Legion of Super-Heroes is quickly shaping up to be the smartest super-hero title on the stands today. Waid's script is incredibly inventive, and the characterization is strong and entertaining. The balance among the action, humor, science-fiction, politics and philosophy elements is thoroughly impressive, and the same can be said of the artists' contributions. Kitson's designs for this series -- not just for the characters, but for the worlds in which they travel and the beings they encounter -- are stunning and convincing. Randy and I recently finished and posted our Best of 2004 lists on the site, and I'm betting that when we get to it again for 2005, you'll be hearing this title and its creators mentioned often.
A crisis of immense proportions has befallen Naltor, Dream Girl's home planet, and Legion leader Cosmic Boy dispatches a team to accompany her to assess and deal with the threat. Dream Girl, Brainiac 5, Karate Kid, Shadow Lass and Element Lad meet with Naltor's leaders and discover the planet's youth has lost their ability to sleep and dream, and they're being deprived of the precognitive visions all Naltorians have. They're being driven insane, but the Legionnaires quickly discover the crisis isn't meant as an attack.
Kitson embraces a more modern take on science-fiction here by approaching the idea of alien life as truly alien in appearance. We see it here in the opening scene, as a tentacled creature is center stage in a murder plot, and we see it in Naltorian architecture, which boasts an oddly organic look. At the same time, the artist includes campier, lighter visuals, such as the designs for some of the Legionnaires costumes, notably Element Lad's and Sun Boy's. One can tell that more than one inker was involved in the art here, but the shifts in style aren't quite so pronounced so as to interfere with the story.
Waid's inventive use of precognition and how it shapes Naltorian society comes off as quite clever. His work here and on Fantastic Four demonstrate he's approaching the idea of super-powers from a different perspective these days. It brings a freshness to the super-hero genre.
What's even more fascinating is how Waid takes that idea and uses it as a springboard for conflict among the heroes. It makes perfect sense that a scientist such as Brainiac 5 would be immensely frustrated over the lack of effort and logic of what is essentially magic. Brainy's all about arriving at answers, working to get there, whereas Dream Girl is given them, doesn't have to show her work or anything. What he achieves with discipline and purpose, she achieves by accident. Waid's juxtaposition of these opposites makes for some interesting philosophy... and a couple of great gags as well. 9/10
