Back Issue Box: Legion Of Super-Heroes #16

It is an off-week for new Superman books on the shelves so that means dipping into the back issue box for something to review. As always, I look for books that resonate with current proceedings. So between the reappearence of the Absolute Legion and the new Crisis On Infinite Earths podcast The Monitor Tapes  hitting the airwaves, I thought it would be a great time to review Legion of Super-Heroes #16, the most 'why isn't this a Crisis cross-over' issue that hit the racks in 1985. 

Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 came out the first week of July 1985. This issue came out 4 weeks later in August 1985. So amazing timing by writer Paul Levitz and artist Steve Lightle to maximize the impact of Supergirl's death. 

Levitz always had the knack of juggling the many characters and many plot lines of this book. He knew that Supergirl's death would have a major impact on Brainiac 5. Legion fans love continuity. Kudos to him for giving the aftermath the pages it deserves. And given Brainy's past with mental health crises, we needed to see this, in all its beauty and ugliness.

But Levitz has more irons in the fire. We get the five new Legionnaires on a solo mission. Four of them are peppering the then relatively unknown Sensor Girl about her powers. The rest of the Legion is away at a baptism. Heck, there is even a hint at a storyline that is more than two years away. That is a lot of plot. But Levitz had that knack.

Meanwhile, legend Steve Lightle is on art. Bob Smith is on inks this issue, giving Lightle less of a polish than Larry Mahlstedt does. But the art is still great. Brainy's pain is palpable. The action is swift and potent. And the downtime scenes with the other Legionnaires show a posh side to the super-hero team.

But why??? Why is there no official Crisis Cross-Over banner on this issue! This has way more to do with the Crisis than some of those 'look, the sky is red' ones!

On to the book.

Review: Legion Of Super-Heroes #8

My reviews of Legion of Super-Heroes since Paul Levitz took over have been for the most part tepid.

I wonder if I am being too tough.

The thing about the Legion is that it was my first comic love, a comic that I looked for on the spinner rack back in the late 70's, one of the first comics I aimed to buy monthly back in the sweet spot of the early 80s, those years around The Great Darkness Saga. I keep expecting to get that sense of wonder and spectacle that I got as a tween. And there isn't going home again.

That said, I do feel that the Legion as a concept is in a tough position. There are gray beards like me who love the heavy continuity and scope of the book. We love the big cast and the huge rogue's gallery. But it is hard to get new readers if you stay laden down by continuity. But if you 'reboot' Legion, you alienate the built in but small and aging market.

Legion of Super-Heroes #8 came out last week and remained a sort of lukewarm read. There were some nice moments. There was a new plot thread hinted at. There was a nice story with the original three. And some continuity was worked in. So those things worked.

And the issue also had art by Steve Lightle (who simply rocked my world on the early Baxter issues) and Yildiray Cinar who was on the last volume. So that was a plus.

But I wasn't necessarily 'wowed' by anything here. And after the 'Stonehenge' rest issue, and the 2 part Dragonwind story, and now this 'rest issue', it feels like the book is sort of aimless right now. The promise of a big Dominator arc is helping me stay attached.

The first half of the comic is the Lightle story called '1 of 5'.

In it, a group of thugs invade the medical center on planet Zardon to find the 'gold master for nano-amp #108'. I don't recognize any of these guys, a sort of 4-armed Blue Devil/Venom mix, a 3-eyed guy, and a sort of Dumb Bunny variant/Kangaroo girl with a power glove.

Despite the power levels of these guys, the Bunny and Venom characters are taken out by Invisible Kid. I liked that he thanks Shadow Lass for the Legion combat training. It shows that there is more to the Legion than just their powers. You would think Jacques would be outclassed here.

Unfortunately, the three-eyed man escaped with the tech.

In a nice continuity touch, Jacques asks if it is the Computo circuit being used to help Jacques' sister Danielle. Long time readers know Danielle was 'possessed' by Computo, became a villain for a bit, then got control of her powers and became a Legionnaire (although that may have been in the 5YL run).

But does everyone know that?

Mon-El and Ultra Boy get called in to try and re-acquire the 'nano-amp'. But despite apprehending the 3-eyed alien, the amp itself has been rocketed away to an unknown destination. And the amp is the technology that was used to create Tharok, the mastermind of the Fatal Five. Someone is trying to 'recreate' the Five.

I have to be honest, I don't know that exact condition of some of the original Fatal Five. The Empress is dead but Vi absorbed some emerald energy in the annual a year ago. Validus is now a toddler. Is the original Tharok out there? Mano? The Persuader?

There really isn't anything like a Legion/Fatal Five brawl. So I am interested to see where this goes.

The second half is the Cinar story and focuses on the Legionnaires Three.

This story opens with an exhausted Cos depressed that he can't find the Legion Lost members. I am glad that the predicament of those heroes isn't just forgotten here. But Garth and Imra know that Rokk needs a break and come to take him out for a night on the town.

Even Brainy realizes Rokk is overworked. He doesn't want Cos overtired and off his game. I love that Brainy says that he has been there. No one has been overtired to the point of insanity/paranoia like Brainy. But being aware of the problem is the first step.

And I love that Brainy mocks Cos' attempt to find the lost team.

In some ways it is a set-up by Garth and Imra. They bring Cos to a dance club where Night Girl is waiting.

It implies that Rok and Lydda aren't together right now. And I have to be honest, if that is true I had forgotten it. Those two should be together.

You know what we need ... a Legion wedding!

The weather satellite in the area is out of control with rain so Lightning Lad has to show he still has his powers and short circuit it. This is some solid work by Cinar, probably my favorite page of the issue.

I tend to underestimate Garth's power level until I see him light it up.

In the end, all ends well. Garth (who Imra says gets extra frisky around lightning storms) comes back for a last dance and we see that maybe Cos and Night Girl have reconnected.

I think that these three are sort of the legacy of the Legion so I was happy to see them getting some attention. Again, with a book with as a big a cast as Legion, you need to jump around to make sure that everyone gets enough screen time.

So overall this was a nice story and this was a nice issue. The art was very good, the nods to continuity were solid, and we are on the cusp of the Dominator arc. So not bad.

But I wasn't really wowed. And I really want to be wowed by the Legion.

Overall grade: B-