When I first got into comics, I was a DC fan all the way. Though I was introduced to the world of super-heroes through such titles as Batman Family, DC Comics Presents and Justice League of America, some of my favorite comics early on were DC's digest reprints. It was through those that I was introduced to the Legion of Super-Heroes, and I was hooked instantly. I sought out Legion stories old and new, and I remain a fan of the long-lasting, cult favorite even today. Writer Jason Hall brings the Legion back into the world of DC's animated continuity, but while it's a fun story, it seems to me that plot-wise, he's bitten off a little more than the reader can chew.
An accident at S.T.A.R. Labs transforms a technophobe blue-collar worker into Kilg%re, a living virus out to turn the world's technology against all of those who would avail themselves of it. To make matters worse, he's left a chaotic countryside in the present for the future, and members of the Justice League give chase. In the 30th century, the Justice Leaguers team with the heroes of tomorrow -- the Legion of Super-Heroes. They have their hands full, though, when Kilg%re comes into contact with the greatest computing invention of the future: C.O.M.P.U.T.O.
Min Ku has always done an excelent job of bringing DC's animated, Bruce Timm style to life in comics, and this is no exception. I'm struck, though, by the added depth that Ty Templeton's inks bring to Ku's pencils. Ku also captures the Legionnaires' youth quite nicely while maintaining a more seasoned look among the better known heroes from which the title derives its name. Simplifying the design for Kilg%re here, as compared to the mainstream-continuity version, was a wise move, and make for a striking, powerful look for the antagonist. McCraw offers up bright, fun colors, but that comes as no surprise to those of us who followed his work on the various Legion titles over the years, especially through the 1990s.
It was a pleasure to "reunite" with a number of older, more obscure Legion characters here. Characters from the 1970s and '80s turn up here, as well as the classic Silver Age members and even newer ones. Hall offers a wonderful tribute to Legion history here that's bound to tickle every Legion fan's fancy.
Problems arise, though, when it comes to plotting and pacing. Hall not only introduces a new villain here, but a new group of heroes, as far as the Justice League is concerned. On top of that, he touches upon the notion of "Legion Reserves." The main plotline involving Kilg%re really doesn't require this jaunt into the future. It's as though Hall combined two stories into one, and it makes for a crowded, sometimes frenetic, script.
