Legion of Super-Heroes issue #9 preview/Spoiler discussion

[Prime]

I'm more concerned than Mon-El is just Superman's descendant now.

[Superlad93]

I adore this issue. I really do.

The fact that I was mad we didn't get more on Bouncing Boy of all people shows that the idea behind this issue's cover worked in story. Bendis has made each member distinct in their views, and background that it paints such a clear picture of them.

Don't think I didn't catch that call back to Superman: The Movie. "Mon-El, be reason--" (said by Jon himself no less).

And, yes, the Big Kiss. Loved it. First off Mitch Gerads absolutely slaughtered that page. It's that Strange Adventures level Gerads just casually dropping by for the Big Moment in an ongoing monthly. But beyond that, I gotta give Bendis props for yet another sly Superman: The Movie callback there. It's the "can you read my mind" flight scene, but with an actual telepath lol *and* Jon subtly in the role of Lois. It's cute, with spot on fumble-y dialog. "no oh no. No? No" You can almost hear their voices come down to a near whisper as they inch closer thinking "it's finally happening". Say whatever the hell you want about your feeling on the paring, but that sh!t was clean as hell, man.

And addressing Imra's issues with boundaries? Okay, listen, this is something for sure felt odd with Jean, yeah. Jean was a human who lived on Earth without powers for a while. The idea of here being *so* caviler about listening in like that was odd even with her being so young. But Imra? She's a f%&king alien, dude. More to the point, she's a f%&king alien from a planet full of telepaths who function with a telepathic links to family, friends, and community 24/7. Why in the world *wouldn't* she be so casual? That's part of why she's so blunt and direct (those Kent boys have a type). It's as much a biological thing as a cultural thing for her, and the Legion is about both those things co existing between dozens of races.

[manwhohaseverything]

Ok. Even though i am not particularly keen on shipping nonsense. I think that kiss wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. I believe bendis was trying to subvert the expectation of jon coming out like it happened with iceman. I still wish it was dawnstar x jon though. The kid has a type, that much is cemented. Yet another blonde telepath.

[Blue22]

I thought it was pretty bad. The dialogue leading up to it was bad (particularly that very last panel before it happened), and even the art was bad (one of the first times I've actually disliked the art on these books. That's usually its saving grace).

I'm willing to give some benefit of the doubt here and say that maybe the kiss was supposed to look awkward because it was Jon's first. But I really don't think that kind of nuance was the intent. It looked less like a kiss and more like someone punched them both in the back of their heads, making their faces collide with each other.

[Robanker]

I thought it was pretty bad. The dialogue leading up to it was bad (particularly that very last panel before it happened), and even the art was bad (one of the first times I've actually disliked the art on these books. That's usually its saving grace).

I'm willing to give some benefit of the doubt here and say that maybe the kiss was supposed to look awkward because it was Jon's first. But I really don't think that kind of nuance was the intent. It looked less like a kiss and more like someone punched them both in the back of their heads, making their faces collide with each other.

I don't think it was bad considering she's a telepath and he's an awkward teen. She knows what he feels and wants to say and when it comes out stupid (which it should, Jon is not that smooth) she just corrects him in his own words. It's essentially

"Bad idea?"

"No, not a bad idea"

"Really?"

"Really."

But he's still coming to terms with everything his body is trying to tell him and the person he's into actually understands it better than he does. It's weird, but she's not trying to tell him how he feels, just that she's cool with it and on the level he is at. I imagine telepaths probably have to be more emotionally intelligent given how much they have to process to function with others, so the awkward stilted nature of it works because of that. He messed up the delivery but she read the script, so to speak, and how does a teenage virgin even break that news to a telepath? What an awkward position to be in.

"So, I like you and I know you know that but I really needed to say it and I hope you actually feel something right now because if you just deadpan say you know because you already dealt with it emotionally then I might just crawl under the covers and binge The Office until I die of embarrassment... So, wanna catch a movie?" Like what even is that situation.

It's either going to be Han Solo before he gets turned into a 9.8 CGC Scruffy-Lookin' Nerfhearder #81 or a complete **** show and overall it felt pretty much where I expected with the Kent boys: they tried, the lady understood and lead the dance because them Kent boys are cornballs when it comes to their love lives.

[Blue22]

Oh I'm well aware of the intent. The meaning behind their words wasn't lost on me at all. But I still didn't like it. Much like a lot of Bendis' work (especially his dialogue), things sound good or clever on paper but then the execution is just....no.

Like the scene that this one is being compared to: the Iceman reveal. Good idea (especially since, in hindsight, Bobby being gay really wasn't that out of left field). Fumbled execution, not at all helped by dialogue from a guy who only has a vague idea of how to write "quirky" or "cute" dialogue. That's been my problem with his writing for years. He always finds a way to ruin things that could have been good.

[Robanker]

Oh I'm well aware of the intent. The meaning behind their words wasn't lost on me at all. But I still didn't like it. Much like a lot of Bendis' work (especially his dialogue), things sound good or clever on paper but then the execution is just....no.

Like the scene that this one is being compared to: the Iceman reveal. Good idea (especially since, in hindsight, Bobby being gay really wasn't that out of left field). Fumbled execution, not at all helped by dialogue from a guy who only has a vague idea of how to write "quirky" or "cute" dialogue. That's been my problem with his writing for years. He always finds a way to ruin things that could have been good.

See the Iceman thing, the dialogue is the last of my concerns. My problem was just the idea to begin with: he doesn't come out of the closet, he's dragged out by a straight (at least then, I don't know what's going on with the X-Men now) woman who then browbeats him into coming out when he's not yet ready to. She basically just tells him "you're gay" until he relents. What the actual ****. There's no bow pretty enough to put on that delivery to make it not DOA.

With this, it's awkward teen romance. I'm with it. I agree his dialogue (especially humor) can be off but it can also be stellar (Clark coming out to the world was handled beautifully). This doesn't come across as cute or quirky, it comes across as someone shitting the bed but the other person hearing the intent perfectly. He flubbed it. I'm not sure that it being snappy or cute would actually help sell that. Don't get me wrong, I take Bendis to task over his dialogue too (literally everything that Flash has ever said under his pen-- any of them) but I think this was intentionally supposed to be flubbed.

[Blue22]

See the Iceman thing, the dialogue is the last of my concerns. My problem was just the idea to begin with: he doesn't come out of the closet, he's dragged out by a straight (at least then, I don't know what's going on with the X-Men now) woman who then browbeats him into coming out when he's not yet ready to. She basically just tells him "you're gay" until he relents. What the actual ****. There's no bow pretty enough to put on that delivery to make it not DOA.

Yeah, I didn't mean for it to sound like the dialogue was my biggest issue with that scene. It wasn't. It just didn't make it any better.

With this, it's awkward teen romance. I'm with it. I agree his dialogue (especially humor) can be off but it can also be stellar (Clark coming out to the world was handled beautifully). This doesn't come across as cute or quirky, it comes across as someone shitting the bed but the other person hearing the intent perfectly. He flubbed it. I'm not sure that it being snappy or cute would actually help sell that. Don't get me wrong, I take Bendis to task over his dialogue too (literally everything that Flash has ever said under his pen-- any of them) but I think this was intentionally supposed to be flubbed.

And see, I get that. I do. It's perfectly in character for someone like Jon to be Mr. Awkward Teen in a situation like that. I just feel like...that exchange wasn't awkward in the way Bendis wanted it to be awkward. It didn't feel like a well written awkward scene. It just felt like...a poorly written scene. But that's just my takeaway from it. It didn't sit right with me. :/

[Robanker]

Yeah, I didn't mean for it to sound like the dialogue was my biggest issue with that scene. It wasn't. It just didn't make it any better.



And see, I get that. I do. It's perfectly in character for someone like Jon to be Mr. Awkward Teen in a situation like that. I just feel like...that exchange wasn't awkward in the way Bendis wanted it to be awkward. It didn't feel like a well written awkward scene. It just felt like...a poorly written scene. But that's just my takeaway from it. It didn't sit right with me. :/

And that's perfectly alright. Different strokes for different folks. Anyway, for what it's worth, Imra is the one who made it about that, so yeah, they just don't know how to broach the subject so she kind of brute forced it and he went goober.

I will say, as I do each month, this book is beautiful and the Invisible Kid page had me laugh pretty hard. Of course that's how they executed it.

[rpmaluki]

I adore this issue. I really do.

The fact that I was mad we didn't get more on Bouncing Boy of all people shows that the idea behind this issue's cover worked in story. Bendis has made each member distinct in their views, and background that it paints such a clear picture of them.

Don't think I didn't catch that call back to Superman: The Movie. "Mon-El, be reason--" (said by Jon himself no less).

And, yes, the Big Kiss. Loved it. First off Mitch Gerads absolutely slaughtered that page. It's that Strange Adventures level Gerads just casually dropping by for the Big Moment in an ongoing monthly. But beyond that, I gotta give Bendis props for yet another sly Superman: The Movie callback there. It's the "can you read my mind" flight scene, but with an actual telepath lol *and* Jon subtly in the role of Lois. It's cute, with spot on fumble-y dialog. "no oh no. No? No" You can almost hear their voices come down to a near whisper as they inch closer thinking "it's finally happening". Say whatever the hell you want about your feeling on the paring, but that sh!t was clean as hell, man.

And addressing Imra's issues with boundaries? Okay, listen, this is something for sure felt odd with Jean, yeah. Jean was a human who lived on Earth without powers for a while. The idea of here being *so* caviler about listening in like that was odd even with her being so young. But Imra? She's a f%&king alien, dude. More to the point, she's a f%&king alien from a planet full of telepaths who function with a telepathic links to family, friends, and community 24/7. Why in the world *wouldn't* she be so casual? That's part of why she's so blunt and direct (those Kent boys have a type). It's as much a biological thing as a cultural thing for her, and the Legion is about both those things co existing between dozens of races.

Apparently Jon does have a type. I'm generally not a fan of telepaths but I had no issues with the kiss, though I would have probably preferred they hold off on romantically linking him to anyone just yet. Pointing out the differences between Jean and Imra does help me to understand the character better despite my issues with her abilities not changing.

And that's perfectly alright. Different strokes for different folks.

I will say, as I do each month, this book is beautiful and the Invisible Kid page had me laugh pretty hard. Of course that's how they executed it.

The Invisible Kid page was actually my favourite

[Korath]

Am I the only one quite interested in why Mon-El claims to be Kryptonian Prime ?

[rpmaluki]

Am I the only one quite interested in why Mon-El claims to be Kryptonian Prime ?

Nope but Bendis is taking forever to tell that story.

[Korath]

Nope but Bendis is taking forever to tell that story.

Well, I guess it makes sense, because Kyrptonians can't dominate the Legion that much, what with so many characters with stories to be told.

Newt issue they go to Rimbor, right ? I guess we'll learn more about them all by then !

[Superlad93]

Am I the only one quite interested in why Mon-El claims to be Kryptonian Prime ?

I'm more intrested in all things Mon-El now than I have ever been with the character.

If I had to hazard a guess on what "Kryptonian Prime" meant? Either 1) he's talking about how his bloodline (El/Kent) is one of new Krypton's oldest, and I imagine strongest like a royal family. Or 2) it's just sort of a term for a Kryptonian in their prime of life/youth?

Side note: knowing how emotional Mon can get, I would love his reaction to his 5x great grandfather hooking up with his teammate. "No you most certainly cannot form a coupling with him!!!"

[Superlad93]

And Bendis is finally legitimately getting to do the Great Darkness Saga! He's talked about how it's one of the most impactful stories in comics that he's ever read, and he's always tried to recapture a similar feeling to what it made him feel in some of his work. So getting to just flat out do it is nuts.

What's fascinating is that he's foregoing the surprise factor of it being the Great Darkness Saga. And the solicitation flat out confirm Rogol Zaar's involvement. So I wonder how he intends to hit the high notes in his own way? It's exactly like his Ultimate Spider-Man run with the death of Gwen Stacy or the Clone Saga.

Genuinely can't wait for issue 9 and beyond