FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #1 (OF 5)

Review by: ultimatehoratio

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Size: pages
Price: 3.99

This review contains spoilers, click here to read

Before I tell everyone how much I enjoyed this book, I'm going to go off on it a little bit, starting at the end. Superman-Prime has just murdered 20,000 people and destroyed future Smallville. Superman's master plan for stopping him? "Redeem" him. I know that's totally in character for Superman, but somebody really needs to tell him to stop being a pussy. I know that Johns has never met a reputation that he can't rehabilitate with a little retcon spit-shine, but this comes off as gutless storytelling.

The only previous experience I've had with The Legion of Super-Heroes is from the Who's Who series with the fabulous Steve Lightle illustrations. I love the character designs (Lightning Lad!). I love the kitschy-cool nicknames (Matter-Eater Lad!). I love the villains (Mano!). The Legion is the book I've always wanted to love but never found a way to jump onto.

I have a vague notion of who the characters are and I know the basic concept of the Legion, but, beyond that, I was completely at Geoff John's mercy. Thankfully, I was able to get with the program rather quickly due to a clever storytelling device Johns uses to fill the reader in while advancing the story. In issue one we learn that the Legion is falling apart but must now come together to stop the threat of Superboy-Prime, who has been brought to the future by the Time Trapper for reasons unknown.

I nodded as I read, thrilled that I was able to keep track of all the various plot threads, locations, and characters, but then...

Braniac Five pushes a button and reveals two more Legion teams from alternate universes who look almost exactly like the Legion I was just reading about. Sigh. I'm going to need a flowchart.

Still, it's a good time. It's as relatively new reader friendly as you can be with a book like this. Perez, of course, can handle large groups and big action better than anyone, so you don't have to concentrate too hard to keep up. It makes me wish he were drawing the "real" Crisis book.

If you don't care about the Legion, or are not in the mood for wild and crazy space action, then skip this. If you're looking for something along the lines of the Sinestro Corps War or Annihilation, then you might want to pick this up.

Story: 3 - Good
Art: 4 - Very Good

Comments

FACE says:

August 21, 2008 at 12:19 am

I realize Prime’s beyond the point of redemption, but this is a more interesting tactic than what we’ve seen yet considering his history. It’s going to be the ‘prime’ reason I carry on with this series because I’m far from ga-ga over the Legion.

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Kory says:

August 21, 2008 at 8:17 pm

Superman wanting to kill someone would be way out of character. At his core he believes everyone has a capacity for good (that’s why he just does’nt fry Luthor with his heat vision). But I do agree he acts too much like a wuss sometimes.

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Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:

August 21, 2008 at 8:46 pm

Are we now at the point as a society that not murdering someone is considered wussy?

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Neb says:

August 21, 2008 at 9:14 pm

I liked this issue, and it had some excellent nods to those that read the Legion storyline in Action Comics. I’m not worried about getting confused. If there’s anyone who can handle massive amounts of people fighting, it’s Johns. After this setup issue, I think we’re in for some serious awesomeness.

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ultimatehoratio says:

August 21, 2008 at 9:16 pm

There’s a point that it becomes practical. It’s not that he doesn’t want to kill him, but Johns makes it a point for Superman to say, "we’ve got to stop him, but we can’t kill him!" To say something like that at a time like that is the utmost in bleeding heart wussiness.

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Kory says:

August 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm

@Conor- My wuss comment had nothing to do with his lack of killing. If I thought that, I would have to call Batman a wuss (which he is not). But I think a normal person in that situation would want knock Prime’s lights out, and Superman did’nt seem to have a normal reaction to finding out 20,000 people were just slaughtered for no reason, but I guess that’s why he’s Superman he does’nt react like a normal person. But that is an example of why people can’t relate to him because I think most people would want to make sure Prime got his.

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ultimatehoratio says:

August 22, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Superman’s comment should have been something like, "I hope it doesn’t have to come to that." What he says instead sets the reader up to believe that this is going to be another Geoff John’s retcon story. I hope it’s not.

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FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #1 (OF 5)

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