Legion of Super-Heroes issue #4 Spoiler discussion

[Superlad93]

So, we're finally getting Jon to the orientation and the origin of the Legion.

Solid issue. This issue is very workmanlike in how it what it focuses in and sets up while doing character stuff, but it's also just primarily setting up up what's to come in both the flashback and the main story.

That said, I really dug learning about the Founding Three. Rokk may just be my favorite here after Jon because of this issue. I really dig the space politics on display here, and the confidence in the lore and world building here is really neat.

There's also a subtle 5G hint in here.

__________

Also this goes without saying by now, but DAMN this book is pretty!! Possibly the best looking book at DC issue-to-issue since King's Batman. Sook is outstanding as always (very much a "yes, water is wet" statement), but on top of that we have Janin totally killing it here. For whatever reason I thought Janin wouldn't quite fit, but then I was *immediately* show how foolish that thought was. This fantastic science fiction art right here.

[Korath]

On the art front, it may be the only contender against Far Sector, and that's awesome.

In term of story, I have the nagging suspicision that Brande wanted a super-team at her beck and call, but overplayed her hand and ended with a far more stubborn Legion than she could have envisioned. I need to read again this issue, but it was definitively the feeling I had.

[docgymll]

This is the first issue to really feel like a Legion story to me, rather than a Jon Kent story. I've been too lazy to translate any of the Interlac panels yet - anyone want to share?

[Sutekh]

On the art front, it may be the only contender against Far Sector, and that's awesome.

In term of story, I have the nagging suspicision that Brande wanted a super-team at her beck and call, but overplayed her hand and ended with a far more stubborn Legion than she could have envisioned. I need to read again this issue, but it was definitively the feeling I had.

She might be playing a longer game and have deliberately recruited a bunch of good-hearted trouble-makers, who can be trusted to do the right thing, even if it's something that she can't be associated with, and she'll 'motivate' them by setting herself up in an adversarial role, and *seeming* to oppose their every choice (while she's A) steering them to those very choices in a 'child psychology' sort of way), and B) oh-so-obviously, to her constituency and whoever she has to answer to, has nothing to do with these out-of-control wannabe superheroes).

[bretmaverick2]

I’m waiting for the first volume collected edition but am curious.

Is Rose / Thorn still appearing in the series??

[Korath]

She appeared early on, but hasn't been the focus, just yet. I suspect she'll be used more in the future (eh) however, since she must be there for a reason.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

I thought this was a solid issue. I usually don’t read anything Bendis writes but I made an exception because it was the Legion.

[kcekada]

Another new Legion origin story is the last thing I wanted to read. Snoozefest!

I hope the next issue is better -- because I'm definitely losing patience and interest.

[Sutekh]

I've been too lazy to translate any of the Interlac panels yet - anyone want to share?

Interlac translations;
Page 1 (Bottom right corner)
message waiting
message waiting
message waiting

Page 2 (mid page on right)
UNITED
WISDOM
PLAZA
a place truly fon (?)
communication,
information,
education.

Page 8 (bottom of first panel)
winathian's overbeing is
called validus, the lord
of lightning. single
births are considered
the children of validus.

Page 19 (top)
this brings krinn's career record to 20-41 with 14
knockouts, he remains well-known for his knock-
out power. in the 142 fights that were tracked by
lexpubox, krinn landed 76 percent of his power
punches, which is 15 percentage points higher than
the braal heavy average.

Page 22 (bottom of first panel)
the president's security
team is led by a dryad.
commander blok of the 48th
he is six years old

Page 28 (top panel)
mandate
to cease and desist

[Superlad93]

Wow, it's crazy how much lore is in the Interlac. Validus as the god of Winath is fascinating. And if I remember right, Lightning Lad's parents have an odd number of children, right? His sister said that they had six other children besides her, but I only counted 5 kids besides her. And since each seem to have their twins accounted for, I'm guessing the 7th child is their brother Mekt.

In past incarnations he'd eventually become the villain Lightning Lord. And in at least pre-crisis I believe Validus was found out to be Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl's son from the future.

Maybe the new "Ultimate" take here is for Mekt to declare himself "Validus, The Lord of Lightning" and sort of condense and combine all of those ideas into something more digestible? I'm now wondering why single births are, well, singled out like this? Is it somehow a birth defect on Winathian? Is Mekt somehow differently abled? Pre-crisis Validus, the son of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, was differently abled due to all of the experiments done on him as a child, so there's sufficient inspiration here for it.

[Korath]

Well, if Winathians naturally give births to twins, it's possible that single birth are considered as special as twins are for us. I mean, there is this sort of common belief in a mystical connection between twins, at least in Western Culture and I'm sure that there is a lot of old or recent superstitions about them all over the world.

On Winath, I guess lacking such a connection may seem troubling to the natives, especially since it seems that twins there works like on Earth, with a more dominant one and another who is more subdued (in this case, Lightning Lass is clearly the more active and dominant twin compared to Lightning Lad more subdued personality). So they could either see a single birth as lacking or something or to the contrary as possessing the nature of both in one body. And I suspect the later is true, hence why they are Children of Validus, according to the Interlac bit.

[Superlad93]

Good points all round. I suppose I was stuck on the "how can Bendis make this Ultimate" aspect of the names and ideas in question, but what you bring up totally works. And if it is the latter of your two points, then technically that would be like being a person with special needs on Winath, wouldn't it? Not having a twin over there is likely like being born without a limb I'd imagine. Then again, Validus is a character known for his great strength and power (he even dwarfed pre-crisis Superboy), and the idea that his natural ability is doubled could the explanation for that?

Regardless, it's all very evocative from the perspective of someone with any sort of familiarity with the Legion, and also for someone new to all of this who's just paying close attention to what they've got in front of them.