What makes Legion’s story so compelling (and this is based on Hawley’s interpretation of it — I have not read the comics) is how it expresses itself through the framework of mental illness. The world doesn’t understand David, and he’s diagnosed as schizophrenic at a young age. In many ways the diagnosis does make sense: he’s plagued by a litany of voices, hallucinations, and rage blackouts. He has trouble controlling himself, and picks up a drug habit that helps quiet some of the mental storm. But even though Legion subverts this idea of illness, and instead makes it a power, it doesn’t save him.
Legion plays a lot with themes of identity and memory and emotion, and if the key to visual storytelling is to show and not tell, well, Legion grasps onto that wholeheartedly. But above all, it’s a deeply considered portrait of mental illness. Even if David’s schizophrenia is actually part of a mutant power, it’s also still literally angry voices in his head fighting to control him and his actions. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a problem for his daily life, and something he has struggled with since he was a young boy. The X-Men have always been a stand-in for outsiders, for people who feel persecuted or just different from the rest of the world. David’s journey is Legion is his own, but we’re connected to it, too.
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Excellent — Awards material