Written by: Paul Levitz
Illustrated by: Yildiray Cinar & Francis PortelaThe first strike of Durlan assassins arrives on Earth! Their goal: kill the United Planets leadership as revenge for R.J. Brande’s death…while posing as Science Police officers!
I’ll be blunt; I was a pretty late adopter of this book. If it weren’t for a 50% off sale at my LCBS I probably would not have ever gotten around to trying it out, however once I did I went and got myself completely caught up right after last issue hit the stands. While there are plenty of team books out there, this one has a very real charm to it that is undeniable. I suspect the reason for that charm is the sheer love Paul Levitz has for these characters. He did, after all, make his name in comics working on them back in the day and his return to them has been one of the most anticipated reunions of creator to character in a good long while. While some of the last few issues have been lots-o-talky and less punchy punch, it’s nice to see widescreen futuristic brawls that this issue gives us.
Starting right at the top, a small cadre of Legionnaires lead by Cosmic Boy finally discover the Durlan’s plot against the United Planets after they manage to murder one of the councilman, literally, from the inside out. The battle that occurs once these assassins reveal themselves highlight one of my absolute favorite aspects of this book: the interplay between the incredibly varied members of the Legion, particularly the way in which they have their powers work in tandem with each other. Scenes like this are totally indicative of Levitz’s investment in the characters and in the book and is some of the sharpest, most fun super hero imagery that DC puts out. Plus, we get to see Tyroc kick all sorts of ass, and given that when the issue started I was pretty unclear on who he was or what he did and by halfway I wanted to go vote for him as Legion leader, that says a lot. Meanwhile, Earth-Man confronts Mon-El about his past relationship with Shadow Lass and gets thoroughly trounced (and by that I mean thrown into space.) This scene leads me to wonder if we’re going to see Mon-El reflect on his time spent outside the Phantom Zone in the modern day DCU, since the continuity nut in me would love to see that connection made. The second story of the issue shows us the continued efforts of Braniac 5 to build a successful time sphere without the help of the time institute. After failing miserably, he travels to Naltor to confront the enigmatic Dr. Li, who’s origin is now primed to be revealed next issue.
I think what really sets this book apart from DC’s other books, particularly its team books, is its pacing and organization. The Legion is probably the team with the biggest active roster in comics right now, yet Levitz manages to balance their appearances perfectly, despite the fact that not every character appears every issue (except, so far, Earth-Man.) I also really like the way one scene feeds into the next, giving this book a very episodic feel. This, combined with the young ages of the a character, makes the series read like a great young adult TV drama, which suits it perfectly.
On the art end, I have really liked the work of regular artist Yildiray Cinar. His crisp, well defined but still undeniably comic booky pencils provide the perfect fun and adventurous atmosphere for this series. I have no doubt in my mind that his work on this book will eventually put him on the same level as Ian Churchill or Stuart Immonen. However, the thing I like most about his work is the fact that he actually draws these characters at the appropriate age. The members of the Legion are young, and Cinar manages to draw them right at that sweet spot between “too young looking” and “too old looking.” Similarly, many of the same things can be said for Francis Portela’s work on the second feature as he creates a smooth transition and keeps the artist change from being jarring. That said, his work isn’t QUITE as crisp or well composed as Cinar’s…but for what it does, it works.
Simply put, this book is a lot of fun. Some people get so bogged down with jargon and industry politics that they forget that “fun” is a plenty good reason to read a comic. I’m in this one for a good while at least.
Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy
