ADVENTURE COMICS #524
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by PHIL JIMENEZ & ANDY LANNING
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Paul Levitz (LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES) and Phil Jimenez (INFINITE CRISIS) continue their “Legion Academy” arc starring Legionnaires in training! And the Taurus Gang resurfaces with dark ties to the Academy!
On sale MARCH 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
LEGION OF SUPER-VILLAINS #1
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and cover by FRANCIS PORTELA
This 31st century team of psychopaths returns! Now led by Saturn Queen, they break out of the prison world Takron-Galtos to wreak havoc on the United Planets. DCU fans won’t want to miss this one-shot, which sets up a major 2011 storyline that’ll shake the universe!
ONE-SHOT • On sale MARCH 9 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US
OK, so who are those others besides Saturn Queen and Lightning Lord?
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #11
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and cover by YILDIRAY CINAR & WAYNE FAUCHER
A jam-packed extravaganza! Star Boy returns from the 21st century! Sensor Girl searches for Karate Kid! The team trails the escaped Legion of Super-Villains! And Saturn Girl seeks Harmonia Li’s blood—and the reason why will shock you!
On sale MARCH 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Wait, Sensor Girl searches for Karate Kid AGAIN?
I think the woman to the right and behind Saturn Queen is Spider Girl and the guy below her looks like a Coluan but I don't recognize him.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one thinking the retroboot is not working? Shooter's was definitely the last hurrah to this man here. Though I am looking forward to Giffen's Annual. They should let him write LSH for God's sake - see how great Doom Patrol is compared to this Johns-influenced saga.
ReplyDeleteDisagree. I feel like Levitz is starting to find his way. The last couple issues are starting to feel like the Legion again, finally.
ReplyDeleteAnd I definitely don't want Giffen and the voices in his head anywhere near the Legion again. Hopefully this Annual will be his last Legion hurrah.
I agree with Ricardo. I really wish they'd stop Levitz already. I feel like every moment of this 'new' Legion is just so it can be filled with old comic minutia someone can look up and be like 'AHA! I remember when that happened in Issue 292 of whatever.'
ReplyDeleteNot to mention I'm slowly watching all the strong lady characters I love being made into creepy weirdos. Some of the guys too. Everything's so awkward and weird to me. I just seriously don't see what anyone likes about this new run except peoples general 'Levitz love' blinding them to how weird and awkward every moment of dialogue is in it.
Agree that the current Levitz run hasn't been great so far, but I think it has picked up slowly.
ReplyDeleteThe LSV one-shot sounds great. Hopefully it will allow the current run to pick up its pace and become something amazing.
On a less momentous note, at least Nura's hair is the right color on this new cover.
ReplyDeleteWhat was Star Boy doing in the 21st century? Anyone care to enlighten?
ReplyDeleteOh, and the Adventure images of Blok and Black Witch - that's whetted my appetite too. Who is the woman between the two of them?
I have honestly been enjoying the retro Legion, and Levitz's work in particular.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with these characters...they have literally been my friends since I was a child. I feel like I'm making contact with old friends after a long hiatus, and learning all the things that have happened in their lives: some good, some bad. Some make me happy, some sadden me. But that's how friendship is.
I honestly enjoy complex, multilayered plots with stories that emerge from the interaction of unique characters with the Legion's unique background world. I honestly enjoy stories that take a while to unfold, with various clues emerging as the story progresses. I honestly enjoy well-chosen fine details that reveal something about the world, shed light on a character, or move the plot forward (i.e. Timber Wolf using his acute sense of smell to detect Durlan incense).
I don't think I'm letting "Levitz love" blind me. I just enjoy good writing. I've been really enjoying Straczynski's work on Superman, for example.
I can certainly see how some folks could not enjoy Levitz's work on the Legion. Some folks didn't like Lost on tv, for what I imagine are much the same reasons. That's fine, it's a legitimate viewpoint -- but please understand that those of us who like the current Legion have reasons just as legitimate.
As for Giffen...from what I've seen through the decades, he does his best work when he has a strong collaborator. With the stuff he's done without someone to ride herd on him, I go from mild distaste to absolute hatred. (Of course, I know some people feel differently.)
IMHO, the Legion and its world are too big for any one creative team. Instead of two Legion comics per month, there should be a dozen, with many different teams taking many different approaches. Then those who want Levitz could have Levitz, those who want Giffen could have Giffen, and everything in between.
How about it, DC? Star a new imprint for the 31st century, and let's see Legion comics to please every taste!
So, if we have Saturn Queen and Lightning Lord, do any of the folks in the image look like Cosmic King?
ReplyDelete(I love your blog, sir). Besides Eve and Mekt I would say (clockwise) BION, a sklarian raider, an elder coluan and (may the last one be) a khund cyborg?
ReplyDeleteThe Legion is still dabbling with Johnsisms but I have faith in Levitz. I also hope the GL fever and respective LSH tie in will subsidize and I prefer the future Corps to be more foe than friend, even if not necessarily villainous. The Mon-El:GL upcoming stories interest me: more than a 1000 years of age and exile, the knowledge of the past and seeding of planets, the extensive space and time travelings, the former (?) leadership of the Legion and now a (very scarse and nebulous) green ring. He should deal with the DCU's 31st century top of the crop worries: Clonus the murderer controller, Glorith of Balduur, the Dominators' Pinnacle Command, etc.
The Academy feature is also very welcome (as well as the return of the LSV) but I don't understand the need for new characters (mainly Chemical Kid and Gravity Kid, both of them quite unoriginal) with a literal army of alumni, reserves and 'otherbooters' waiting in the wings.
In the LSV, I call them Dr. Regulus, BION, a Sklaarian Raider who will end up bing Kono's mother, and a Coluan caled Eniac or Univac or something like that.
ReplyDeleteStar Boy was in the 21st century as part of RJ Brande's will dictates to support Mon-El when he came out of the Zone, but without his 31st century meds, he cam out of hiding early. He had an additional (or perhaps primary) task of initiating the 31st century resurrection of Kon-El via the Fortress of Solitude (Adv v3 #7, the otherwise no-LSH issue).
Yeah, the guy at top left does look Khundian I guess. I notice that at least three of them have some sort of flashing red light, not sure what that's about. And on the elder Coluan - who, remember, have long lives, so this guy could have ties to the 21st century - the lights on his shoulder are arranged in the new Brainiac symbol.
ReplyDeleteOops, I forgot to add that Paul Levitz wrote this on his Facebook page: "...is pleased that DC has finally solicited/announced the Legion of Super-Villains Special, which leads to a new storyline in the Legion title. Such fun to have Saturn Queen turn Takron-Galtos into chaos..."
ReplyDeleteI certainly mean no insult with the 'Levitz-love blind' comments, but on the same token I feel like every time I say I dislike Levitz I get countered with 'Oh so you don't like a complex deep well written plot?' As in, not liking Levitz = not liking good writing.
ReplyDeleteBut that's not what it is to me. It's long, overly complex for no particular reason, bizarrely dialogued writing to me. I think I just have a distinct distaste for his style of writing. It strikes me as very very old and dated. And I get that he's an old guy and has been doing this for a while now, but it feels like his writing is exactly the same as back in the day and it doesn't mesh well to me with this modern world we're living in.
So, my dislike for Levitz has nothing to do with complex stories. I think the ideas behind some of his stuff are very cool, but the actual execution is just not right to me because I can't jive with what strikes me as bizarre dialogue and bizarre reactions everyone has to everything going on.
I absolutely agree with the sentiment about more Legion imprints though. Lord knows there's a ton of different directions they could go. Ah well. I know if I wait long enough a writer I enjoy will come along.
In order to deal with the future you have to deal with the past. Let Levitz get done with smoothing out what the other writers did with the Legion and we will get some good stuff soon. Just wait.
ReplyDeleteI just wish they would bring back my Legion. I miss young Brainiac Five.