Abnett and Lanning take a different approach with the Secret Files format and just tell one story, one that lends itself to incorporating character profiles within the script itself. It's an approach I applaud, but unfortunately, it doesn't make for the most engaging story. Those new to the world of The Legion will be well served by this thoroughly accessible script, but those of us who have been following the title won't find much of interest here. The story elements I do find intriguing strike me as the kind of thing that should have been reserved for the ongoing title, though.
Trudy Trusoe, reporter for The Earth Spins, takes her viewers on a guided tour of Legion World, introducing her audience to Legionnaires old and new, changed members of the team and to some of the more unusual and uniqu qualities of the team's orbital base of operations. While some tensions lurk on the periphery, overall, there is a sense of hope and energy that dominates the Legion's home. Meanwhile, a trio of cosmic beings rocket through deep space, representing a dark omen that's about to intrude on that atmosphere of hope and peace.
Leonard Kirk and Robin Riggs grab the eye immediately with some sharp redesigns of some key denizens of the late Jack Kirby's Fourth World, but for the most part, their art is conventional. They tell their parts of the story clearly, but beyond the opening three-page sequence, they don't really offer many visuals that boast an impact. Legion cover artists Tony Harris and Tom Feister also provide art, mainly those panels that replace the profile pages. Their style is far too inconsistent with that of Kirk and Rigg's collaboration. Furthermore, some of the Harris/Feister work in the latter part of the book is surprisingly crude, not at all in keeping with the sleek and finely detailed work I've come to expect from them.
The Superboy and Livewire plotlines take some major steps forward in this book, and to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. There are some intriguing ideas at play here, and I love the social and religious implications of Superboy's appearance in this future setting. But this is the first we've heard of these new elements. It seems to me that the Secret Files books are about bringing new readers up to speed, not for advancing subplots.
The main story offers plenty of potential for accessibility. Exposition is the point here, and so the explanatory tone of the script never seems forced or illogical. It's certainly an accessible story, but it's far from an exciting one. Nothing actually happens; we never get to see these characters in action.
