Legion of Super Heroes #2-3 Review

What Happened That You Have To Know About:

Dr. Londo, while speaking at a scientific conference about his new nanotech-powered supersoldiers, is confronted and attacked (fatally?) by Timber Wolf. Timber Wolf is put on trial for this by the Legion, and found guilty, but escapes to clear his name. He finds that he really did do it, somehow (he's been suffering from headaches and blackouts), and retreats to Rahl so he won't hurt anybody. But once he's there he finds that his dad's alive and used his mind-control nanotech to set Timber Wolf up, because he wants Timber Wolf as a bestial general for his monstrous nanodrone army. The Legion shows up, and there's a fight, during which Timber Wolf asserts his individuality and allegiance, but Dr. Londo gets away.

We do get a couple of hints about the overall arc of this season. The Legionnaires trying to keep the lid on Timber Wolf include Cosmic Boy, Colossal Boy, Sun Boy, Tyroc, Superman X, Phantom Girl and Chameleon Boy, because others like Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy and Lightning Lad are off fighting Dominators. Also, Dr. Londo announces that he's 'formed an alliance with men who share [his] vision of what this galaxy can be,' which I presume refers to Imperiex and the Dominators.

Review:

It was an all right episode. There were continuity bits for people who like that stuff, there was atmosphere, there was action, there was a serviceable story with some character moments... the problem for me is that I don't care for the subject matter. I don't like this feral Timber Wolf. I don't think he should be an animalistic character; I'm just not interested in that angle. To me, the difference between Basic Original Timber Wolf and Extreme Feral Timber Wolf is like the difference between Batman and Man-Bat. And, "Now I do what I do best"? That little reference was neither necessary nor desireable. I think Blok said it best when he said, "Plaugh."

Phantom Girl, as a character, is coming along nicely. It's the second episode out of three this season in which she has to be the one to try to talk an overenthusiastic male Legionnaire down off the water tower. Sort of a stereotypical role, but that's not all she does: she also has an admirably haughty attitude. I particularly like the way she absently brushed Chameleon Boy out of her face in one scene this week. I wonder if they're going to try to develop a Timber Wolf/Phantom Girl relationship as was hinted at in the DnA Legion comics... the Drax episode last season also suggests it. And she showed off a new power stunt in the opening scenes, phasing a section of floor quite far from where she was to allow Timber Wolf to escape.

Other nice touches:
- Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf and Chameleon Boy working together naturally suggests the Espionage Squad. Too bad Shrinking Violet wasn't along, and of course Invisible Kid isn't part of the Legion at the moment.
- the scientific conference took place on the planet Heisenberg 7. I guess all the scientists who were there must have been unaware of how fast the planet was going.

Membership Notes:

We haven't seen Superman-X officially inducted into the Legion, but he was certainly acting like a Legionnaire in this episode. In particular, he was one of the members of the tribunal who judged Timber Wolf, and you can't tell me that Cosmic Boy, who after all is portrayed as quite the stickler for protocol in this episode, would allow a non-Legionnaire to participate in something so official and important. So I say he's a Legionnaire. (At least until I hear something else definitive.)