Issue 18 reviews

OK, so I got busy and skipped issue 17. Here's a roundup of issue 18:

• Matthew at the Legion Abstract wonders about the nature of death in the 31st century, and notes
  

  I don't demand an earth-shaking epic in every issue, but this issue seemed kind of in-between to me.

  
  
• Discussion on the ComicBloc and ComicBookResources forums.
  
  
• Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin has some interesting comments about how SLSH sells in his store:
  

  As I've referred to previously, young girls (and their parents) continue to pooh-pooh the current Supergirl comic in favor of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes. It's hard to imagine any incarnation of the Legion as an entry comic for new readers, but something about this new version is really grabbing the attention of children, at least at our store. Adding Supergirl to the mix (a recognizable, non-scary version of Supergirl) can only help its appeal.

  
  
• Rokk Krinn has his own blog at The Comic Book Revolution. This week he talks about the arrival of Supergirl to the Legion book:
  

  Let’s talk about Supergirl hijacking the Legion of Super Heroes. All I heard leading up to Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes was how Super Britney was going to give the Legion a massive sales boost. That she was going to put this title on top. Was there an initial bump? Yeah. Of course. You always get one when you radically change a title. The key is in 5 or 6 issues will there be any difference where this title is on the sales charts?
  
  ... DC is coming out with too many interesting titles. Marvel is fighting back with creative changes on many of their titles. I just don’t see Supergirl’s Legion going anywhere up on this sales list. I would imagine for every new fan that hops onto this title because of Super Barbie there is an older one that is going to drop it because of the little red S.

  
  Then, in a separate review, well, he's not too impressed.
  

  I have not been shy at all about how much I absolutely loathe and abhor Supergirl and her hi-jacking my beloved Legion’s title. But, I am honestly trying to keep an open mind about this One Year Later Storyline. I know it may not seem like it, but I really am trying. Honest.
  
  Oh my god, I have to find something good to say about this issue? Man, I hate my rule that I always have to say something positive about a comic book no matter what. Ok, here goes. Mark Waid is a talented writer.
  
  Ok, this issue sucked. I usually try to be nice, but this issue was a lousy read. First, the pacing to the Legion of Super Heroes has come to a screeching halt since the One Year Later storyline began. This issue was just brutal as far as pacing is concerned. Absolutely nothing happened in this issue.
  
  Again, Supergirl adds absolutely nothing to the Legion of Super Heroes other than a healthy dose of moronic dialogue. It is like having a super powered chimpanzee on the team. Here character is as plastic as a Barbie doll. Supergirl’s personality is as interesting as a blank wall. ... Like the cover of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #18 asks you "Who's the Boss?" with Supergirl hogging the middle of the cover. We know the answer. It is all about the bimbo. The rest of the characters are irrelevant.

  
  Meanwhile, Tenzil Kem has his own blog at the Revolution.
  

  I still have faith in Mark Waid's writing chops. I've read him in everything from, well, Legion of Superheroes, to Kingdom Come, to Flash, JLA Year One and Empire, and I think the gets the Legion. And knows that Supergirl cannot stick around. I see her role in this Legion as a catalyst, and a mystery to be solved.

  
  
• Chris Sims at the Incredible Super-Blog
  

  Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's reboot is almost entirely responsible for my recent interest in the Legion as chronicled here on the ISB, so we can all come together and agree that I'm a fan of the book and that--except for some weird faces that crop up in the way Adam DeKraker pencils over Kitson's layouts--this issue's no exception. But I would like to take the time to point out that this issue has a fantastic cover that's would be a hell of a lot better if it didn't have the name of a mid-80s Tony Danza sitcom plastered on it for no particular reason. Seriously, DC: That shit needs to stop.

  
  
• Jeffrey Bridges at Mild-Mannered Reviews gave the story a "5" out of 5:
  

  Make no mistake, there is no way that this is a bad issue by any stretch of the imagination. The writing is solid, the story advances on multiple fronts and there are good character moments and development. Still this comic is head and shoulders above most other comics I'm presently reading.