new
      lease
      on
      life
      and
      the
      first
      real
      chance
      to
     
     
      developmore
      fully
      (both
      characters
      have,
      thank-
     
     
      fully,
      been
      focused
      upon
      to
      some
      extent
      in
      the
     
     
      Legionnaires’
      adventures
      since
      the
      new
      teen
     
     
      group
      emerged).
      There
      are
      also
      a
      few
      entirely
     
     
      new
      characters
      thrown
      in,
      in
      the
      persons
      of
      new
     
     
      recruits
      Catspaw,
      Dragonmage,
      and
      Computo,
     
     
      not
      to
      mention
      Reep
      “‘Chameleon’’
      Daggle
      of
     
     
      the
      adult
      Legion,
      who
      serves
      as
      the
      new
      team’s
     
     
      financier
      and
      adviser.
      The
      mixture
      of
      new
      and
     
     
      old
      characters
      in
      a
      vastly
      new
      setting
      ensures
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      this
      is
      not
      exactly
      the
      same
      Legionas
      it
      was
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      before,
      and
      even
      the
      clone
      characters
      are
      in
     
     
      some
      cases
      developing
      in
      new
      directions
      ac-
     
     
      cording
      to
      their
      new
      situations,
      while
      at
      the
     
     
      same
      time
      remaining
      consistent
      with
      their
      origi-
     
     
      nal
      personalties.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      writing
      is
      quite
      competent.
      Series
      writ-
     
     
      ers
      Tom
      and
      Mary
      Bierbaum,
      long-time
      dia-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      logue
      writers
      for
      Legion
      of
      Super
      Heroes,
      make
     
     
      their
      debut
      as
      fulltime
      plotters
      and
      scripters
     
     
      here.
      While
      it’s
      too
      early
      in
      the
      series
      to
      defini-
     
     
      tively
      assess
      their
      plotting
      talents,
      they
      do
      ex-
     
     
      hibit
      a
      good
      working
      knowledge
      of
      the
      im-
     
     
      mense
      background
      knowledge
      that
      the
      series
     
     
      entails,
      and
      they
      have
      managed
      to
      quickly
      es-
     
     
      tablish
      the
      Legionnaires
      in
      their
      new
      situation
     
     
      and
      setting
      on
      New
      Earth.
      Their
      characteriza-
     
     
      tion
      is
      varied
      and
      true
      to
      the
      original
      personal-
     
     
      ties
      of
      the
      Legion
      characters,
      but
      some
      charac-
     
     
      ters
      (such
      as
      new
      additions
      Catspaw
      and
     
     
      Dragonmage)
      seem
      noticeably
      lacking
      in
      depth,
     
     
      though
      the
      Bierbaums
      have
      displayed
      a
      knack
     
     
      fornaturalistic
      characterization
      and
      personality
     
     
      revelation
      in
      the
      past.
      The
      tone
      of
      the
      new
      series
     
     
      is
      light,
      with
      an
      emphasis
      on
      action
      and
      adven-
     
     
      ture
      with
      touches
      of
      humor,
      and
      it’s
      pleasant
      if
     
     
      not
      immensely
      sophisticated
      reading
      if
      you
     
     
      approach
      it
      on
      that
      level.
     
    

    
     
      The
      art
      is
      similarly
      accessible
      in
      a
      pleasantly
     
     
      basic
      fashion.
      Penciller
      Chris
      Sprouse’s
      solid
     
     
      linework
      captures
      the
      more
      upbeat,
      polished
     
     
      atmosphere
      sought
      by
      this
      series,
      particularly
      in
     
     
      the
      representation
      of
      the
      various
      high
      tech
      lo-
     
     
      cales
      and
      equipment,
      not
      to
      mention
      the
      sleek
     
     
      hew
      Legionnaires
      costumes,
      whose
      variations
     
     
      on
      a
      uniform
      design
      provide
      a
      consistent
      team
     
     
      image
      that
      is
      still
      varied
      and
      colorful.
      Sprouse
     
     
      also
      provides
      a
      solid
      variety
      of
      facial
      features
     
     
      and
      physical
      appearance
      on
      his
      characters,
      and
     
     
      his
      fairly
      simplistic
      figure
      drawing
      is
      very
      clean
     
     
      and
      eye-catching,
      well-suited
      to
      the
      youthful
     
     
      ‘one
      of
      the
      series
      (right
      down
      to
      the
      slim
      figures
     
     
      and
      big,
      soulful
      eyes
      that
      Sprouse
      has
      a
      pen-
     
     
      chant
      for).
     
    

    
     
      A
      monthly
      standard
      format
      comic
      book
     
     
      Priced
      at
      $1.60,
      Legionnaires
      is
      a
      very
      accessi-
     
     
      ble,
      appealing
      book
      when
      taken
      at
      its
      level
      as
      a
     
     
      800d-old-fashioned
      super
      hero
      series
      ina
      future
     
     
      Setting,
      light
      reading
      of
      the
      adventure-fantasy
     
     
      Senre,
      The
      series
      does
      recapture
      a
      lot
      of
      the
     
     
      ‘pirit
      and
      energy
      of
      the
      old
      Legion
      series
      while
     
     
      ‘landing
      on
      its
      own,
      and
      both
      old
      and
      new
     
     
      'eaders
      may
      well
      enjoy
      the
      book.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      Week:
      The
      Lawnmower
      Man
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      outside,
      making
      whining
      noises
      around
     
     
      the
      eaves
      of
      the
      house,
      begging
      me
      to
     
     
      stop
      using
      the
      computer...
      :
     
     
      No,
      wait.
      That’s
      my
      little
      brother.
      Sorry.
     
     
      Well,
      it’s
      been
      a
      couple
      of
      weeks,
      and
      I
     
     
      thought
      it
      was
      about
      time
      I
      got
      back
      in
      action.
     
     
      This
      week’s
      feature,
      The
      Lawnmower
      Man,
      is
     
     
      an
      interesting
      mix
      of
      virtual
      reality,
      grass,
      men-
     
     
      tal
      retardation
      (possibly
      caused
      by
      grass),
      and
     
     
      ‘spectacular
      special
      effects
      (probably
      conceived
     
     
      while
      smoking
      grass).
      It’s
      got
      virtual
      video
     
     
      games,
      scheming
      quasi-scientists,
      bit-mapped
     
     
      bees,
      murderous
      cyborg
      monkeys,
      and,
      believe
     
     
      it
      or
      not,
      an
      actual
      lawnmower.
     
     
      In
      fact,
      The
      Lawnmower
      Man
      has
      all
      the
     
     
      makings
      of
      an
      epic
      sci-fi\horror
      blockbuster.
      It
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E
      ven
      as
      I
      write
      this,
      the
      wind
      is
      howling
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘wouldn’teven
      belong
      in
      this
      column
      ifit
      weren’t
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      events
      near
      the
      end...
      but
      I’m
      getting
      ahead
     
     
      of
      myself.
     
    

    
     
      First,
      a
      plot
      synopsis.
      Pierce
      Bronsan
      stars
     
     
      as
      Dr.
      Angelo,
      a
      pacifist
      scientist
      with
      a
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      grant.
      He
      wants
      to
      use
      a
      virtual
      reality
     
     
      technology
      he
      pioneered
      for
      educational
      pur-
     
     
      poses.
      The
      government
      want
      to
      use
      it
      to
      create
     
     
      psychotic
      soldier
      simians
      (chimps,
      to
      the
      rest
      of
     
     
      you).
      Naturally,
      Angelo
      balks
      at
      using
      his
      com-
     
     
      puter
      universe
      for
      violent
      means,
      especially
     
     
      after
      his
      favourite
      monkey
      escapes
      and
      ismowed
     
     
      down
      by
      moronic,
      trigger
      happy
      government
     
     
      goons.
      So
      the
      government
      operated
      lab,
      VSI,
     
     
      allows
      Angelo
      to
      take
      a
      vacation.
      Angelo
      spend
     
     
      much
      of
      his
      time
      on
      hiatus
      either
      drunk
      or
      flying
     
     
      through
      a
      computer.
      His
      marriage
      is
      falling
     
     
      apart.
      His
      mind
      is
      starting
      to
      go
      ona
      vacation
      of
     
     
      its
      own.
     
    

    
     
      Until
      the
      day
      Angelo
      meets
      Jobe,
      an
      amica-
     
     
      ble
      mentally
      challenged
      lawn
      care
      specialist
     
     
      with
      all
      sorts
      of
      troubles
      of
      his
      own.
      They
      are;
     
     
      in
      random
      order:
      the
      hypocritical
      priest
      who
     
     
      runs
      Jobe’s
      life
      and
      periodically
      beats
      him;
     
     
      Jake,
      a
      gas
      station
      attendant
      who
      makes
      fun
      of
     
     
      Jobe
      to
      make
      himself
      feel
      big;
      and
      a
      child-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      beating
      redneck
      asshole
      with
      all
      kinds
      of
      preju-
     
     
      dice
      against
      Jobe
      because
      Jobe
      makes
      the
     
     
      asshole’s
      son
      happy.
      VSI
      is
      ruining
      Jobe’s
      life,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      too,
      because
      the
      aforementioned
      ape
      made
     
    
   
   
    
     
      friends
      with
      Jobe
      just
      before
      being
      perforated.
     
     
      Jobe
      mistakes
      the
      ape
      for
      Cybo-Man,
      his
      fa-
     
     
      vourite
      superhero,
      and
      is
      so
      traumatized
      by
      its
     
     
      violent
      death
      that
      he
      blabs
      it
      all
      over
      town.
      This
     
     
      causes
      the
      assholes
      to
      beat
      him,
      make
      fun
      of
     
     
      him,
      and
      keep
      their
      kid
      away
      from
      him,
      in
      that
     
     
      order.
     
    

    
     
      Angelo
      picks
      up
      on
      this,
      feels
      guilty,
      and
     
     
      decides
      to
      make
      it
      up
      to
      Jobe
      by
      making
      him
     
     
      smarter
      through
      virtual
      reality!
      Think
      of
      the
     
     
      possibilities!
      Talk
      to
      Big
      Bird
      face
      to
      face!
      Put
     
     
      on
      funny
      clothes
      with
      Mr.
      Dressup!
      Go
      on
      a
      trip
     
     
      to
      Mr.
      Roger’s
      Neighbourhood
      without
      leaving
     
     
      your
      house!
      Realistic
      hallucinations
      with
      better
     
     
      special
      effects
      than
      an
      acid
      trip
      and
      no
      after-
     
     
      taste!
     
    

    
     
      Ahem.
      The
      next
      twenty
      minutes
      or
      so
      are
     
     
      spent
      in
      an
      interesting
      time
      warp
      as
      we
      see
      little
     
     
      vignettes
      that
      prove
      Jobe
      is
      getting
      smarter.
      He
     
     
      starts
      to
      take
      more
      pride
      in
      his
      appearance,
     
     
      dressing
      better
      and
      mowing
      lawns
      faster.
      He
     
     
      can
      read,
      talk
      in
      grammatically
      correct
      sen-
     
     
      tences,
      and
      understand
      his
      comics.
      He
      stands
      up
     
     
      to
      the
      priest,
      tells
      off
      Jake,
      and
      gets
      laid.
     
    

    
     
      Upto
      this
      point,
      the
      movie
      seems
      like
      strai
      ght
     
     
      -
      ifa
      tad
      cheesy
      -
      science
      fiction.
      Then,
      without
     
     
      warning,
      it
      turns
      into
      one
      hell
      of
      a
      horror
      movie.
     
     
      You
      see,
      the
      tests
      and
      treatments
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      moved
      to
      VSI
      because
      Angelo’s
      home
      unit
      has
     
     
      nothing
      left
      to
      teach
      Jobe.
      And
      when
      Jobe
     
     
      moves
      in,
      the
      organization
      that
      really
      runs
      the
     
     
      show
      decides
      to
      try
      the
      old
      chimp
      treatments
      out
     
     
      on
      Jobe.
      You
      see,
      VSI
      is
      actually
      an
      offshoot
      of
     
     
      DSI,
      a.k.a.
      the
      Shop.
      Stephen
      King
      readers
      will
     
     
      know
      what
      the
      Shop
      is
      all
      about
      from
      novels
     
     
      like
      Firestarter
      or
      the
      tv
      series
      The
      Golden
     
     
      Years.
      For
      the
      benefit
      of
      people
      who
      haven’t
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      15