Legion of Superheroes #3
“Shadow War”
Written by Paul Levitz
Drawn by Francis Portela
Colored by Javier Mena
Review by Brad Jones
I’m not going to pretend that I know how to write a comic book – I mean, for crying out loud, I sell phones for a living – but as a someone who reads a lot of stories, it amazes me that a book so devoid of a proper narrative could be published. After some 60-some-odd pages, Legion of Superheroes has failed to produce a single, memorable character, a gripping plotline, or an arching story.
Bizarrely, it seems Levitz understands the lack of connectivity, as characters still receive introductory “Title Bubbles” any time they first appear in a panel. I’d be insulted as a reader if I were able (or even cared) to follow the group from issue to issue, but Legion has given me nothing to anchor me to the exploits of this poorly developed team.
Legion Lost – the exploits of the original Legion of Superheroes stuck in 2011 – introduced its team the same way, but had the good-sense to focus on individual heroes in the two issues since. This allows those of us not already initiated into the history of the Legion to not only personally get to know the members through their own voice, but also through their chemistry and interactions amongst the rest of the Superheroes. Levitz continuously throws different colored super-powered beings at us from panel to panel, and I suppose I’m supposed to be distracted by the pretty explosions to realize that I don’t give a toot about anyone involved. Or to even know anyone involved!
Where LL has shown a lot of potential and evolution over the course of these first three books, LoS is just plum bad. Writing about this drivel has been even more arduous than reading the books, and it’s without remorse that I turn my back on this series.
VERDICT
With about 40 other books in the New 52 better than this, it’s hard for me to justify spending even a penny more on Legion of Superheroes. Skip this series completely.
