LEGION LOST 3
“Red Rage”
Written by Fabian Nicieza & Pete Woods
Colored by Brad Anderson
Review by Brad Jones
I’ve taken great pleasure throughout this New 52 experiment in reading terrible books with the anticipation of tearing them down in 300-words. In the case of books like Mister Terrific, Men of War and Red Hood and the Outlaws – and Legion Lost #1 – their terribleness became a sort of count-down to the event where I could drop them in epic fashion.
But then I shockingly liked Issue #2 of Legion Lost.
And also, though not quite as much, liked Issue #3. Is it weird that I’m disappointed in my intrigue in this series?
Sure, this classic Legion of Superheroes trapped in 2011 is a little too X-Men; Timber Wolf IS Wolverine, down to the surly dialogue and “lone wolf” persona; but the arch of the book is entertaining, thought-provoking and logically self-sustaining.
I am genuinely enjoying the character exploration of this group stuck in another time and how they’re individually coping with it. Moreover, the decision to center each issue behind a single character is an intelligent way for us to get to know these characters intimately – a device carried over from Issue #2 and one I hope continues (Legion of Superheroes should have taken note).
The reason why I wasn’t as crazy about this go-round is simply due to my lack of connection with Timber Wolf. Because he is so thoroughly Wolverine, my interest is not quite as peaked as it was while I was getting to know Wildfire. That isn’t to say there’s not cool stuff: the fight at the end of the book is particularly cool and if you look for it, a certain Man of Steel makes a little cameo in the early panels. There’s plenty to like in this series, and I, for one, am going to stick with it for the time being.
VERDICT
I mentioned that I was disappointed in my enjoyment of this series…allow me to clarify. After a rambling opening installment, I expected to derive sick pleasure in tearing apart this book for a few weeks before moving on to books more to my interest. What I found instead was a series thus far well-designed and one I look forward to continuing. I’m as shocked as you are, but I say “buy it!”
