The Legion of Super Heroes v5 #12

Released November 30, 2005
DC Comics, Color
30 Pages

The Legion of Super Heroes vs Terror Firma!

Mark Waid - Writer
Barry Kitson - Pencils
Ken Lashley - pages 23 & 24
Gray & Geraci - Inks
Sno Cone - Colors
Stephen Wacker - Editor

Synopsis

After a neat two page synopsis of the story, we get a full Roll Call, with Dream Girl listed as Deceased. Then the focus is on the Otherspace team trying to contact the other groups.  Ultra Boy scans and sees Lemnos prepping to start the fight, and Brin in a cell. The notions from Dormir fly in and suddenly Cos is communicating with the team. They decide to cut the Transmatter network to stop any invasion, but that leaves Ultra Boy and Karate Kid's team stranded. 

On Trxxl, Skelter is ready to pounce on Saturn Girl. He moves in when a sudden darkfield blinks. He grabs Saturn Girl, who suddenly zaps him - its actually Lightning Lad wrapped in a 'skin' of Cham shaped like Imra. Saturn Girl prepares to scan Skelter's mind when Cos connects with them from Dormir and starts to update them on a new plan.

On HQ, Brainy finds a globe in the rubble. Theena informs him the battle is going badly. Brainy ignores her and starts talking to someone. He finds a rock and Robin's sling and flies away to confront Elysion at UP HQ, where he's plowing through everything. A bruised and battered Invisible Kid appears and throws a punch at Elysion, while Brainy flings the rock with the sling, distracting Elysion. The rock dissolves as it hits him and he sneezes, mocking the Legion. He then begins to convulse and his upper shoulder explodes as Atom Girl erupts from Elysion's body. She knocks him out and uses one of her lasers on his wound.

In Otherspace, Lemnos gives a speech to inspire his troops as an alarm goes off as Legionnaires start to attack the troops with Brin still in his cell. Projectra, Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl break Brin out of his cell, Projectra planting a kiss on Brin. Projectra using her new illusionist skills has cast a duplicate of Brin to the cameras. Meanwhile, Ultra Boy and Karate Kid are swarmed in their battle as the first Terror Firma soldiers start to step through their portals. Jo flies to get help when a giant dragon flies in, along with Brin.

On Dormir, Cosmic Boy dons a helmet and begins a broadcast on the Public Service network across the galaxy, now calling it Legion Channel One.  He commands Lightning Lad on Trxxl to shut down the power to the Transmatters. 

Elsewhere, three Terror Firmans step out and encounter a lone Legionnare kid, who is soon joined by a host of others. 

BACKUP - "A Decent Interval"

Stuart Moore - Writer
Ken Lashley - Penciller
Greg Parkin - Inker
Richard & Tonya Horie - Colors
Stephen Wacker - Editor

Happening concurrently with the events of issue 1, Garth and Imra fly on planet Vash, where the radiation shortens lifespans making most everyone teenagers. The Legion couple is there to investigate the rumors of the outworld threat and want to use Vash as a forward base.  The Elders of Vash still need to think about it - for 40 minutes. 

During the interval, Garth and Imra think about their situation, Imra wondering if they are doing the right thing, Garth reminding them of the Legion's mission. Imra is concerned they are moving too fast as a political force. Garth speechifys about standing up for the kids. The Elders accept, and Garth asks Imra to come to his quarters for a "decent interval."

Commentary

This is the other issue I always remember from this run, primarily for the reveal of Atom Girl/Shrinking Violet. Starting the issue in such dire consequences gives urgency to the plot and we have two threads of the remote teams trying to figure out how to accomplish their missions. The solution of Garth and Cham duplicating Saturn Girl was brilliant, and done in a way that I think is unique in the history of the Legion - I don't recall seeing them do that before or since.  Cos does his leader thing and starts inspiring all the teens via the Legion takeover of the Public Service. Projectra's team rescues Brin, revealing her newly acquired illusion powers and, in the "Yes this is not your parents' Legion" moment of the book, the fact that she's Brin Londo's lover. The story ends just as the battle begins across the galaxy, guaranteeing the next issue to be picked up.

I really enjoyed this,as everything moved at a clip and all the peices had been set up to bring everything together.  Given the fact that Vi is one of my all time favorite characters, I loved this issue just for her reveal alone, as well as the fact that she's something of a bad-ass. The interesting thing is that she's clearly shown in the prelude story where Lyle is introduced in the background (and colored incorrectly), but through the story, we've been told that she's a myth by most of the Legionnaires. 

One drawback here is that the whole subplot of Ultra Boy's powers going haywire are mentioned but don't seem to do anything in the story. 

The other drawback is that of the backup story. The premise and world are interesting; A world where the teenagers are the elders and things happen rapidly due to their shortened lifespan.  This world is where Garth and Imra were in the early issues. While charming in showing the attraction between the two founders, its yet another instance of having to explain the universe of kids v adults to the reader. It's well written by the first non-Waid writer of this run, and well drawn, but I don't understand the need for it.

Art in the main book is again, great, even with the support of Lashley for a few pages. Given the timeframe of when this book came out, we had plenty of 9/11 imagery with the destruction that Elysion had caused and Kitson showed it well.  

Grade: Solid A.