by Randy Lander

THE LEGION #4 "Moon Rise" Highly Recommended (10/10) DC Comics Writer: Dan Abnett Pencils: Olivier Coipel Writer/Inks: Andy Lanning Colors: Tom McCraw & Digital Chameleon Letters: Comicraft Editor: Mike McAvennie Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN It just keeps getting better, as Abnett, Lanning and Coipel continue to give us a Legion that epitomizes epic cosmic storytelling and big surprises along with solid characterization and an idealistic viewpoint, all while maintaining a feeling of danger and uncertainty. They are juggling a large-sized cast and a lot of different storylines, and providing a Legion that feels as strong as the best eras of the book, combining the darkness and maturity of the Giffen/Bierbaum era with the accessibility of the post Zero-Hour and the complexity of Levitz's work. When I read this book, I'm once again struck by the sheer potential in the Legion concept. This isn't just any super-hero team book, it's a super-hero team combined with wide-spanning science-fiction, and with Legion Lost, Legion Worlds and the current series, Abnett and Lanning have given us a sense of just how large the Legion universe is. In the course of this issue we have a rescue from a medical experimentation lab, a moon terraforming experiment with sinister undertones, exploration of a foreign universe, an invasion by an enormous fleet and a small, personal conflict between an immortal villain and a long-lived hero. Amazingly enough, the book never feels crowded for all of this, and while I'm left wondering at all the potential left unexplored, I don't feel like the creators are giving any of their creations short shrift either. Balance is a key word when writing the Legion. Mixing the possibility of change and death in with a generally optimistic outlook and comforting familiarity, maintaining a wide open feel while also focusing in on characters to flesh them out and balancing the science-fiction and super-hero aspects are only a few of the juggling acts that have to be performed on this title. One balancing act that I particularly appreciate from Abnett and Lanning is their ability to have characters die or disappear while still leaving hope for their return, all without it feeling like a cheat. Seeing an old favorite Legionnaire, presumed dead, was a treat this issue, and the circumstances he was in made absolute sense, as well as shedding light on a mysterious technology that the U.P. has been using. M'Onel's situation is also quite dire, with a real feeling of danger, but I don't ever feel like the creators are threatening (or even possibly killing) him for shock value... they're making an important point. In addition to the fascinating story of the Legion vs. the United Planets (a familiar story, but one with a new twist given the use of a classic Batman villain as the antagonist), the creators take the time to look at the rest of the universe as well. Interludes focusing on the Robotica invasion or a Legion journey into Kwai-space reminds us that the story is vast, and there are plenty of new challenges lurking out there. Visually, the book continues to impress as well. Coipel's designs for the futuristic setting of the Legion are quite impressive, particularly the gleaming high towers and enormous monitor rooms of McCauley's government or the technology-transformed Earth. And though I was at first unsure about his ability to draw convincing faces or bodies, his work has come a long way, and I now look upon his work as distinctive and quite impressive. With every issue, Legion is drawing me further and further into its story, and increasing my anticipation for the next issue. And while I thought last issue's cliffhanger was a shocker, it's nothing compared to the ending of this one, which once again will have me counting the days until the next issue. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.