Legion of Super-Heroes #6

          Recently this series has gone from good to amazing. I do have my problems with the series but they are few. I don't know of a single writer that would have been better for this series than Paul Levitz. He has found a way to incorporate several of the characters, and giving some more face time than others, which is really a trait this series needs. On top of that the art has constantly been great in this series. Francis Portela has found a way to show the seriousness of what Levitz is doing, and capture the "Mom and apple pie" feeling of the original comics.
          In this issue Shadow Lass is angry that Phantom Girl didn't knock before entering the room when she found Shadow Lass sleeping with Earth-Man. Then Earth-Man, Timber Wolf, and Brainiac 5 destroy some xenophobes, and Earth-Man denounces his old beliefs. Then Earth-Man goes to Brainiac and yells at him and demands a normal flight ring, and he tells him "I may be convinced that we have to get along with offworlders, but it doesn't mean I have to like 'em... especially you."
At the end of the story Matter-Eater Lad announces that the fans get to vote on the next Legion Head. But this is after Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl go on temporary leave, so you can't vote for them.
           I thought it was really smart of Levitz not to put Matter-Eater Lad in the actual story, because if he did you would have the option of voting for him. I love MEL as much as the next guy, and I most likely would have voted for him if he were on the ballot, but he wouldn't be a good Legion Head in the story. Te actual story of this issue wasn't all that good. For one Levitz didn't  bring up Shadow Lass and Earth-Man enough, I know I said I didn't like the pace of it last issue, but the cover is devoted to that, and that was the big thing that happened last issue, and not once this issue was Earth-Man even in the same panel of Shadow Lass. There was a little where Shadow Lass goes on about how Earth-Man is a warrior, but that was way to little, plus I was also disappointed about how fast Phantom Girl excepted everything.. If Shadow Lass and Earth-Man talked, and Phantom Girl was a little less accepting this issue would have been much better. On top of that, when Levitz wrote the part with Earth-Man and Brainiac 5, did he forget that Earth-Man is now with an "offworlder?" He had finally become excepting, and then he went on a rant about how much he doesn't like Aliens. I don't know what was going through Levitz head. Other than that this issue was mainly made up of space fillers, just a bunch of loose dribble. The only reason I would encourage buying this issue is because Matter-Eater lad is in one page, and he announces a pretty cool event. Colossal Boy 2010!




Grade: 3/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Legion of Super-Heroes #5

               This series has been getting better and better, it started off as okay, but then became good, and now I look forward to it every month. Levitz, has been doing a great job with this series. Instead of focusing on all of the characters in great detail, he picked a few to focus on, a couple sub heroes, and then some ones that make an appearance but aren't that big. I like it that way, it makes the comic enjoyable, without being confusing. On top of that he has the whole thing with Earth-Man and the Green Lantern Corps, but he does that in the perfect moderation, so again, it's enjoyable without being confusing.

            In this issue several heroes are helping some refugees from Titan off a rescue ship that just crashed then the Earth Force comes and they take down all of the Legion except Sun Boy, but then Earth-Man and other Legion members help  him out. Then the Green Lantern ring tries to go onto Professor Li, but she rejects. At the end Earth-Man and Sun Boy arrest everyone at the illuminati thing, and at the very end Phantom Girl finds that Shadow Lass is sleeping with Earth-Man.

            This comic was fantastic, there were parts with Chameleon Boy that were just fantastic. (this is a comic that has the opportunity to use politics, and Levits found a way to moderate it perfectly) Levits also has made Earth-Man a likable character, which is also something I like, because When there's one character I just hate in a series, I end up not liking the series. (example: Hawk in the Birds of Prey) A lot of people liked the end, they say it gives many opportunities to the seres, I agree, but I didn't like the way it was done. It seems like Levitz said: "okay I finished one plot, lets start another right now!" Maybe if it were at the beginning of issue six it would have been better, but if thats my only complaint, and it's a small one, you know this issue was very good.

             I urge you to pick up this series.



Grade: 9.5 /10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Legion of Super-Heroes #2

               The last issue was good, not crazy good, but it was good. So naturally I had high expectations, not crazy high, but high. These expectations were reached and surpassed. Cinar and Portela do a great job of showing people with xenophobia. If you see pictures of  protests against integration they pretty much look like the pictures in this issue of people protesting against the people of Titan being on Earth. This book's plot was really simple. The Legion is clearing the debris that once was Titan, the Legion is trying to calm protesters agains the presence of Titan refugees on Earth, Earth-Man disabled his "leash," but is being corporative, and Saturn Queen took over Ultra Boy's mind. Oh... and Saturn Girl went back in time to when her boys got zapped by the beam, found something, then raced back to the present to use it. I did like the inclusion of Saturn Queen, I didn't expect it at all, I know it should have been pretty predictable, but for some reason it just didn't occur to me.
              In  my review of the last issue, I said that it wasn't dramatic enough to give Earth-Man the choice of Legion or corps, but in this issue his character grows on you. Actually gradually through out the issue. At first you hate him just as much as before, but when he starts to cooperate, you can see him being on the Legion for a long time, and it doesn't really bother you. I'm not saying that he is a good as Colossal Boy, but he grows on you. This issue really makes you like all of the Legion characters, there isn't a single one I don't like. Although it is a little too big, It's hard to keep track of all the members, but as long as I know the main ones, I think I'm fine. Levits is doing everything he can to make sure that most of the Legionnaires are included which is a good thing to do. If he leaves out someones favorite Legionnaire suddenly he has just lost a fan. So he is doing a good job with that , and he is doing a good job with this series.
               So overall this comic was great. Not the best thing that I have ever read, but it was great.


Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com