least I got this moment in the issue.

In an effort to delay the Legion from following them, Harvest's crew tosses the team Wildfire's original red suit (he had been in The Culling white for a while). And with that, Wildfire is back.

And, maybe ... just maybe, Dawnstar finally realizes the depth of her feeling for Drake after 'losing' him for a couple of minutes.

Still, just a great splash for me.

And ... that's all she wrote.

The Thraxx/Daggor threat gone and with Harvest escaping, the group strikes a pose and yells 'Long Live the Legion'.

Except ... they all pretty much still have to deal with the fallout of their secrets. We never even learned Tellus' secret. And I was really really hoping the book would end with these characters back in the future, joining the main Legion book. Instead, the book ends on this note.

I don't know. I can't say I thought this was a good book. There were some decent moments scattered here and there. Pete Woods gave us great art. But this title seemed doomed from the beginning. And now it is gone. And these characters are stuck in a sort of limbo. Will they be absorbed by the Ravagers? Yeesh. Or will they simply be here in the present but never seen. Or will there be some Brainiac 5 miracle in the main book?

At least I have Dawnstar hugging Wildfire.

Overall grade: C

New Year's Eve Mish Mash - A Look To The Past

 2012 is coming to an end and luckily we are all still standing. The prophecy of the apocalypse came and went.

One thing that does come with the end of the year are a blessed handful of days off around the Christmas holiday for me. I love my job but it runs me ragged sometimes and having 5 days off in a row to enjoy family, friends, and some down time was about the best present I could have got.

With some of that time, I decided I should thumb through my long boxes, looking for some stories from the past that could be applied to some of the current problems/plots in the DCU. So let's turn the clock back today as we look forward.

One of the things that has intrigued me about the DCnU has been the reluctance of Huntress and Power Girl to reveal themselves to the Earth 1 version of their parents or their other selves. Why shouldn't Helena want to talk to the Batman of this Earth? Wouldn't she want to see him? Warn him of the war a universe away? Why wouldn't Karen want to talk to Kal here? Or talk to Kara about things?

I don't know if their feelings have been explained well enough for me to understand. So I thought I would look in the long boxes to see if that was handled in the past.

In the pre-Crisis DCU, the Earth 1 Batman knew all about the Earth 2 Huntress, working with her in some of the annual JLA/JSA team-ups. In Justice League of America #171, another of those annual get-togethers, Huntress tells the Earth 1 Bruce how the Earth 2 Batman has died and how she wasn't sure if she wanted to face him.

Okay, it isn't really the same situation. These two know each other, know about alternate universes.

But the concept of the other version dying, the uncomfortable nature of facing the living doppelganger of a deceased loved one, is answered here. Here is that scene, written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Dick Dillin.

It is a touching scene. This is classic Batman as he tries to work out his feelings logically. But Huntress is much more emotional. This is a chance to see her father and hug him (at least some version of him) one last time. That last panel, emphasizing how small we can sometimes feel when grieving, is nice.

At some point the Worlds' Finest pair will need to reveal themselves. Hopefully it is something emotionally powerful like this.

Another thing I have enjoyed has been the troubled relationship between Wildfire and Dawnstar in Legion Lost. While Wildfire has been pretty open with how he feels, it has only been recently ... in the wake of Wildfire's death ... that Dawnstar has revealed how much she cares.

As a Wildfire fan and a Dawnstar fan, I thought it would be interesting to look back to their earliest encounters to see where the seeds of star-crossed romance started. And what better place to look that Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #226, Dawnstar's first appearance.

Written by Paul Levitz (an amazing 35 years ago) and drawn by James Sherman, "The Dazzling Debut of Dawnstar" has the Legion trying to track some raiders but failing. They fail, that is, until Legion leader Wildfire brings in Dawnstar, someone he describes as "a mutant ... a freak who can hunt and track anything anywhere". Okay, not exactly wooing words.

But Dawnstar shows she is prolific at tracking. First she finds the raiders in one hideout. And when they warp away, she reveals she can still track them.

In an odd turn, the Legion berates her initially for losing the raiders. Seems unlike Legionnaires. Wildfire immediately defends her.

Look at that second panel with Wildfire saying he would kiss Dawnstar if he had lips. Maybe he already was smitten?

And in the end, with the capture of the raiders, Wildfire might overstep his leader powers and asks Dawnstar to join the Legion right then and there.

Even this panel, in the retrospect-o-scope, is somewhat telling. Look at how daintily Wildfire is clasping Dawnstar's wrist, as he appears to be about to caress her hand. I think he was in love right there.

And Dawnstar? Well she sheds tears of joy. As a 'freak' maybe this was the first time she has been accepted by a group. Maybe Wildfire is a kindred spirit. You don't seen Dawnstar cry that often. Usually she is portrayed almost aloof. So perhaps this has always been a romance.

And this being a Supergirl blog, I thought I should post something on the Maid of Might. Today is December 31st, the last day of the December of Despero as thought up by blog friend Frank Diabolu for his Idol Head of Diabolu Martian Manhunter blog. So I figured I would ring out the new year with some Kara-tharsis from Justice League of America #134. As with the JLA above, this was written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Dick Dillin, one of the first artists whose style I could recognize and appreciate as a kid.

This is one of those crazy late Silver Age books and reads like a Star Trek episode where the crew runs into omnipotent beings. Here the League (and Supergirl who has joined this mission to help find a missing Superman) is traveling in deep space to find Despero. They ultimately become the playthings of a race called the Krill. The two aliens have been watching the League battle and are intrigued and excited by this physical conflict. The ideas of conflict and war have been erased from their people and this is therefore new.

To get more fun, they repeatedly put a power-amplified and mind controlled Despero up against pairs of the Leaguers. The League duos consistently defeat Despero but the Krill whisk him away and send him back out again against new heroes. (Early on Despero tries to give up but is controlled by the Krill to keep fighting.)

Finally he is sent up against Supergirl who repeatedly thrashes him. She calls out the Krill and manages to outthink them. If fighting is exciting, what about rooting for a side? Someone will be elated. The Krill agree this adds even more potential pleasure, thus setting up a final match. And that is just what Supergirl wants!

Supergirl ends it quickly ... first by throwing Despero into orbit ...

And then meeting him in space in unleashing a wicked, spine-bending punch which renders Despero defeated. Talk about a broke-back position. I'm surprised Despero can walk after that haymaker.

The fight over, Supergirl gathers up the Leaguers and Despero and leaves the Krill. Ironically, the Krill who backed Despero is upset with the outcome and starts to fight the other. Supergirl, in essence, has taught a peaceful race about discord and war.

Still, there is nothing like that wonderful Dillin panel of Supergirl pounding Despero! Fantastic. To read Frank's more in-depth discussion on the issue head here.

And that is as good a panel as any to ring in the new year! Happy New Year everyone!

Review: Legion Lost #1

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

When the book was announced, I had a lot of preliminary thoughts that unfortunately ran a bit hot and cold. On the positive side, I thought the creative team was a winner. I don't have much Fabian Nicieza in my collection but I very much enjoyed his recent run on Red Robin. And I am a huge fan of Pete Woods. Also, this book features three of my favorite Legionnaires: Wildfire (my all time favorite), Dawnstar, and Timber Wolf.

The downside was the premise. I have never been a fan of the Legion being 'trapped' in our time. It also starred a couple of Legionnaires I don't really care for: Tellus and Gates.

But I was hoping ... hoping ... that this book would grab me.

Unfortunately, it really didn't.

The book opens with a man being brought to an urgent care center in Minnesota. It is clear that this isn't your average patient as the man begins to morph into something of a monstrosity, curses (I presume in interlac), and then either detonates himself or erupts in energy, vaporizing the building.

So it is a good opening page for a new book, an immediate threat  is identified.

Shortly thereafter, the Legion Lost team arrives in our time. It is apparently a very bumpy ride as the team spills from the Time Bubble which appears pretty damaged from this trip. Wildfire mentions the 'Flashpoint Breakwall', a new concept which might hinder time travel stories in the future. The Flashpoint ripple has changed things.

And we learn that the earlier threat is someone named Alastor and Alastor has a head start on them.

What's worse is that our 21st century world isn't accommodating to the Legion. The toxins in our air are affecting almost everyone and everything. Flight rings don't work. Transsuits don't work. People feel sick and nauseated.

This does allow Nicieza the opportunity to add some exposition so people know everyone's powers. (Tyroc explains how Tellus' telekinesis, his sonic powers, and Yera's shape shifting means almost everyone can fly on their own.)

While the bulk of the team cannibalizes Alastor's time bubble to repair theirs, Timber Wolf takes off to track down the villain.

Again, it is a decent scene to set up some personalities like a Brin's impulsiveness and physicality, Tyroc's leadership. It showed us, rather than tell us, who these people are.

As for Alastor, he is in Doomsday mode, stomping all over Minnesota until he runs into a crying young girl.

The sight of this girl stops the villain in his track, making him collapse to the ground and revert to his human form.

I don't know Alastor at all. Is he a new villain?

Dawnstar seems to be the most effected by the atmosphere of our time, comparing using her powers here with listening to someone in a pool of mud.

She is able to gather herself and scan the planet. At last, Alastor's plot is revealed. He has gone back in time and released a 'pathogen'. If Alastor has brought a plague back in time, he has had 30 hours to spread it here.

Of course, history doesn't mention it ... but conveniently history always seems to be murky around this time period when the Legion investigate the past.

Alastor's capture turns out to be pretty easy. Timber Wolf found his unconscious form.

And he monologues a bit to give us some of his back story. In the future, mankind has wiped out his people, his sister. And now he has done the same. He has destroyed humanity's future. (Of course this opens up all sorts of time travel confusions. If Alastor kills off humanity, will humanity be around to destroy his sister? And if she lives, will he have the impetus to go back in time?)

At least there is a reason why he fainted at the sight of a small girl ... OTSD from his sister. I would hate to think that was his weakness.

With the villain captured and hopefully spread of the pathogen contained, the Legion decided to return to their time.

It is a short trip.

Alastor transforms into his Doomsday form within the bubble, shattering it, exploding it from the inside. Yera was wrestling with him and Gates was teleporting him away when the explosion happened. The rest of the Legion land back in our time.

There is no sign of Gates or Yera other than 'organic residue' in the rain. Eww. They're simply gone.

And Alastor? He blew himself up on page one. Maybe he did it again. Maybe his power is to re-integrate himself after self-destruction? Maybe that is how he spreads this plague? Detonating himself?

I doubt Yera and Gates are really dead.

And that's that.

The time bubble is destroyed. The Legion are possibly infected with 'the pathogen'. Two of their friends appear dead. Alastor may be alive. The Legion is lost in our time.

So there certainly was a lot going on here. But I have to say, it just never grabbed me. Maybe it is because (as I said) the Legion stuck in our time has never been a plot I have liked. And I have to say that the idea of stopping a plague/pathogen is another plot I have never been keen on.

But even within those plots, there just wasn't anything here that was a 'wow' moment. It all seemed very average.

Perhaps worst of all, the art was a little rough in comparison to Woods' usual meticulously clean and pristine look. If the art was spectacular, it might have smoothed over some of the story.

I'm not ready to give up on this book yet. This opening chapter had to trap the Legion here and it did that. So the question becomes where does this book go from here. Do the Legion announce they are here? Or go into hiding? Do they join the super-human community or work in the shadows? Is the first plot containing the pathogen (the cover with the Legion flying over mutated humans) makes me think the pathogen makes humans into monsters)? Or is that going to be a long term plot.

I was really really hoping to be wowed. But this book felt sort of ordinary.

Overall grade: C