Tuesday, July 19, 2016

I would absolutely read "Special Giant-Size Antimatter Crisis Party!"


Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's Legion "Threeboot" was inventive, charming, and well-executed; so of course it's been virtually forgotten by DC since it ended in 2009. I'm not sure why, although the "youth in revolt" angle was new and maybe DC wanted to backtrack from it. Still, it added another dimension to the title: if you were a minor, alien or human, fed up with society, you could become a Legionnaire. (It took powers and try-outs to join the core team and get a flight ring.) The core team had been trying to inspire the galaxy with the heroic ideal, with their own actions and the historical record, legends, and old comic books. Some of which may have been more accurate than others; like today's issue! From 2006, Legion of Super-Heroes #15, "Ancient Times" Written by Stuart Moore, pencils by Pat Olliffe, inks by John Livesay.

When the Legion's headquarters is destroyed, a group of young Legionnaires gather in the park, and wonder if their youth rebellion is over. A hooded stranger tries to encourage them, and asks to hear some of the stories that inspired them. One tells of the Legion helping out Earth 1 and 2's Green Lantern and Flash; another of a skirmish with the time-travelling Secret Society of Super-Villains, Captain Comet, and Karate Kid! The third tells of 80's Legionnaires Blok, Sensor Girl, White Witch, and Quislet; who save the Flash during the Crisis on Infinite Earths!

The hooded figure tells the kids it doesn't matter if Flash or Quislet were real, it matters that they inspire us. He then reveals himself to be...a Superboy fan. The rest of the issue is Triplicate Girl answering fan mail, with a surprising guest-star! (Written by Mark Waid, pencils by Adam De Kraker, inks by Rodney Ramos.) This was actually the last issue of the title, sort of, since it would become Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes the next month.

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