Review: Legion Of Super-Heroes #8

Legion of Super-Heroes #8 came out last week and was a powerhouse of an issue. 

A sort of jam piece where every page focuses on one Legionnaire and is drawn by a different artist as the fight between the Legion and King Crav and the Rimbor gang comes to a head. For someone like me, a long time Legion reader, seeing these glimpses at different Legionnaires and hearing a bit of their origins, learning a bit about their powers, this was a complete treat.

As I have said before, writer Brian Michael Bendis is walking the tightrope of this book. There is enough classic Legion stuff here for an old timer like me to love. There is a feeling of a hodgepodge approach to the team here with elements of several incarnations mashed together. And there is enough new stuff here to make me intrigued. And this approach of giving each Legionnaire a page is a great way to introduce new readers to these characters.

But the real treat here is the art. This is a real heavy hitting lineup of artists each bringing jaw dropping art. It would be easy to post each page here. But I have to pick and choose carefully. Please go out and get the issue! It is amazing!

On to the book!

Want to grab my attention? Give me a Doc Shaner opening page. I love Shaner's work and here he gives us a beaming with pride, young, eager Jon. Look at that grin! Incredible.

But I have to wonder about that Interlac at the bottom. The beginning has to be a note to the letterer and not meant to be translated.

"In Interlac on the side: Jon Kent is the creator and founder of the United Planets.

Named and designed after ancient earth’s United Nations, Jon Kent was the one to convince the first order of the United Planets to come together.

Conner Kent did none of these things."

Interesting to add the Conner line at the end meaning that Superboy is a known being in the 31st century.

But "In Interlac on the side"? That has to be a note to the letterer.

The issue is conversation between Chameleon Boy and his mother, the President of the UP. She is wondering where the idea of the Legion went wrong. And so we see them scroll through a number of the Legion tryouts and learn about some of the members powers.

Element Lad is still the lone survivor of Trom. But it wasn't Roxxas who killed all the Tromians; it was the Horraz. New wrinkle: he can't return something he has transmuted to its original form.

Dream Girl seems to be made of sand, is still a precog, and is still an extremely attractive being. But she may not identify as a female given her 'girl?' response.

Great art by Dustin Nguyen.

Then we learn that Projectra has many names and wants to fund the team (a throwback to the Threeboot?). 

But the Legion doesn't need her money or her haughty attitude. And Imra can see through all the illusion here. Jeckie wonders if this new environment where she is treated as an equal might not be better for her.

But then we are brought out of the back files and brought into the battle.

One thing we knew from earlier issues is that Ayla Ranzz is a social justice warrior. Here we see she has something of a quick trigger finger. She jumps into the fray with such ferocity that Imra is afraid she'll kill everyone.

And artist Sanford Greene gives a fantastic page showing that warrior skill. Love Ayla and love what she is doing here.

If Ayla is my second favorite Legionnaire, Wildfire is my favorite. The president is impressed with how powerful Wildfire is, even on a team with two Kryptonians and a Dryadian.

Look at how when Wildfire releases his energy at Crav that all the other Legionnaires are simply blown back. That is power.

But we also see how he is vulnerable, sucked up temporarily in an energy containment pod.

Mon-El can't stop Crav so the battle wages on. We then get to this nifty Dan Hipp page about Blok. This has two interlac passages.

The first:

"The Interlac narration will be something like: Blok comes from dryad where they believe justice is proportional so to Blok this attack on the legion feels like a full scale war."

The Interlac narration will be something like"? That has to be another note to the letterer.

But the second quote is more interesting.

"Blok is mentally noting which Legionnaires are actively fighting and which ones are pretending to.

It wasn’t until this moment that Blok noticed that Shadow Lass doesn’t seem to be doing anything."

Hmmm ... is Shadow Lass an agent of Rimbor? Not interested in fighting? A mole for someone bigger? Interesting. Perhaps the most intriguing panel of the book. 

Saturn Girl (on a stunning page by David Mack) knows the best thing to do is stand down  but her warning  goes unheeded by Timber Wolf.

Once again he is from Zuun, the product of his father's experiments. And he is the Lone Wolf, eager to cut loose with animal rage. This isn't your father's Legion. He has bloody talons and ready to throw down.

Brutal bloody page by Darick Robertson.

We see that Colossal Boy is again more akin to Micro Lad (from the Threeboot). His natural form is the giant to us.

And then we see Ferro Lad. He knows Crav can absorb energy thrown at him. The best way to defeat him is to overload his absorbing power. And Ferro Lad does just that with a big left uppercut.

I love seeing Ferro Lad back! And I love that Bendis has brought Jim Shooter's original vision to fruition making him African American.

With Crav knocked out, the Rimborians retreat.

Despite Rose trying to turn the President's wrath away from the Legion and towards Rimbor, the President is undeterred. 

The Legion will be brought to trial.

So happy to see Alex Maleev on the rack again!

And some people aren't happy. Mon-El has been surly this entire series.

How interesting he used to date Phantom Girl!

The Jo-Tinya relationship is one of the most entrenched in Legion lore. Her dating Mon? Maybe she has a type.

And Mon-Tasmia is the other entrenched Legion romance. So nice wrinkle here, tossing things into the mix. 

So much fun!

 Finally we learn once and for all that Mon is Jon's descendant. And he isn't happy.

What is going on here??

I have to know.

Anyways, the Legion is going to trial against the UP. 

This book has been firing on all cylinders since it started and this issue was like a high octane blast.

Everyone should be reading this book. It is a treat!

Overall grade: A

Posted in: Reviews