I don’t write many reviews for my comics. I barely have time to read the things, much less gab on about them at any length. I really have to absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it to even be bothered. It’s one of the many reasons my time trying to run a comics review website was a spectacular disaster. I couldn’t stick to my own deadlines in a time of working two jobs and planning my wedding.

But when I did write, it was either utter praise for a book, or vicious thrashing. I made a rule to myself to not play nice-nice. To speak my mind. Not to suck up and kiss ass just for the chance to get a blurb or a preview. I made some missteps, and some poor word choices at times, but I was honest and forthright with how I felt about a book.

Dear iFanbase,

You should be reading X-Men Legacy.

I’ve tried most of the A-list Marvel NOW! titles, and have mostly been pleased with them. Thor: God of Thunder, All New X-Men, Avengers, X-Men Legacy.

“I hate Legion”
“What a lousy part of X-Men history”
“Look at his stupid fucking hair”

Yes, look at his stupid fucking hair. Now let’s focus on the important things here. Simon Spurrier has taken a character that could very easily be a forgotten piece of X-Men history, and whipped up one fantastic series. This is something I’d expect from Dark Horse or Image, where pushing boundaries is day to day business, but from “play it safe” Marvel, it’s a pleasant surprise. Legion could have stayed in the background as just that one note Omega Level mutant who can’t get it together because he’s oh so crazy, but Spurrier is really fleshing him out, giving him a voice and motivations, and most importantly, a cause, and reason for being in the Marvel universe.

Along with that, this particular issue gave some background to another character I was completely ignorant about, with a poignancy to the story that shows why Legion has decided that in wake of his fathers death, he’s going to do what it takes to take control of his mind and powers. The Marvel Universe is a bigoted world, and this issue showcased just that.

To cap it off, there was a twist within a twist, one I saw coming, and another I did not, an expertly written “Oh….OH!” type of moment.

Five issues in, we’ve got a density of story that I really have missed. Five issues, and things have actually happened. That’s sad to say, honestly. This has been 10 issues of nearly any other series. At Marvel’s $3.00 price point, that’s a deal any day of the week.

Tang En Huat, and now Jorge Molina are great partners for Spurrier. The artist switch went off without a hitch, and we’ve seen countless creatures and creepies in Legion’s mind without clutter or confusion.

There are certain series I recommend to people looking for something a little out of the norm, and ones I am sometimes overly enthusiastic about. This is one of them. I’m sticking with this so long as Spurrier is.