Well, we’re trying this again. Legion really should be one of those titles that’s always there, like Superman or Green Lantern, a significant corner of DC Comics’ fictional universe that remains always out there as part of the gestalt. However, due to reboot after revival after relaunch, the franchise has been on the ropes for years, never quite getting traction. It kinda came close the last time, a few years back with the highly-promoted Brian Michael Bendis series, but that ended after only about a year for reasons I don’t really know. It seemed to be selling well enough.
But here we are, seventh or eighth time is the charm, and…look, it’s a perfectly fine comic. Well written, certainly well drawn, and for us old Legion nerds, the Interlac alphabet is still intact and readable (with a nice Interlac-written nod to Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen right there in the beginning). The idea this time is that superheroes are outlawed in this version of the future, reminiscent of the Threeboot Legion‘s premise, and the familiar central characters of the team (Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Brainiac 5, along with Matter-Eater Lad) find themselves bumping up against that societal ban. It’s all told nicely with interesting page layouts, looking not quite like anything else on the stands.
What made the Legion “The Legion” for so many years were the longstanding subplots and characterizations and soap opera aspects and such. It’s a hard thing to build from scratch, as a Legion without all that doesn’t feel right, but jumping right into a Legion with those aspects already in place feels overwhelming. It’s a real tough needle to thread, and I’m not sure this new series is going to manage it, but I’m willing to give it a try and see how it does.
So we’re getting a series of one-shots for this comic book revival of Clive Barker’s horror franchise. Not sure if it’s in continuity with the previous series Boom! published, or how Barker’s novel The Scarlet Gospels fits in (since that pretty much put the kibosh on the whole “Cenobites” thing). And don’t even get me started on where that Sherlock Holmes/Hellraiser crossover novel fits in.
This is the first in a series of one-shots (and I’ve already read the second one, due to my evil retailer powers) setting up the current status quo for the Cenobites while also following the stories of those individuals who happen to get their hands on one of those Puzzle Boxes. It’s all gross and bloody and folks getting what’s coming to them, as you’d expect, but I am curious as to what the overall story is going to shape up into being.
So I hemmed and I hawed about picking up this latest revamping of the Archie franchise…I really liked the one they did a few years ago, with Waid and North an’ all them, and was a little sorry to see that effort wrap up. I think I finally convinced myself to give this one a try because, well, I’m a longtime Archie fan and my curiosity won out. Plus, I couldn’t resist that specific variant cover that’s pictured above.
It’s perfectly fine…unlike that previous reboot, which was a little more “soap opera (there’s that term again!) with jokes,” this new Archie #1 is more like a typical Archie comic, with several gag-filled stories. Not every joke lands, and I feel like the characters’ likenesses could be tightened up a bit…Archie and Jughead are recognizable, but others, like Reggie, Betty and Veronica don’t have distinctive enough portrayals to really grab you. Overall, it’s still enjoyable, with a Jughead story having a surprising amount of emotional depth to it that makes me want to see where it goes in the next issue. So, yeah, I guess Archie has got its hooks in me yet again.
I did almost pick up the Local Comic Shop Day variant, because c’mon, just look at it:
Anyway, this new Archie went really overboard on the variant covers, and I didn’t even order all of them for the shop. There were literally more variants than the number of issues I expect to sell of this thing. I mean, guys, you gotta settle down with these. Yes, I’m aware of the irony that it was one of those variants that factored into my decision to try out this new series.
I don’t know why we have to kinda relaunch the Doom Patrol again, when that previous Doom Patrol mini wasn’t that long ago and was perfectly fine. A continuation of that would’ve been fine. But this new attempt is good, too….Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl, the Chief, hail hail the gang’s all here and they’re doing what you want and being weird about it. Kinda the Platonic idea of what this comic should be.
It’s silly nonsense, but it’s good silly nonsense, and if it were anything else, you’d be disappointed. Which isn’t to say there’s not an affecting message central to the book. Anyway, it’ll put a smile on your face, which is Weird Al’s purpose in this fallen world.
“It’s a hard thing to build from scratch, as a Legion without all that doesn’t feel right, but jumping right into a Legion with those aspects already in place feels overwhelming.”
This is exactly why all the Legion relaunches have failed and will continue to fail. Probably the best solution would have been to stick with the Retroboot version, but not as an ongoing–maybe a 6-8 issue mini-series per year.
And congratulations on 38.
I can’t recall from all you’ve written about your history in the field, but when you started, was this something you went into thinking it would continue, or did you just…keep doing it (as I did with my job)?
And contemplating this always makes me think of this Onion article: https://theonion.com/day-job-officially-becomes-job-1819567250/
Mike: I know LEGION OF 3 WORLDS touched on it, and I’ve mentioned it a few times, but I can easily see a few failed Legion titles simply being Earth-9 LSH. This way I stop caring about the eventual new title. And, for the record, Threeboot was still the best.
@Daniel T: I’m a writer in Chicago. THE ONION used to be free at kiosks and record stores. I had two interviews to write articles and failed the second one. The publisher at the time was cool enough to let me have my first article–which they did like a lot–and put it on my miserable CV.
I’ve got a lot of hope pinned to this iteration of the Legion clicking with readers, for at least long enough for it to get its legs and start to become a perennial again. I think Williamson’s centrality to the spine of the DCU, and Sherman’s exciting, innovative artwork will do that trick, but what do I know? Last go-round had Sook and Bendis — another fantastic artist, and a writer who was central to *that* era of the DCU.
Yet Bendis somehow always felt like an interloper in a way that Williamson doesn’t, so maybe, in the end, THAT’s what I’m pinning my hopes on: that with Williamson at the helm, the rank-and-file DC fans will get a chance to see how truly special this team is, and embrace them in all their goofy futuristic glory.
But this book had me with the first page turn — a simple concept that I’m grateful no pre-sale interview spoiled. It took my breath away.
I wasn’t sure whether or not to get the new Archie book, but when I got to the store there was only one copy left so I couldn’t resist.
The Legion comic was, indeed, fine. Sherman’s art was fantastic, though, and I hope she stays on the book for a long time. I love Ryan Sook’s art, but the Bendis/ Sook Legion was too cluttered. Too many characters, and the costume designs blended in with each other. Here, every character is visually distinct and gets a clear introduction. I hope we don’t have to wait 5 issues before the team forms, however. I liked the first issue, but found myself getting inpatient.
For those who care about such things (I’m a Legion fan, of course I care about such things), I believe this is Legion of Superheroes, v9. There have been nine comics to have the name Legion of Superheroes, though there have been only eight LSH #1s.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. The central mystery is kind of perfect to both shock longtime fans and not confuse alienate new ones. I enjoyed the new iterations of Brainiac 5, Matter Eater Lad (yes!), and Lightning Lad a lot, and the (honestly) cameos from Cos, Ayla, and Saturn Girl were nice. A good first issue, good enough for me to have hopes.
Yeah, the Interlac alphabet still being readable is such a nice touch for the old heads – that’s the kind of detail that actually matters when you’re trying to make something feel like Legion and not just another superhero book.
Finally snagged my copy of the new LoSH #1. While it reads a little too slowly for this 5YL fan, I understand that we’re trying to bring new and/or lapsed readers along with us, so I’m okay with some exposition. And of course Sherman’s art is incredible and makes the whole thing worth a re-read. I can’t believe they’re going to be drawing this and Absolute Wonder Woman at the same time. They take breaks, I suppose, but still: the quality is exceptional.
So far, I’m enjoying Williamson’s little tweaks to the Legion characters. Everyone feels freshened up but not drastically altered. That was one of the downfalls of Bendis’ attempt — I honestly didn’t recognize multiple characters no matter how hard I tried to figure out who they were. It helps that this new iteration has started with only about 10 characters we’re supposed to know. Much easier than 30+ old and new LoSH members. I think the only cover character not explained at this point is the Robin in the lower left.
I’ll definitely stick with it, although I also hope getting the band back together doesn’t take forever. I want to see the new Timber Wolf and Shrinking Violet, etc., sooner rather than later. I’ll try to have patience…
Also: I’m intrigued by the new Doom Patrol series, but I don’t expect it to be around for long. I should at least try #1, though, right?
I aggressively dislike that LEGION cover art- it’s so TWEE.
Thom-I’ve been reading the first issue of each of these DC “Next Level” titles. I am thinking that the Doom Patrol first issue may be my favourite of the lot. It’s suitably weird, but without attempting to copy Grant Morrison (which is always a failing proposition). I was impressed, but yeah, considering that it seems about as uncommercial as you can be with a Big Two book, I wouldn’t expect it to be one of the successes of the “Next Level” initiative.
Thanks, Chris! I’ll check it out.
@ Snark Shark
Agreed. I flipped through the first issue of the newest Legion reboot, and while the panel layouts, Futurist elements, diverse looking aliens, etc. as drawn by Hayden Sherman are fairly good– if derivative of the the styles of Sergio Toppi, Moebius, Philippe Druillet, and other classic “Metal Hurlant” European artists from the ’70s and ’80s– the actual rendering of the Legionnaires as strange looking androgynes (I guess the future really IS uncertain…), and the aesthetically displeasing costume tweaks, are deal breakers for me. One wonders why Sherman didn’t tap into the Barbarella or Valerian aesthetic for cool looking futuristic costumes instead?
Maybe by the end of the first story arc the characters will become superheroes and graduate to proper costumes–but right now they just appear to be gangly LARPers in fugly outfits in a dystopian future where superheroing is a crime –who want to do what they want to do without being hassled by the man. Was Joshua Williamson aiming for Logan’s Run meets Judge Dredd?
It really shouldn’t be that hard for DC Comics to do the Legion justice by bringing back the elements which made it a big success throughout the Silver and Bronze Ages. Just make the Dave Cockrum costumes canon for the majority of the Legionnaires going forward. Have the Legionnaires drawn as being on average between nineteen to twenty-five, as opposed to tweens. Bring back the soap opera elements and classic villains, and add new elements and characters to diversify the team, while leaving the old, classic characters intact in their Bronze Age essence.
When all is said and done, I will take a classic James Sherman-drawn Superboy & the Legion Bronze Age story featuring Saturn Girl, Dawnstar, Princess Projectra, and Dream Girl looking amazing, and Mon-El, Karate Kid, Timber Wolf, and Ultra Boy as skilled fighters to be reckoned with, over the Hayden Sherman-drawn All-In Legion story–thank you very much.
Perhaps Hayden Sherman should check out some Bronze Age James Sherman Legion art –or Michael Golden Micronauts art– to see what once was the peak of sci-fi comics art and glean from it.
I am just grateful that I was young during the ’70s and ’80s, when the comics medium was at its zenith in terms of superb stories and sublime artwork.
I gave the latest Doom Patrol a look as well, and while I found the art by Niko Henrichon to be more to my taste than that on the Legion, I still question why Robot Man was redesigned yet again for the umpteenth time–this time he looks like The Thing (if the Thing were a robot!). Can’t DC just stick with the classic Bruno Premiani Robot Man design? Sigh.
And, I get it that The Doom Patrol has always been portrayed as a team of outcasts or “super-freaks” (Was Rick James a Rita Farr fan…?), but by having them scraping by through going on an errand to retrieve a lost cat it seems like Darcy Van Poelgeest is barking up the wrong tree. Cat retrieval is really something that Angel & the Ape, or the Inferior Five should be tasked with (Maybe DC could go All-In with those characters?). The Doom Patrol should be battling General Immortus, The Brotherhood of Evil, or Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man.
Thankfully, Mike had a recent arrival VG+ back issue copy of Doom Patrol no. 106 which I was able to buy instead and am looking forward to reading.
I also flipped through Superman: The Stranger number one and was underwhelmed. It is nice to have a story set in the ’30s, with Superman as the champion of the oppressed, as Siegel and Shuster originally depicted him, but the art in Superman: The Stranger is so sparse, sketchy, rudimentary and underwhelming that I had to take a pass. Maybe if Steve Rude or Jerry Ordway or someone with a similar style had drawn it, I would have been down for it.
Also, I get it that Wes Craig wants to depict Clark Kent (now working as a janitor instead of a reporter–because it is the Great Depression and jobs are hard to come by) as a friend and ally of the disenfranchised lumpenproletariat, but, we get a strange simulacra/pastiche sequence of the “Crime Alley Wayne Tragedy,” only in this reality the robbery victims are not the noblesse oblige Waynes (and there isn’t a traumatised Bruce), but rather they are an entitled, jingoist and xenophobic elite couple. And Lex Luthor is a musky grump…so to speak, which is a sign of modern times.
Anyway, I would much rather read some sort of DC limited series or Black Book series which utilizes Dr. Occult, Slam Bradley, Hop Harrigan and various other characters from the 1930s in some globetrotting adventures steeped in the actual history of the ’30s.
How about Dr. Occult, etc. thwarting the Thule Society by going after ancient artifacts of purported supernatural powers in exotic locales before they are used for nefarious purposes (with a cameo by Aleister Crowley)? Or how about a Mystery Men: Year 1 featuring The Crimson Avenger, The Sandman, and The Bat-Man set in the late 1930s?
“One wonders why Sherman didn’t tap into the Barbarella or Valerian aesthetic for cool looking futuristic costumes instead?”
That stuff, I could go for!
And, to be fair, I can’t call the above artwork terrible, I just DON’T like it.