EVEN BETTER

One of my Christmas presents was Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a hardcover collecting the six issue storyline from Action Comics. Written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank and (inker) Jon Sibal, it features Superman reconnecting with his childhood friends and allowed me to reconnect with mine, as this series features the original versions of the long-running (and twice-rebooted) Legion. I talked some about this issues as they came out but I think I enjoyed the story even more this second time around.

Originally, I was swept up in the plot and the pure joy of seeing Blok and Dawnstar and Polar Boy again. But Johns really nailed the essences of these characters - the hotheadedness of Wildfire balanced by the calm practicality of Dawnstar; the arrogance and compassion of Brianiac 5; the positive attitude of Polar Boy.

He also showed why Superman was the inspiration for the future. A non-powered Clark (thanks to Earth's sun having turned red) still fights the fight and is not only loyal to his friends but is still able to inspire them. Obviously, he does not appreciate the Justice League (former Legion rejects, some of whom were members of the Legion of Super-Villains) distorting his life to spread xenophobia on Earth and bring the United Planets to the brink of war. In their final confrontation, Earth-Man tells Superman he doesn't know what it's like to be an outsider, to be rejected. Superman's reply is powerful and well set up by the story.

All of these serious themes and subjects are undercut by bits of humor as well. A major source of this is the reappearance of the Legion of Substitute-Heroes, who hijack a space bus and attack the Justice League in their headquarters. I do love Stone Boy.

The art is a big draw here as well. Frank and Sibal like working on the ladies - rarely have Dawnstar and Shadow Lass looked so good. But they also give us a Superman we can believe in, as well as the entire Legion. Johns ended each issue with a great cliffhanger and the art did not let down the story - Chapter 5's ending of a powerless Superman taking the fight with Earth-Man into space is awesome.

I'm very glad I got this series in hardcover, as I suspect it's one I will return to. My rereading also comes at a good time, since there has been a long gap between issues of Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (the third is coming at the end of the month, finally) and I was itching to see more of the Legion. It is work like this that makes me continue to love super-hero comics.

DV DAYS

Today I finally worked my way through all of G4's coverage of this year's Comic-Con. Kinda fun to look at all the craziness without having to be in the middle of it..not that I've ever been to Comic-Con. Heck, it's been a lot of years since I've been to Wizard World Chicago but maybe I'll take Grant next summer. He might be into it.

Anyway, I still have lots of stuff on my DVR that I need to get to...and watching baseball doesn't help much in getting it watched. Not giving up watching the Sox and Cubs, though. No way.

Here's what I still need to watch...

3 episodes of Generation Kill (new mini-series from David Simon)
2 episodes of The Middleman (one of which is started)
2 episodes of Burn Notice (with a new one coming tomorrow night)
2 episodes of Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Billie Piper!)
1 episode of Mad Men (Season 2 premiere!)
1 episode of Venture Bros. (how did I ever live without this show?)
1 episode of Doctor Who (the penultimate ep of Season 4)

In other news, Grant and I have started on Superman Season 3 and have managed to watch the first 6 episodes. That's faster than we've watched anything in a while. Two really good two-parters, both full of Kirby creations, and two so-so single eps. A commentary and a featurette and then we're on to disc 2!

MY LEGION

I've mentioned several times that I trace my love for comics back to Legion of Super-Heroes #272 back when I was in 4th grade. I remained a huge fan of the myriad heroes of the 30th century throughout my first phase of fandom and it was the first comic I checked in on when I came back to comics in 1994. Later that year, the series was relaunched and my Legion was no more. I still followed the series for many more years, eventually losing track as I made the switch to buying only trades. A third relaunch occurred a few years back; I reviewed the first collection of that series a few months back.

Earlier this year, member of the original Legion made a reappearance in the pages of JLA and JSA, in a five-part crossover that culminated in the return of Wally West, the Flash. Now a new story, "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes," is running in Action Comics and I have decided I couldn't wait for a trade, making the first two parts (#858 and #859) my first single issue purchases in three months.

The story (written by Geoff Johns) begins with a couple on an alien planet in 3008 who make the decision to send their son to Earth, since it had worked out well long ago for Superman (who still remains "the ultimate symbol for truth, justice, and the universal way"). This time it doesn't work out, as the Ma and Pa Kent-like couple who find the kid make the decision to kill it...something is amiss in the 31st century.

Cut to the present, where Clark Kent is ignored by his colleagues trying to join them on the elevator; soon is being lectured by Perry White that he needs to have friends other than Jimmy Olsen. He's saved by the appearance of Brianiac rampaging through Metropolis (a gigantic Brianiac no less!) and goes off to fight. Turns out it's not really Brianiac - it's Brainiac 5 from the Legion - and he helps Clark remember his past (lonely before meeting the Legion). Now the future needs Superman's help and Clark jumps in the time sphere to come help.

Superman lands in Legion HQ but he is attacked by the Science Police and subsequently rescued by Colossal Boy, Dawnstar, and Wildfire. They try to send him back but the time sphere is destroyed; even worse, Superman learns the sun is red and he has no powers.

In the next issue, we start to get some answers as to why he is in danger in the 31st century. His legacy has been distorted and his name used to drive aliens away from Earth and for Earth to secede from the United Planets. Earth is being policed by the Justice League, a group of Legion rejects (we see them defeat Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl in the remains of the Batcave). Of course, Superman still wants to help and sets out with the three Legionnaires who rescued him to try and find Brianiac 5 (who's been missing for months).

Obviously, I'm hooked. I'm looking forward to seeing what other glimpses we get of my old favorites and where the story goes and hoping that this could lead to a new series chronicling the ongoing adventures of my Legion. The art by Gary Frank and inker Jon Sibal is very dynamic - Dawnstar has rarely looked better. It's a good package all the way around and I wish I didn't have to wait until a few days after Christmas for the next installment. But I do.