Writer Paul Levitz has an interesting balancing act going on here that should benefit readers new and old.While he tells the story of the "modern day" Legion of Super-heroes in that title, in Adventure Comics he's taking us back to the earliest days of the organization.
It's a clever way of (slightly) retooling the concept and introducing the Legion to new readers. It's also a part of the Legion's story that (as far as I know) has never been told. When the team first appeared in the late '50s they were already organized, working together and adding new members.
This storyline starts with the original trio - Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl, and it offers an interesting look at their early training, their relationship with each other, and throws in a few surprises along the way.
It also addresses a question I have wondered about - how does Saturn Girl, whose power is mostly passive (telepathy) manage to hold her own alongside two powerhouses?
The artwork by Kevin Sharpe and Marlo Alquiza is good - solid and professional, marred only by a few odd character poses here and there.
I also enjoyed the backup feature with the Atom (Ray Palmer). The 11-page story moves briskly as the Atom tries to uncover a mystery attacker and stay alive in the face of a deadly trap.
He takes an action that seems ill-advised (which I won't relate here for fear of spoiling things), but by and large it's a good story. Kudos to writer Jeff Lemire and artists Mahmud Asrar and John Dell on strong work.
So, two entertaining features that long-time fans will no doubt enjoy, but they're accessible enough that new readers should have no trouble following along.
Grade: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment