It’s the Legion of Superheroes in Justice League United #7 written by Jeff Lemire, pencils by Neil Edwards, Jay Leisten and Keith Champagne on inks, and Jeromy Cox on color.
The rag-tag (and very blonde) Justice League United has been keeping the rapidly aging alien Ultra safe from evil alien Bythe (and a revived Katar Hol), but now a new universe is forming and Ultra will be its god?! Not if the Legion can help it! A handful of Legionares swoop in to assist Justice League United that is until Bythe teleports, along with Ultra away. JLU is then transported to Rann where the rest of the Legion is waiting. Brainiac 5 chides them for using zeta energy teleportation. J’onn J’onzz tries to reach out telepathically to Ultra, but Bythe is there two and they more or less have a mental battle over the child. J’onn is bumped out and the Legion readies itself for it’s next step, trying to stop the rift Bythe caused.
POSITIVES
Super spacy, super comic-booky, there’s nothing inherently bad about this. It’s solidly written, I actually can bear reading it without rolling my eyes too much. This book has sailed on in that comfortable zone; nothing particularly special story-wise or art wise (exceedingly mediocre) but pretty classic “by the book” superheroing in all the retro-tastic ways. It’s not quite self aware enough to really push a true fourth wall retro feel like a Darwyn Cooke vehicle where I almost want it to go, but it doesn’t take itself 100% serious either.
NEGATIVES
Art is overall mediocre, exciting at best but it’s nothing particularly special. Coloring is the same, some more punchy atmospheric colors as seen on Batgirl or looking to some Kirby could really help here.
VERDICT
Sort of middle of the run but if it were a movie it would be a popcorn muncher. Cheesy. Oh so cheesy. But after the stylish but ultimately hollow Batgirl, this is a good example of heroes actually heroing for a change (surprise huh?)
