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Once a Legionnaire
Oct. 1st, 2006 10:03 amFinally got around to watching the first episode the new Legion of Super-Heroes animated series. I have to confess that I didn't go into the show unbiased: I am a big fan not just of the Silver Age Legion in the comics (before Tom and Mary Bierbaum got their greasy little hands on it)[1] but also of the animated series universe that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm put together. Sure, the Legion has had reboots before, and in particular the Waid reboots have been very good, but without a connection to the earlier animated shows, I believed it would suck.
I'm glad to say that James Tucker et al. have proven me wrong. They knew which of my fanboy buttons to push, and seriously, the moment they got me was during the title sequence when you see the classic Legionnaire symbols Giffen and Levitz came up with in the 80s streaming by on the mission monitor board. I'm such a sap.
Some people may have issues with the redesigns of the Fatal Five or the Legion themselves, but as long as the spirit of the Legion that drew me to those books over twenty years ago — that of young people with remarkable abilities banding together to serve a higher ideal, something greater than themselves — comes through, I'm going to be pretty happy. Still, the Science Police designs are obvious descendants of the Levitz/Giffen era, Legion HQ is an updated version of the post-rocketship HQ, and I was chuffed to recognise various alien species from the Silver Age in the crowd scenes of New Metropolis (a female Xudarian, i.e. from Tomar-Re's race and one of those gem-shaped guys from Barrio III... Chaselon was the name of their Green Lantern champion). I can so tell that the producers are from the same comic-reading generation I am.
Oddly enough, the one thing I don't feel that comfortable about is Superboyman. Marketing I understand, but given the Boy/Lad/Girl names, Superman as a code name is pretty incongruous. Also, I hope that the series moves away from him as a focus eventually. Clark's a nice guy, but he's not why I'm buying the ticket.
Looking forward to the rest. Now, if I can only get my flight ring off my now-too-fat finger...
1. Yes, I can tell you all their real names, and the planets they are from, and given a bit of prompting, in which order they joined and who was leader at what time. And I still have my replica flight ring.
I'm glad to say that James Tucker et al. have proven me wrong. They knew which of my fanboy buttons to push, and seriously, the moment they got me was during the title sequence when you see the classic Legionnaire symbols Giffen and Levitz came up with in the 80s streaming by on the mission monitor board. I'm such a sap.
Some people may have issues with the redesigns of the Fatal Five or the Legion themselves, but as long as the spirit of the Legion that drew me to those books over twenty years ago — that of young people with remarkable abilities banding together to serve a higher ideal, something greater than themselves — comes through, I'm going to be pretty happy. Still, the Science Police designs are obvious descendants of the Levitz/Giffen era, Legion HQ is an updated version of the post-rocketship HQ, and I was chuffed to recognise various alien species from the Silver Age in the crowd scenes of New Metropolis (a female Xudarian, i.e. from Tomar-Re's race and one of those gem-shaped guys from Barrio III... Chaselon was the name of their Green Lantern champion). I can so tell that the producers are from the same comic-reading generation I am.
Oddly enough, the one thing I don't feel that comfortable about is Super
Looking forward to the rest. Now, if I can only get my flight ring off my now-too-fat finger...
1. Yes, I can tell you all their real names, and the planets they are from, and given a bit of prompting, in which order they joined and who was leader at what time. And I still have my replica flight ring.
