It's astounding, really, how the Legion of Super-Heroes has stood the test of time. Four decades of stories and characters, and even today, it continues to find an audience. And the creators behind The Legion these days manage to tell more complex, mature stories while maintaining the bright-eyed, wondrous appeal of the Silver Age origins of the property. This latest story is a treat for longtime DC super-hero comics readers while maintaining an accessible tone for new, potential fans. This is a delightful book.
Some quick tests reveal that Ra's Al Ghul could not have been killed in his escape attempt, and that means the most devious villain of any time is loose on Legion World. The entire team mobilizes to track Al Ghul down, but he's got a legion of cloned bodies at his disposal... not to mention freedom and revenge on his brilliant mind. Meanwhile, Sensor's time is running out. Her shifting genetic makeup threatens to kill her, and only the elusive Ra's Al Ghul holds the secret to her salvation.
Barrionuevo handled the art for both parts of this two-chapter story, and he was an excellent choice to follow, even briefly, in the footsteps of former regular artist Olivier Coipel. He boasts a detailed, dark style that maintains the mature, tense atmosphere of this script (and of what we've come to expect from the series), and his work is actually a little reminiscent of Coipel's European style. He also conveys Al Ghul's age, strength and wisdom quite well.
My one qualm with this issue is what becomes of Sensor. When the character was introduced during the previous, lighter incarnation of the Legion, I was thrilled. I loved the notion of an alien member who was really, well, physically alien. The notion of a non-humanoid made a lot of sense in a super-hero space opera. Some of that quality is undone here. Yes, Sensor is granted a more haunting, sensual and dynamic look, but she's lost the dichotomous quality of empathy versus inhumanity. It's a small nitpick, though.
The greatest strength of this script is how the writers successfully depict Ra's Al Ghul's sharp intellect. His ability to simply outwit an army of superhuman heroes is impressive and makes for an engaging and convincing conflict. Even better, though, is how Al Ghul is able to logically examine the situation to realize that his best chance at victory is through surrender.
