by SEANMcQUAID

t’s hard to believe, but the Lpffon of Sup been around since the fifties. For tho the team, they were a gfoup of super, gooders in the thirtieth century, breeding of the boy scouts, th

ture-perfect set of good guys on the |; comic racks: 7 young, clean- . cut, well- mannered, and possessed of nifty super powers rang-

— bizarre high school reunion of thirtysomething super heroes, writers, Keith 1 Giffen and Tomand Mary Bierbaum, have to produce ‘characters with whom readers can always pretty, with some Legionnaires S, crooks>or turncoats, but the group eventually,develops i is amore ma- organization in the face of their ps a sort ofimagic in the stories \. foroldandnew fans is that, at . the heart of it \ all, the Legion is still driven by idealism. ‘It’s just an older, wiser, ; and more con- | servatively

ing from elec- trical projection (Lightning Lad) to the ability to ingest any substance (Matter-Eater\Lad). They-were.an almost nauseat-. ingly idealistic and garishly.clad group of wholesome kiddies who fought for justice in a universe that seemed perfect as they were, Earth being the centre ofa tec advanced and prosperous alliance called the United P’ The Legion were the perfect heroes for a Perfect future, some- times campy but with an enduring, almost cult- -like readership

that has sustained the many books spawned by the coticept:

Still, many readers find it hard to relate with or believe in such a fantastic future. That’s why many fans like the new Legion of Super Heroes series, since that cozy future has been smashed to smithereens therein.

Now thirty-eight issues old, the current Legion series opens five years after the previous Legion title was cancelled, and the future is no longer a nice place to be. The United Planets ‘s economy has crashed, logically enough, from the inevitable draining of its financial and environmental resources with its rampant technological advances. Earth, in the resultant politi- cal and economic chaos, fell victi Etakeover of its government by the manipulative a nators, who covet Earth as a breed larities that can be used in thei the now tyrannical earth go power and initiated a campa group’s disbanding and its m the new series opens, the Legi in early issues was the efforts the team at a time when the gale Since then, the series has been conc to free Earth, successful though Earth itself is blown to bits in the end (no, really!), in the latest issue to be precise. The current Legion series pulls no punches.

bers to revive nore than ever.

With the grim realities of the new 30th century, Legion has developed a stronger following among adult readers and has also cultivated its audience on another level in terms of char- acterization, with the now-adult Legionnaires in roles ranging from hosse wives to eseeee COREEES. It’s like ee some

All this having be

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jump into the series since they’ve finally, after thirty-eight

y, and the focus”

argely with the war:

dressed Le-

eseries is not a , depressingly serious n in fact be,ohe of the most delightfully market, due“largely to the fact that the ast includesthore than a few oddballs, such as Matter-Eater Lad, Bouneihg Boy, Porcupine Pete, Chlorophy!! Kid, Infectious Lass*.. the names speak for themselves, and the

~sgeries.ofter puts a light touch on the proceedings with efforts

ranging from humorous interludes to such all-out farces as Matter-Eater Lad and Polar Boy’s captivity at the hands of Prince Evillo and M.E. Lad’s subsequent stint as a bagpipe player in Hell (don’task).

As long as you can adjust to the really huge cast, extensive background, and ongoing plot lines, Legion is a book that has something for just about everyone (it’s currently a good time to -

issues, resolved the long-running Earthwar storyline). The book’ s abit of an acquired taste, but well worth the Beading

yment ofthe characters. The book’s one really e art; the siete writing emphasis often leads e artwork is usually

iffen (the man asa penciller often seems to b¢ t, particularly frustrating given his solid work he often sloppy Jason Pearson -Karl Story 4" team (c’mon, guys, do youreally need to leave brushstrokes all over your faces and figures at random?). The art is compensated for by the solid writing, though, and with any luck there may b¢ some improvement in the art with the announcement that newcomer Stuart Immonen will be taking over the art chores soon; regardless, Legion is a good read, and usually worth the price of admission (for more info on the characters, one good source is DC’s first looseleaf Who’s Who info series from ® while back; check with retailers for availability). Ml