Customer Reviews

Legion, The: Foundations

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Even thought the post-Zero Hour(a.k.a 'rebooted') Legion lasted from 1994-2004, this is only the second trade to collect material from their run.
Contains issues #25-30 of the series "The Legion" and also material from the 'Legion Secret Files 2003'. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, this story has the Legion team-up with Superboy(a.k.a Conner Kent).

This trade paperback contains some of the last comics of the rebooted version of the Legion of Superheroes who DC had on stage from 1994-2004. It may tell you something about the comics industry and the publisher that since then there was new reboot (the "threebooted" Legion), before a new version which was tied to the original one--and now DC is rebooting the entire thing. It's pretty confusing for new readers so be warned.

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning offer this collection of comics--and, perhaps sensing the confusion, they spend a large amount of time on exposition. Characters give speeches about the founding of the Legion. A journalist introduces everyone on the team and gives us a rundown of who they are. Saturn Girl goes over the entire "Legion Lost" plot in answer to a question. The authors try to flesh out an epic plot involving Darksid, the destruction of all human history and various themes involving two versions of Superboy--but these seem convoluted, rushed and frankly not very interesting. Other threads--Kid Quantum loses control of her powers and Lightening Lad/Livewire is back (sort of)--do little to advance the story. Abnett and Lanning simply are not as good as other Legion writers--namely Paul Levitz--in running the ensemble cast and their attempts to do so often fall flat.

The main problem with the book is the inconsistency of the art. This book features 7 pencilers and 9 inkers. Add the colorers to the mix....and you have a larger team than a major league baseball roster for most of the season. It's absurd. There are sudden, often conflicting, changes in the span of pages. This distracts and annoys--and makes what had been a mediocre collection of comics a below average one.

To try and confuse people more, this version of the Legion of Super Heroes, entitled The Legion, decided to add Superboy to their roster. This is yet another different Superboy, and a rather reckless young lad, diving headfirst into attempting to solve some of the problems he encounters in the 30th century.

A strange thing to do, this.