MyManD

April 9, 2009 1:25 am If anything, this issue made me like Jason Todd even more. I can understand why he can't be "The Batman", what with the killing and torturing, but I'd be willing to follow along if he was given another city to run rampant in.

March 20, 2009 12:05 pm

I have to hand it to Kirkman - he created a single issue crossover mega event, and made it more exciting and meaningful than Secret Wars and more intelligible on the first reading than Final Crisis.

February 11, 2009 11:03 pm Man, it was epic how Boy Blue took Rose Red laid it all out like that. She definitely deserved to hear that. Even though he was constrained to a bed, he died like a man.

February 7, 2009 12:48 am

No, the story isn't impressive, but then again when does a story need to be original or provoking to be great? Star Wars had a very basic story but was still awesome, as did LotRs. Johns didn't set out to make this some confusing metaphysical romp like Morrison. He simply wanted two HUGE forces duking it out, with Prime's hopeful redemption at the end. And, for what he strived to do, he's accomplished it far better than Morrison did with Final Crisis and Bendis with Secret Invasion.

Sometimes, I don't go into something wanting "clever." Despite not getting the billing as such, this really is an event series disguised as a second tier title. And really, can you really expect anymore from an event series beyond competency and interest?

Unless, of course, you found something more interesting in Final Crisis or Secret Invasion that somehow eluded me. Because I'd rather have a solidly produced, but dry and academic, series than a confusing mindfuck or something profoundly underwhelming (you can guess what two series I'm referring to).

February 7, 2009 12:39 am

This series is definitely Johns' geek-splosive tribute to his love for the Legion and Prime. It's almost as if he created a barrier around the proceedings with signs saying "Die Hard Fans ONLY."

Of course, being caught up on the lore and a long time Legion and Prime fan, this was heaven. Of course, I can also understand why new readers hoping this would be a good introduction to the Legion are scratching their heads.

February 7, 2009 12:33 am I totally agree. I had no idea whatsoever Johns was building to this and, thank God, it hadn't leaked online anywhere.

February 5, 2009 3:32 am

Hey, what's wrong with a bit of continuity porn? It's what Johns excels at. Plus, there isn't so much there that it distracts. Afterall, if you don't know it's continuity porn, how can you be distracted by it?

Still, I think the crux of this arc is your personal mileage on Prime himself. However much you love/like/dislike/despise this series lies almost entirely on his shoulders. Sure, the Legions are there (plus in the title), but like Johns noted this is Prime's story first and foremost. Personally, I am (seemingly in the minority) a big Prime fan. I like the fact that he's essentially the uber DC nerd, given ultimate power and almost none of the moreal compass to steer him.

It's because of that that a story about him leading the villains of the universe against three Legions and Superman = me being a very, very happy geek.

February 4, 2009 11:31 pm

If you've read DC comics for the last few years nothing in this issue should be confusing at all.

 

- Ion you should know well from Sinestro Corps War. Mon-El from any number of Superman stories.

- The Kid Flash at the end there was Bart Allen, the only man to ever kick Prime's ass.

- Whatever's happening with Luthor's hair will be explained next issue or the one after that.

- As for the Legion proper, you really only need to know who the original Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy and Lightning Ladd/Lass are.

 

The actual story is as simple and classic as superhero comics can get - Prime winds up in the 31st century, goes nuts and recruits all the villains of the universe to exact chaos on everything he doesn't like. Knowing some of the villains adds to the experience, but it's not necessary in the least. Just know that they're BAD people. Prime's the only one that matters. The good guys on the other hand recruit Superman from the present and Ion and Mon-El. As of now, they're fighting for the future. That's all there is to the story.

 

This is essentially a follow up to Johns' Legion arc in Action Comics #858-863. If you read those you pretty much have all the necessary background to the Legion and a few of the villains that you need for this series.

February 4, 2009 11:00 pm Yep, cyberauron's right. Bart beat Prime's ass down during Infinite Crisis. Beat him down like a sex starved college student.

January 9, 2009 3:43 am

I disagree with the reviewers saying this movie is better than Punisher Warzone. Is it better made technically? Oh sure. Has better actors? Definitely. A great creative team behind it? Not arguing.

 But one thing Punisher had on this is that I was able to just tune my brain out, travel back to the gore-ific 80's actioners I grew up on, and just bath in the bloo, guts, and self-righteousness of it all. It was ludicrously horrible in so many ways, but the violence and the fact it took itself so seriously at least allowed me to have a bit of nostalgia between the bouts of ultraviolence.

 The Spirit? I was literally physically uncomfortable and irritated watching this film. It's not like this movie was a snooze fest, seeing as there's so much action, but there was some odd combination of stilted dialogue, overly directed acting and odd editing and cinematography that, when added together, simply made it unwatchable to me. Me and my two friends actually left an hour and a half through and sneaked into Marley and Me because it was the only movie getting underway at the point in time.

Suffice it to say, Marley and Me is better than both of the movies I mentioned above.