Adventure Comics #2.1 Review. Not
Come on, guys, work with me here.
A little more happened in the Legion backup this issue than last issue: Mekt believes that bad things are in store for the universe, and that he has a twin somewhere. The rest is mostly retroboot atmosphere.
That was still more than what we got in the main story. I thought this thing was supposed to have something to do with adventure.
Labels: Comic Book Reviews, Legion of Super-Heroes
posted by Matthew E @ 10:09 PM
29 Comments:
It does almost seem like both Legion bits so far have felt like the first two pages of a bigger story to come. I wonder if we'll even see those stories with the Return of Levitz.
But from my Connercentric viewpoint, the whole book was worth the price to me just for that last shot of Lex Luthor.
I wonder if it's just setting up toys for Levitz to play with.
Honestly, this title has been a waste of time so far. If I didn't have this blog I'd drop it.
I knew this would happen, which is why I stopped collecting Legion after 30+ years. I won't subscribe until LSH get's their own title again.
What exactly was it that you knew would happen?
I expect the 30+ year anonymous vet "knew" that DC would do nothing more than give token support to the Legion.
Me? I don't much care for the clone Superboy (he had his moments, but the thrill is gone), so his pages are taking up much needed real estate the Legion needs. The retroboot Legion could use the space to fill in what we need to know about this version, develop characters, and establish plot threads that take more than 8 pages to develop. As you've mentioned in the previous thread, Levitz's storytelling style leans toward longform. "Earthwar" couldn't have worked particularly well in such small chunks. "Prophet and Omen" would've worked as well, but that story stank on ice...
My problem is not that this is only token support for the Legion; that's all up in the air with Levitz coming on anyway. My problem is nothing is happening in this comic book.
Furthermore, I don't need to know anything about the retroboot Legion. I'll pick it up as I go along. What I need is for Invisible Kid, Gates and Ultra Boy to get caught up in the middle of a bunch of Sklarian raiders stealing a cosmic artifact from Lester Spiffany on behalf of the Xrahans.
See, now that would be a great 8 page story! You'd get some action... some characterization and a neat little caper.
Instead in 16 pages of story, we've learned that Star Boy's still crazy, RJ Brande has a plan, and Lightning Lord has a brother.
How about Clayton Henry's art on the Legion section? I don't think he captures the way Gary Frank's costumes avoid the "spandex" look by looking more like pants and jackets than like unitards.
(One of the things I like about Frank's designs is that they look like real clothing. I wish DC would adopt that approach for all their heroes: Now that I've seen how costumes can look realistic, I can't take Supes and Bats seriously any longer in their tights&trunks!)
I also noted that Garth and Mekt are both very... wide. Not fat, but thick -- look how big their thighs are! Yikes!
And I'm not sure I like the idea of messing with such a major part of Legion Lore as Mekt's being a single birth. Let's hope he's leading Garth on a goose chase and that there is no mystery twin....
My theory is that the lost Ranzz sibling is something Mekt has deluded himself into believing. I'm probably wrong, but it's consistent with his character.
> "My theory is that the lost Ranzz sibling is something Mekt has deluded himself into believing."
Let's hope. But I don't get the picture here that Mekt is delusional. Lying, perhaps...
Then again, hasn't there been news that this story arc is supposed to set up some major conflict for the 31st century?
On Mekt: Well, I don't think he's above lying, but this is one topic about which he's certainly capable of lying to himself. Can you think of anything in the world that he would rather be true?
On the galactic conflict: I think that was covered by the part where Mekt told Garth that the U.P. was going to destroy the universe, or something, and he was on the wrong side. It's a pretty vague and paranoid-sounding warning, and if it wasn't for the solicit I wouldn't place any weight on it at all. I still mightn't.
How about Clayton Henry's art on the Legion section? I don't think he captures the way Gary Frank's costumes avoid the "spandex" look by looking more like pants and jackets than like unitards.
I wasn't a big fan of Frank's redesigns... but I'm really liking how Clayton Henry is drawing the feature. Clean lines... expressive features... I think he's a real find!
I also noted that Garth and Mekt are both very... wide. Not fat, but thick --
I noticed the same thing. I think I like it, surprisingly, as I'm a big fan of Moder's super sleek Legionnaires... but I really like the thick look, too.
My theory is that the lost Ranzz sibling is something Mekt has deluded himself into believing. I'm probably wrong, but it's consistent with his character.
I hope that you're right. I can see Mekt deluding himself, but on the other hand, what could be so terrible about Mekt's twin that his parents would deceive him that way? Validus, maybe?
Murray, I'll agree with you halfway on the art. While I liked the way Frank's costumes fit like real clothes, his faces always looked psychotic to me. Henry's faces are much better. I just wish the costumes had a few more wrinkles in them....
On Mekt's twin...I've not read Lof3W yet (waiting for the trade), but I've wondered for years what would happen if Mekt met his future self (since, in the original continuity, the first appearance of the LSV was them timetravelling from a few years in the LSH's future). With the various cross-time Legions able to interact in Lof3W, why couldn't Mekt go find one of his other-dimensional "twins"?
This was a great comic. Can't wait to see what Levitz has in store.
On the subject of artists, I have no idea why Frances Manipul is considered "hot." I think he draws blocky, cartoony people. Yet there he is in the Top 10 Artists listed in Wizard (4/10 of whom work with Geoff Johns).
I read this and I'm fifty/fifty on the idea of Mekt having a twin. Part of me thinks this is indeed a set-up with Mekt playing, a bit poorly, on whatever sympathy he can off his siblings. He must've chose Garth considering Ayla sees through this after what happened in the "Eye for an Eye" story. This can also function as a way to crack through Garth's badboy personality right now, as a way of at least trying to help his brother. Or if not, than it's either to quell whatever feelings he might have over the idea that their parents lied to them.
Or, if Mekt DID have a twin, the most logical answer was that it died at childbirth, which is why their parents never said anything. If that's the case, the question is did this sibling die of natural causes or foul play?
I've been trying to think of other electrically-powered DCU characters Mekt's twin could be... but, of course, he or she wouldn't have any such powers, would he or she? Could be anybody.
I really hope we're not going to end up with some artificially-empowered "Lightning Lady" as a result of this.
And of course the other question is, is the resolution going to be what Johns was planning to do or what Levitz decides to do.
Of course Mekt is lying. Of course Garth is being setup for a hind parts kicking. Of course Ayla will have to save Garth and wag her finger at Mekt. Don't you just love their family dynamic? I know I do!
Could be. But you have to admit that Mekt is crazy enough to believe it himself.
Yeah this issue was disappointing as far as the Legion is concerned. I was looking forward to more of the "beast" (Tellus) and what the espionage squad are doing. The best we got was a one panel cameo of Element Lad as chemistry teacher again. Nice to see the 31st again but I would have rather seen advancement on the 21st rather than another setup which could have been done in 1 or 2 pages. My greatest fear is that with the writer change-over, once again we will get a half tie up of story lines by #6 with the rest left untouched as happened in LOSH 50.
Mmm, well, the difference is that there are no constraints on Levitz for how quickly he has to resolve anything. And Levitz is a guy who doesn't mind taking his time getting to the end of a story. Like Johns in some ways, really.
I will be interested to see how "Mekt's secret twin" plays out. Can a character defined by 1 trait (being a singleton) really have that trait changed and remain a remotely viable character? Will it have to be a cliched "I found my secret twin only to watch him die" sort of plot? Will the secret twin reject Mekt? It seems like you have to do something to keep Mekt feeling like a singleton and searching for siblings in all the wrong places
Anything they do with Mekt will be more interesting than the old Lightning Lord personality was.
I love the idea of Mekt looking for his other world self to finally have a twin! But I don't think that will be the case.
Anyway, why assume that Mekt's twin would necessarily have lightning powers? The Ranzzes weren't born with them, so he or she could have any kind of power, if any.
Wouldn't it be funny if Mekt deluded himself into believing Black Lightning could be his long lost brother? So what, they don't match? If you're going crazy, might as well go all the way!
Or a Bahdnisian Thunderbolt.
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