Legion Lost #15 review

One more issue and this book is gone. I can stand it. Not just because the Legion of Super-Heroes is meant to to be the 31st century's biggest team, so splitting off members and dumping them in the 21st century harms the concept. The main reason is because, more often than not, this series is painful. Yes, there have been some good issues; this isn't one of them.

As the book opens, the Lost team is fighting thousands of drones allied to planetary assassins Daggor and Thraxx. They're teamed with contemporary super-teens The Ravagers, and mutual enemies Harvest, Psykill, Warblade and Leash. Also in the fray is the clone Superboy, who's been switched into killing machine mode by his supposed creator, the aforementioned Harvest.

Blah blah and indeed blah. If it hurts to read this stuff in summary, try getting it from acres of unnatural expository dialogue.
Every DC comic is now written for the trade. It makes no sense to hobble good craftsmen like writer Tom DeFalco by forcing them to contrive these kinds of lines when a Marvel-style recap page would do the job better, and make for a smoother read when collected.

I might be less grumpy right now if just once DeFalco would remember that when Tyroc is using his sonic scream, he can't talk. Or if he wouldn't make up rubbish like Wildfire 'recharging' his anti-energy. Or have Dawnstar forget that Wildstar can't be killed, merely dispersed. Or have man of the people Gates consider abandoning his friends for an instant to save his own skin.

DeFalco turns in an enjoyable script on this week's Superboy, so why is this comic so bad? Maybe there was a deadline crunch, leaving no time to polish the dialogue (I'm especially sick of people saying 'We're Legion/I am Legion' as if they're in an Exorcist movie - 'I'm a Legionnaire' is how a human being would put it). Or perhaps his heart wasn't in it, what with having to deal with characters from three ongoing titles and the awfulness that is Harvest. I don't know. I do know that the sooner this comic disappears, the better.

A couple of things did give me a laugh, mind - Superboy's repeated 'KILL! MAIM! DESTROY!' line and Daggor's poetic inclinations - but I don't think they were meant to.

The one or two pleasing moments - Wildfire yelling 'Long Live the Legion!' and double agents Chameleon Girl and Jocelyn Lure coming down on the right side - aren't enough to make up for the poor script.

And neither is the art. Regular guy Pete Woods isn't around, leaving us with serviceable, unremarkable work from penciller Andres Guinaldo, inked by Mark Irwin, Marc Deering and Sean Parsons. Again, I suspect a deadline crush, and should probably be congratulating them on doing such a decent job, all things considered. The best moments involve Wildfire and Psykill's space battle with cosmic barbarian Daggor and winged monster Thraxx - Guinaldo has room to cut loose, what with the other several thousand characters being back on Earth.

So yes, there's one more issue for DeFalco to tie up an awful lot of plots and subplots. Can he do it? On the evidence of this issue, he has to be saving the best til' last.

Comments

  1. Grife, this issue was terrible! I mean, I'm a Legion guy from way back, but this was just painful to read.

    It's sad that this title that never had a reason to exist, and never found a direction, is going out as such a flaming mess.

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  2. Hmm, I'm not sure this issue will ever show up at the local B&N where I read my comics, but then it sounds like I might not be missing much.

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  3. Yet another Legion fan who is more than happy that this one is being put out of our misery.

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  4. Hi Snell, I do love a good 'grife'! Just one more month and we're released from the pain.

    Demand B&N gets it, BrainyPirate - why should you escape? ;)

    We should have a party, KnightSky.

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  5. Tellus's metamorphosis into a big yellow man with normal humanoid proportions is nearly complete. The panel near the end where he's going ARRRRGH! was fascinatingly awful. Did he always wear tighty-tights the same color as his skin?

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    1. Not if memory serves. I wonder why the artists don't consult a model sheet, or back issue, or the internet, or child's drawing ...

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  6. You're still reading this? I tip my hat to you, sir, and quote Styx:

    "Thank you very much, oh, Mr. Roboto, for doing the job nobody wants to."

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  7. The Tyroc talking thing bothers me whenever he or Banshee were shown unable to do both. They have amazing vocal chords that can do miracles. Why can't they simulate speech while blasting? They're not weak powered heroes after all...

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