Legion of Super-Heroes #2
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Hayden Sherman
Colors by Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Art by Hayden Sherman and Tamra Bonvillain
I’m going to make this opening very simple: if you aren’t reading Legion of Super-Heroes, run to your local comic store and grab the first two issues right now. If you’re a digital comic person, thankfully, they’re only a few clicks away. I didn’t know what to expect when I was tasked with reviewing this series, but boy am I glad this one was thrown my way. Writer Joshua Williamson (Superman), artist Hayden Sherman (Absolute Wonder Woman), and colorist Tamra Bonvillain (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Action Comics) fire on all cylinders with this one. I absolutely cannot wait to get into this one. Spoiler Warning Now in Effect for Legion Of Super-Heroes #2!
Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Legion of Super-Heroes #2 wastes absolutely no time getting into the action. Things pick up right from the end of the first issue, where Brainiac 1 of 5 and Tenzil Kim (typically known as Matter-Eater Lad) discover that the person who killed R.J. Brande, a former member of the United Planets council, is Mekt Ranzz, brother to Garth Ranzz (typically known as Lightning Lad) and his twin sister Ayla Ranzz (typically known as Lightning Lass). Mekt is a lightning user just like his siblings. For those who aren’t too keen on the history of the Legion, in prior incarnations, R.J. Brande was an incremental figure in the founding of the Legion of Super-Heroes. After a quick battle between Brainiac 1 or 5, Tenzil Kin and members of the United Planets peacekeeping force, the Persauders, the duo escape and begin to make their way to Winath, home to Mekt Ranzz and his lightning-charged siblings. The Persauders, on the other hand, need to make sure there are no witnesses to the battle that just took place…
So right off the bat here, I want to make it clear that the Legion is not something in comics I know a ton about. I knew about the main core members of Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Lightning Lad, but beyond their cameo appearances in the Superman family books, I haven’t read much of their rich history. In a way, I’m glad I don’t have that background while I read this series because I don’t have any preconceptions of what these characters should act like or look like. I’m coming into this with fresh eyes, and instead of comparing this series to older issues or storylines, this will be my first real journey with the Legion and their comics, so just know if you’re new to the Legion of Super-Heroes, I’m right there with you. Now let's find out what Mekt Ranzz and his siblings are up to on Winath.
Mekt regales his siblings with tales of his time out in the cosmos. He struggled to survive after leaving their homeworld, but someone found him who changed everything. Mekt claims that Superman himself found him and gave him a purpose. “Superman” wants Mekt to help him save the universe from the “corrupt” United Planets, and he’s back on Winrath to get his siblings to join in his cause. Things just got a whole lot more complicated for the Ranzz siblings in a world where use of their superpowers could lead to more trouble than they could ever imagine.
Superman? Somehow… I don’t think so. Besides the very obvious fact that Superman would be over a thousand years old by that point, there’s another indisputable fact about him that proves to me that there's truly no way for this to be the true Man of Steel. If we know anything about Superman, it's that he doesn’t kill. All life, no matter what, is sacred to him. There's a reason Lex Luthor isn’t six feet under… he can thank Superman’s morals for that. Mekt Ranzz claims Superman came to him and gave him a mission to save the universe, and one of his first tasks is apparently to shock someone so badly with lightning that you murder them? Something about that really doesn’t seem right. Also… the only time we see “Superman” in this issue, his entire head is shrouded in shadow. Something doesn’t smell right.
The Plot Thickens
Back on Braal, Rokk Krinn (typically known as Cosmic Boy) wants nothing to do with his planet anymore and the games he was a star of. He wants out, and he meets someone at the quarry on Braal who might just have a heist job from a princess who can help him with his goal… This should be really fun to see, and it makes me wonder if this heist job will be the reason he crosses paths with the other heroes. Meanwhile, on Titan, Princess Imra (typically known as Saturn Girl) has gained the attention of the Green Lantern Corporation and their very unique-looking leader, the Emerald Empress, due to her intensely powerful mental powers. The Green Lantern Corporation is on Titan to discuss a new protection order, but something tells me that’s just a ploy so they can get to know Princess Imra better.
On top of the R.J. Brande murder and something or someone claiming to be “Superman,” we now have a heist storyline on the way and a subplot featuring a futuristic version of the Green Lantern Corps interested in one of the galaxy’s most powerful telepaths. It’s only the second issue, but I love the layers that Williamson is adding into the narrative already. I’m really interested to see how the Legion eventually becomes… well.. The Legion! Very, very intrigued so far. Juggling multiple storylines can sometimes really bog a book down and can make the plot feel fragmented or discombobulated at times. Thankfully, Williamson’s narrative never drags or feels bloated. It pulls you in and makes you want to get to that next page as quickly as you can, even though you just wanna stare at the incredible art on the pages just a second longer. We’ll get to Hayden Sherman and Tamra Bonvillain in a minute, but we have a little left to go here for the plot of issue #2.
Mekt Ranzz begins training his brother Garth to fight as a Super-Hero much to the dismay of his sister Ayla. She thinks Mekt is nothing but trouble and warns Garth not to go along with his plans because even back in the day he wasn’t the best influence. His actions, in her mind, will only come to hurt them and their parents. Ayla isn’t ready to throw away her life for some half-cocked ideal from Mekt and “Superman.” She’s not buying what Mekt is selling. Things quickly begin to converge as the Persuaders make their way to Winrath to confront Mekt Ranzz. When they arrive, an apparent informant is ready to help them find Mekt…
What happened to Brainiac 1 of 5 and Tenzil Kim? Did they make it to Winrath? Who is the informant ready to help the Persuaders find Mekt and try to end his plans with “Superman?” And just who is that winged Persuader?... Well, these things I will not spoil. Read issue #2 to find out because I promise you the answers are worth it, and you’ll be as excited for issue #3 as I currently am. Now, we aren’t done here yet. Williamson's narrative provides a fantastic foundation for this story. I love everything he’s done so far, but we need to talk about the art of Hayden Sherman and the colors of Tamra Bonvillain.
Just like the Legion of Super-Heroes they’re currently bringing to life, Sherman and Bonvillain are a super team in their own right. This book has some of my favorite art that I have seen all year, and it’s a testament to each of these fantastic creators’ skill in this medium. Sherman has become a household name due to his work on the groundbreaking Absolute Wonder Woman, and Bonvillain has produced some fantastic color work, most recently for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and Action Comics. I’ve been reviewing Bonvillain’s work quite a bit during my time at CBC, so I’m always glad to see her work and the brilliant colors she put on the page, but this is the first time I get to review a book featuring Sherman’s art, and I’m excited to offer my perspective.
The Future is Beautiful to Lay Eyes On
I think the first thing I want to talk about is the panel designs on the pages of this book. There’s only one or two pages in this entire issue that have the typical comic book panel structure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single issue of a comic play around with panel structure and panel shape as much as this one. Kudos to Sherman for this creativity because I must have looked back on this issue two or three times just to take in the unique look of the pages and marvel at some of the panels. Panels take strange shapes, from bowtie-shaped to off-angle rhombus and trapezoid, big orbs and more. Some panels even seem to flow into the artwork, with good examples coming from the page where Princess Imra speaks with the Emerald Empress and the scene where Mekt Ranzz and Garth take down Garth’s bullies. The panel structure and designs are going to be very fun to see moving forward.
As for the actual art, I mean wow. This book has the perfect futuristic look to it, with cities having towering alien-looking skyscrapers and great futuristic-looking superhero costumes. The Persuaders look like they were ripped out of an 80s sci-fi book but have this modern twist. The Emerald Empress and her Green Lantern Corporation have really cool-looking designs. There wasn't a single page in this book that was boring to look at. This is one of the most unique-looking books in DC’s arsenal right now, and I hope that everyone takes the time to check out the wild stuff Sherman is putting out there.
One more thing I want to discuss with Sherman’s art is the way he represents the language of Princess Imra and the people on Titan. The typical comic speech bubbles aren’t present when she or someone from Titan talks. They’re sort of like a futuristic space version of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, with different versions of symbols housed within concentric circles. I’ve never seen a language system like this in comics, and I hope someone out there deciphers the language system so we can really see what Imra and her people are saying. Right now though? I’m content to just take in how cool it looks, and I want to applaud Williamson for creating a language system in comics that I’ve never seen before.
Tamra Bonvillain’s colors make Sherman's art sing, and I’m not talking about a pop tune; I’m talking about a full-on operatic cadenza. The issue colors pop on every single page. The bright costumes and brilliant-looking powers of the heroes, the backgrounds featuring futuristic shadowy skyscrapers, dark sections of deep space and planetary backgrounds, and the overall bright tone work so well for this book and in conjunction with Sherman’s art. Bonvillain’s colors have been a highlight in every book I’ve read that she’s worked on, and she can create magic no matter which artist she’s paired with. The brights are bright, the dark shadows serve their purpose, and the colors deserve just as much praise in this book as the art.
Legion of Super-Heroes #2 continues to build the foundation of what could be an all-time run for DC’s futuristic heroes. From an intriguing, mysterious narrative to some of the best art in a DC book all year, Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman and Tamra Bonvillain are an all-star team who have brilliantly brought the 31st Century to life. If you were on the fence with this book, I want you to leap over that fence and never look back. Legion of Super-Heroes is awesome.
RATING: 10 out 10
Highly Recommend