Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 6) 1
“The Scream Heard ‘Cross the Universe”
Published: May 2010
Writer: Paul Levitz
Pencils: Yildray Cinar
Inks: Wayne Faucher
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Colors: Hi-Fi
Cover: Cinar and Faucher

Synopsis

A number of story arcs are introduced in this comic, some of which tie together by the end. In one, Earth-Man, a xenophobic villain who hates “off-worlders,” is in custody and being drained of his powers. But to placate anti-alien forces on Earth, the United Planets government is forcing the Legion to take him on as a member in exchange of allowing them to maintain their headquarters on Earth. The unhappy legionnaires, led by Braniac 5, offer Earth-Man a Legion ring, with special modifications to keep him in check

Meanwhile Saturn Girl is on her home moon of Titan, where time-travel researchers are conducting an experiment to witness the birth of the universe (which longtime DC readers know only means bad things). The experiment goes awry and sets up a chain reaction that transports Saturn Girl’s children to another time and ultimately destroys Titan.

The act of witnessing the birth of the universe reaches Oa, home of the Guardians, where Sodam Yot, last of the Green Lanterns, has his ring removed by Dyogene, an alien being. Dyogene then presents it to Earth-Man, naming him the new Green Lantern for Earth’s sector.

What’s going on here?

Sometimes it feels like the comic industry goes out of its way to complicate things. The inaugural issue of (yet another) Legion reboot should be an opportunity for new readers to jump on with a clean slate, but writer Paul Levitz—who wrote the Legion in the 80s and is back after 20 years—can’t seem to help himself.

Instead of a fresh start, we are evidently picking up a story that began in Superman and Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. While the Final Crisis series appears to have restored the Legion back to the version Levitz last wrote, there’s still lots of loose ends to be dealt with. As a result, we are presented with a tangled plot concerning Earth-Man and Green Lanterns, and featuring Saturn Girl and her own complicated backstory.

All of this might have made lots of sense 13 years ago, when this comic came out, and I was more-or-less following along as a monthly reader. But now, sadly, it’s all a bit bewildering.

What I liked

Despite it all, it’s still the Legion, and no one has a better handle on this sprawling team than Levitz. It’s always fun to see these characters again, and we get fun snippets of their personalities from the legionnaires who get their moment on stage. The Earth-Man concept is a good one, and the idea of a Xenophobic element on Earth threatening the highly diverse Legion creates an interesting political dynamic. I’m just not sure I have the energy to read all the stories leading up to this to fully understand it.

I particularly liked this tour of the Legion universe, as the psychic shock of Titan’s destruction ripples across the galaxy.

What I didn’t like

As discussed, too much background knowledge is assumed and an awful lot of story is crammed into this comic. I also disliked Levitz’s handing of Braniac-5, who has gone from merely smug to dismissively arrogant. And the cover—Earth-Man’s fist with the Legion and later rings—feels like an odd choice for a first issue.

It’s also never been clear to me why the Legion has had so many reboots. More than any other mainstream title from the Big Two, the Legion seems a victim of the industry’s commercial forces, as every new event or company-wide reboot seems to produce a new vision for the Legion. The irony is, way out in the 30th century, they should be isolated from all the chaos in the here and now.

Overall

It’s fun to see these characters again but it feels like a missed opportunity.