by Paul Levitz (writer), Yildiray Cinar (pencils), Francis Portela (pencils & inks), Wayne Faucher (inks), Hi-Fi (colors), and Sal Cipriano (letters)
The Story: Earth-Man is forced to go on his first mission as a Green Lantern and the Legion finds itself pitted against Saturn Queen.
What’s Good: I absolutely love Earth-Man under Levitz’s hand. He adds a really fun dynamic to the team, his dialogue is consistently dickish, and Levitz continues to tease new developments for the character. I’ve really enjoyed Levitz’s placing Niedrigh in increasingly uncomfortable positions, and when, this month, he’s forced to save the lives of some tiny lifeforms on a far away planet, it’s really amusing in a “fish out of water” sort of way. Earth-Man’s constant tone of dismissive disgust is fun, but I’m starting to become increasingly interested in a possible redemption further down the road for the character, which may very well be the route Levitz is taking him. It’s promising stuff and honestly, the more Earth-Man I get from Levitz the better.
Beyond this, much of what has made this Legion relaunch so successful this month recurs. The large cast is handled aptly with all the characters feeling natural and in possession of their own unique voices. Furthermore, by modern comic standards, this is another issue that is packed with content; a lot of narrative movement occurs. While it’s not quite as ridiculously crammed as the last two issues, it’s still heftier than most comics and feels a bit more settled.
Meanwhile, Cinar and Portela split art duties seamlessly to the point where I wouldn’t have known were it not for the credits. This is a good thing, as Cinar’s art continues to be perfect for the Legion in its vibrant and lively style. It has an air of accessibility that is well-matched with what Levitz is doing.
What’s Not So Good: I can’t help but feel that Levitz is moving too fast for his own good and, as a result, I was somewhat disappointed by the events of this month, as plots were wrapped up far more quickly than I would have liked. It makes me wince when I think about the wasted potential.
For instance, the Green Lantern ring would’ve proven a great, long-term angle to Earth-Man. It could prove redemptive or, at the very least, lend the character greater complexity and inner turmoil, forced to assist other life-forms. Certainly, that seemed to be the direction Levitz has been suggesting. However, we just barely get a taste of that this month, and it already seems like Levitz has closed the door after one mission. To see such a great concept, with such an effective slow-burn over the last couple months, be so quickly discarded is frustrating.
The Saturn Queen conflict ends up being just as aggravating if only because of how undercooked it was. The whole plot has been closed so quickly that it ends up feeling entirely inconsequential and pointless. Saturn Queen was never given a chance to become a fully realized villain as, instead of any grand plans or devious schemes, her whole conflict with the Legion becomes nothing more than a minor skirmish. She barely even gets to tell us what her motivations are, let alone expand or develop them so that they don’t seem rushed or shallow, which for lack of page space and time, is exactly how they come across.
Conclusion: Something of a let-down, Levitz seems to self-sabotage by shutting down plots far too quickly.
Grade: C+
-Alex Evans
Grade
Conclusion